Door unlocking controller and control method thereof

• US 7,245,200 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inoguchi, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US10/921,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.62, 340/5.61, 340/5.2, 340/5.8, 340/10.3
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00333 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

When a request to unlock a door of one side portion of a vehicle is input, an ID request signal is transmitted from a first transmitting antenna provided in the one side portion, and an alarm signal is transmitted from a second transmitting antenna provided in the other side portion of the vehicle. A portable unit sends back a portable-unit signal in dependence on the ID request signal and alarm signal. When the portable unit receives the first signal and does not receive the second signal, a door-unlocking control part unlocks the door of the one side portion in dependence on the portable-unit signal received by a receiving antenna.

Claims

1. A door unlocking controller for controlling unlocking of a door of a vehicle, comprising:

input means provided in both side portions of said vehicle for requesting the unlocking of said door;

transmission means provided in the side portions of said vehicle;

transmission control means which, when a request to unlock said door is input through said input means provided in one of the side portions of said vehicle, causes said transmission means provided in said one side portion to transmit a first signal and also causes said transmission means provided in the other side portion to transmit a second signal;

a portable unit for sending back a third signal in dependence on said first signal and said second signal;

reception means provided in said vehicle for receiving said third signal sent back from said portable unit; and

door-unlocking control means which, when said portable unit receives said first signal and does not receive said second signal, unlocks said door of said one side portion in dependence on said third signal received by said reception means.

2. The door unlocking controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein said portable unit sends back said third signal, when said portable unit receives said first signal and does not receive said second signal.

3. The door unlocking controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said portable unit sends back a fourth signal when said portable unit receives said first signal as said third signal, and also sends back a fifth signal when said portable unit receives said second signal as said third signal;

and

said door-unlocking control means unlocks the door of said one side portion in dependence on said fourth signal when said door-unlocking control means does not receive said fifth signal.

4. The door unlocking controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third signal contains portable-unit ID for specifying said portable unit;

and

said door-unlocking control means checks if said portable-unit ID corresponds to vehicle ID given to said vehicle, and unlocks the door of said one side portion if they correspond to each other.

5. The door unlocking controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmission control means causes said transmission means of said one side portion to transmit said first signal to a first predetermined region having said one side portion as a center thereof and also causes said transmission means of said other side portion to transmit said second signal to a second predetermined region having said other side portion as a center thereof, and sets power for transmitting said second signal so that said second predetermined region becomes larger than a first leakage region where said first signal leaks out from said other side portion, and so that a second leakage region where said second signal leaks out from said one side portion becomes a minimum region.

6. A method of controlling unlocking of a door of a vehicle that includes input means provided in both side portions of said vehicle for requesting the unlocking of said door and transmission means provided in the side portions of said vehicle, said method comprising:

a transmission control step which, when a request to unlock said door is input through said input means provided in one of the side portions of said vehicle, causes said transmission means provided in said one side portion to transmit a first signal and also causes said transmission means provided in the other side portion to transmit a second signal;

a step of sending back a third signal in dependence on said first signal and said second signal by a portable unit;

a reception step of receiving said third signal sent back from said portable unit by reception means provided in said vehicle; and

a door-unlocking control step of unlocking said door of said one side portion in dependence on said third signal received by said reception means, when said portable unit receives said first signal and does not receive said second signal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said step of sending back said third signal sends back said third signal, when said first signal is received and said second signal is not received.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein

said step of sending back said third signal sends back a fourth signal from said portable unit when said first signal is received as said third signal, and sends back a fifth signal from said portable unit when said second signal is received as said third signal;

and

said door-unlocking control step unlocks the door of said one side portion in dependence on said fourth signal when said fifth signal is not received.

9. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein

said third signal contains portable-unit ID for specifying said portable unit;

and

said door-unlocking control step checks if said portable-unit ID corresponds to vehicle ID given to said vehicle, and unlocks the door of said one side portion if they correspond to each other.

10. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said transmission control step causes said transmission means of said one side portion to transmit said first signal to a first predetermined region having said one side portion as a center thereof, and also causes said transmission means of said other side portion to transmit said second signal to a second predetermined region having said other side portion as a center thereof, and sets power for transmitting said second signal so that said second predetermined region becomes larger than a first leakage region where said first signal leaks out from said other side portion, and so that a second leakage region where said second signal leaks out from said one side portion becomes a minimum region.

11. A door unlocking controller for controlling unlocking of a door of a vehicle, comprising:

input means individually provided in both side portions of said vehicle for inputting a request for unlocking said door;

a plurality of transmission means individually provided at each of the side portions;

transmission control means for controlling one of said transmission means provided in one of the side portions to transmit a first signal and also for controlling said transmission means provided in another side portions to transmit a second signal, when the request for unlocking said door is input by said input means provided in one of the side portions of said vehicle;

a portable unit for sending a third signal in dependence on receiving of said first signal or said second signal;

reception means provided in said vehicle for receiving said third signal sent from said portable unit; and

door-unlocking control means for unlocking said door when said portable unit receives said first signal without said second signal and said reception means receives said third signal,

wherein, said portable unit sends a fourth signal when as said third signal independency on receiving said first signal, and also sends a fifth signal as said third signal in dependency on receiving said second signal, and

said door-unlocking control means unlocks said door in dependence on receiving said fourth signal without said fifth signal.