Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle provided with the same

• US 8,179,237 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US11/831,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.15, 340/426.18, 340/426.13, 340/5.61, 307/10.1, 307/10.7, 180/282, 701/2
• US Class Current: 340/426.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus that suppresses consumption of a battery of a mobile device. A transmitting and receiving circuit transmits to a smart key a drop detection code request signal for checking whether the smart key is located within a specified range from a motorcycle at specified intervals. The transmitting and receiving circuit receives a drop detection code signal transmitted from the smart key having received the drop detection code request signal. A control section stops the transmitting and receiving circuit from making transmission of the drop detection code request signal at specified intervals when the motorcycle is substantially in a stop state.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a drop detection timer having a detection counter that periodically decreases;

transmitting means that transmits to a mobile device, for permission authentication for use of a vehicle, a code request signal for checking whether the mobile device is located within a specified range from the vehicle at specified intervals that each correspond to the detection counter reaching a predetermined value;

receiving means that receives a code signal transmitted from the mobile device having received the code request signal; and

a control section that stops the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device when the vehicle is substantially in a stop state and in a state in which a communication system constructed of the transmitting means, the receiving means, and the mobile device is on, and resets the detection counter when the vehicle is in the stop state.

2. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the code request signal and the code signal are signals for detecting drop of the mobile device.

3. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a speed of the vehicle is a specified value or less in a state in which the communication system is on, the control section assumes the vehicle to be substantially in the stop state and stops the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device.

4. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is changed from a state in which the vehicle is substantially stopped to an operating state in the state in which the communication system is on, the control section controls the transmitting means so as to make transmission at the specified intervals.

6. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein when a speed of the vehicle is larger than a specified value in the state in which the communication system is on, the control section assumes the vehicle to be changed from the state in which the vehicle is substantially stopped to the operating state and controls the transmitting means so as to make transmission at the specified intervals.

7. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; and

stop detection means that is disposed separately from the vehicle speed detection means and detects whether the vehicle is substantially in the stop state.

9. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stop detection means includes a stand state detection part for detecting whether a parking stand of the vehicle is in a parking state.

10. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smart key.

11. A motorcycle comprising the vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

12. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; and

stop detection means that is disposed separately from the vehicle speed detection means and detects whether the vehicle is substantially in the stop state,

wherein the control section stops the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device based at least partly on a state of the stop detection means.

13. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; and

stop detection means that is disposed separately from the vehicle speed detection means and detects whether the vehicle is substantially in the stop state,

wherein the control section stops the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device in a case where the stop detection means detects the vehicle is substantially in the stop state or the vehicle speed detection means detects the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed.

14. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further including an indicator that is activated when the control section determines that the mobile device is not within the specified range, so as to notify a user.

15. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a drop detection timer having a detection counter that periodically decreases;

transmitting means that transmits to a mobile device, for permission authentication for use of a vehicle, a code request signal for checking whether the mobile device is located within a specified range from the vehicle, the code request signal being transmitted to the mobile device at specified intervals that each correspond to the detection counter reaching a predetermined value;

receiving means that receives a code signal transmitted from the mobile device having received the code request signal;

a control section that controls the transmitting means so as to make transmission at the specified intervals when the vehicle is substantially in an operating state, and in a state in which a communication system constructed of the transmitting means, the receiving means, and the mobile device is on; and

stop detection means that detects whether the vehicle is substantially in a stop state, wherein the control section further controls the transmitting means to stop the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device when the vehicle is substantially in the stop state, based on the stop detection means detecting that the vehicle is substantially in the stop state, and resets the detection counter when the vehicle is in the stop state.

16. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein when a speed of the vehicle is larger than a specified value in the state in which the communication system is on, the control section assumes the vehicle to be substantially in the operating state to control the transmitting means so as to make transmission at the specified intervals.

17. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the mobile device is a smart key.

18. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 15.

19. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 15, further including an indicator that is activated when the control section determines that the mobile device is not within the specified range, so as to notify a user.

20. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a drop detection timer having a detection counter that periodically decreases;

transmitting means that transmits to a mobile device, for permission authentication for use of a vehicle, a code request signal for checking whether the mobile device is located within a specified range from the vehicle at specified intervals that each correspond to the detection counter reaching a predetermined value;

receiving means that receives a code signal transmitted from the mobile device having received the code request signal;

a drop alarm timer having an alarm counter that periodically decreases;

an indicator that, when activated, indicates that the mobile device is not within the specified range; and

a control section that, in a state in which a communication system constructed of the transmitting means, the receiving means, and the mobile device is on, is configured to stop the transmitting means from making any transmission to the mobile device when the vehicle is substantially in a stop state that is determined based at least in part upon whether a parking stand of the vehicle is in a parking state or whether a vehicle speed is less than a predetermined value, and reset the detection counter timer when the vehicle is in the stop state, control the transmitting means to transmit to the mobile device the code request signal at the specified intervals when the vehicle is not in the stop state, and the alarm counter is above zero, the control section further resetting the detection counter each time one of the specified intervals is reached, and activate the indicator when the code signal is not received by the receiving means and the alarm counter is zero.