VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND COMPONENT DEVICES

• US 20080169898A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: SUGIURA, Masahiro, KATO, Shinichiro, NAKASHIMA, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,138,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2072 with means for preventing jamming or interference of a remote switch control signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An in-vehicle device notifies a mobile device of a frequency channel which has been stored in its memory unit, and sets the notified channel to a reception channel. The mobile device transmits a reply signal through the channel notified from the in-vehicle device. When the in-vehicle device determines that a code included in the received reply signal is identical with a code specific to a vehicle, the in-vehicle device stores the channel used for receiving the reply signal in its memory unit. As a result, each communication is conducted through the same channel, which enabled the successful communication previously, thereby enhancing the certainty of communication.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system having a mobile device and an in-vehicle device, the mobile device being carried by a user of a vehicle to transmit a first radio signal for remotely controlling vehicle equipment by using a plurality of frequency channels that are different in frequency from each other, and the in-vehicle device being mounted in the vehicle to conduct a radio communication with the mobile device to control the vehicle equipment, wherein the in-vehicle device includes:

in-vehicle channel selecting means for selecting a given frequency channel from the plurality of frequency channels;

in-vehicle transmitting means for transmitting a second radio signal including information on the frequency channel which is selected by the in-vehicle channel selecting means to the mobile device;

in-vehicle receiving means for receiving the first radio signal that is transmitted from the mobile device through the frequency channel selected by the in-vehicle channel selecting means;

in-vehicle reception determining means for determining whether the first radio signal is received by the in-vehicle receiving means; and

reception channel storing means for updating and storing the information on the frequency channel used to receive the first radio signal in an in-vehicle memory, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that the first radio signal has been received,

wherein the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel which is the same as the frequency channel stored in the in-vehicle memory, when the information on the frequency channel is stored in the in-vehicle memory, wherein the mobile device includes;

mobile channel selecting means for selecting a given frequency channel from the plurality of frequency channels;

mobile transmitting means for transmitting the first radio signal through the frequency channel that is selected by the mobile channel selecting means;

mobile receiving means for receiving the second radio signal;

mobile reception determining means for determining whether the second radio signal has been received by the mobile receiving means; and

transmission channel storing means for updating and storing the information on the frequency channel included in the second radio signal in the mobile memory, when the mobile reception determining means determines that the second radio signal has been received, and

wherein the mobile channel selecting means selects a frequency channel which is identified by the frequency channel information included in the second radio signal when the second radio signal is received by the mobile receiving means, and selects a frequency channel which is identified by the frequency channel information stored in the mobile memory when a given operation button that is disposed in the mobile device is operated by the user.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle reception determining means checks whether identity is established based on data that is included in a demodulated signal of the first radio signal which is transmitted from the mobile device; and

the reception channel storing means updates and stores the information on the frequency channel, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that identity is established.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel different from the frequency channel that is selected previously, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that no first radio signal is received.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects the frequency channel in an order of higher priority, which is assigned to the plurality of frequency channels differently by learning reception conditions of the first radio signal.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel different from the frequency channel that is selected previously, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that no identity is established.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile reception determining means checks whether identity is established based on data that is included in a demodulated signal of the second radio signal which is transmitted from the in-vehicle device; and

the transmission channel storing means updates and stores the information on the frequency channel which is included in the second radio signal in the mobile memory, when the mobile reception determining means determines that identity is established.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile channel selecting means selects the frequency channel which is the same as the frequency channel stored in the in-vehicle memory, when the operation button is operated by the user;

the mobile channel selecting means further selects a frequency channel different from the selected frequency channel after the mobile transmitting means transmits the first radio signal; and

the mobile transmitting means repeats the transmission of the first radio signal.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein:

data that is included in the first radio signal is identical in all of the selected frequency channels.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of frequency channels are two frequency channels.

