Vehicle controller

• US 9,367,048 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Ryuji, Takee, Akira, Taguchi, Shingo, Sakamoto, Takeshi, Nomura, Tetsuya, Harumoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haile, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/781,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/426.13, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.19, 307/10.6, 701/2, 701/29.6, 123/179.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A vehicle controller installed in and controlling a vehicle includes an obtaining part that obtains identification information specific to the vehicle, a communicator that communicates with an information processor located outside the vehicle by transmitting and receiving information, a match judging part that makes a matching judgment on whether a plurality of the identification information obtained at different times are identical, and a judging part that judges whether to permit the control of the vehicle based on the matching judgment. The information processor also can make the matching judgment and only transmit a control command to the vehicle controller when there is a match.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller that is installed in a vehicle and that controls one or more operations of the vehicle, the vehicle controller comprising:

a communicator that communicates with an information processor that is located outside the vehicle by transmitting and receiving information; and

a control unit configured to;

(i) obtain a first set of identification information specific to the vehicle, the first set of identification information being obtained at a time when an ignition of the vehicle is turned off,

(ii) store the first set of identification information in a memory,

(iii) obtain a second set of identification information specific to the vehicle at a time that a request to control one or more operations is made by a user,

(iv) make a matching judgment on whether the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical or not,

(v) judge whether to permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle based on the matching judgment, and

(vi) prevent control of the one or more operations of the vehicle even if the first and second identification information are identical, when a distance comparison of a distance between the user at a time of making the request and the vehicle is more than a predetermined distance, the distance comparison occurring depending upon an activation status of a distance restriction unit that determines whether the distance between the user at the time of making the request exceeds the predetermined distance, wherein

the control unit permits the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical, and does not permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are not identical.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a door lock/unlock operation.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a vehicle ignition start/stop operation.

4. A vehicle controller that is installed in a vehicle and that controls one or more operations of the vehicle, the vehicle controller comprising:

a detector that detects reconnection of a battery of the vehicle;

a communicator that communicates with an information processor that is located outside the vehicle by transmitting and receiving information; and

a control unit configured to;

(i) obtain a first set of identification information specific to the vehicle, the first set of identification information being obtained at a time when an ignition of the vehicle is turned off,

(ii) store the first set of identification information in a memory,

(iii) obtain a second set of identification information specific to the vehicle at a time that a request to control one or more operations is made by a user,

(iv) make a matching judgment on whether the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical or not,

(v) judge whether to permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle based on the matching judgment, and

(vi) prevent control of the one or more operations of the vehicle even if the first and second identification information are identical, when a distance comparison of a distance between the user at a time of making the request and the vehicle is more than a predetermined distance, the distance comparison occurring depending upon an activation status of a distance restriction unit that determines whether the distance between the user at the time of making the request exceeds the predetermined distance, wherein

when the detector detects the reconnection of the battery, the control unit obtains updated data of the identification information, and

the control unit permits the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical, and does not permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are not identical.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 4, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a door lock/unlock operation.

6. The vehicle controller according to claim 4, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a vehicle ignition start/stop operation.

7. An information processor that is outside of a vehicle and that is configured to be communicatively coupled to a mobile terminal and to the vehicle, and that, when receiving a request for control of one or more operations of the vehicle from the mobile terminal, transmits the request for the control of the one or more operations to the vehicle, the information processor comprising:

a communicator that communicates with the mobile terminal and with the vehicle by transmitting and receiving information;

a memory that stores identification information that is specific to the vehicle and that is sent from the vehicle; and

a control unit configured to;

(i) obtain a first set of identification information specific to the vehicle, the first set of identification information being obtained at a time when an ignition of the vehicle is turned off,

(ii) store the first set of identification information in the memory,

(iii) obtain a second set of identification information specific to the vehicle at a time that a request to control one or more operations is made by a user,

(iv) make a matching judgment on whether the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical or not,

(v) judge whether to permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle based on the matching judgment, and

(vi) prevent control of the one or more operations of the vehicle even if the first and second identification information are identical, when a distance comparison of a distance between the user at a time of making the request and the vehicle is more than a predetermined distance, the distance comparison occurring depending upon an activation status of a distance restriction unit that determines whether the distance between the user at the time of making the request exceeds the predetermined distance, wherein

the control unit permits the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical, and does not permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are not identical.

8. The information processor according to claim 7, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a door lock/unlock operation.

9. The information processor according to claim 7, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a vehicle ignition start/stop operation.

10. An information processor that is outside of a vehicle and that is configured to be communicatively coupled to a mobile terminal and to the vehicle, and that, when receiving a request for control of one or more operations of the vehicle from the mobile terminal, transmits the request for the control of the one or more operations to the vehicle, the information processor comprising:

a communicator that communicates with the mobile terminal and with the vehicle by transmitting and receiving information;

a memory that stores identification information that is specific to the vehicle and that is sent from the vehicle; and

a control unit configured to;

(i) obtain a first set of identification information specific to the vehicle, the first set of identification information being obtained at a time when an ignition of the vehicle is turned off,

(ii) store the first set of identification information in a memory,

(iii) obtain a second set of identification information specific to the vehicle at a time that a request to control one or more operations is made by a user,

(iv) when the communicator receives updated data of the identification information obtained at reconnection of a battery of the vehicle, make a matching judgment on whether the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical or not,

(v) judge whether to permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle based on the matching judgment, and

(vi) prevent control of the one or more operations of the vehicle even if the first and second identification information are identical, when a distance comparison of a distance between the user at a time of making the request and the vehicle is more than a predetermined distance, the distance comparison occurring depending upon an activation status of a distance restriction unit that determines whether the distance between the user at the time of making the request exceeds the predetermined distance, wherein

the control unit permits the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are identical, and does not permit the control of the one or more operations of the vehicle when the first set of identification information and the second set of identification information are not identical.

11. The information processor according to claim 10, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a door lock/unlock operation.

12. The information processor according to claim 10, wherein the one or more operations of the vehicle include a vehicle ignition start/stop operation.