Vehicle authentication control device

• US 8,493,175 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Onoda, Tomoko, Sakuma, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US12/613,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.31, 340/825.72, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/539, 340/991, 340/825.32, 340/10.5, 340/5.61, 340/5.72, 340/426.16, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/904, 340/988, 340/989, 340/500, 340/426.6, 340/436, 340/565, 340/545.3, 340/552, 340438-439, 340/5.8, 340/426.19, 340/5.7, 340/5.62, 701/70, 701/300, 701/93, 701/96, 701/41, 701/301, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.5, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02 operating on the steering mechanism

Abstract

A vehicle authentication control device has a first, second, and third determination units, and a registration unit. When identification information unique to a vehicle is registered in both a portable device and an authentication device on the vehicle, the first determination unit matches first identification information returned from the portable device in response to a request from the authentication device and second identification information registered in the authentication device to determine whether a combination of the portable device and the authentication device is legitimate. When third identification information is registered in a part different from the authentication device, the part performing a predetermined operation when the first determination unit is legitimate, the second determination unit matches the third identification information registered in the part and the second identification information registered in the authentication device to determine whether a combination of the part and the authentication device is legitimate. The second determination unit determines that the part is a non-used article if the third identification information is not registered in the part. If the determination results of the first determination unit and the second determination unit are both positive, then the third determination unit determines that a combination of the part, the portable device, and the authentication device is legitimate. If the second determination unit determines that the part is a non-used vehicle, the registration unit registers the second identification information registered in the authentication device as third identification information.

Claims

1. A vehicle authentication control device comprising:

a transmission antenna which emits an inquiry signal to a portable device;

a reception antenna which receives first identification information returned from the portable device in response to the inquiry signal;

a first ID storage unit configured to register second identification information unique to a vehicle;

a first determination unit which performs an authentication with the portable device;

a second determination unit which performs an authentication with a steering lock unit provided in the vehicle and connected to the vehicle authentication control device;

a third determination unit; and

a registration unit;

wherein the steering lock unit comprises a second ID storage unit configured to store third identification information unique to the vehicle,

wherein the first determination unit matches the first identification information received by the reception antenna and the second identification information registered in the first ID storage unit to determine whether a combination of the portable device and the first determination unit is legitimate,

wherein, if the third identification information is registered in the second ID storage unit of the steering lock unit, the second determination unit matches the third identification information registered in the second ID storage unit of the steering lock unit and the second identification information registered in the first ID storage unit to determine whether a combination of the steering lock unit and the second determination unit is legitimate,

wherein, if the third identification information is not registered in the second ID storage unit when the second determination unit performs authentication with the steering lock unit, the second determination unit determines that the steering lock unit is a non-used article;

wherein, if the determination results of the first determination unit and the second determination unit are both positive, then the third determination unit determines that a combination of the steering lock unit, the portable device, the first determination unit, and the second determination unit is legitimate, and

wherein, if the second determination unit determines that the steering lock unit is the non-used article, the registration unit registers the second identification information registered in the first ID storage unit as the third identification information in the second ID storage unit.

2. The vehicle authentication control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply transition startup switch which is operated by a passenger; and

a power supply transition unit which generates an operation signal of an IG relay or an ACC relay in response to a startup signal from the power supply transition startup switch and an authentication signal from the third determination unit,

wherein the first determination unit starts to perform the authentication with the portable device, and

wherein the second determination unit starts to perform the authentication with the steering lock unit.