JP2001349117A - Electronic key device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent mislaying into a compartment of an electronic key by using a minimum number of small-scale antennas. SOLUTION: A radio communication machine having a region capable of being communicated with a portable machine is installed only to the outside of the vehicle in the vicinity of a vehicle door while door lock operation from the outside of the vehicle is detected, radio communication with the portable machine is conducted when door lock operation from the outside of the vehicle is detected, and warning is conducted in the case of impossible communication with the portable machine. ID is received from the portable machine in the case of possible communication with the portable machine, and warning is performed when portable machine ID and registered ID do not coincide. Accordingly, mislaying into the compartment of the electronic key is detected surely and can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicular electronic key device for performing wireless communication between an electronic key carried by an occupant and a vehicle-mounted device, collating an ID, and locking / unlocking a door and starting an engine. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a door of a vehicle is opened, a magnetic field is generated by a magnetic field generating antenna installed in a vehicle compartment.
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a vehicular electronic key device that detects the strength of a magnetic field with an electronic key and, when there is no change in the magnetic field strength, determines that the electronic key is left in a vehicle compartment and warns the user (for example, a utility model) Registration No. 2511202).

[0003]

However, in the conventional vehicular electronic key device, a magnetic field is formed in a wide area in the vehicle cabin in order to detect the case where the electronic key is left behind in the rear seat of the vehicle. It is necessary to use one large magnetic field generator or to install a plurality of small magnetic field generators in various places in the vehicle cabin, and furthermore, the power consumption of these magnetic field generators must be reduced. There is a problem of increasing.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the electronic key from being left behind in a vehicle cabin by using a minimum number of small antennas.

[0005]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5. (1) The invention of claim 1 includes the portable device 20 and the in-vehicle device 1, and the ID of the portable device 20 matches the ID of the in-vehicle device 1. A vehicle electronic key device for permitting a door lock in a case where the wireless communication device 21 and a memory 22b for storing an ID are provided.
And the vehicle doors 40, 43
Areas 42 and 4 that can communicate with portable device 20 only outside nearby vehicles
4, a memory 13b for storing a pre-registered ID, and door lock operation detecting means 9a, 9b for detecting that an operation of locking the door from outside the vehicle has been performed. When the door lock operation from the outside of the vehicle is detected, the wireless communication with the portable device 20 is performed, and the portable device 20
The in-vehicle device 1 is provided with a control unit 11 that issues a warning when communication with the vehicle is impossible, thereby achieving the above object. (2) The electronic key device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control means 1
According to 1, when communication with the portable device 20 is possible, the ID is received from the portable device 20, and when the ID of the portable device does not match the registered ID, a warning is issued. (3) In the electronic key device for a vehicle according to the third aspect, the door lock operation detecting means is a door lock switch 9a, 9b provided outside the vehicle near the vehicle doors 40, 43.

In the section of the means for solving the above-described problem, a diagram of one embodiment is used for easy understanding of the description, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. .

[0007]

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication device having an area capable of communicating with the portable device is provided only outside the vehicle near the vehicle door, and a door lock operation from outside the vehicle is detected. Wireless communication with the portable device is performed when a door lock operation from outside the vehicle is detected, and a warning is issued when communication with the portable device is not possible. This can reduce device cost and battery power consumption compared to the case where a single large wireless communication device or a large number of small wireless communication devices are installed and a misplacement of a portable device is detected. Reduction can be achieved. (2) According to the invention of claim 2, a wireless communication device having an area capable of communicating with the portable device is provided only outside the vehicle near the vehicle door, and a door lock operation from outside the vehicle is detected, and the door lock from outside the vehicle is detected. When an operation is detected, wireless communication is performed with the portable device. If communication with the portable device is possible, an ID is received from the portable device. If the registered ID does not match the portable device ID, a warning is issued. Therefore, an effect similar to the above effect of claim 1 can be obtained. (3) According to the third aspect of the present invention, the door lock switch provided outside the vehicle near the vehicle door detects the door lock operation from outside the vehicle. It is possible to reliably detect the door lock operation from outside the vehicle with a simple device.

