Control system during fuel supply to vehicle, and portable device

• US 9,342,937 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY III, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US13/973,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.7, 701/49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A control system during fuel supply to a vehicle has a portable device configured to be carried by a user, and an in-vehicle device that is mounted on the vehicle to conduct wireless communication with the portable device. The portable device is configured to conduct wireless communication with a facility communicator that is installed in a fuel supply facility. The in-vehicle device includes a portable device authentication part that authenticates the portable device and a fuel supply lid controller that opens or unlocks a fuel supply lid of the vehicle. The portable device receives a fuel supply inquiry signal transmitted by the facility communicator when the facility communicator detects an operation performed by the user or existence of the user. The portable device transmits a fuel supply starting message signal and authentication information on the portable device to the in-vehicle device when receiving the inquiry signal from the facility communicator.

Claims

1. A control system during fuel supply to a vehicle, comprising:

a portable device configured to be carried by a user; and

an in-vehicle device that is mounted on the vehicle to conduct wireless communication with the portable device,

wherein the portable device is configured to conduct wireless communication with a facility communicator that is installed in a fuel supply facility,

wherein the in-vehicle device includes a portable device authentication part that authenticates the portable device and a fuel supply lid controller that opens or unlocks a fuel supply lid of the vehicle,

wherein the portable device receives a fuel supply inquiry signal transmitted by the facility communicator when the facility communicator detects an operation performed by the user or existence of the user,

wherein the portable device transmits a fuel supply starting message signal and authentication information on the portable device to the in-vehicle device when receiving the inquiry signal from the facility communicator,

wherein the in-vehicle device authenticates the portable device using the portable device authentication part based on the authentication information when receiving the starting message signal and the authentication information from the portable device,

wherein the in-vehicle device opens or unlocks the fuel supply lid using the fuel supply lid controller when the authentication result is normal,

wherein the control system further comprises a mobile terminal configured to be carried by the user to conduct short-distance wireless communication with the portable device,

wherein the mobile terminal includes a payment part that performs payment processing for fuel supply,

wherein the portable device receives amount paid information indicating a price of the fuel supply transmitted by the facility communicator transmits after the fuel supply to the vehicle is completed,

wherein the portable device transmits the amount paid information and requirement-of-payment signal to the mobile terminal when receiving the amount paid information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the mobile terminal performs the payment processing using the payment part based on the amount paid information when receiving the amount paid information and the requirement-of-payment signal from the portable device.

2. The control system according to claim 1,

wherein the in-vehicle device further includes a running source controller that controls driving of a running source of the vehicle, and

wherein the running source controller stops the driving of the running source when the starting message signal is received from the portable device.

3. The control system according to claim 1,

wherein the mobile terminal transmits completion-of-payment information to the portable device when the payment part completes the payment processing,

wherein the portable device transmits the completion-of-payment information to the facility communicator when receiving the completion-of-payment information from the mobile terminal,

wherein the control system receives notification from the facility communicator that liquidation of the fuel supply is completed when receiving the completion-of-payment information from the portable device, and

wherein the control system notifies the user that the fuel supply is completed.

4. The control system according to claim 1,

wherein the portable device receives inquiry signal and device information authenticating the facility communicator transmitted by the facility communicator,

wherein the portable device includes a communicator authentication part that authenticates the facility communicator,

wherein the portable device authenticates the facility communicator using the communicator authentication part based on the device information when receiving the device information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the portable device transmits a fuel supply starting request signal to the facility communicator when the authentication result is normal.

5. The control system according to claim 4,

wherein the portable device authenticates the facility communicator using the communicator authentication part based on the device information when receiving the amount paid information and the device information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the portable device transmits the amount paid information and the requirement-of-payment signal to the mobile terminal when the authentication result is normal.

6. The control system according to claim 1,

wherein the portable device transmits the amount paid information, the requirement-of-payment signal, and authentication information on the portable device to the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal includes a pre-payment authentication part that authenticates the portable device before the payment processing,

wherein the mobile terminal authenticates the portable device using the pre-payment authentication part based on the authentication information when receiving the amount paid information, the requirement-of-payment signal, and the authentication information from the portable device, and

wherein the mobile terminal performs the payment processing using the payment part based on the amount paid information when the authentication result is normal.

7. A portable device configured to be carried by a user,

wherein the portable device conducts wireless communication with an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle,

wherein the portable device is authenticated by the in-vehicle device,

wherein the portable device transmits a fuel supply starting message signal and authentication information on the portable device to the in-vehicle device to cause the in-vehicle device to authenticate the portable device when conducting wireless communication with a facility communicator mounted on a fuel supply facility to receive a fuel supply inquiry signal from the facility communicator, and

wherein the portable device causes the in-vehicle device to open or unlock a fuel supply lid of the vehicle when the authentication result is normal,

wherein the portable device conducts short-distance wireless communication with a mobile terminal carried by a user when receiving amount paid information indicating a price of fuel supply from the facility communicator after the fuel supply to the vehicle is completed, and

wherein the portable device causes the mobile terminal to perform payment processing for the fuel supply based on the amount paid information by transmitting the amount paid information and requirement-of-payment signal to the mobile terminal.

