Lock device and electronic key system for use with vehicle charging inlet

• US 9,495,819 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Morita, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/086,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A lock device is arranged in a vehicle including an inlet used for charging. The vehicle is configured to perform a predetermined control operation in accordance with a control request signal transmitted through wireless communication from an electronic key when a normal operation is performed on a control switch of the electronic key. The lock device includes a lock mechanism configured to switch a locking subject related with the inlet between a lock state and an unlock state. A controller controls the lock mechanism to switch the locking subject between a lock state and an unlock state when detecting a special operation performed on the control switch.

Claims

1. A lock device to be arranged in a vehicle including an inlet used for charging and a door lock device for locking doors of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to perform a predetermined control operation in accordance with a control request signal transmitted through wireless communication from an electronic key when a normal operation is performed on a control switch of the electronic key, the lock device comprising:

a lock mechanism configured to switch a locking subject related with the inlet between a lock state and an unlock state; and

a controller that controls the lock mechanism to switch the locking subject between the lock state and the unlock state when detecting a special operation performed on the control switch,

wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising;

checking a condition of the door lock device to determine whether the doors of the vehicle are in a lock state or an unlock state,

if the controller receives a first signal that corresponds to the special operation when the doors are in the lock state, switching the locking subject from the unlock state to the lock state via the lock mechanism, and

if the controller receives a second signal that corresponds to the special operation when the doors are in the unlock state, switching the locking subject from the lock state to the unlock state via the lock mechanism.

2. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller permits the predetermined control operation of the vehicle when the electronic key is verified through wireless communication performed between the vehicle and the electronic key, and

the controller switches the locking subject between the lock state and the unlock state under a condition that the wireless communication and the special operation of the control switch have both been performed.

3. The lock device according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of exterior communication areas are around the vehicle, and

the wireless communication is performed with the electronic key located in one of the exterior communication areas that is closest to the inlet.

4. The lock device according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of exterior communication areas are around the vehicle, and

the wireless communication is performed with the electronic key located in one of the exterior communication areas that is closest to a driver door.

5. The lock device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication is performed with the electronic key located in an interior communication area in the vehicle.

6. The lock device according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of exterior communication areas are around the vehicle, and

the wireless communication is performed with the electronic key located in one of the exterior communication areas that is closet to a back door.

7. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein

the control switch includes an unlock switch,

the control request signal includes an unlock request signal transmitted from the electronic key when a normal operation is performed on the unlock switch,

the unlock request signal requests for the doors of the vehicle to be unlocked as the predetermined control operation, and

when the vehicle is already unlocked and the controller receives the unlock request signal, the controller determines that the special operation has been performed on the unlock switch of the electronic key and controls the lock mechanism.

8. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein

the control switch includes a lock switch operated to lock the doors of the vehicle,

the control request signal includes a lock request signal transmitted from the electronic key when a normal operation is performed on the lock switch,

the lock request signal requests for the doors of the vehicle to be locked as the predetermined control operation, and

when the vehicle is already locked and the controller receives the lock request signal, the controller determines that the special operation has been performed on the lock switch of the electronic key and controls the lock mechanism.

9. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein the locking subject includes a power plug connected to the inlet.

10. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein the locking subject includes an inlet lid that hides the inlet.

11. The lock device according to claim 1, wherein the normal operation is a short push, and the special operation is a long push or a plurality of short pushes.

12. The lock device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to switch the locking subject alone between the lock state and the unlock state when receiving the first signal or the second signal.

13. An electronic key system comprising:

an electronic key including a first switch button, a second switch button, and a key controller, which transmits through wireless communication a door unlock request signal when the first switch button is pushed and a door lock request signal when the second switch button is pushed; and

a controller programmed to control a door lock device and a power plug lock mechanism that are arranged in a vehicle, wherein the controller includes

instructions configured to check a condition of the door lock device to determine whether doors of the vehicle are in a lock state or an unlock state,

instructions configured to control the door lock device to unlock the doors if the door unlock request signal is received when the doors are in the lock state,

instructions configured to control the door lock device to lock the doors if the door lock request signal is received when the doors are in the unlock state,

instructions configured to control the power plug lock mechanism to unlock the power plug if the door unlock request signal is received when the doors are in the unlock state, and

instructions configured to control the power plug lock mechanism to lock the power plug if the door lock request signal is received when the doors are in the lock state.