KR20100079608A - Smart key system and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

In the existing vehicle structure, a smart key system interworking with an electronic authentication control device through minimal structural changes and enabling keyless entry and keyless start using a unidirectional RF portable terminal and a control method thereof are presented. The one-way RF portable terminal and the electronic authentication control device authenticate and open the door if they match the pre-stored authentication signal. In addition, the steering lock is released, and driving is possible according to the operation of the start switch.

Description

Smart key system and its control method {SMART KEY SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a smart key system and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a smart key capable of keyless entry and keyless start without the need for a mechanical start key in conjunction with an electronic authentication device and a control method thereof.

Cars are now becoming a necessity of life as the standard of living increases and the supply of cars increases. Accordingly, research on a variety of technologies, such as a car, an anti-theft device of a vehicle and opening and starting the door of the vehicle, is steadily progressing. For example, a keyless entry method and a keyless start method are provided. ).

The keyless entry method is a method in which the door lock is released by the driver without a separate mechanical ignition key. When the driver pushes a button of the RF terminal, the door is automatically unlocked when the key and the electronic authentication device inside the vehicle transmit and receive data with each other.

Pressing the unlock button causes the remote starter to send a code with the instruction to open the car door. If the receiver, activated simultaneously with the unlock button, receives the code as expected, the vehicle moves according to the instructions, such as unlocking and opening the door, otherwise it will not respond. This keyless entry method is in the spotlight of consumers because it is useful for its convenience and prevention of theft.

In such a keyless entry method, the driver is required to carry a key used in a vehicle at all times. In other words, if the driver does not have the key, it is impossible to unlock the door or open the door.

This inconvenience is the same in the keyless start method. The keyless start method refers to a method in which a driver can operate a vehicle by starting, operating and stopping the engine if the driver is electronically authenticated without inserting or manipulating a separate mechanical key. If it is certified by the user, it is convenient to start, operate and stop the engine by pressing the button or by hand.

That is, even in the keyless start method, the driver must always carry a mechanical key that can be authenticated for mechanical authentication.

In order to solve such inconvenience, there is an active research to implement a keyless entry and keyless start method of a vehicle by using a unidirectional RF portable terminal. There is a growing tendency to incorporate smart key systems that can drive vehicles without mechanical keys.

Keyless start and keyless entry are implemented together, and there is little research on an integrated system that enables the vehicle to open / lock the door, start the engine, and operate the vehicle without manipulating the mechanical ignition key.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a smart key system and a control method capable of automatically keyless entry and keyless start without the need for a mechanical start key in conjunction with an electronic authentication control device. Its purpose is to.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safe and reliable smart key system and a control method thereof without fear of theft of the vehicle.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a smart key system and a control method thereof that can be easily mounted after the interworking with the electronic authentication system through a minimum structural change in the existing vehicle structure.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention, the present invention discloses a unidirectional RF portable terminal, an electronic authentication control device and a steering lock device for locking or unlocking the steering in communication with the terminal do. Holders of certified terminals to enable keyless entry and keyless start will be able to open the door, unlock the steering lock and start easily, while ensuring high security.

Using the one-way RF portable terminal, the electronic authentication control device inside the vehicle communicates to open the door for the authenticated user. When the start switch is operated in the ACC mode, when a signal for releasing the steering lock is transmitted, the signal is received to release the steering lock. The power is supplied to the ACC mode to switch to the ACC mode, and the ON mode and the start are applied according to the operation of the start switch. Therefore, keyless entry and keyless start are possible without the need for a start key in conjunction with the electronic authentication device.

As described above, according to the present invention, the keyless entry and the keyless start can be performed without the need for a mechanical start key in conjunction with the electronic authentication device.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of easy post-installation because it is linked with the electronic authentication system through a minimum structural change in the existing vehicle structure.

In addition, the present invention is safe and reliable without theft of the vehicle, it is possible to change the existing mechanical steering lock device to interoperate with the electronic authentication device in a relatively simple way, it is useful to prevent theft of the vehicle to improve the security It has an effect.

As described above, although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

The smart key system referred to herein is a concept encompassing the aforementioned keyless entry and keyless start, which collectively refers to a driving authority authentication system including a user's door opening to starting and driving. .

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments.

1 is a block diagram showing an application example of the actuator of the present invention. The electronic authentication controller 30 receives the electronic signal by the one-way RF portable terminal 31 or the start switch 32. In the present specification, the electronic authentication control device refers to any device capable of opening or closing a door of a vehicle without using a key of the vehicle.

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The start switch 32 may be in a general form, but is not limited thereto and may be a push button style start switch. The control signal is input to the electronic authentication device 30 according to the ACC / ON / startup state of the start switch, and thus the output control signal of the electronic authentication device 30 may vary.

