JP2001271524A - Engine starting control apparatus for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an engine starting control apparatus for a vehicle, which can carry out engine starting in response to reception of a predetermined signal from a transmitter, by a receiver, wherein engine starting in response to exchange of the predetermined signals is ensured without influence of noise. SOLUTION: The transmitter 7 is comprised of a portable housing 10, an oscillating means 11 built in the portable housing 10, and a pair of first connecting terminals 12A, 12B facing outside the portable housing 10. The receiver 8 is comprised of a fixed housing 4 fixed to the vehicle, a pair of second connecting terminals 15A, 15B arranged in the fixed housing 14, for being electrically connected to the respective first connecting terminals 12a, 12B, an electric power supply portion 16 connected to both the second connecting terminals 15A, 15B, an oscillation sensor 17 attached to the fixed housing 14, and a controller 18 for outputting a signal for carrying out engine starting in response to detection of oscillation of a predetermined oscillating pattern by the oscillation sensor 17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transmitter that can be carried by a driver, and a receiver provided on a vehicle so that an engine can be started in response to reception of a predetermined signal from the transmitter. The present invention relates to a vehicle engine start control device comprising:

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, such an apparatus is disclosed in
For example, a known radio signal is transmitted between a cylinder locking device provided in a vehicle and a regular key removably inserted into a rotor of the cylinder locking device. Only when the exchange of
The engine can be started by rotating the rotor with the key, and the duplicate key prevents the engine from being started undesirably.

[0003]

However, in the case where the start operation of the engine is enabled by transmitting / receiving a radio signal as in the above-described conventional apparatus, the engine is easily affected by noise from the surroundings, and a regular key is used. Also, it may be difficult to start the engine. In addition, there is a type that uses infrared rays for transmission and reception of signals. However, the infrared rays are easily affected by noise as in the case of the radio signal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a vehicle engine start control device which ensures the start of an engine by transmitting and receiving a predetermined signal without being affected by noise. And

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transmitter that can be carried by a driver, and enables an engine to be started in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the transmitter. Thus, in the start control device for a vehicle engine including the receiver provided on the vehicle side, the transmitter is capable of causing the driver to vibrate the mobile housing in a predetermined vibration pattern with a mobile housing. And a pair of first connection terminals facing the outside of the portable housing so as to supply power to the vibrating means, and the receiver is at least a part of the portable housing. A fixed housing having a contacted portion capable of making contact with the vehicle, and being fixed to the vehicle side, and at least a part of the mobile housing in contact with the contacted portion A pair of second connection terminals provided on the fixed housing so as to enable electrical connection to the first connection terminals in a contact state, a power supply unit connected to both the second connection terminals, and vibration of the contacted unit And a controller that outputs a signal that enables the engine to start in response to the vibration sensor detecting vibrations of a predetermined vibration pattern. I do.

According to such a configuration, when the portable housing of the transmitter is brought into contact with the contacted portion on the vehicle side, the power supplied from the power supply unit by the electrical connection of the first and second connection terminals is used. The vibration means vibrates the portable housing in a predetermined vibration pattern, and the engine can be started by detecting the vibration in the predetermined vibration pattern by the vibration sensor. Thus, the transmission of the vibration between the portable housing and the contacted portion is not affected by the noise, and the engine can be reliably started by transmitting and receiving the predetermined signal without being affected by the noise.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 provides the above-described claim 1.
In addition to the configuration of the invention described, the vibration means is a piezoelectric vibration element that connects both ends to a pair of first connection terminals,
A piezoelectric vibrating element selected from a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating elements having different resonance frequencies is built in the portable housing, and a power supply unit of the receiver is provided with a piezoelectric vibrating element included in a regular transmitter. It is configured to be able to supply AC power of a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the element, and according to such a configuration, a control circuit such as a microcomputer is not required on the transmitter side, and the cost of configuring the system is reduced. be able to.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the portable housing of the transmitter constitutes a grip portion of a mechanical key,
The receiver is provided on the cylinder lock side into which the mechanical key can be inserted. According to this configuration, a device for controlling the start of the engine can be easily configured using a conventional mechanical key. can do.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on one embodiment of the present invention shown in the attached drawings.