8. The portable device according to claim 7, comprising:

a communicator authentication part that authenticates the facility communicator,

wherein, when the portable device receives the inquiry signal and device information authenticating the facility communicator from the facility communicator, the communicator authentication part authenticates the facility communicator based on the device information, and

wherein a fuel supply starting request signal is transmitted to the facility communicator when the authentication result is normal.

9. The portable device according to claim 8,

wherein, when the portable device receives the amount paid information and the device information from the facility communicator, the communicator authentication part authenticates the facility communicator based on the device information, and

wherein the amount paid information and the requirement-of-payment signal are transmitted to the mobile terminal when the authentication result is normal.

10. The portable device according to claim 7,

wherein the mobile terminal is caused to authenticate the portable device based on the authentication information by transmitting the amount paid information, the requirement-of-payment signal, and authentication information on the portable device to the mobile terminal, and

the mobile terminal is caused to perform payment processing based on the amount paid information when the authentication result is normal.

11. The portable device according to claim 10,

wherein, when completion-of-payment information indicating completion of the payment processing based on the amount paid information is received from the mobile terminal, the facility communicator is caused to notify the user that payment of the fuel supply is completed by transmitting the completion-of-payment information to the facility communicator.

12. A control system during fuel supply to a vehicle, comprising:

a portable device configured to be carried by a user; and

an in-vehicle device that is mounted on the vehicle to conduct wireless communication with the portable device; and

a facility communicator that is installed in a fuel supply facility to conduct wireless communication with the portable device,

wherein the in-vehicle device includes a portable device authentication part that authenticates the portable device and a fuel supply lid controller that opens or unlocks a fuel supply lid of the vehicle,

the facility communicator transmits a fuel supply inquiry signal to the portable device when detecting an operation performed by the user or existence of the user,

wherein the portable device transmits a fuel supply starting message signal and authentication information on the portable device to the in-vehicle device when receiving the inquiry signal from the facility communicator,

wherein the in-vehicle device authenticates the portable device using the portable device authentication part based on the authentication information when receiving the starting message signal and the authentication information from the portable device,

wherein the in-vehicle device opens or unlocks the fuel supply lid using the fuel supply lid controller when the authentication result is normal,

the control system further comprising a mobile terminal configured to be carried by the user to conduct short-distance wireless communication with the portable device,

wherein the mobile terminal includes a payment part that performs payment processing for fuel supply,

wherein the facility communicator transmits amount paid information indicating a price of the fuel supply to the portable device after the fuel supply to the vehicle is completed,

wherein the portable device transmits the amount paid information and requirement-of-payment signal to the mobile terminal when receiving the amount paid information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the mobile terminal performs the payment processing using the payment part based on the amount paid information when receiving the amount paid information and the requirement-of-payment signal from the portable device.

13. The control system according to claim 12,

wherein the facility communicator includes a display screen,

wherein the facility communicator displays options of a payment method on the display screen when detecting the operation performed by the user or the existence of the user, and

wherein the facility communicator transmits the inquiry signal to the portable device when the user selects the payment by the mobile terminal in the options.

14. The control system according to claim 12,

wherein the in-vehicle device further includes a running source controller that controls driving of a running source of the vehicle, and

wherein the running source controller stops the driving of the running source when the starting message signal is received from the portable device.

15. The control system according to claim 12,

wherein the mobile terminal transmits completion-of-payment information to the portable device when the payment part completes the payment processing,

wherein the portable device transmits the completion-of-payment information to the facility communicator when receiving the completion-of-payment information from the mobile terminal,

wherein the control system receives notification from the facility communicator that payment of the fuel supply is completed when receiving the completion-of-payment information from the portable device, and

wherein the control system notifies the user that the fuel supply is completed.

16. The control system according to claim 12,

wherein the facility communicator transmits inquiry signal and device information authenticating the facility communicator to the portable device, and

wherein the portable device includes a communicator authentication part that authenticates the facility communicator,

wherein the portable device authenticates the facility communicator using the communicator authentication part based on the device information when receiving the device information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the portable device transmits a fuel supply starting request signal to the facility communicator when the authentication result is normal.

17. The control system according to claim 16,

wherein the portable device authenticates the facility communicator using the communicator authentication part based on the device information when receiving the amount paid information and the device information from the facility communicator, and

wherein the portable device transmits the amount paid information and the requirement-of-payment signal to the mobile terminal when the authentication result is normal.