10. An in-vehicle device for conducting radio communication with a mobile device to control vehicle equipment, the mobile device being carried by a user of a vehicle to transmit a first radio signal for remotely controlling the vehicle equipment by using a plurality of frequency channels that are different in frequency from each other, the in-vehicle device comprising:

in-vehicle channel selecting means for selecting a given frequency channel from the plurality of frequency channels;

in-vehicle transmitting means for transmitting a second radio signal including information on the frequency channel which is selected by the in-vehicle channel selecting means to the mobile device;

in-vehicle receiving means for receiving the first radio signal that is transmitted from the mobile device through the frequency channel selected by the in-vehicle channel selecting means;

in-vehicle reception determining means for determining whether the first radio signal is received by the in-vehicle receiving means; and

reception channel storing means for updating and storing the information on the frequency channel used to receive the first radio signal in an in-vehicle memory, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that the first radio signal has been received,

wherein the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel which is the same as the frequency channel stored in the in-vehicle memory, when the information on the frequency channel is stored in the in-vehicle memory.

11. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10, wherein:

the in-vehicle reception determining means checks whether identity is established based on data that is included in a demodulated signal of the first radio signal which is transmitted from the mobile device; and

the reception channel storing means updates and stores the information on the frequency channel, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that identity is established.

12. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel different from the frequency channel that is selected previously, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that no first radio signal is received.

13. The vehicle control system according to claim 12, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects the frequency channel in an order of higher priority, which is assigned to the plurality of frequency channels differently by learning reception conditions of the first radio signal.

14. The in-vehicle device according to claim 11, wherein:

the in-vehicle channel selecting means selects a frequency channel different from the frequency channel that is selected previously, when the in-vehicle reception determining means determines that no identity is established.

15. A mobile device for conducting radio communication with an in-vehicle device to control vehicle equipment by transmitting a first radio signal through a plurality of channels that are different in frequency from each other, the in-vehicle device being mounted in the vehicle to select a given frequency channel from the plurality of frequency channels, transmit a second radio signal including information on the selected frequency channel to the mobile device, and receive the first radio signal through the selected frequency channel, the mobile device comprising:

mobile channel selecting means for selecting a given frequency channel from the plurality of frequency channels;

mobile transmitting means for transmitting the first radio signal through the frequency channel that is selected by the mobile channel selecting means;

mobile receiving means for receiving the second radio signal;

mobile reception determining means for determining whether the second radio signal has been received by the mobile receiving means; and

transmission channel storing means for updating and storing the information on the frequency channel included in the second radio signal in the mobile memory, when the mobile reception determining means determines that the second radio signal has been received, and

wherein the mobile channel selecting means selects a frequency channel which is identified by the frequency channel information included in the second radio signal when the second radio signal is received by the mobile receiving means, and selects a frequency channel which is identified by the frequency channel information stored in the mobile memory when a given operation button that is disposed in the mobile device is operated by the user.

16. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein:

the mobile reception determining means checks whether identity is established based on data that is included in a demodulated signal of the second radio signal which is transmitted from the in-vehicle device; and

the transmission channel storing means updates and stores the information on the frequency channel which is included in the second radio signal in the mobile memory, when the mobile reception determining means determines that identity is established.

17. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein:

the mobile channel selecting means selects the frequency channel which is the same as the frequency channel stored in the in-vehicle memory, when the operation button is operated by the user;

the mobile channel selecting means further selects a frequency channel different from the selected frequency channel after the mobile transmitting means transmits the first radio signal; and

the mobile transmitting means repeats the transmission of the first radio signal.

18. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein:

data that is included in the first radio signal is identical in all of the selected frequency channels.

19. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of frequency channels are two frequency channels.

20. A vehicle control method for controlling vehicle equipment by performing radio communications through a plurality of frequency channels between a mobile device carried by a user and an in-vehicle device mounted in a vehicle, the method comprising:

selecting one of the plurality of frequency channels stored in an in-vehicle memory of the in-vehicle device;

transmitting from the in-vehicle device an inquiry signal through the selected frequency channel, the inquiry signal including information on the selected frequency channel;

determining by the mobile device whether the inquiry signal has been received by the mobile device;

transmitting from the mobile device a reply signal, when the mobile device determines that the inquiry signal has been received successfully;

storing, when the mobile device determines that the inquiry signal has been received successfully, the information included in the inquiry signal in a mobile memory thereby to transmit a next reply signal by selecting one of the frequency channel based on the information stored in the mobile memory;

determining by the in-vehicle device whether the reply signal has been received successfully; and

storing, when the in-vehicle device determines that the reply signal has been received successfully, a frequency channel used to receive the reply signal in the in-vehicle memory thereby to be selected as a selected frequency channel in transmitting a next inquiry signal.