Electronic key system for a leisure vehicle

• US 20080074243A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tomoyuki, Yoshitake, Hideto, Watabe, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An electronic key system for a leisure vehicle is provided. The electronic key system may include a portable device configured to transmit a user identification code, and an electronic key controller that is configured to receive the user identification code and to cause an electric power supply of the leisure vehicle to be turned on upon receiving the user identification code. The electric key controller may be configured to transmit a confirmation signal when acceleration of the leisure vehicle is higher than a predetermined acceleration value, and the portable device may be configured to, upon receiving the confirmation signal, transition from a sleep mode to an active mode to transmit a response signal to the electronic key controller. The electronic key controller may be configured to output a control signal to cause an alarm to be raised when no response signal is received.

Claims

1. An electronic key system for a leisure vehicle, comprising:

a portable device configured to transmit a user identification code by radio; and

an electronic key controller that is equipped in a vehicle body of the leisure vehicle and is configured to receive the user identification code from the portable device and to cause an electric power supply of the leisure vehicle to be turned on upon receiving the user identification code;

wherein the electric key controller is configured to transmit a confirmation signal to the portable device when acceleration of the leisure vehicle has an acceleration value higher than a predetermined acceleration value, and the portable device is configured to, upon receiving the confirmation signal, transition from a sleep mode to an active mode to transmit a response signal to the electronic key controller; and

wherein the electronic key controller is configured to output a control signal to cause an alarm to be raised, when the electronic key controller does not receive the response signal from the portable device in response to the confirmation signal within a predetermined time.

2. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic key controller causes the alarm to be raised, when the electronic key controller does not receive the response signal continuously for a predetermined number of times from the portable device in response to the confirmation signal transmitted from the electronic key controller to the portable device.

3. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the acceleration having the acceleration value higher than the predetermined acceleration value occurs first after the leisure vehicle has started travel.

4. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the acceleration having the acceleration value higher than the predetermined acceleration value occurs first in a state where a travel speed of the leisure vehicle is in a speed range higher than a predetermined upper limit speed value.

5. The electronic key system according to claim 4, wherein the electronic key controller is configured to transmit the confirmation signal after the travel speed of the leisure vehicle becomes higher than the predetermined upper limit speed value, and to transmit a request signal to the portable device to request the portable device to further transmit the response signal when the electronic key controller does not receive the response signal continuously for the predetermined number of times.

6. The electronic key system according to claim 4, wherein the electronic key controller is configured to transmit the confirmation signal again, when the travel speed of the leisure vehicle becomes lower than a predetermined lower limit speed value, and thereafter the acceleration having the acceleration value higher than the predetermined acceleration value occurs first in a state where the travel speed of the leisure vehicle is in the speed range higher than the predetermined upper limit speed value, and the portable device is configured to, upon receiving the confirmation signal, transition from the sleep mode to the active mode to transmit the response signal to the electronic key controller;

and

wherein the electronic key controller is configured to output the control signal to cause the alarm to be raised, when the electronic key controller does not receive the response signal from the portable device in response to the confirmation signal within the predetermined time.