Vehicle remote-operation apparatus

• US 7,515,034 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/357,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20060186993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.62
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/415 based on motion status or velocity, e.g. for disabling use of mobile phones in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/86 related to preventing deceptive jamming or unauthorized interrogation or access, e.g. WLAN access or RFID reading record carriers with integrated circuit chips including means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or to record carriers by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07318; arrangements for sensing record carriers including arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks G06K7/10257
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 related to allowing or preventing remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A vehicle remote-operation apparatus is provided which transmits a regular authentication request signal from a vehicle-outside antenna and simultaneously transmits an interference wave for negating this authentication request signal from a vehicle-inside antenna, so that the communicable range can be limited between a radio portable unit allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle and the vehicle-outside antenna. Thereby, authentication communication is established only for a regular communication request.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote-operation apparatus, comprising:

a radio portable unit which is allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle;

a plurality of transmitters which output an authentication request signal to the portable unit;

an authentication-signal receiver which receives an authentication response signal outputted from the portable unit in response to the authentication request signal; and

a controller which controls a specific in-vehicle unit based on the authentication result of the authentication response signal, so that the in-vehicle unit is permitted to operate or prohibited from operating,

wherein when the portable unit is inside of the vehicle, the controller controls the plurality of transmitters so that a transmitter outside of the vehicle among the plurality of transmitters transmits a regular authentication request signal and so that at least one or more transmitters inside of the vehicle transmit an interference wave for negating the authentication request signal, and limits the communicable range between the portable unit and the transmitters.

2. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interference wave is a burst wave.

3. A vehicle remote-operation apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle-side communication unit which is provided in a vehicle; and

a portable unit which is allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle and communicates by radio with the vehicle-side communication unit, wherein;

the vehicle-side communication unit includes,

a vehicle-outside transmitter which transmits an authentication request signal for the portable unit to at least the outside of the vehicle,

a vehicle-inside transmitter which transmits the authentication request signal to the inside of the vehicle,

an authentication-signal receiver which receives an authentication response signal outputted from the portable unit in response to the authentication request signal, and

a controller which controls a specific in-vehicle unit based on the authentication result of the authentication response signal, so that the in-vehicle unit is permitted to operate or prohibited from operating; and

the controller transmits the authentication request signal using the vehicle-outside transmitter, and using the vehicle-inside transmitter, transmits, to the inside of the vehicle, an interference wave for disabling the inside of the vehicle from receiving the authentication request signal by the vehicle-outside transmitter.

4. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the vehicle-outside transmitter includes a plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters provided in different positions of the peripheral part of the vehicle;

the vehicle-side communication unit further includes a plurality of motion detectors which are provided in different positions of the peripheral part of the vehicle and detects a user making a motion to the vehicle; and

if one motion detector of the plurality of motion detectors detects a user making a motion, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using one vehicle-outside transmitter located near the motion detector among the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters, and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using the vehicle-inside transmitter.

5. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-inside transmitter includes a plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters provided in different positions inside of the vehicle; and

if one motion detector of the plurality of motion detectors detects a user making a motion, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using one vehicle-outside transmitter located near the motion detector among the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters, and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using at least one vehicle-inside transmitter of the plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters.

6. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if one motion detector of the plurality of motion detectors detects a user making a motion, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using one vehicle-outside transmitter located near the motion detector among the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters, and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using all the plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters.

7. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of motion detectors include a first door outside switch which detects a user touching the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the vehicle;

the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters include a first vehicle-outside antenna provided near the driver'"'"'s seat side of the vehicle;

the vehicle-side communication unit further includes a door-lock switch which locks or unlocks a door of the vehicle; and

if the first door outside switch detects a user touching the door on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the vehicle, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using the first vehicle-outside antenna and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using at least one vehicle-inside transmitter of the plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters, and if the authentication-signal receiver does not receive the authentication response signal from the portable unit, the controller controls the door-lock switch so that the door-lock switch does not unlock the door of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the plurality of motion detectors further include a second door outside switch which detects a user touching the door on the passenger-seat side of the vehicle;

the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters further include a second vehicle-outside antenna provided near the passenger-seat side of the vehicle; and

if the second door outside switch detects a user touching the door on the passenger-seat side of the vehicle, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using the second vehicle-outside antenna and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using at least one vehicle-inside transmitter of the plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters, and if the authentication-signal receiver does not receive the authentication response signal from the portable unit, the controller controls the door-lock switch so that the door-lock switch does not unlock the doors of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of motion detectors further include a third door outside switch which detects a user touching the door on the rear side of the vehicle;

the plurality of vehicle-outside transmitters further include a third vehicle-outside antenna provided near the door on the rear side of the vehicle; and

if the third door outside switch detects a user touching the door on the rear side of the vehicle, the controller transmits the authentication request signal using the third vehicle-outside antenna and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle using at least one vehicle-inside transmitter of the plurality of vehicle-inside transmitters, and if the authentication-signal receiver does not receive the authentication response signal from the portable unit, the controller controls the door-lock switch so that the door-lock switch does not unlock the doors of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the interference wave is a burst wave.

11. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller transmits the authentication request signal only for a first period using the vehicle-outside transmitter, and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle only for a second period including the first period using the vehicle-inside transmitter.

12. The vehicle remote-operation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller transmits the authentication request signal only for a first period using the vehicle-outside transmitter, and transmits the interference wave to the inside of the vehicle only for the first period using the vehicle-inside transmitter.

13. A vehicle-side communication unit which is provided in a vehicle and communicates by radio with a portable unit allocated an identification code unique to the vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle-outside transmitter which transmits an authentication request signal for the portable unit to at least the outside of the vehicle;

a vehicle-inside transmitter which transmits the authentication request signal to the inside of the vehicle;

an authentication-signal receiver which receives an authentication response signal outputted from the portable unit in response to the authentication request signal; and

a controller which controls a specific in-vehicle unit based on the authentication result of the authentication response signal, so that the in-vehicle unit is permitted to operate or prohibited from operating,

wherein the controller transmits the authentication request signal using the vehicle-outside transmitter, and using the vehicle-inside transmitter, transmits, to the inside of the vehicle, an interference wave for disabling the inside of the vehicle from receiving the authentication request signal by the vehicle-outside transmitter.