JP2008184770A - Lamp control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the lighting of only a lamp corresponding to the vicinity of the presence of a user possessing a portable machine, and to enable the lighting of a lamp corresponding to the vicinity of the presence of a person getting closer to a vehicle, even if the person except the user possessing the portable machine gets closer to the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A control portion 4 identifies a reception antenna, which receives a portable-machine detection response signal from the portable machine 1, from among a plurality of reception antennae 2b of a signal transceiver 2, detects a position of the portable machine 1 which is possessed by the user, on the basis of the position of the identified antenna, and performs control so that the lamp of the vehicle, corresponding to the position of the portable machine 1, can be lit. When the person except the person possessing the portable machine is detected by a vehicle periphery detecting sensor 5, the control portion 4 performs control so that the lamp of the vehicle, corresponding to a position of the detected person, can also be lit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp control device that controls lighting of lamps (clearance lamps, room lamps, license plate lamps, door mirror lamps provided below a door mirror, etc.) provided in a vehicle.

  In recent years, a so-called vehicle having a function of locking / unlocking a door lock of a vehicle by performing bidirectional communication between the vehicle (automobile) side and a portable device possessed by a user (driver or the like). Smart entry systems are widespread. In this smart entry system, for example, when a user operates a switch installed on a door knob of a vehicle, a detection signal of the portable device is transmitted from the vehicle side, and the portable device possessed by the user receives an identification code in accordance with the detection signal. A signal is returned to the vehicle side, the identification code of this identification code signal and the identification code stored on the vehicle side are collated, and when the collation is matched, the door lock of the vehicle is locked / unlocked.

  In addition, even if the user does not operate the switch installed on the door knob of the vehicle, when the user holding the portable device approaches the vehicle, two-way communication is automatically performed between the vehicle and the portable device, and the vehicle A smart entry system for vehicles configured to unlock a door lock is also known (for example, Patent Document 1).

In the smart entry system for a vehicle as described in Patent Document 1, a request signal and a portable device detection signal are always transmitted intermittently from the vehicle side, and the portable device is placed in a proximity area where the request signal and the portable device detection signal can be received. Two-way communication is performed by the possessing user.
JP 2002-77972 A

  By the way, in a vehicle (automobile) equipped with such a smart entry system, two-way communication is performed between the vehicle and a portable device in order to assist a user who gets on the vehicle and interlocks with unlocking of the vehicle door lock. Some of them have a function of lighting a road surface in the vicinity of the vehicle by turning on a lamp (clearance lamp, room lamp, license plate lamp, door mirror lamp provided under the door mirror, etc.) provided in the vehicle. .

  However, conventionally, for example, even when a user who has a portable device is a driver and is near the door on the driver's seat side, two-way communication is performed between the vehicle and the portable device to unlock the vehicle door lock. In conjunction with this, all of the lamps that can be lit, including the door mirror lamp and license plate lamp on the passenger seat side, are lit up, consuming unnecessary battery power.

  Furthermore, conventionally, when a person other than the user who has the portable device approaches the vehicle, the lamp provided on the vehicle cannot be turned on.

  Therefore, the present invention can turn on only the lamp corresponding to the vicinity where there is a user who has a portable device, and even when a person other than the user who owns the portable device approaches the vehicle, Provided is a vehicle lamp control device capable of lighting a lamp corresponding to the vicinity of a person approaching a vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a predetermined position that is installed on the vehicle side and outputs a portable device detection signal to a portable device possessed by a user and receives a portable device detection response signal from the portable device. A signal transmitter / receiver having a plurality of transmitting and receiving antennas disposed on the door, and a door switch to unlock the door lock of the vehicle based on bidirectional communication between the portable device and the signal transmitter / receiver. Control means for controlling, in the vehicle lamp control device for controlling lighting of a plurality of lamps provided in the vehicle corresponding to unlocking of the door lock, the vehicle periphery detection for detecting the vehicle periphery The control means specifies a reception antenna that has received the portable device detection response signal from the plurality of reception antennas of the signal transceiver, and the specified reception antenna. Based on the position of the portable device, the position of the portable device possessed by the user is detected, and a lamp corresponding to the position of the portable device is controlled to be lit. When a person other than the possessed person is detected, control is performed so that a lamp corresponding to the position where the detected person is located is also lit.