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an on-vehicle apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a portable electronic key. FIG. 3 shows an ignition knob. The vehicle electronic key device according to one embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 1 (FIG. 1) installed in, for example, an instrument panel of a vehicle, an electronic key 20 (FIG. 2) that can be carried by an occupant, and an ignition knob 30. (FIG. 3) and an ignition switch unit (not shown).

The electronic key 20 includes an antenna 21, an electronic key controller 22, a battery 23, and the like. The electronic key controller 22 is a CPU 22a
And peripheral components such as the nonvolatile memory 22b.
Wireless communication is performed with the vehicle-mounted device 1 via the antenna 21. The nonvolatile memory 22b stores an ID for identifying a person who is permitted to operate the vehicle. The battery 23 is a replaceable battery for supplying power to the electronic key controller 22.

The electronic key 20 does not have a key plate like a conventional ignition key, and is formed, for example, in a card type which is easy for an occupant to carry. Further, a key cylinder unit for storing the electronic key 20 is not installed in the vehicle-mounted device 1, and the occupant may carry the electronic key 20 even when getting on the vehicle. Therefore, in this embodiment, an ignition switch unit (not shown) operated by an ignition knob 30 as shown in FIG. 3 instead of the key cylinder unit of the conventional vehicle electronic key device.
Is installed on the instrument panel on the driver's seat side.
This ignition switch unit has an electronic key 20
No need to insert.

An ignition switch unit (not shown) operated by the ignition knob 30 includes ignition switches 5 to 7 that operate in conjunction with rotation of the ignition knob 30 and a steering lock unit 16 that locks a steering wheel. I have.
The steering lock unit 16 has a knob rotation prohibition latch (not shown) for locking the ignition knob 30 to prohibit the rotation operation, and by driving the rotation prohibition latch to the release side, the ignition knob 30 and the steering wheel Can be rotated.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the ignition knob 30 at the lock position (LOCK) of the steering wheel is depressed, the key switch 5 is turned on. When the ignition knob 30 is turned to an ignition on (ON) position for operating the engine, the ignition on switch 6 is turned on. Further, when the engine is turned to the engine start (START) position where the engine is started by the starter, the engine start switch 7 is turned on.

The switches 8a and 8b are door handle switches that are turned on when the door outside handles of the driver's door and the passenger's door are operated to the open side.
The switches 9a and 9b are door lock switches for starting the door lock operation of the driver's door and the passenger's seat door, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the driver's door lock switch 9a is provided outside the vehicle around the door outside handle 41 of the driver's door 40, and is operated from outside the vehicle when locking the door of the vehicle. Although only the driver's door is shown in FIG. 4, the door lock switch 9b is similarly provided on the passenger's seat door outside the vehicle around the door outside handle.
Is provided.

The on-vehicle apparatus 1 includes transceivers 2, 3, 4, and 12 for performing wireless communication with the electronic key 20. The transmitter 2 is installed on the driver's seat or the ceiling of the driver's seat, and transmits an “engine start signal” or the like to the electronic key 20 carried by the driver from the antenna 2a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transmitter 3 is installed around a door outside handle 41 of a driver's seat door 40, and receives a "door lock signal" and "door lock signal" from a door antenna 3a.
A door unlock signal or the like is transmitted to the electronic key 20 carried by the occupant near the driver's seat door. By adjusting the directivity of the driver's door antenna 3a, the driver can communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 1 via the door antenna 3a. The area where wireless communication is possible with the device 20 is defined as an area 42 only outside the vehicle near the driver's seat door 40. The communicable area 42 is the driver's door 4
It may be a small area near zero, such that the occupant can operate the door lock switch 9a to cover the range in which the door is locked.

Similarly, the transmitter 4 is installed around the door outside handle of the passenger seat door 43 and the door antenna 4
an electronic key 2 carried by an occupant near a passenger's seat door, such as a "door lock signal" and a "door unlock signal" from a.
Send to 0. By adjusting the directivity of the door antenna 4a, an area where wireless communication can be performed between the in-vehicle device 1 and the portable device 20 via the door antenna 4a becomes an area 44 only outside the vehicle near the passenger seat door 43. And The communicable area 44 may be a narrow area near the passenger seat door 43 that can cover a range in which the occupant operates the door lock switch 9b to perform the door lock.

