Smart entry system

• US 7,612,649 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yagyu, Hiroshi, Kumazaki, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C
• Application Number:
  US11/125,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20050253684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/5.62, 340/5.63, 340/5.72, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/5.62
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering

Abstract

A smart entry system for a vehicle includes a transmitter on a vehicle and a portable unit carried by a user. The transmitter transmits a request signal which defines a user detection area to detect whether the portable unit transmits a response signal to indicate the user. When the user enters the detection area while all the doors are locked, an unlock standby state is set. When the user touches a touch sensor of a driver-seat side door under the unlock standby state, only the driver-seat side door is first unlocked. The other doors are kept locked if the user opens the D-door by the time when T2 seconds elapse. On the other hand, all the doors are unlocked when T2 elapses while the driver-seat side door is not opened.

Claims

1. A smart entry system for a vehicle having a plurality of doors comprising:

a transmitter that is provided in a vehicle in connection with a specified door of the vehicle and transmits a request signal within a predetermined range around the specified door;

a portable unit for receiving the request signal transmitted from the transmitter and transmitting a response signal in response to the request signal;

a receiver that is provided in the vehicle and receives the response signal from the portable unit, a touch detecting unit that is provided in the vehicle to detect a touch on the specified door;

a lock switch that is provided in the vehicle to lock the specified door by an external operation when the specified door is unlocked; and

a control unit that is provided in the vehicle and sets the specified door to an unlock standby state in response to the response signal, unlocks the specified door if the touch is detected by the touch detecting unit, and locks the specified door if the lock switch is operated under the state that the specified door is in an unlock state,

the control unit unlocking only the specified door when the specified door is touched in the unlock standby state, and also automatically unlocking at least one of other doors after a predetermined time elapses from the unlocking of the specified door and irrespective of a presence or absence of a touch on at least one of the other doors.

2. The smart entry system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit keeps the other doors locked even after the predetermined time elapses, if the specified door is opened within the predetermined time after the specified door is unlocked from the unlock standby state.

3. The smart entry system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit unlocks at least one of the other doors, when the another door under the unlock standby state is unlocked and then a touch there on is detected again after the predetermined time elapses.

4. A smart entry system for a vehicle having a plurality of doors comprising:

a transmitter that is provided in a vehicle in connection with a specified door of the vehicle and transmits a request signal within a predetermined range around the specified door;

a portable unit for receiving the request signal transmitted from the transmitter and transmitting a response signal in response to the request signal;

a receiver that is provided in the vehicle and receives the response signal from the portable unit;

a touch detecting unit that is provided in the vehicle to detect a touch on the specified door;

a lock switch that is provided in the vehicle to lock the specified door by an external operation when the specified door is unlocked; and

a control unit that is provided in the vehicle and sets the specified door to an unlock standby state in response to the response signal, unlocks the specified door if the touch is detected by the touch detecting unit, and locks the specified door if the lock switch is operated under the state that the specified door is in an unlock state,

the control unit unlocking only the specified door when the specified door is touched in the unlock standby state, and also automatically unlocking at least one of other doors irrespective of a presence or absence of a touch on at least one of the other doors when the specified door is opened after the specified door is unlocked.

5. The smart entry system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit unlocks the at least one of the other doors only when the specified door is opened during a predetermined time from the unlocking of the specified door.