In-vehicle communication system, on-board terminal, portable device, and in-vehicle communication method

• US 7,844,377 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Oota, Mitsuru, Nomura, Tetsuya, Seike, Yasushi, Harumoto, Satoshi, Matsuda, Yuusaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US11/452,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 701/49, 701/200, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 34042613-42636, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

Current position of a vehicle and current time are acquired. A user recognizing unit recognizes a user. A pattern recognizing unit detects location of a portable device and movement thereof. Operation state of an engine is acquired from an engine control mechanism. Based on the information, processes are performed such as switching communication stand-by mode of the portable device to active stand-by mode, notifying the portable device of a transition of an on-board terminal to automatic locking mode, preventing needless unlocking and locking of doors, and setting warning mode of the portable device.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication system comprising:

an on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle;

a portable device that is structured to be inside or outside of the vehicle;

an information acquiring unit that is structured to acquire vehicle information indicative of a state and a location of the vehicle;

a location information acquiring unit that is structured to acquire location information indicative of the portable device;

a pattern recognizing unit that is structured to recognize a movement pattern of the portable device; and

an operation mode changing unit that is structured to change an operation mode of at least one of the portable device and the on-board terminal based on the vehicle information, the location information and the movement pattern, wherein a communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device is different from the communication range from the portable device to the on-board terminal, and the operation mode changing unit changes the operation mode based on the movement pattern and whether the portable device is located inside or outside the communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device.

2. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes position information indicative of current position of the vehicle.

3. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to change a communication stand-by mode of the portable device based on the position information.

4. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to switch between a passive stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a response signal when a response request from the on-board terminal is received, and an active stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals.

5. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to switch the portable device to the active stand-by mode when the position information indicates that the current position of the vehicle is a store.

6. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3, wherein each of the on-board terminal and the portable device includes

an inductive communication unit structured to cause the on-board terminal and the portable device to communicate with each other based on inductive communication;

and

a radio communication unit structured to cause the on-board terminal and the portable device to communicate with each other based on radio communication.

7. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4, wherein the on-board terminal is structured to perform a boarding preparation process of preparing for boarding of a person upon receiving a notification signal from the portable device.

8. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6, wherein the on-board terminal is structured to perform a boarding preparation process of preparing for boarding of a person upon receiving a notification signal from the portable device.

9. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a lock control unit that is structured to at least one of lock and unlock the vehicle.

10. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 9, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to transition the lock control unit to automatic lock mode based on a distance between the on-board terminal and the portable device and is structured to notify the portable device of the transition in the operation mode.

11. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 9, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to change the unlocking operation mode of the lock control unit when the position information indicates that the current location of the vehicle is the person'"'"'s home.

12. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 11, wherein the on-board terminal includes

a portable device detecting unit structured to detect whether the portable device is approaching the vehicle;

and

a person detecting unit structured to detect whether a person is onboard the vehicle, and

when the portable device detecting unit detects that the portable device is approaching the vehicle and the person detecting unit detects that a person is not onboard the vehicle, the unlocking operation mode performs a learning process based on information regarding the approach of the portable device and makes the conditions of unlocking stricter.

13. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 12, wherein the portable device detecting unit is structured to detect whether the portable device is approaching the vehicle based on at least one of current time, approach direction of the portable device, and information related to possessor of the portable device.

14. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of an operation state of an engine of the vehicle and lock status of a door of the vehicle.

15. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 14, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to set a warning mode of the portable device when a driver of the vehicle is detected to have exited the vehicle when at least one of the engine is running and the door lock is released.

16. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 15, wherein the portable device is structured to give out a warning when response requests from the on-board terminal cease while the warning mode is set.

17. An on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle and that is structured to perform bi-directional communication with a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle, the on-board terminal comprising:

a position information acquisition unit that is structured to acquire position information indicative of current position of the vehicle and the portable device; and

an operation mode changing unit that is structured to change a communication stand-by mode of the portable device based on the position information,

wherein the communication stand-by mode includes a passive stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a response signal when a response request from the on-board terminal is received, and an active stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals, and

wherein a communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device is smaller than the communication range from the portable device to the on-board terminal, and the operation mode changing unit changes the communication stand-by mode to the passive stand-by mode or to the active stand-by mode, based on whether the portable device is located inside or outside the communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device.

18. The on-board terminal according to claim 17, wherein the operation mode changing unit is structured to switch between the passive stand-by mode and the active stand-by mode.

19. A portable device that can be inside or outside of a vehicle and is structured to perform bi-directional communication with an on-board terminal arranged on the vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a passive stand-by mode unit that is structured to transmit a response signal to the on-board terminal upon receiving a response request from the on-board terminal; and

an active stand-by mode unit that is structured to transmit a notification signal to the on-board terminal at regular intervals, wherein a communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device is smaller than the communication range from the portable device to the on-board terminal, and a communication stand-by mode is changed to a passive stand-by mode or to an active stand-by mode, based on whether the portable device is located inside or outside the communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device.

20. The portable device according to claim 19, further comprising:

an inductive communication unit that is structured to transmit signals to the on-board terminal based on inductive communication; and

a radio communication unit that is structured to receive signals from the on-board terminal based on radio communication.

21. A portable device that can be inside or outside of a vehicle and that is structured to perform bi-directional communication with an on-board terminal arranged on the vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a warning mode that is controlled and set by the on-board terminal; and

a warning output unit that is structured to set the warning mode, receive signals from the on-board terminal, and output a warning if no signal is received from the on-board terminal while the warning mode is set, wherein the portable device is in a passive stand-by mode in which the portable device transmits a response signal when a response request from the on-board terminal is received.

22. A method of performing bi-directional communication between an on-board terminal arranged on a vehicle and a portable device that can be inside or outside of the vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring vehicle information indicative of a state and a location of the vehicle;

acquiring location information indicative of the portable device;

recognizing a movement pattern of the portable device; and

changing an operation mode of at least one of the portable device and the on-board terminal based on the vehicle information, the location information and the movement pattern, wherein a communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device is different from the communication range from the portable device to the on-board terminal, and the changing includes changing the operation mode based on the movement pattern and whether the portable device is located inside or outside the communication range from the on-board terminal to the portable device.