In FIG. 1, a cylinder lock 2 is provided on a side of a steering column (not shown) so that a mechanical key 1 can be inserted and rotated by a driver.

The cylinder lock 2 has a casing 3 mounted on a steering column, a rotor 5 rotatably supported by the casing 3 and provided with a key hole 4 for inserting the mechanical key 1, And a plurality of tumblers 6 built in the rotor 5 so as to release the engagement with the casing 3 by inserting the regular mechanical key 1 into the 5.

The mechanical key 1 is provided with a transmitter 7, and the cylinder lock 2 is provided with a receiver 8.

The transmitter 7 comprises a portable housing 10 made of a synthetic resin, which constitutes a grip portion of the mechanical key 1 so that a driver can carry the mechanical key 1 together with the mechanical key 1. The portable housing 10 can be vibrated in a pattern.
A piezoelectric vibrating element 11 as vibrating means incorporated in the portable housing 10, and a pair of first connection terminals 12A, 12 which can supply power to the piezoelectric vibrating element 11 and face the outside of the portable housing 10.
B.

The piezoelectric vibrating element 11 is selected from a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating elements 11 having different resonance frequencies and is built in the portable housing 10, and has an AC power having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency. Is supplied, the portable housing 10 is caused to vibrate in a predetermined vibration pattern. The first connection terminals 12A and 12B are disposed on both sides of the grip-side base end of the mechanical key 1 with insulating materials 13 and 13 interposed between the first connection terminals 12A and 12B. Connected.

On the other hand, the receiver 8 includes a fixed housing 14 fixed to the vehicle and a pair of second connection terminals 15A provided on the fixed housing 14 to enable electrical connection to the first connection terminals 12A and 12B. , 15B, a power supply 16 connected to the second connection terminals 15A, 15B, vibration sensors 17, 17 attached to the fixed housing 14,
A controller 18 for outputting a signal for enabling the engine to start in response to the vibration sensors 17 detecting vibration of a predetermined vibration pattern;
The signal output from 8 is applied to fuel supply control means 19 for controlling the supply of fuel to the engine.

The fixed housing 14 has an insertion tube portion 14a as a contacted portion which is fitted while at least part of the portable housing 10 of the transmitter 7 is brought into contact when the mechanical key 1 is inserted into the cylinder lock 2. The second connection terminals 15A and 15B can be electrically connected to the first connection terminals 12A and 12B while at least a part of the portable housing 10 is in contact with the insertion tube portion 14a. It is provided on the inner surface of the insertion tube portion 14a. Moreover, the second connection terminals 15A and 15B connect the mechanical key 1 inserted into the rotor 5 of the cylinder lock 2 to the LO.
When rotated from the CK position to the ACC position, they are arranged so as to achieve electrical connection with the second connection terminals 12A and 12B.

A pair of vibration sensors 17, 17, for example, are mounted on the outer surface of the insertion tube portion 14a.
Insertion tube part 14 generated by contact of portable housing 10
The vibration of “a” is detected by both vibration sensors 17, 17.

The power supply unit 16 includes a battery 20 mounted on a vehicle and an inverter 21 for converting DC power from the battery 20 into AC power. The piezoelectric vibrating element 11 is connected to the second connection terminals 15A and 15B so as to supply AC power having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibration element 11.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the portable housing 10 of the transmitter 7 is inserted into and brought into contact with the insertion tube portion 14a on the vehicle side, the electrical connection of the first and second connection terminals 12A and 12B is established. Power supply 16
The piezoelectric vibration element 11 causes the portable housing 10 to vibrate in a predetermined vibration pattern with the power supplied from the
The vibration of the predetermined vibration pattern is transmitted to the vibration sensors 17 and 17.
In response to the detection, the controller 18 gives the fuel supply control means 19 a signal for permitting fuel supply to the engine, whereby the engine can be started.

