VEHICLE LOCK CONTROLLER

• US 20150332530A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: KISHITA, Yuri
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/005 Opening, closing of the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5973 Remote control

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle lock controller capable of enhancing the security performance of a vehicle by automatically locking at least one door of the vehicle in an appropriate time. A human detection sensor is disposed on a vehicle, and a vehicle door lock controller is configured to detect the presence of a person around the vehicle based on an output signal of the human detection sensor. The vehicle door lock controller is provided with a short-range wireless communicator for wirelessly communicating with a wireless communication device within a short range and a long-range wireless communicator for wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication device within a long range. The vehicle door lock controller sets a timeout period before the at least one door of the vehicle is automatically locked after being unlocked, depending on whether or not communication exists between these wireless communicators and the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A vehicle lock controller, comprising:

a short-range wireless communicator configured to communicate with a portable wireless communication device within a short range;

a long-range wireless communicator configured to communicate with the wireless communication device within a long range, the long range being longer than the short range;

a controller configured to lock or unlock at least one door of a vehicle in response to a lock or unlock request received from the wireless communication device;

a detection device configured to detect the presence of a person around the vehicle; and

a lock time setting device configured, if a request to unlock the at least one door is received from the wireless communication device, to set a lapse of time before the at least one door is locked, depending on whether or not (i) the short-range wireless communicator has communicated with the wireless communication device, (ii) the long-range wireless communicator has communicated with the wireless communication device, and (iii) a result of detection by the detection device,

wherein the controller is configured such that, if the controller receives the unlock request from the wireless communication device, the controller unlocks the at least one door and then locks the at least one door after the lapse of time set by the lock time setting device.

2. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 1, wherein the lock time setting device:

sets the lapse of time before the at least one door is locked to a long period if the short-range wireless communicator has communicated with the wireless communication device;

sets the lapse of time before the at least one door is locked to a medium-length period shorter than the long period if (i) the short-range wireless communicator has not communicated with the wireless communication device, (ii) the long-range wireless communicator has communicated with the wireless communication device, and (iii) the detection device has not detected a person; and

sets the lapse of time before the at least one door is locked to a short period shorter than the medium period if (i) the short-range wireless communicator has not communicated with the wireless communication device, (ii) the long-range wireless communicator has communicated with the wireless communication device, and (iii) the detection device has detected a person.

3. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 2, wherein the range within which the detection device detects a person is narrower than the long range of the long-range wireless communicator.

4. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle lock controller further comprises a setting reception device configured to receive a setting of whether or not to lock the at least one door after the lapse of timer; and

the controller is further configured to;

not lock the at least one door, even after the lapse of time, if the setting reception device has received a setting to not lock the at least one door; and

lock the at least one door after the lapse of time if the setting reception device has received a setting to lock the at least one door.

5. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle lock controller further comprises a door open determination device configured to determine whether or not a door of the vehicle has been opened (i) after the controller unlocked the at least one door in response to the unlock request from the wireless communication device and (ii) before the lapse of time set by the lock time setting device; and

the controller is configured to not lock the at least one door after the lapse of time if the door open determination device determines that the door of the vehicle has been opened.

6. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the short-range wireless communicator includes a plurality of antennas configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;

each of the plurality of antennas is disposed in a different location of the vehicle; and

the controller is configured to determine which of a plurality of doors of the vehicle is to be controlled depending on through which of the plurality of antennas short-range wireless communication has been carried out between the short-range wireless communicator and the wireless communication device.

7. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of antennas are provided on the plurality of doors of the vehicle; and

depending on whether or not short-range wireless communication has been carried out between the short-range wireless communicator and the wireless communication device through a said antenna provided on a driver side door of the vehicle, the controller is configured to determine whether only the driver side door or the plurality of doors are to be controlled.

8. The vehicle lock controller according to claim 7, wherein the controller:

controls only the driver side door of the vehicle if the short-range wireless communication has been carried out through the said antenna provided on the driver side door of the vehicle; and

controls the plurality of doors if the short-range wireless communication has been carried out through only another of the plurality of antennas.