In-vehicle device control system

• US 9,199,610 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakashima, Kazuhiro, Murakami, Hiroko, Okada, Hiroki, Kimura, Arinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/145,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/34 of conditions of vehicle components, e.g. of windows, door locks or gear selectors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/02 Electric testing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

In an in-vehicle device control system, an in-vehicle device is controlled based on a checkup result of checkup operation, in which a checkup about a portable device is performed by mutual communication of transmitting a request signal from a vehicle-side unit mounted on a vehicle and transmitting in return a response signal from the portable device in response to the request signal. If the checkup is unsuccessful, the mutual communication is performed again by switching the communication frequency to perform the checkup again. When a user operates a door lock sensor, the vehicle-side unit performs an exterior checkup first. If the checkup is successful, a communication frequency, by which the checkup was performed successfully, is stored in a memory. The vehicle-side unit sets the communication frequency stored in the memory as a communication frequency, which is to be designated to the portable device, for performing an interior checkup next time.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device control system comprising:

a portable device; and

a vehicle-side unit mounted on a vehicle for performing a checkup about the portable device by mutual communication using radio waves, in which the vehicle-side unit transmits a request signal and the portable device returns a response signal in response to the request signal of the vehicle-side unit, thereby to control an in-vehicle device based on a checkup result, the vehicle-side unit switching a communication frequency to perform the mutual communication and the checkup again when the checkup result indicates an unsuccessful checkup,

wherein the portable device includes;

a portable device communication section for receiving the request signal transmitted from the vehicle-side unit and returning the response signal as the mutual communication with the vehicle-side unit, the response signal including an ID code and transmitted at a communication frequency designated by the vehicle-side unit,

wherein the vehicle-side unit includes;

a detection section for detecting an operation of a user made by the user for controlling the in-vehicle device, by which the checkup is started;

a frequency setting section for setting the communication frequency to be designated to the portable device;

a vehicle-side communication section for transmitting the request signal to the portable device and receiving the response signal as the mutual communication with the portable device, the vehicle-side communication section transmitting to the portable device frequency information indicating the communication frequency set by the frequency setting section;

a checkup section for checking the ID code and a registration code pre-registered, the ID code being included in the response signal transmitted from the portable device and received by the vehicle-side communication section;

a storing section for storing the communication frequency, which is used when the checkup section indicates the check result as a successful checkup; and

a reset section, wherein the checkup section is configured to perform, for each operation detected by the detection section, a first checkup and a second checkup, the first checkup checks whether the portable device is outside a vehicle and a second checkup checks whether the portable device is inside the vehicle;

the frequency setting section is configured to switchover the communication frequency to be designated to the portable device when the check result of each of the first checkup and the second checkup is indicated the unsuccessful checkup by the checkup section,

the frequency setting section is configured to store the communication frequency when the first checkup is indicated the successful checkup by the checkup section,

the frequency setting section is configured to set the communication frequency, which is stored in the storing section, as the communication frequency to be used in the second checkup performed subsequent to the successful first checkup, and

the reset section resets a stored content of the storing section each time the second checkup is successful in response to a given operation detected by the detection section, the stored content corresponding to the communication frequency stored as a result of the first checkup provided as the successful checkup and used for the second checkup.

2. The in-vehicle device control system of claim 1, wherein

the checkup section determines a given checkup as the successful checkup when the ID code corresponds with the registration code and determines the given checkup as the unsuccessful checkup when the ID code does not correspond with the registration code.

3. The in-vehicle device control system of claim 1 wherein the detection section detects a door lock operation as the given operation of the user.

4. An in-vehicle device control system comprising:

a portable device; and

a vehicle-side unit mounted on a vehicle for performing a checkup about the portable device by mutual communication using radio waves, in which the vehicle-side unit transmits a request signal and the portable device returns a response signal in response to the request signal of the vehicle-side unit, thereby to control an in-vehicle device based on a checkup result, the vehicle-side unit switching a communication frequency to perform the mutual communication and the checkup again when the checkup result indicates as an unsuccessful checkup,

wherein the portable device includes;

a portable device communication section for receiving the request signal transmitted from the vehicle-side unit and returning the response signal as the mutual communication with the vehicle-side unit, the response signal including an ID code and transmitted at the communication frequency designated by the vehicle-side unit,

wherein the vehicle-side unit includes;

a detection section for detecting an operation of a user made by the user for controlling the in-vehicle device, by which the checkup is started;

