IN-VEHICLE DEVICE AND VEHICULAR COMBINED CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090102634A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: OKADA, Noriaki, Sugiura, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0435 Vehicle body mounted circuits, e.g. transceiver or antenna fixed to central console, door, roof, mirror or fender

Abstract

A vehicular combined control system has functions of a smart entry system and a TPMS. A smart ECU turns on the output of a voltage signal terminal intermittently or in response to a given trigger. When the output of the voltage signal terminal turns on, a RF receiver section receives information from a portable device regardless of the ON/OFF state of an ignition switch to transmit the information to the smart ECU. When the ignition switch is ON and the output of the voltage signal terminal turns off, the RF receiver section receives information from tire sensors to transmit the information to a TPMS microcomputer.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device for a vehicular combined control system, comprising:

first control means configured for a smart entry system and to conduct radio communication with a portable device carried by a user of a vehicle to conduct authentication required to permit execution of predetermined controls in the vehicle;

second control means configured for a tire pressure monitoring system and to conduct radio communication with tire pressure detecting means thereby to acquire information related to the conditions of the tires from the detecting means; and

receiving means configured to switch over any one of a first operation mode for receiving the information that is transmitted from the portable device to output the information to the first control means, and a second operation mode for receiving the information that is transmitted from the detecting means to output the information to the second control means,

wherein the receiving means is configured to switch over to the first operation mode when an output signal from the first control means turns on irrespective of ON/OFF condition of an ignition switch of the vehicle, and switch over to the second operation mode when the ignition switch of the vehicle is ON and the output signal from the first control means turns off,

wherein the first control means is configured to turn on the output signal intermittently or based on a given trigger, and input information from the portable device which is output from the receiving means when the output signal turns on, and

wherein the second control means inputs the information from the detecting means which is output from the receiving means, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is ON and the output signal from the first control means is OFF.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiving means is configured to stop operation, when the ignition switch of the vehicle turns off and the output signal from the first control means turns off.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, further comprising:

power supplying means configured to supply electric power required to operate the receiving means to the receiving means, when the ignition switch of the vehicle turns on or the output signal from the first control means turns on.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein:

the second control means is configured to output a mode switching signal to the receiving means, when the ignition switch of the vehicle turns on and the output signal from the first control means turns off; and

the receiving means is configured to operate in the first operation mode when the mode switching signal is not output from the second control means in supplying the electric power from the power supplying means to the receiving means, and operate in the second operation mode when the mode switching signal is output from the second control means.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 4, wherein:

the second control means is configured to get into an active state when the ignition switch of the vehicle turns on and the output signal from the first control means turns off, and get into a sleep state that can suppress the power consumption more than the active state when the ignition switch of the vehicle turns off and the output signal from the first control means turns on, and

the second control means is configured to output the mode switching signal to the receiving means when the second control means gets into the active state.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver means is configured to receive the information of the portable device at a first receiving frequency in the first operation mode and the information of the tire pressure detecting means at a second receiving frequency in the second operation mode, the first receiving frequency being lower than the second receiving frequency.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver means is configured to receive the information of the portable device in the first operation mode in less number of times than receiving the information of the tire pressure detecting means in the second operation mode.

8. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver means is configured to receive the information of the portable device at a first bit rate in the first operation mode and the information of the tire pressure detecting means at a second bit rate in the second operation mode, the first bit rate being lower than the second bit rate.

9. A vehicular combined control system comprising:

an in-vehicle device according to claim 1;

the portable device; and

the detecting means.