The electronic authentication control device 30 controls the starting / closing / unlocking / unlocking of the door 42 and the steering locking / unlocking 44 using the actuator 200. The order may be variously configured. . For example, after receiving the signal of the remote starter 31 to release the door 43, the steering switch can be unlocked and started by receiving the signal of the start switch 32. Alternatively, steering locking or unlocking may be controlled according to various modes of the start switch (for example, ACC / ON / START). The starting can be started by igniting an ignition switch through the engine ECU 41. Details of the actuator 200 will be described later.

To use this smart key system, you must first perform a user authentication procedure. When using for the first time, or when the owner of the vehicle, or the owner of the one-way RF portable terminal is changed, such a fast and secure authentication method is required.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the button of the unidirectional RF portable terminal is pushed, the door lock is released through electronic authentication. Then, the unidirectional RF portable terminal and the holder of the terminal can open the door using the door handle and ride in the vehicle interior. If there is a start switch inside the vehicle, and the mobile communication terminal holder moves the start switch to the ACC mode (S11), the electronic authentication controller receives this signal, and it is preferable to include a procedure for confirming the link authentication of the Bluetooth ( S12).

When the authentication is confirmed, a signal for releasing the steering lock is generated (S13), and the steering lock is released (S14). In this case, if the steering lock is not released, the steering release signal may be repeatedly supplied to the actuator until the steering lock is continuously released again. When the steering lock is released, electricity is supplied to the ACC mode to the ACC mode (S15), and the ON mode (S16) or the start may be applied by the user's start switch operation (S17).

The process of stopping and starting the vehicle is generally the reverse. When the mobile communication terminal holder moves out of the interior of the vehicle and goes out of the short range communication area such as Bluetooth, the door lock of the vehicle is locked.

Hereinafter, the detailed structure and operation of the steering lock device provided with the actuator will be described.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the steering lock apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the ignition lock body 100 has a donut shape below the main body 110 and has a shaft accommodating part 120 through which the steering shaft 125 connected to the handle passes. In addition, the upper side of the main body 110 is provided with an actuator mounting groove 130 in which the actuator 200 is mounted, the cylinder 150 in the direction (ie, the opposite side) facing the actuator mounting groove 130. The key cylinder accommodating groove 140 is formed thereinto.

The steering shaft 125 will be described in detail later, but is provided with a locking groove and locks or unlocks the lock pin by the actuator 200. That is, the locking groove of the steering shaft 125 is formed in the region of the steering shaft 125 that is wrapped by the shaft receiving portion 120, the locking pin protruding from the main body 110 to the shaft receiving portion 120 is The steering shaft is locked by engaging the locking groove.

The key cylinder accommodating groove 140 is a place where a key cylinder into which a key is inserted and a rotor mounted on the key cylinder are coupled to the key cylinder. The steering lock device 100 is to remove the key cylinder and the rotor so that it is not possible to operate by the key from the outside, and to protect the external interference by coupling the protective cover 160 to the key cylinder receiving groove 140. desirable. In addition, the cylinder 150 having a simple cylindrical shape as in the present embodiment is inserted into the key cylinder accommodating groove 140, and then the protective cover 160 is coupled to the key cylinder accommodating groove 140 to be closed. It is also good to let.

The actuator 200 is coupled to the actuator mounting groove 130, which is the place where the ignition switch is coupled to the actuator mounting groove 130 in the vehicle being released. When the present actuator 200 is to be mounted after the release, the ignition switch is removed, and the actuator 200 is inserted and coupled.

A more detailed description of the actuator is shown in FIG. 5. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator according to the present invention.

As shown therein, the actuator 200 includes a housing 210 having a through hole 270 formed at one side thereof, a motor 220 accommodated in the housing 210 to produce a driving force, A first gear 230 connected to the shaft of the motor 220, a second gear 240 connected to the first gear 230 to change a direction of a driving force vertically, and the second gear 240. It includes a rotation unit 250 connected to.

The first gear 230 and the second gear 240 may be a general worm gear that changes the driving force vertically. One side of the rotation unit 250 is connected to the second gear 240, and the other side is formed with a slit 260 exposed through the through hole 270 of the housing 210. The slit 260 may be formed in a rectangular or elliptical shape whose major and minor axes are distinguished. As will be described later, the slit 260 is coupled to the cam projection connected to the cam to advance or reverse the lock pin.

When the motor 220 rotates, the first gear 230 and the second gear 240 connected thereto rotate so that the rotation unit 250 rotates at an angle. Accordingly, the slit 260 formed in the rotation unit 250 is rotated at a predetermined angle. When the motor 220 transmits the driving force in the forward or reverse direction, the slit 260 is rotated in the forward or reverse direction accordingly.

The motor 220 generates a driving force by using a power source of the vehicle or having a separate battery. The motor 220 is driven by an electrical signal transmitted from the outside of the vehicle. An example of a device for generating a driving electrical signal of the motor is an electronic authentication device of a vehicle such as a smart key.

