Door control system and method

• US 7,471,187 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimonomoto, Ifushi, Nakashima, Kazuhiro, Kumazaki, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US11/110,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.23, 340/825, 340/825.69, 340/825.31
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

In a door control system, in polling collation processing, a start request signal is intermittently transmitted from a vehicle. When a human around the vehicle is detected, a start request signal is transmitted from the vehicle with high output power. A portable device returns a response signal to the vehicle. Furthermore, when the start request signal is transmitted at the high output power, the reception sensitivity is set to be lower than the normal sensitivity. When receiving the response signal from the portable device, the vehicle transmits an ID request signal, and acquires an ID code from the portable device. The ID code thus acquired is collated with each ID code registered in the vehicle. When both ID codes agree, the vehicle doors are unlocked.

Claims

1. An unlocking system comprising:

a portable device having a transmitting means for transmitting ID information; and

an unlocking controller for receiving the ID information transmitted from the transmitting means and performing unlocking control of a door based on the ID information received from the transmitting means,

wherein the portable device includes;

a receiving means for receiving one of a first request signal and a second request signal transmitted from the unlocking controller; and

a transmission control means for making the transmitting means transmit the ID information after reception of the one of the request signals by the receiving means,

wherein the receiving means varies a reception sensitivity of the one of the request signals, and

wherein the unlocking controller includes;

an intermittent transmitting means for intermittently transmitting the first request signal to the portable device outside of a vehicle;

a human detecting means for detecting presence of a human around the door; and

a detection transmitting means for transmitting the second request signal to the portable device based on a human detection result of the human detecting means,

wherein the detection transmitting means transmits the second request signal to the outside of the vehicle with an output power level higher than the output power level of the intermittent transmitting means,

wherein the detection transmitting means transmits the second request signal to the outside of the vehicle by one shot every time the human detecting means detects the presence of the human, and

wherein the portable device further includes;

a determination means for determining, based on an initial signal of the request signal, whether the one of the request signals for which reception of the one of the request signals by the receiving unit is started is the second request signal from the detection transmitting means when the reception of the one of the request signals is started by the receiving means; and

a sensitivity setting means for setting the reception sensitivity of the receiving means to a sensitivity lower than that at a reception time of the initial signal if it is determined, by the determination means, that the initial signal is a request from the detection transmitting means.

2. An unlocking system comprising:

a portable device having a transmitting means for transmitting ID information; and

an unlocking controller for receiving the ID information transmitted from the transmitting means and performing unlocking control of a door based on the ID information received from the transmitting means,

wherein the portable device includes;

a receiving means for receiving one of a first request signal and a second request signal transmitted from the unlocking controller; and

a transmission control means for making the transmitting means transmit the ID information after reception of the one of the request signals by the receiving means, and

wherein the unlocking controller includes;

an intermittent transmitting means for intermittently transmitting the first request signal to the portable device outside of a vehicle;

a human detecting means for detecting presence of a human around the door;

a detection transmitting means for transmitting the second request signal to the portable device based on a human detection result of the human detecting means;

a first stopping means for stopping an operation of the intermittent transmitting means when a locking state of the door is continued for a predetermined first period; and

a second stopping means for stopping an operation of the human detecting means and stopping an operation of the detection transmitting means when the locking state of the door is continued for a predetermined second period after the operation of the intermittent transmitting means is stopped by the first stopping means.

3. The unlocking system according to claim 2,

wherein the detection transmitting means transmits the request signal to the outside of the vehicle with an output power level higher than the output power level of the intermittent transmitting means.

4. The unlocking system according to claim 2,

wherein the receiving means is capable of varying a reception sensitivity of the request signal, and

wherein the portable device further includes:

a determination means for determining based on an initial signal of the request signal whether the request signal for which reception of the request signal by the receiving unit is started is a request signal from the detection transmitting means when the reception of the request signal is started by the receiving means; and

a sensitivity setting means for setting the reception sensitivity of the receiving means to a sensitivity rower than that at a reception time of the initial signal if it is determined that the reception-staffed request signal is a request from the detection transmitting means by the determination means.