Electronic key system, and lock-side terminal and portable terminal employed in same

• US 9,466,162 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Nakai, Yoshihiro, Takimoto, Yasuaki, Abukawa, Masahiro, Mitsui, Takeshi, Nakano, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/342,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.11, 340/426.13, 340/426.14, 340/426.35, 340/426.36, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An electronic key system includes a lock-side terminal that is mounted in a locked object and capable of at least locking and unlocking the locked object, and a portable terminal capable of sending and receiving the electronic key to and from the lock-side terminal mounted in the locked object and the other portable terminals, and when receiving a request from the one portable terminal, the lock-side terminal generates the electronic key at random, and sends the randomly generated electronic key to the one portable terminal.

Claims

1. An electronic key system, comprising:

a lock-side terminal mounted in a locked object, including

a first information processing unit having an electronic key generation storage that creates and stores a randomly-generated electronic key including function information defining an operable function to the locked object, and

a first wireless transceiver unit for sending and receiving information including the electronic key to and from at least one portable terminal,

wherein the electronic key locks and unlocks the locked object when the electronic key is received from a portable terminal; and

a first portable terminal including

a second wireless transceiver unit for sending and receiving information to and from the lock-side terminal and any other portable terminals, and

a second information processing unit including an electronic key storage that stores the electronic key received from the lock-side terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit;

wherein reservation information contained in a reservation information storage unit of the first portable terminal is sent via the second wireless transceiver unit to the lock-side terminal,

wherein when the reservation information sent by the first portable terminal matches reservation information stored in a reservation information storage unit of the lock-side terminal, the first information processing unit instructs the first wireless transceiver unit to send the electronic key stored in the electronic key generation storage to the first portable terminal; and

a second portable terminal including

a third wireless transceiver unit for sending and receiving information to and from the lock-side terminal and any other portable terminals, and

a third information processing unit having an electronic key storage,

wherein when receiving a request to transfer or copy the electronic key stored in the electronic key storage of the first portable terminal, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver unit to send the request to transfer or copy the electronic key with function limitation information in which only a selected function is enabled to the second portable terminal, and

wherein when receiving the request to transfer or copy the electronic key from the first portable terminal via the third wireless transceiver unit, the third information processing unit determines whether or not the transfer or copy is possible, and sends to the first portable terminal a response of transfer or copy possible, or transfer or copy impossible based on a result of the determination, and

in a case where there is a response of transfer or copy possible with respect to the request to transfer or copy the electronic key from the first portable terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver unit to transfer or copy the electronic key to the second portable terminal, and

when the electronic key is transferred or copied from the first portable terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit, the transferred or copied electronic key is stored in the electronic key storage of the third information processing unit.

2. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the first information processing unit creates and stores the electronic key after the lock-side terminal receives the reservation information from the first portable terminal.

3. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein when receiving a request to stop a function controlled by the copied electronic key, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver unit to send an instruction to stop the function to the second portable terminal.

4. The electronic key system according to claim 3, wherein after the function is stopped, when receiving a request to enable again the function controlled by the copied electronic key, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver to send an instruction to the second portable terminal to enable the stopped function.

5. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein

the electronic key includes first signature information related to a holder of the electronic key, a second signature information related to the second portable terminal to which the electronic key is to be transferred or copied, and a third signature information related to the locked object, and

the second information processing unit authenticates the electronic key holder on the basis of the first signature information related to the electronic key holder when the electronic key is transferred or copied to the second portable terminal.

6. The electronic key system according to claim 5, wherein every time the electronic key is transferred or copied to the second portable terminal, the first second signature information of a holder of the second portable terminal is added thereto.

7. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the transferred or copied electronic key includes function information that sets a valid time period during which the locked object is operable with the transferred or copied electronic key, and

the transferred or copied electronic key is disabled from operating the locked object when the set valid time period passes.

8. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein

the transferred or copied electronic key includes function information that sets a valid range of positional information where the locked object is operable with the transferred or copied electronic key, and

the transferred or copied electronic key is disabled from operating the locked object in a case where positional information of the second portable terminal is not located within the valid range of positional information.

9. An electronic key system, comprising:

a lock-side terminal mounted in a locked object, including a first information processing unit having an electronic key generation storage that stores a randomly generated electronic key including function information defining an operable function to the locked object, and configured to at least lock and unlock the locked object by receiving a signal including the electronic key from a portable terminal, and a first wireless transceiver unit configured to send and receive various pieces of information including the electronic key to and from the portable terminal;

the portable terminal including a second wireless transceiver unit configured to send and receive the various pieces of information including the electronic key to and from the lock-side terminal and to communicate with at least one other portable terminal, and a second information processing unit including an electronic key storage that stores the electronic key received from the lock-side terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit;

the other portable terminal including a third wireless transceiver unit configured to send and receive information to and from the lock-side terminal, and a third information processing unit having an electronic key storage,

wherein the first information processing unit instructs the first wireless transceiver unit to send the electronic key to the portable terminal when receiving a request from the portable terminal via the first wireless transceiver unit,

wherein when receiving a request to transfer or copy the electronic key stored in the electronic key storage of the second information processing unit to the other portable terminal, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver unit to send the request to transfer or copy the electronic key with function limitation information in which only a selected function is enabled to the other portable terminal, and when there is a response of transfer or copy possible with respect to the request to transfer or copy the electronic key from the portable terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit, the second information processing unit instructs the second wireless transceiver unit to transfer or copy the electronic key to the other portable terminal,

wherein when receiving the request to transfer or copy the electronic key from the portable terminal via the third wireless transceiver unit, the third information processing unit determines whether or not the transfer or copy is possible, and sends to the portable terminal the response of transfer or copy possible, or transfer or copy impossible based on a result of the determination, and when the electronic key is transferred or copied from the portable terminal via the second wireless transceiver unit, the transferred or copied electronic key is stored in the electronic key storage of the third information processing unit.