VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20160042580A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: FUNAYAMA, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus is disclosed, which includes an actuator that is provided on a vehicle and performs a door closing operation of the vehicle; a reservation part; a storage part that stores reservation information; a portable terminal; a communication apparatus that is provided on a vehicle to bi-directionally communicate with the portable terminal; and a controller that causes, when the reservation information is stored in the storage part, the actuator to start the door closing operation when a distance between the communication apparatus and the portable terminal is within a first predetermined range, and causes, during the door closing operation of the door, the actuator to stop the door closing operation when the distance is within a second predetermined range that is adjacent to the first predetermined range.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus, comprising:

an actuator that is provided on a vehicle and performs a door closing operation of the vehicle;

a reservation part that generates reservation information that identifies a reservation for the door closing operation by the actuator;

a storage part that stores the reservation information;

a portable terminal;

a communication apparatus that is provided on a vehicle to bi-directionally communicate with the portable terminal; and

a controller that causes, when the reservation information is stored in the storage part, the actuator to start the door closing operation when a distance between the communication apparatus and the portable terminal is within a first predetermined range, and causes, during the door closing operation of the door, the actuator to stop the door closing operation when the distance is within a second predetermined range that is adjacent to the first predetermined range.

2. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver,

the transmitter transmits a communication signal to an outside of the vehicle a plurality of time points,

the portable terminal receives the communication signal and transmits a response signal upon the reception of the communication signal,

the receiver receives the response signal, and

the controller performs, based on a strength of the communication signal that the portable terminal receives or a strength of the response signal that the receiver receives, the determination whether the distance is within the first predetermined range and the determination whether the distance is within the second predetermined range.

3. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined range includes a range that has a minimum value thereof and a maximum value thereof, the minimum value being greater than or equal to 0, and the maximum value being less than or equal to a minimum value of the first predetermined range.

4. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined range includes a range that has a minimum value thereof, the minimum value being greater than or equal to a maximum value of the first predetermined range.

5. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the door is a back door,

the reservation part generates the reservation information in response to a reservation operation by a user, and

the storage part stores the reservation information if the back door is in an opened state and doors other than the back door are in a closed state.

6. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a first information output part that informs, when the reservation information is generated in a state where the doors other than the back door are not in the closed state, the user that the doors other than the back door are not in the closed state.

7. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reservation part is a switch that is provided on the vehicle and operated to cause the door closing operation,

the reservation operation is performed by the user pushing the switch and pushing the switch again within a first predetermined time thereafter.

8. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the door is a back door,

the reservation part is implemented by the controller, and

the reservation part generates the reservation information upon a state of the distance within a range continuing for greater than or equal to a second predetermined time under a situation in which the back door is in an opened state and doors other than the back door are in a closed state, the range having a minimum value thereof and a maximum value thereof, the minimum value being greater than or equal to 0, and the maximum value being less than or equal to a minimum value of the first predetermined range.

9. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second information output part that informs, when the storage part stores the reservation information, the user that the reservation information is stored.

10. The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage part deletes the reservation information upon the reservation information being stored in the storage part for greater than or equal to a third predetermined time, the vehicle control apparatus further comprising:

a third information output part that informs, when the reservation information is deleted, the user that the reservation information is deleted.