Communications: electrical – Selective – Intelligence comparison for controlling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-09
2003-04-22
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Intelligence comparison for controlling
C340S005620, C340S005200, C340S005800, C340S010300, C340S010330, C340S005720, C340S870030, C340S870030, C307S010100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06552649
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle control system, and particularly to a vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle-mounted device, using a portable transceiver (transmitter/receiver).
2. Description of the Related Art
As vehicles become more intelligent, many proposals have been made to control vehicles with less operator effort. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 5-71257, for example, discloses an automatic door-lock device which can automatically lock or unlock vehicle doors without a manual operation for locking or unlocking. This device, referred to as a smart entry system, unlocks a vehicle door when it detects a user coming close to the vehicle, and locks the door when it detects a user going away from the vehicle. Specifically, when a dedicated portable transceiver carried by a user receives an ID request signal sent from a vehicle, the transceiver returns a corresponding response ID to the vehicle. When the response ID is confirmed as an authorized response ID on the vehicle side, a door of the vehicle is duly unlocked, while otherwise the doors are kept locked. In this manner, an authorized user can automatically unlock the door without manual operation when he enters the vehicle. Likewise, when the user simply leaves the vehicle without conducting manual door-lock operation, the vehicle door can thereby be locked automatically. With the above arrangement, the user is released from the risk of leaving the door unlocked and the duty of troublesome door-lock operation.
In the above smart entry system, a vehicle must continually send ID request signals to search for a portable transceiver carried by a user. When a transmission area for the ID request signals is set covering too vast a region, a user approaching the vehicle cannot be easily recognized. For example, a user who only passes near the vehicle may erroneously be understood as a user preparing to enter the vehicle, and the door may erroneously be unlocked before the authorized user reaches the vehicle. This is undesirable in view of crime prevention as it may cause a risk that a third person would get on the vehicle.
To solve the above problem, the transmission area can be made smaller to aid accurate determination of whether a user is in fact approaching the vehicle. However, this arrangement is not desirable in terms of control as it may require formation of a number of detection areas using a number of detection means for full-time observation, leading to heavy use of the vehicle's battery. These problems, such as early control timing and waste of battery power, also can occur when vehicle-mounted devices other than a door-lock mechanism are controlled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was conceived to overcome the above problems and aims to provide a vehicle control system capable of accurately recognizing approach by a user and controlling a vehicle-mounted device at an optimum timing while suppressing battery consumption.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control system, comprising large area ID request means for sending an ID request signal to a portable transceiver present in a specific area around a vehicle to form a large area; ID verification means for receiving a response ID in reply to the ID request signal to conduct verification with the response ID received; area switching means for activating at least one detection means using a detection area smaller than the larger area when the response ID received is verified coincident with a reference ID; and control means for controlling operation of a vehicle-mounted device based on a detection result by the detection means.
Here, a “large area” represents a detection area with relatively low detection accuracy which is formed having a radius of approximately 10 m with the vehicle at the center. A “small area” represents a detection area with high detection accuracy, which is formed in a region close, e.g., within 1 m in radius, to a specific point on the vehicle, such as the driver seat door or a passenger seat door. A “vehicle-mounted device” may include a door-lock controller, a lighting controller, an engine starting controller, a driving condition controller, and so on.
With the above arrangement, since the detection means using a small area is activated after confirmation was made that a user carrying a portable transceiver entered the large area formed around the vehicle, highly accurate detection operation using a small area is carried out only when the user has approached sufficiently close to the vehicle. That is, as such detection, which consumes a relatively large amount of battery power, is performed only in the case where the user has approached sufficiently close to the vehicle, wasteful consumption of battery power can be suppressed. In addition, when highly accurate detection is carried out using a small area, approaching state of a user to the vehicle can be highly accurately detected. As a result, the vehicle-mounted device can be controlled at the optimum timing.
As stated above, in the above vehicle control system, the control means may control a door-lock controller for controlling locking/unlocking operation with respect to doors of the vehicle.
With this arrangement, verification with a reference ID for door unlocking operation completes at a timing when a user carrying a portable transceiver enters the large area. This enables subsequent swift and reliable recognition of a user in a small area, so that the door can be smoothly unlocked at the optimum timing. The control means also locks the door in response to a user carrying a portable transceiver going away from the large area.
Additionally, in the above vehicle control system, the large area ID request means may form a first large area and a second large area in lateral directions with respect to the vehicle on a driver side and a passenger side, respectively, at a predetermined timing, and the area switching means activates individually at least one detection area formed either on the driver side or the passenger side of the vehicle, based on a response ID sent from a portable transceiver having entered at least one of the first large area or the second large area.
The large area ID request means may form the first and second large areas either at the same or different timing.
With the above arrangement, as only the detection means on the side to which a user carrying a portable transceiver approaches is activated, wasteful battery consumption can be further reduced. Moreover, as preparation for, and execution of, door-unlocking operation is applied only to the doors on the side with an approaching user, intrusion by the third person to the vehicle through the doors on the other side can be prevented for improved security. Further, formation of the first and second large areas at different timing can further reduce wasteful battery consumption.
Yet further, in the above vehicle control system, the detection means may be small area ID request means for sending an ID request signal which is different from the ID request signal to be sent to the large area, and the control means controls operation of the vehicle-mounted device when the ID verification means verifies that a response ID in reply to the ID request signal sent from the small area ID request means coincides with a reference ID.
With this arrangement, as ID verification is made twice, detection reliability for an authorized user is improved, as is security in door unlocking operation.
Yet further, in the above vehicle control system, the detection means may be a body detection sensor for detecting an approaching vehicle user.
Here, “body detection sensor” may include a photo-sensor or any other sensor which can detect, for example, a user's hand extended to the door knob because the user intends to opening the door, based on a changing gain of the antenna incorporated into, for example, the door knob.
With this arrangement, approach of a portable t
Okada Hiroki
Yamamoto Keiji
Dalencourt Yves
Horabik Michael
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Vehicle control system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle control system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle control system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3034448