a frequency setting section for setting the communication frequency to be designated to the portable device;

a vehicle-side communication section for transmitting the request signal to the portable device and receiving the response signal as the mutual communication with the portable device, the vehicle-side communication section transmitting to the portable device the request signal comprising frequency information indicating the communication frequency set by the frequency setting section;

a checkup section for checking the ID code and a registration code pre-registered, the ID code being included in the response signal transmitted from the portable device and received by the vehicle-side communication section;

a storing section for storing the communication frequency, which is used when the checkup section indicates the check result as a successful checkup;

an estimation section for estimating a change in a radio wave environment, in which the vehicle and the portable device are located, after the successful checkup by the checkup section; and

an erasing section, wherein;

the checkup section is configured to perform, for each operation detected by the detection section, a first checkup and a second checkup, the first checkup checks whether the portable device is outside the vehicle and the second checkup checks whether the portable device is inside the vehicle;

the frequency setting section is configured to switchover the communication frequency to be designated to the portable device when the checkup section indicates the checkup result of each of the first checkup and the second checkup as the unsuccessful checkup,

the frequency setting section is configured to fix the communication frequency for a present checkup to the communication frequency stored in the storing section in response to the successful checkup in a previous checkup corresponding to a previous operation of the user, when no change in the radio wave environment is estimated relative to the previous operation of the user,

the frequency setting section sets a communication frequency different from the communication frequency stored based on the successful checkup when the change in the radio wave environment is estimated, and

the erasing section erases a stored content of the storing section when the change in the radio wave environment is estimated by the estimated section, the stored content corresponding to the communication frequency stored as a result of the successful checkup performed by the checkup section in the previous checkup.

5. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a timer section for measuring time; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment for a fixed time measured by the timer section after the successful checkup by the checkup section and estimates the change in the radio environment when the fixed time elapses after the successful checkup by the checkup section.

6. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a door-opening detection section for detecting door-opening of the vehicle; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when the door-opening detection section does not detect the door-opening after the successful checkup by the checkup section and estimates the change in the radio wave environment when the door-opening detection section detects the door-opening after the successful checkup by the checkup section.

7. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a power condition detection section for detecting a power condition of the vehicle; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when the power condition detection section does not detect turning-on of an IG or an ACC of the vehicle after the successful checkup by the checkup section and estimates the change in the radio wave environment when the power condition detection section detects turning-on of the IG or the ACC of the vehicle after the successful checkup by the checkup section.

8. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a start detection section for detecting a start operation of an engine of the vehicle; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when the start detection section does not detect the start operation of the engine after the successful checkup by the checkup section and estimates the change in the radio wave environment when the start detection section detects the start operation of the engine after the successful checkup by the checkup section.

9. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a vehicle travel speed detection section for detecting a travel speed of the vehicle; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when the vehicle travel speed detection section does not detect the vehicle travel speed of the vehicle after the successful checkup by the checkup section and estimates the change in the radio wave environment when the vehicle travel speed detection section detects the vehicle travel speed of the vehicle after the successful checkup by the checkup section.

10. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a location detection section for detecting a location where the vehicle is located, and a location storing section for storing a location where the checkup section performed the successful checkup; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when a current location of the vehicle is same as the location of the successful checkup by the checkup section and stored in the location storing section.

11. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle-side unit includes a time detection section for detecting time, and a time zone storing section for storing a time zone of the successful checkup in case the checkup section performed the successful checkup; and

the estimation section estimates that no change is in the radio wave environment when the time of the successful checkup by the checkup section is stored in the time zone storing section.

12. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects a same operation by the user in a fixed time.

13. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 12, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects a series of same operation by the user in the fixed time.

14. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects the same operation by the user a fixed number of times.

15. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 14, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects the series of same operation by the user a fixed number of times.

16. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects the same operation by the user a fixed number of times in a fixed time.

17. The in-vehicle device control system according to claim 16, wherein:

the frequency setting section releases the communication frequency to be designated from being fixed, when the detection section detects the series of same operation by the user a fixed number of times in a fixed time.

18. The in-vehicle device control system of claim 4 wherein the detection section detects a door lock operation as the operation of the user.

19. The in-vehicle device control system of claim 18 wherein the estimation section estimates the change in the radio wave environment between two door lock operations made when the user leaves the vehicle in a first occurrence and when the user leaves the vehicle is a second occurrence subsequent to the first occurrence.