Monitoring apparatus for electronic key and displaying apparatus for positional information on electronic key

• US 7,843,318 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Masaki, Konno, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Takao, Yashiro, Tomohiko, Funayose, Yusuke, Yamamoto, Sho
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/488,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 34042611-42619, 340/825.49, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 701213-216
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00

Abstract

A control unit having an immobilizer function includes a circuit for transmitting a request signal within a predetermined range. After receiving a reply signal from an electronic key in response to this request signal once and allowing a movable body to move, when a reply signal to the periodically sent request signal is not received, it is determined that the electronic key is out of the range, and it is assumed that the key has been dropped. A monitor section outputs a warning signal and transmits the warning signal to the navigation unit. A navigation unit, in response to the warning signal, stores the location at that time as the positional information on the electronic key. The navigation unit also displays a map showing the location of a key based on positional information on the electronic key. With this system, a lost electronic key may be readily located.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for an electronic key, comprising:

an immobilizer mounted on a movable body;

a GPS navigation unit mounted on the movable body;

monitoring means for continuously detecting communication status between an electronic key and the immobilizer, which communication deactivates a function of the immobilizer;

means for informing the GPS navigation unit of the detected communication status by sending a signal Sw to the GPS navigation unit when the communication from the electronic key has stopped;

means for storing and displaying a stored location of the electronic key at a time when the communication has stopped as positional information of the electronic key on a display panel of the GPS navigation unit without an action by an operator of the monitoring apparatus; and

means for calling the stored location of the electronic key and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel at any of a plurality of times after the time when the communication has stopped.

2. The monitoring apparatus for an electronic key according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is a saddle-ride vehicle, and

wherein the means for calling the stored location of the electronic key and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel after the time when the communication has stopped is an operator-activated push button.

3. The monitoring apparatus for an electronic key according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is a surface craft.

15. The monitoring apparatus for an electronic key according to claim 1, wherein the positional information of the electronic key is displayed on the display panel appears on a map displayed on the display panel using a mark when the electronic key is within range, and

wherein the positional information of the electronic key is displayed on the display panel appears on the map displayed on the display panel using text which indicates a longitude and a latitude when the electronic key is not within the range.

16. The monitoring apparatus for an electronic key according to claim 1, wherein each of the monitoring means, the means for informing the GPS navigation unit, means for displaying the stored information, the means for calling the stored location, and the display unit is mounted on the movable body.

4. A displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key, comprising:

an immobilizer mounted on a movable body;

a control unit for continuously detecting communication status between the electronic key and the immobilizer;

a GPS navigation unit mounted on the movable body and being capable of determining the positional information of the electronic key upon receipt of a signal Sw from the control unit when the communication from the electronic key has stopped;

display control means for displaying the positional information of the electronic key at a time when the communication between the electronic key and the immobilizer is stopped, on a display panel of the GPS navigation unit as the positional information of the electronic key without an action by an operator of the displaying apparatus, and

means for calling the stored location of the electronic key and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel at any of a plurality of times after the time when the communication has stopped,

wherein when the communication is stopped, the immobilizer is deactivated.

5. The displaying apparatus for positional information on an electronic key according to claim 4, wherein the positional information of the electronic key to be displayed on the display panel appears on a map displayed on the display panel using a mark and/or in texts which indicate a longitude and a latitude, in accordance with the positional information of the electronic key.

6. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 4, wherein the immobilizer is built in the GPS navigation unit.

7. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 4, wherein the movable body is a surface craft, and

wherein the means for calling the stored location of the electronic key and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel after the time when the communication has stopped is an operator-activated push button.

17. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 4, wherein each of the display control means and the display panel is mounted on the movable body, and

wherein when the communication from the electronic key has stopped, the control unit causes the signal Sw to be sent to the navigation unit and a warning light to be energized at the same time without the action by the operator of the displaying apparatus.

18. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 4, wherein a location of the movable body is displayed on the display panel and appears on a map displayed on the display panel using text which indicates a longitude and a latitude of the movable body,

wherein the location of the movable body and the positional information of the electronic key are displayed concurrently on the display panel.

8. A displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key, comprising:

a control unit mounted on a movable body, which includes an immobilizer allowing a driving source of the movable body to be started via communication with an electronic key;

a navigation unit mounted on the movable body, which navigates and guides the movable body using a GPS electric wave;

a transmitting section provided in the control unit, which transmits a request signal within a predetermined range;

a receiving section provided in the control unit, which receives a reply signal transmitted by the electronic key in response to the request signal;

means for storing a location of the movable body at a time when the receiving section fails to receive the reply signal in response to the request signal transmitted after the driving source is started; and

means for sending a signal Sw to the navigation unit when the receiving section fails to receive the reply signal;

means for displaying the stored location of the electronic key as the positional information of the electronic key on a display panel of the navigation unit without an action by an operator of the displaying apparatus, and

means for calling the stored location of the electronic key and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel at any of a plurality of times after the time when the communication has stopped.

9. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, wherein the movable body is a surface craft, and

wherein the positional information of the electronic key to be displayed on the display panel appears on a map displayed on the display panel using a mark and/or in texts which indicate a longitude and a latitude, in accordance with the positional information of the electronic key.

10. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, wherein the movable body is a saddle-ride vehicle, and

wherein the predetermined range of the of the request signal transmitted by the control unit is 1.5 m or less in radius about a transmitting antenna of the control unit,

wherein at the time the receiving section fails to receive the reply signal, an actual position of the electronic key is 1.5 m or less from the stored location of the electronic key as displayed on the display panel.

11. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined range of the of the request signal transmitted by the control unit is less than a range of the reply signal transmitted by the electronic key in response to the request signal.

12. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8,

wherein the means for calling the stored location and inputting the stored location to the means for displaying the stored location on the display panel after the time when the communication has stopped is an operator-activated push button.

13. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8,

wherein when the reply signal fails to be detected, the control unit causes the signal Sw to be sent to the navigation unit, and a warning light to be energized at the same time and without the action by the operator of the displaying apparatus.

14. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for setting positional information at a time when the reply signal fails to be detected, to the navigation unit as a navigation destination.

19. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, wherein the positional information of the electronic key is displayed on the display panel appears on a map displayed on the display panel using a mark when the electronic key is within the predetermined range, and

wherein the positional information of the electronic key is displayed on the display panel appears on the map displayed on the display panel using text which indicates a longitude and a latitude when the electronic key is not within the predetermined range.

20. The displaying apparatus for positional information of an electronic key according to claim 8, wherein a location of the movable body is displayed on the display panel and appears on a map displayed on the display panel using text which indicates a longitude and a latitude of the movable body,

wherein the location of the movable body and the positional information of the electronic key are displayed concurrently on the display panel.