Keyless entry system using communication via human body

• US 8,044,768 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakasato, Mitsuharu, Kikuchi, Yuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US11/888,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.17, 340/5.61, 340/5.54, 340/5.65, 340/5.3, 340/5.31
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2027 with data signals passing through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00809 with data transmission through the human body
• 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

A keyless entry system includes a vehicle-side device and a portable device including a portable device electrode. The vehicle-side device includes a vehicle-side controller and a vehicle-side electrode that is disposed in a position where communication with the portable device is performed via a human body when a person is getting off a vehicle. When the person carrying the portable device is getting off the vehicle, an electric field is induced by the portable device electrode in the human body. The vehicle-side controller performs authentication of the portable device upon detection of the electric field by the vehicle-side electrode. The vehicle-side controller determines the portable device has been left in the vehicle if the vehicle-side controller has no history of authentication or cannot perform authentication upon detection of the person'"'"'s action of getting off the vehicle. A predetermined operation is performed based on this determination.

Claims

1. A keyless entry system, comprising:

a detector that detects a person'"'"'s action of getting off a vehicle;

a portable device including a portable device controller that perform communication of a signal for authentication and a portable device electrode that induces an electric field in a human body by the signal; and

a vehicle side device provided in the vehicle, in communication with the portable device, and including;

a vehicle-side electrode that is disposed inside the vehicle and in a position where the vehicle-side electrode is communicable with the portable device via a human body at the time of a person'"'"'s preliminary action of getting off the vehicle, and that detects the electric field, wherein the person'"'"'s preliminary action is followed by the person'"'"'s action in getting off the vehicle, and

a vehicle-side controller that has a signal input thereto by the electric field and that authenticates the signal, and

wherein when the detector detects the person'"'"'s preliminary action of getting off the vehicle, the vehicle-side controller determines that the portable device has been left in the vehicle if the vehicle-side controller has no history of authentication of the portable device, or if the vehicle-side controller cannot perform authentication of the portable device therewith, immediately after the detection by the detector, and

wherein the vehicle-side device further includes a device provided in the vehicle, the vehicle-side controller making the device perform a notification operation based on the determination that the portable device has been left in the vehicle.

2. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle includes a door handle received in a recess provided in an inner surface of a door, and

wherein the vehicle-side electrode is provided in a side wall of the recess so as be communicable with the portable device via the human body at the time of the person'"'"'s preliminary action of getting off the vehicle.

3. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle includes a door handle received in a recess provided in an inner surface of a door, and

wherein the vehicle-side electrode is provided in the door handle so as be communicable with the portable device via the human body at the time of the person'"'"'s preliminary action of getting off the vehicle.

4. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,

wherein the device provided in the vehicle is a notification means, and the vehicle-side controller makes the notification means operate to make a notification if the controller has determined that the portable device is left in the vehicle.

5. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,

wherein the detector is a switch that detects the opening/closing state of the vehicle door.