5 and 6 are presented to illustrate the overall working principle of the invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the steering shaft is locked by the lock pin, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which the steering shaft is unlocked by backward locking the pin.

As shown in FIG. 5, a lock pin 340 coupled to the locking groove 126 formed in the steering shaft 125 is embedded in the main body 110 of the steering lock apparatus 100. The lock pin 340 is connected to the lock pin stopper 330, and the lock pin stopper 330 is in contact with the cam 320. One end of the lock pin stopper 330 is mounted with a spring 350 to transmit the elastic force. The spring 350 is preferably mounted in a compressed state, and when the actuator 200 does not operate, the lock pin 340 is inserted into the locking groove 126 by pushing the lock pin stopper 330. It's a good idea to keep them intact.

If the driver is located within a certain distance to the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 4, a driving electric signal of the motor is generated in the electronic authentication apparatus possessed by the driver and transmitted to the motor 220 of the actuator 200. The motor 220 receiving the signal rotates in one direction. The driving force generated in the motor 220 rotates the slit 260 in one direction through the first gear 230 and the second gear 240, and causes the cam protrusion 310 coupled with the slit 260 to rotate. do. When the cam protrusion 310 rotates, the cam 320 connected thereto rotates.

As the cam 320 rotates, the lock pin stopper 330 retreats in a straight line, and the lock pin 340 connected thereto is retracted to move away from the locking groove 126 formed in the steering shaft 125. Therefore, the steering shaft 125 is unlocked so that the steering shaft 125 is rotatable in accordance with the driver's handle operation. Reference numeral 111, which is not described in the drawings, is a spring support wall, and 311 is a cam protrusion mounted at a key cylinder portion.

The manufacturing method of the present invention will be described as follows.

First, the housing 210 is manufactured, the motor 220 and the gears 230 and 240 are assembled therein, and the rotation unit 250 provided with the slit 260 is combined to complete the actuator 200. do.

Next, the key cylinder and the ignition switch are separated from the actuator mounting groove 130 and the key cylinder receiving groove 140 in the ignition lock body in the vehicle. The separation of the key cylinder and the ignition switch is a known technique. For example, the key cylinder and the ignition switch in the ignition lock body are pressed by pressing the projection of the key cylinder while the key is inserted into the key groove and returned to the accessory mode. Can be separated.

Next, the actuator 200 is inserted into and coupled to the actuator mounting groove 130 in which the ignition switch existed. At this time, the slit 260 of the actuator 200 is coupled to the cam protrusion 310 to be coupled. In addition, the cylinder 150 is inserted into the key cylinder accommodating groove 140 in which the key cylinder exists, and the protective cover 160 is coupled to close the key cylinder accommodating groove 140.

As described above, there is an effect that locking and unlocking of the steering can be easily performed by interworking with the electronic authentication device by applying a minimum structural change to the existing vehicle. In addition, it is not only easy to remove and remove the inconvenience of having to carry the ignition key anymore, it is possible to improve the security against theft.

1 is a block diagram showing an application example of the actuator of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation principle of the smart key system.

Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the steering lock apparatus according to the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator according to the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a steering shaft is locked by a lock pin.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the locking pin is reversed and the steering shaft is unlocked.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: ignition lockbody 100: main body

120: shaft receiving portion 126: locking groove

130: actuator mounting groove 140: key cylinder receiving groove

150: cylinder 160: protective cover

200: actuator 220: motor

250: rotating unit 260: slit

340: lock pin

Claims (5)

In a smart key system of a vehicle provided with a start switch, Unidirectional RF portable terminal; An electronic authentication control device capable of communicating with the mobile communication terminal; And A steering lock device having an actuator for locking or unlocking the steering according to a signal of the electronic authentication control device; Smart key system comprising a. The method of claim 1, The electronic authentication control device is a smart key system, characterized in that to control the actuator according to the ACC / ON / START mode of the start switch to perform a steering locking or unlocking, and to control the engine ECU to start. The method of claim 1, The actuator is housing; A motor embedded in the housing and producing a driving force; A gear unit transmitting a driving force of the motor; And One side is coupled to the gear unit, the other side rotation unit is formed with a slit coupled to the cam projection for moving the lock pin; Smart key system comprising a. Using an unidirectional RF portable terminal to communicate with the electronic authentication controller in the vehicle for authentication; Opening the door if the electronic authentication matches; When the brake pedal is pressed, releasing the steering lock; Receiving the signal to release the steering lock; And Switching to the ACC mode by supplying power to the ACC mode; Smart system control method comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein The authenticating step Setting a password in the electronic authentication control device; Requesting entry of the password; And The electronic authentication when the password is compared with the previously stored password Registering and storing the one-way RF portable terminal with the control device; Smart key system control method comprising a.

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