Smart entry system

• US 9,607,460 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamane, Katsuyasu, Yamazaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): ALUNKAL, THOMAS D
• Application Number:
  US14/466,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20150054618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/425.5, 340/426.16, 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00333 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A smart entry system comprises a communication section and a control device. Upon determination that a mobile device has continued to be present within a first transmission area for a predetermined time or over, the control device lowers first transmitter power output of a first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section to second transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave so that the first transmission area is narrowed to a second transmission area until no more response is received from the mobile device. Then, the communication section not only transmits the first electromagnetic wave having the second transmitter power output and generating the second transmission area but also transmits, with a second cyclic period longer than the first cyclic period, a second electromagnetic wave, the second electromagnetic wave has the first transmitter power output and generates the first transmission area which is not narrowed.

Claims

1. A smart entry system that detects whether or not a mobile device is present within a first transmission area set outside of a vehicle, the smart entry system comprising:

a communication section that transmits, with a first cyclic period, a first electromagnetic wave, generating the first transmission area, to outside of the vehicle and receives from the mobile device a response to the first electromagnetic wave; and

a control device that determines, based on presence/absence of the response from the mobile device, whether the mobile device is present within the first transmission area,

upon determination that the mobile device has continued to be present within the first transmission area for a predetermined time or over, the control device lowers first transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section to second transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave so that the first transmission area is narrowed to a second transmission area until no more response is received from the mobile device,

then, the communication section not only transmits the first electromagnetic wave having the second transmitter power output and generating the second transmission area but also transmits, with a second cyclic period longer than the first cyclic period, a second electromagnetic wave, the second electromagnetic wave has the first transmitter power output and generates the first transmission area which is not narrowed, and

when no response to the second electromagnetic wave transmitted with the second cyclic period is received from the mobile device, the communication section transmits again, with the first cyclic period, the first electromagnetic wave, the first electromagnetic wave has the first transmitter power output and generates the first transmission area, the first transmitter power output is not lowered and the first transmission area is not narrowed.

2. The smart entry system according to claim 1, the control device stores the second transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave, the first electromagnetic wave is transmitted from the communication section and generates the second transmission area narrowed from the first transmitter area.

3. The smart entry system according to claim 2 further comprising:

a position acquisition device that acquires a position of the vehicle,

in accordance with the position of the vehicle acquired by the position acquisition device, the control device sets the first transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section with the first cyclic period,

when storing the second transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave transmitted from the communication section and generating the second transmission area, the control device further stores the position of the vehicle as a first position, and

in a case where the first position is prestored in advance and when a current position of the vehicle matches the first position, the control device sets the second transmitter power output as the first transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section with the first cyclic period.

4. The smart entry system according to claim 2, the control device stores the second transmitter power output in response to operation information given from an operation section.

5. The smart entry system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a notification section that provides a user with notification information corresponding to the second transmitter power output lowered from the first transmitter power output.

6. The smart entry system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a position acquisition device that acquires a position of the vehicle,

in accordance with the position of the vehicle acquired by the position acquisition device, the control device sets the first transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section with the first cyclic period.

7. A smart entry system that detects whether or not a mobile device is present within a first transmission area set outside of a vehicle, the smart entry system comprising:

a communication section that transmits, with a first cyclic period, a first electromagnetic wave, generating the first transmission area, to outside of the vehicle and receives from the mobile device a response to the first electromagnetic wave;

a control device that determines, based on presence/absence of the response from the mobile device, whether the mobile device is present within the first transmission area; and

a position acquisition device that acquires a position where the vehicle is parked,

when the position of the vehicle acquired by the position acquisition device is a first position which is prestored in advance in a storage section of the control device, the control device sets first transmitter power output of the first electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the communication section with the first cyclic period.

8. The smart entry system according to claim 7 further comprising:

a notification section that provides a user with notification information corresponding to the first transmitter power output.

9. The smart entry system according to claim 7, the first transmitter power output is set to a value where there is no response from the mobile device as a default value.