Smart entry system for vehicle

• US 7,425,886 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshii, Teruo, Okamitsu, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/440,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.7, 340/5.61, 340/5.65, 340/5.8, 340/5.31, 340/5.2, 340/5.1
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

Even if there is the ID verification confirmation of the ID signal that is transmitted in response to the request signal of the vehicle-inside transmitting antenna at the lock of the doors, the disablement of the ID code of the transmitter located inside the vehicle that has been registered at the memory is prohibited when at least one of operations of the lock switch of the transmitter that is located outside or inside the vehicle and the vehicle-inside switches is detected. Accordingly, the passenger inside the vehicle can start the engine by using the transmitter left behind in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A smart entry system for a vehicle, comprising:

an onboard transmitter operative to transmit a request signal;

a portable device operative to transmit an ID signal when receiving the request signal from the onboard transmitter;

an onboard receiver operative to receive the ID signal from the portable device;

a door control device operative to unlock a door when ID verification is confirmed, the ID verification being conducted based on the ID signal received by the onboard receiver that is transmitted by the portable device in response to the request signal that is transmitted outside the vehicle by the onboard transmitter at least when an unlock operation of the door from outside the vehicle is detected;

an engine control device operative to start an engine of the vehicle when ID verification is confirmed, the ID verification being conducted based on the ID signal received by the onboard receiver that is transmitted by the portable device in response to the request signal that is transmitted inside the vehicle by the onboard transmitter when an engine start switch is operated; and

a disablement control device operative to disable said ID verification with the portable device at the operation of the engine start switch when ID verification is confirmed, the ID verification being conducted based on the ID signal received by the onboard receiver that is transmitted by the portable device in response to the request signal that is transmitted inside the vehicle by the onboard transmitter when the door is locked,

wherein said disablement control device is configured to prohibit or cancel said disablement of the ID verification with the portable device in a specified state.

2. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said disablement control device is configured to prohibit the disablement of the ID verification with the portable device in the specified state.

3. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the disablement control device prohibits the disablement of the ID verification with the portable device when it is determined that a passenger is present in the vehicle.

4. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 3, wherein the disablement control device prohibits the disablement of the ID verification with the portable device when it is determined that a specified operation to show that the passenger is present in the vehicle is conducted.

5. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 4, wherein said specified operation comprises at least one of operations of a specified switch located in the vehicle, the portable device located in the vehicle, and the portable device located outside the vehicle.

6. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said disablement control device is configured to further conduct an alarm when said ID verification is confirmed and to prohibit said disablement of the ID verification with the portable device when it is determined that said specified operation is conducted within a specified period of time after the alarm.

7. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said disablement control device is configured to cancel the disablement of the ID verification with the portable device in the specified state.

8. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the disablement control device cancels the disablement of the ID verification with said portable device when ID verification is confirmed, the ID verification being conducted based on an ID signal received by the onboard receiver that is transmitted by a portable device other than said portable device in response to the request signal that is transmitted inside the vehicle by the onboard transmitter after the door is unlocked.

9. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said disablement control device is configured to notify a passenger of said cancellation of the disablement of the ID verification.

10. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 9, wherein said request signal for the ID verification is periodically transmitted inside the vehicle by the onboard transmitter prior to the engine start after the door is unlocked.

11. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the disablement control device is configured such that when said portable device is not located in the vehicle, the disablement of the ID verification with the portable device that is not located in the vehicle is not cancelled.

12. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 3 or 8, further comprising a transponder and a key that are provided at said portable device, an onboard reading device operative to read ID of the transponder, and a memory device operative to memorize ID of said portable device and ID of said transponder,

wherein said confirmation of the ID verification at said door control device to unlock the door is accomplished when it is determined that ID of the ID signal transmitted by the portable device matches the ID of said portable device that is memorized at said memory device, said confirmation of the ID verification at said engine control device to start the engine is accomplished when it is determined that the ID of the ID signal transmitted by the portable device matches the ID of said portable device that is memorized at said memory device or when it is determined that the ID of the transponder that is read by said onboard reading device matches the ID of the transponder that is memorized at said memory device, said confirmation of the ID verification at said disablement control device to disable the ID verification with the portable device is accomplished when it is determined that the ID of the ID signal transmitted by the portable device matches the ID of said portable device that is memorized at said memory device, said memory device is configured to memorize the ID of the portable device and the ID of the transponder in such a manner that both ID are associated with each other, and said disablement control device is configured to disable said ID verification with the transponder at an operation of the engine start by said key when ID verification is confirmed.

13. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 12, wherein said portable device comprises a portable-device-side reading device operative to read the ID of the transponder and to transmit the ID of the transponder that is read by the portable-device-side reading device at least when receiving the request signal at the door lock along with said ID signal, said onboard receiver is configured to receive the ID of the transponder along with said ID signal, and said disablement control device is configured to make said memory device memorize the ID of the transponder that is received by the onboard receiver and the ID of said portable device in such a manner that both ID are associated with each other.

14. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 12, wherein said disablement control device is configured to provide guidance for prompting a passenger to make the onboard reading device read the ID of the transponder when the ID of the transponder corresponding to the ID of said portable device is not memorized at the memory device in case said portable device is present in the vehicle, and to make the memory device memorize the ID of the transponder that is read by the onboard reading device after the guidance in such a manner that both ID are associated with each other.

15. The smart entry system for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein said disablement control device is configured such that said guidance is not provided when a plurality of portable devices including said portable device are present in the vehicle.