The receiver 12 is installed in a rear parcel at the rear of the vehicle, and receives an "engine start request signal", a "lock request signal", an "unlock request signal", an ID and the like sent from the electronic key 20 via the antenna 12a. Receive.

The locking / unlocking controller 13 has a CPU 13a.
And a non-volatile memory 13b. The door lock actuator 14 is drive-controlled to lock and unlock the driver's door, the passenger's seat door, and the rear seat door. The ID of the driver who is permitted to operate the vehicle is stored in the nonvolatile memory 13b in advance.

The engine controller 15 has a CPU 15
a, a non-volatile memory 15b, etc., and controls the rotation speed and output torque of the engine 2 by controlling the driving of a throttle valve control device (not shown), a fuel injection device (not shown), and an ignition device (not shown).

The passive control unit 11 has a CP
U11a, a non-volatile memory 11b, and the like, perform wireless communication with the electronic key 20 via the transceivers 2, 3, 4, and 12, and operate ignition switches 5 to 7, door handle switches 8a and 8b, and door lock switches 9a and 9b. The controller controls the locking / unlocking controller 13 and the engine controller 15 in accordance with the operation state of the vehicle to lock the vehicle door,
Unlock and start / stop the engine.

The buzzer 17 is a buzzer for warning that the electronic key 20 has been left, and is provided at a place where an occupant outside the vehicle can hear when the sound is heard. The buzzer 17
Alternatively, a speaker may be provided to warn by voice.

Next, according to the flowchart shown in FIG.
An outline of the operation of the embodiment will be described. In step 1, when the door outside handle 41 of the driver's seat door or the passenger's seat door is operated to the open side, the door handle switch 8a or 8b is turned on. When the door handle switch 8a or 8b is turned on, communication relating to door unlocking is performed between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the electronic key 20 in step 2. Specifically, the transmitters 3 and 3a of the driver's seat door 40
Alternatively, the electronic key 2 is transmitted from the transmitters 4 and 4a of the passenger seat door 43.
A "door unlock signal" is transmitted to "0". Electronic key 20
Transmits an “unlock request signal” and an ID to the vehicle-mounted device 1 upon receiving the “door unlock signal” from the vehicle-mounted device 1.

The locking / unlocking controller 13 is connected to the receiver 12
Receives the "unlock request signal" and the ID from the electronic key 20, and compares the received ID with the registered ID stored in the memory 13b. If the received ID and the registered ID match in step 3, the door lock actuator 14 is controlled to unlock the vehicle door.

In step 4, the driver gets on, and in step 5
When the operation for starting the engine is performed by the ignition knob 30, the communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the electronic key 20 is performed in step 6, and the ID is collated to permit the start of the engine. When the ID matching result is obtained, the engine is started in step 7. When the operation of the vehicle is terminated at step 8 and the engine is stopped by the ignition knob 30, the engine is stopped at step 9.

After the driver gets off the vehicle at step 10, when the door lock switches 9 a and 9 b of the driver's door 40 or the passenger's seat door 43 are operated at step 11, step 1 is performed.
Communication is performed between the in-vehicle device 1 and the electronic key 20 in 2 and the ID is collated to permit the door lock. When the ID matching result is obtained, the vehicle door is locked in step 13.

Next, the door lock processing of steps 11 to 13 in FIG. 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In step 21, the driver's seat door 40 or the passenger's seat door 43
It is checked whether the door lock switches 9a and 9b are turned on, that is, whether or not the occupant has performed a door lock operation from outside the vehicle. Since the door lock switches 9a and 9b are provided outside the vehicle around the driver outside doors 40 and the passenger side doors 43, when the door lock switches 9a and 9b are turned on, the occupant can be outside the vehicle. It can be determined that the door lock operation is being performed.