As described above, the predetermined signal transmitted and received between the transmitter 7 and the receiver 7 is a vibration in a predetermined vibration pattern, and the vibration is transmitted by the contact between the portable housing 10 and the insertion tube portion 14a. Hardly affected by noise from surroundings. Therefore, it is possible to reliably start the engine by transmitting and receiving the predetermined signal without being affected by noise.

In the portable housing 10 of the transmitter 7,
The piezoelectric vibrating element 11 selected from a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating elements 11 having different resonance frequencies is built in, and the power supply unit 16 of the receiver 8 is provided with the piezoelectric vibrating element 11 of the legitimate transmitter 7. Since an AC power having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency is supplied, a control circuit such as a microcomputer is not required on the transmitter 7 side, and the cost of configuring the system can be reduced.

Further, the portable housing 10 of the transmitter 7 constitutes a grip portion of the mechanical key 1, and the receiver 8 is provided on the cylinder lock 2 side into which the mechanical key 1 can be inserted, so that the starting of the engine is controlled. Can be simply configured using a conventional mechanical key.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention described in the appended claims. It is possible to do.

[0024]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the engine can be reliably started by transmitting and receiving the predetermined signal without being affected by noise.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a control circuit such as a microcomputer is not required on the transmitter side, and the cost of configuring the system can be reduced.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the device for controlling the start of the engine can be easily constituted by using a conventional mechanical key.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of an engine start control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mechanical key 2 ... Cylinder lock 7 ... Transmitter 8 ... Receiver 10 ... Portable housing 11 ... Piezoelectric vibrating element 12A, 12B ... First connection Terminal 14: Fixed housing 14a: Inserted cylindrical portion as a contacted portion 15A, 15B: Second connection terminal 16: Power supply unit 17: Vibration sensor 18: Controller

Claims (3)

[Claims] A transmitter provided on a vehicle so as to be able to be started by an engine in response to reception of a predetermined signal from the transmitter. (8) In the start control device for a vehicle engine, the transmitter (7) includes a portable housing (10) that can be carried by a driver and the portable housing (1).
Vibrating means (1) built in the portable housing (10) by allowing the vibrating means (1) to vibrate in a predetermined vibration pattern
1) and a pair of first connection terminals (12A, 12B) facing the outside of the portable housing (10) so as to supply power to the vibration means (11), and the receiver (8).
A fixed housing (14) having a contacted part (14a) capable of contacting at least a part of the portable housing (10) and fixed to a vehicle side; and the contacted part (14a). The first connection terminals (12A, 12A,
12B) and a pair of second connection terminals (15A, 1A) provided in the fixed housing (14) to enable electrical connection to the fixed housing (14).
5B), a power supply unit (16) connected to the second connection terminals (15A, 15B), and a vibration sensor (14) attached to the fixed housing (14) to detect vibration of the contacted portion (14a). 17) and a controller (1) that outputs a signal that enables the engine to start in response to the vibration sensor (17) detecting vibration of a predetermined vibration pattern.
8) A starting control device for a vehicle engine, comprising: 2. The vibration means is a piezoelectric vibration element (11) for connecting both ends to a pair of first connection terminals (12A, 12B), and inside the portable housing (10),
A piezoelectric vibrating element (11) selected from a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating elements (11) having different resonance frequencies is built in, and a power supply unit (16) of the receiver (8) is provided with a regular transmission. The start control device for a vehicle engine according to claim 1, wherein an AC power having a frequency corresponding to a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibration element (11) included in the device (7) can be supplied. 3. The portable housing (1) of said transmitter (7).
0) constitutes a grip portion of the mechanical key (1), and the receiver (8) is provided on a cylinder lock (2) side into which the mechanical key (1) can be inserted. 3. The start control device for a vehicle engine according to claim 2.