CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20100214112A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiguchi, Tadao, Hirobe, Naoki, Ishihara, Naoyuki, Tomita, Yosuke, Mafune, Shoji
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5973 Remote control

Abstract

A control device has a first sensor set with a first detection region, a second sensor set with a second detection region, and a control unit for controlling a predetermined operation based on a detection result by the first sensor and a detection result by the second sensor.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a first sensor set with a first detection region;

a second sensor set with a second detection region; and

a control unit for controlling a predetermined operation based on a detection result by the first sensor and a detection result by the second sensor.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first sensor is variably set with the detection region;

and

the control unit controls a first operation based on the detection result of the first sensor set with the first detection region, and controls a second operation based on the detection result of the second sensor set with the second detection region.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein

the control device is a device for controlling locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle;

a first distance with respect to the door of the vehicle is set as the first detection region in the first sensor, and a second distance shorter than the first distance is set as the second detection region;

when a state of the door of the vehicle is a locked state, the first sensor detects an object when the object enters the first detection region, and the control unit performs a control to unlock the door as the first operation when the object is detected by the first sensor; and

when the state of the door of the vehicle is an unlocked state, the second sensor detects an object when the object enters the second detection region, and the control unit performs a control to lock the door as the second operation when the object is detected by the second sensor.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein when the object is detected by the sensor, the control unit further performs an authentication process of a human with a hand, the hand of the human being the object, and performs a control to unlock or lock the door when the authentication is successful, and performs a control to prohibit unlocking or locking of the door when the authentication fails.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control device is a device for controlling locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle;

when a state of the door of the vehicle is a locked state, the first sensor detects an object when the object enters a first detection distance, and the control unit performs a control to unlock the door when the object is detected by the first sensor; and

when the state of the door of the vehicle is an unlocked state, the second sensor detects an object when the object enters a second detection distance, and the control unit performs a control to lock the door when the object is detected by the second sensor.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit further performs a control to prohibit the locking of the door of the vehicle for a predetermined period when the object is detected by the first sensor.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit performs a control to stop the detecting operation by the second sensor for a predetermined period as the control to prohibit the locking of the door for a predetermined period.

8. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit performs a control to prohibit the locking of the door of the vehicle for a predetermined period based on the detection result by the second sensor as the control to prohibit the locking of the door for a predetermined period.

9. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit further performs a control to prohibit the unlocking of the door of the vehicle for a predetermined period when the object is detected by the second sensor.

10. The control device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit performs a control to stop the detecting operation by the first sensor for a predetermined period as the control to prohibit the unlocking of the door for a predetermined period.

11. The control device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit performs a control to prohibit the unlocking of the door of the vehicle for a predetermined period based on the detection result by the first sensor as the control to prohibit the unlocking of the door for a predetermined period.

12. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit performs a control to supply power only to the first sensor when the state of the door of the vehicle is the locked state, and performs a control to supply power only to the second sensor when the state of the door of the vehicle is the unlocked state.

13. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the second sensor is an electrostatic capacity sensor;

the first sensor is another type sensor in which a type differs from the electrostatic capacity sensor;

the control device is a device for controlling locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle;

a first distance with respect to the door of the vehicle is set as the first detection region in the first sensor, and a second distance shorter than the first distance is set as the second detection region;

the first sensor detects an object when the object enters the first detection region;

the second sensor detects an object when the object enters the second detection region; and

the control unit performs unlocking or locking of the door when the object is detected by the second sensor.

14. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the electrostatic capacity sensor and the other type sensor are configured as an integrated module.

15. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the electrostatic capacity sensor and the other type sensor are installed at different locations.

16. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the electrostatic capacity sensor changes a detection sensitivity of the electrostatic capacity sensor according to a presence of detection of the object by the other type sensor.

17. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the electrostatic capacity sensor enhances a detection sensitivity of the electrostatic capacity sensor based on the detection of the object by the other type sensor.

18. A control method of a control device including a first sensor set with a first detection region and a second sensor set with a second detection region, comprising:

controlling a predetermined operation based on a detection result by the first sensor and a detection result by the second sensor.

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein

the first sensor is variably set with the detection region;

and

a first operation is controlled based on the detection result of the first sensor set with the first detection region, and a second operation is controlled based on the detection result of the second sensor set with the second detection region in the control of the predetermined operation.