Wireless communication system for vehicle

• US 9,070,232 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kosugi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US13/212,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.17, 340/5.72, 340/5.26, 701/2, 380/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00253 dynamically, e.g. variable code - rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A wireless communication system for a vehicle has a portable device that transmits a wireless signal and a vehicle-mounted device that receives the wireless signal from the portable device. Each time a switch in the portable device is turned on, the portable device updates a portable device rolling code and transmits a wireless signal including the portable device rolling code. The vehicle-mounted device receives the wireless signal through a receiver and authenticates the portable device through comparison between the portable device rolling code included in the wireless signal and the vehicle rolling code. The vehicle-mounted device locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the portable device is authenticated. When the wireless signal is received through the receiver after the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key, the vehicle-mounted device locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the switch is turned on for n (n is an integral number greater than or equal to 2) times or more.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a vehicle for locking or unlocking a vehicle door, the system comprising:

a portable device having a manually operable switch and a portable device rolling code, wherein, each time the switch is turned on, the portable device updates the portable device rolling code and transmits a wireless signal including the portable device rolling code, the portable device is adapted to manually operate in two ways including a normal operation exclusively for turning on the switch to lock or unlock the vehicle door and a specific manipulation effective for a limited time period, the specific manipulation exclusively for security purposes and performed in order to transmit information indicating the specific manipulation has been performed;

a vehicle-mounted device having a receiver and a vehicle rolling code, wherein, when the wireless signal is received through the receiver, the vehicle-mounted device compares the portable device rolling code included in the wireless signal with the vehicle rolling code, authenticates the portable device based on a comparison result, and locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the portable device is authenticated; and

a control section mounted in the vehicle-mounted device, the control section controlling locking or unlocking of the vehicle door, wherein, when the control section receives the wireless signal through the receiver, the control section determines whether the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been accomplished using a mechanical key and, if it is determined that the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key, the control section disables an operation of locking or unlocking of the vehicle door through the normal operation of the portable device, and the control section urges a user to perform the specific manipulation, which is not usually performed on the switch, and re-enables the operation of locking or unlocking of the vehicle door if the specific manipulation of the switch of the portable device is detected within a predetermined period from when the control section urges the user to perform the specific manipulation, wherein, when the specific manipulation is carried out, the portable device transmits a wireless signal indicating that the specific manipulation has been carried out, and the control section detects the specific manipulation of the switch by receiving the wireless signal indicating that the specific manipulation has been carried out.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, if the control section determines, at the reception of the wireless signal through the receiver, that the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key and that noise has been received through the receiver during the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door, the control section locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the specific manipulation of the switch is detected.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a signal intensity detecting section for detecting the intensity of the wireless signal received through the receiver, wherein the control section determines whether noise has been received through the receiver during the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door based on the signal intensity detected through the signal intensity detecting section in the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a lock/unlock detecting section for detecting whether the vehicle door has been locked or unlocked, wherein the control section determines whether the vehicle door has been locked or unlocked using the mechanical key based on detection that the vehicle door has been locked or unlocked through the lock/unlock detecting section despite that authentication of the portable device has not been performed to lock or unlock the vehicle door.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the control device updates the vehicle rolling code by incrementing the vehicle rolling code by a predetermined value if the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been performed using the mechanical key and noise has been received through the receiver during the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the specific manipulation of the switch includes turning on the switch for a predetermined number of times.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the specific manipulation of the switch includes turning on the switch consecutively.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an informing section mounted in the vehicle, wherein, if the control section determines that the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key when the control section receives the wireless signal through the receiver, the control section performs informing through the informing section if the portable device is authenticated.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein, if the control section determines, at the reception of the wireless signal through the receiver, that the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key, the control section locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the difference between the portable device rolling code included in the wireless signal received through the receiver and the vehicle rolling code is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein, if it is determined that the vehicle door has been locked or unlocked using the mechanical key, the control section updates the vehicle rolling code by incrementing the vehicle rolling code by a predetermined value.

2. The system according to claim I, wherein, if the control section determines that the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been performed using the mechanical key when the control section receives the wireless signal through the receiver, the control section performs an unlawful entry preventing operation for preventing a third-party from unlawfully entering a passenger compartment if the specific manipulation of the switch is not detected.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the control section temporarily prohibits the vehicle door from being locked or unlocked as the unlawful entry preventing operation.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a warning section mounted in the vehicle, wherein the control section activates the warning section to perform a warning as the unlawful entry preventing operation.