Smart key system

• US 7,403,099 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kakegawa, Tomoo, Muramatsu, Akihiro, Kamiya, Masachika, Kamiya, Hodaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/218,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.64, 340/5.62, 340/825.36, 340/426.13, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.28, 340/426.29, 180/287, 307/10.2, 307/10.4, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/426.29
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00325 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• 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

A smart key system for a vehicle determines that a mobile communicator is not in the passenger compartment and that an in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk gets locked. Then the smart key system executes a recovery process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk.

Claims

1. A smart key system for a vehicle comprising:

an in-trunk communicator provided within a trunk of a vehicle and configured for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in the trunk of the vehicle;

a trunk lock status detector for detecting a lock/unlock status of the trunk;

a controller for executing;

an ex-room process for determining that the mobile communicator is not in a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

an in-trunk process for determining that the in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked; and

a predetermined process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk, based on the determinations of the ex-room process and the in-trunk process,

wherein the in-trunk communicator is located at a corner of the trunk,

wherein the in-trunk communicator includes a transmitter and a receiver located at different corners of the trunk.

2. A smart key system for a vehicle comprising:

an in-trunk communicator for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in a trunk of the vehicle;

a trunk lock status detector for detecting a lock/unlock status of the trunk;

a controller for executing;

an ex-room process for determining that the mobile communicator is not in a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

an in-trunk process for determining that the in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked; and

a predetermined process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk, based on the determinations of the ex-room process and the in-trunk process,

wherein the controller executes the ex-room process when the trunk lock stabs detector detects that the trunk gets unlocked.

3. The smart key system for a vehicle in claim 2, further comprising an in-room communicator for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in the passenger compartment, wherein the controller executes the ex-room process based on that the in-room communicator communicates with the mobile communicator.

4. The smart key system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined process includes:

a trunk unlock process for allowing a user of the vehicle to open the trunk without the mobile communicator when a switch on the outer surface of the vehicle is operated by the user; and

a notification process for notifying the user of that the mobile communicator is locked in the trunk.

5. A smart key system for a vehicle comprising:

an in-trunk communicator for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in a trunk of the vehicle;

a trunk lock status detector for detecting a lock/unlock status of the trunk;

a door lock status detector for detecting the lock/unlock status of doors of the vehicle;

a speed sensor and a brake sensor; and

a controller for executing;

a locked-out process for determining that a user of the vehicle is locked out of the passenger compartment;

an in-trunk process for determining that the in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked; and

a predetermined process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk, based on the determinations of the lock-out process and the in-trunk process,

wherein the controller executes the locked-out process based on that the door lock status detector detects that all the doors are locked,

wherein the controller executes the locked-out process based further on that a vehicle speed which the speed sensor detects is zero and the brake pedal is not being operated.

6. The smart key system according to claim 5, further comprising a boarder detector for detecting a boarder of the vehicle, wherein the controller executes the locked-out process based further on that the boarder detector detects no one in the vehicle.

7. A smart key system for a vehicle comprising:

an in-trunk communicator for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in a trunk of the vehicle;

a lock status detector for detecting a lock/unlock status of the trunk;

a door lock status detector for detecting the lock/unlock status of doors of the vehicle;

a speed sensor and a brake sensor; and

a controller for executing;

a locked-out process for determining that a user of the vehicle is going to be locked out of the passenger compartment;

an in-trunk process for determining that the in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked; and

a predetermined process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk, based on the determinations of the lock-out process and the in-trunk process,

wherein the controller executes the locked-out process based on that the door lock status detector detects that all the doors are going to be locked,

wherein the controller executes the locked-cut process based further on that a vehicle speed which the speed sensor detects is zero and the brake pedal is not being operated.

8. A smart key system for a vehicle comprising:

an in-trunk communicator for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communicator in a trunk of the vehicle;

a trunk lock status detector for detecting a lock/unlock status of the trunk;

a boarder detector for detecting a boarder of the vehicle; and

a controller for executing;

a no-boarder process for determining that the boarder detector detects no one in the vehicle when the trunk lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked;

an in-trunk process for determining that the in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk lock status detector detects that the trunk gets locked; and

a predetermined process for the mobile communicator locked in the trunk, based on the determinations of the no-boarder process and the in-trunk process.

9. The smart key system according to claim 8, wherein the boarder detector comprises at least one of a camera installed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, a seat sensor for detecting a boarder on a seat of the vehicle, a speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed and a brake sensor for detecting an operation of a brake of the vehicle.

10. The smart key system for a vehicle in claim 8, wherein the in-trunk communicator is located at a corner of the trunk.

11. The smart key system for a vehicle in claim 10, wherein the in-trunk communicator includes a transmitter and a receiver located at different corners of the trunk.

12. The smart key system for a vehicle in claim 8, wherein the predetermined process is executed only if both (i) the no-board process has determined that the boarder detector detected no one in the vehicle when the trunk lock status detector detected that the trunk gets locked and (ii) the in-trunk process has determined that the in-trunk communicator is communicating with the mobile communicator when the trunk lock status detector detected that the trunk gets locked.