  According to the present invention, since only the lamp corresponding to the position where the user carrying the portable device is located in the vicinity of the vehicle can be turned on, it is possible to prevent other unnecessary lamps from being turned on and useless battery Power consumption can be eliminated. Furthermore, when there is a person (a person other than the user who owns the portable device) around the vehicle, the position of the person can be detected and a lamp corresponding to the position where the person is present can be turned on.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle lamp control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp control device according to the present embodiment includes a signal transceiver 2 that performs wireless communication with a portable device 1 possessed by a user such as a driver, a portable device 1, and the like. On the basis of a signal output from the signal transmitter / receiver 2 by wireless communication, a control unit 4 that operates the door switch 3 having a door lock actuator (not shown) to lock and unlock the door lock, and a vehicle (automobile) ) Based on a signal from the vehicle periphery detection sensor 5 for detecting a person in the vicinity (a person other than the user who has the portable device 1) and a signal from the control unit 4, a plurality of lamps 6 provided in the vehicle Is provided with a switch section 7 for turning ON (lighting) / OFF (lighting off).

  The signal transceiver 2 includes a transmission antenna 2a that transmits a request signal and a portable device detection signal to the portable device 1, and a reception antenna 2b that receives an answer signal and a portable device detection response signal from the portable device 1, Wireless communication is performed between the portable device 1 and the signal transceiver 2. Note that the transmission antenna 2a and the reception antenna 2b of the signal transceiver 2 on the vehicle 8 side are respectively installed at predetermined positions of the vehicle (for example, near the respective sides of the front, middle, and rear of the vehicle). The portable device 1 also includes a receiving antenna 1a that receives the request signal and the portable device detection signal, and a transmission antenna 1b that transmits the answer signal and the portable device detection response signal.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle periphery detection sensor 5 is installed in each of the front part and the rear part of the vehicle 8 in the present embodiment, and a person around the vehicle 8 (other than the user who owns the portable device 1). ). For example, an infrared sensor or a thermographic device can be used as the vehicle periphery detection sensor 5. The signal transmitter / receiver 2 and the control unit 4 are installed in an instrument panel (not shown) of the vehicle 8.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of lamps 6 provided in the vehicle 8 are provided in the lower part of the left and right clearance lamps 9a and 9b, the room lamp 10, the license plate lamp 11, and the door mirrors 12a and 12b in this embodiment. Door mirror lamps 13a and 13b and left and right rear turn signal lamps 14a and 14b. The door mirror lamps 13a and 13b are lamps that illuminate the road surface near the door mirrors 12a and 12b.

  Next, the control operation by the vehicle lamp control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the request signal and the portable device detection signal are always transmitted intermittently from each transmission antenna 2a from the signal transceiver 2 on the vehicle 8 side where the door lock is locked (step S1). When the user (driver) possessing the portable device 1 approaches the vehicle 8, the portable device 1 receives the request signal and the portable device detection signal. The portable device detection signal transmitted from each transmission antenna 2a includes an antenna identification code.

  When the portable device 1 receives the portable device detection signal, the portable device 1 transmits the portable device detection response signal to the signal transceiver 2 on the vehicle 8 side in response to the received portable device detection signal. When the signal transceiver 2 receives the portable device detection response signal (step S2: YES), the signal transceiver 2 outputs the portable device detection response signal to the control unit 4.

  When the portable device 1 receives the request signal, the portable device 1 transmits an answer signal including the door lock control authentication code to the signal transceiver 2 on the vehicle 8 side in response to the request signal. Then, the signal transceiver 2 that has received this answer signal outputs this answer signal to the control unit 4. The control unit 4 compares the door lock control authentication code included in the answer signal with the door lock release authentication code stored in the control unit 4 and unlocks the lock if they match. A signal is output to the switch unit 7 to unlock the door lock (step S3).

  In step S2, when a portable device detection response signal is received (step S2: YES), each reception is performed according to the distance between the installation position of each reception antenna 2b of the signal transmitter / receiver 2 and the portable device 1. The reception strength of the portable device detection response signal received by the antenna 2b is different, and the reception strength of the reception antenna 2b in the position (area) closest to the portable device 1 is the highest. And the control part 4 specifies the receiving antenna 2b with the highest receiving intensity from each receiving antenna 2b installed in each position of the vehicle 8, and based on the position of the specified receiving antenna 2b, the portable device with respect to the vehicle 8 The position (direction) of 1 (the user who has the portable device 1) is detected (step S4).

  When it is detected that the lamp according to the position of the portable device 1 (the user who owns the portable device 1) obtained in step S3, for example, the position of the portable device 1 is near the door on the driver's seat side, the control unit 4 Outputs a signal to the switch unit 7 so that only the door mirror lamp 13a on the driver's seat is lit, and only the door mirror lamp 13a is lit (step S5).

  At this time, the periphery of the vehicle 8 is detected by the vehicle periphery detection sensors 5 respectively installed at the front and rear of the vehicle 8 (step S6). When a person (a person other than the user carrying the portable device 1) is detected around the vehicle 8 (step S7: YES), a detection signal is output from the vehicle periphery detection sensor 5 to the control unit 4.

  Then, the control unit 4 detects the position of a person (a person other than the user who owns the portable device 1) around the vehicle 8 based on the detection signal output from the vehicle periphery detection sensor 5. When the lamp according to the position (direction) of the person, for example, the detected position of the person is near the rear of the vehicle, the control unit 4 outputs a signal to the switch unit 7 so that the license plate lamp 11 is lit. Then, the license plate lamp 11 is turned on (step S8).

  Then, the control unit 4 outputs a signal to the switch unit 7 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the lamps (in this embodiment, the door mirror lamp 13a and the license plate lamp 11) are turned on (step S9: YES), The lamps (door mirror lamp 13a, license plate lamp 11) are turned off (step S10).

  In step S9, the user (driver) or other person who has the portable device 1 opened the door even before the predetermined time has elapsed since the lamps (door mirror lamp 13a, license plate lamp 11) were turned on. Sometimes, the lamps (door mirror lamp 13a, license plate lamp 11) that are turned on based on the door opening signal output in response to the opening of the door are turned off.

  As described above, according to the vehicle lamp control device according to the present embodiment, only the lamp corresponding to the position where the user carrying the portable device is located in the vicinity of the vehicle can be turned on. Can be prevented, and wasteful battery power consumption can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, when there is a person (a person other than the user who owns the portable device) around the vehicle, the position of the person can be detected and a lamp corresponding to the position where the person is present can be turned on. Therefore, even in this case, it is possible to prevent other unnecessary lamps from being lit, and it is possible to eliminate wasteful battery power consumption.

The block diagram which shows the lamp control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the position of the some lamp provided in the vehicle and a vehicle periphery detection sensor. The flowchart which shows the control operation | movement by the vehicle lamp control apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile device 2 Signal transmitter / receiver 2a Transmission antenna 2b Reception antenna 3 Door switch 4 Control part 5 Vehicle periphery detection sensor 8 Vehicle 9a, 9b Clearance lamp 10 Room lamp 11 License plate lamp 12a, 12b Door mirror 13a, 13b Door mirror lamp 14a, 14b Rear turn signal lamp

Claims (1)

A plurality of transmitting and receiving antennas installed on a vehicle side and arranged at predetermined positions for outputting a portable device detection signal to a portable device possessed by a user and receiving a portable device detection response signal from the portable device And a control means for controlling a door switch so as to unlock the door lock of the vehicle based on bidirectional communication between the portable device and the signal transceiver. In the vehicular lamp control device that performs lighting control of a plurality of lamps provided in the vehicle in response to the unlocking of the door lock,
Having vehicle periphery detection means for detecting the vehicle periphery,
The control means specifies a reception antenna that has received the portable device detection response signal from the plurality of reception antennas of the signal transceiver, and the user possesses the position based on the position of the specified reception antenna. When the position of the portable device is detected and controlled so that a lamp corresponding to the position of the portable device is lit, and the vehicle periphery detection means detects a person other than the person holding the portable device , And control to turn on the lamp according to the position where the detected person is,
A vehicle lamp control device characterized by the above.

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