When the door lock operation is performed, step 22 is executed.
When the door lock switch 9a on the driver's seat side is operated, a "door lock signal" is transmitted from the transmitter 3 of the driver's seat door 40 and the door antenna 3a to the electronic key 20. On the other hand, when the door lock switch 9b on the passenger seat side is operated, a “door lock signal” is transmitted from the transmitter 4 of the passenger seat door 43 and the door antenna 4a to the electronic key 20.

When the electronic key 20 receives the "door lock signal" from the vehicle-mounted device 1 in step 23, the process proceeds to step 24, where the electronic key 20 transmits a "lock request signal" and an ID to the vehicle-mounted device 1.

As described above, the driver side door antenna 3
The area 42 where wireless communication is possible via the
The area 44 that is set only outside the vicinity of the vehicle and in which wireless communication is possible via the passenger side door antenna 4a
3 is set only outside the vehicle,
The wireless communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the electronic key 20 is possible only when the user is carrying the vehicle outside the vehicle near the driver's seat door 40 or outside the vehicle near the passenger seat door 43. Therefore, when wireless communication is possible between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the electronic key 20, it can be determined that the occupant carries the electronic key 20 and that the electronic key 20 has not been left behind in the vehicle interior.

The in-vehicle device 1 determines in step 25 that the electronic key 2
From 0, it is confirmed whether or not a “lock request signal” and an ID have been received. Step 26
In the lock / unlock controller 13, the reception ID and the registration ID
And. If the ID matching result is obtained, the process proceeds to step 27, where the locking / unlocking controller 13 is controlled and the door lock actuator 14 controls the vehicle door 4.
Lock 0 and 43.

If the "lock request signal" and the ID cannot be received from the electronic key 20 in step 25, that is, if the communication with the electronic key 20 cannot be performed, or if the received ID and the registered ID are If they do not match, the process proceeds to step 28, where it is determined that the occupant does not carry the electronic key 20, and the buzzer 17 sounds and the electronic key 2
Warning that 0 has been left in the cabin. Then, the process ends without performing the door lock.

As described above, the area 42 where wireless communication is possible via the driver's seat side door antenna 3a is set only outside the vehicle near the driver's seat door 40, and wireless communication is possible via the passenger's seat side door antenna 4a. Area 44 in front passenger door 4
3 and only when the door lock switch 9a installed outside the vehicle near the driver's seat door 40 or the door lock switch 9b installed outside the vehicle near the driver's seat door 43 is operated, the driver's door 40 or It is determined that the operation to lock the passenger seat door 43 has been performed from outside the vehicle, and the in-vehicle device 1
And the electronic key 20 perform wireless communication. If wireless communication between the two is impossible, it is determined that the electronic key 20 has been left behind in the vehicle compartment, and a warning is issued. If wireless communication was possible, but the collation result between the ID of the electronic key 20 and the ID registered in the in-vehicle device 1 did not match, the registration was performed with the electronic key 20 left in the vehicle compartment. Warn that an electronic key other than the key may have been used. By simply installing a wireless communication device with a narrow communicable area only outside the vehicle near the door at the driver's door, or at the driver's door and the passenger's door, it is possible to securely prevent the electronic key from being left in the passenger compartment As a result, the apparatus cost and battery power consumption can be reduced as compared with the conventional case where one large wireless communication device or a large number of small wireless communication devices are installed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electronic key according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an ignition knob according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a driver's seat door.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a communicable area of a door antenna when the vehicle is viewed from above.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a door lock process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Onboard equipment 2-4 Transmitter 2a-4a Antenna 5 Key switch 6 Ignition on switch 7 Start switch 8a Driver's door handle switch 8b Passenger's door handle switch 9a Door lock switch of driver's door 9b Door lock of passenger's door Switch 11 Passive control unit 11a CPU 11b Memory 12 Receiver 12a Antenna 13 Locking / unlocking controller 13a CPU 13b Memory 14 Door lock actuator 15 Engine controller 15a CPU 15b Memory 16 Steering lock unit 17 Buzzer 20 Electronic key 21 Antenna 22 Electronic key controller 22a CPU 22b Memory 23 Battery 30 Ignition knob 40 Driver's door 41 Driver's door out Id handle 42 driver side communicable region 43 front passenger door 44 passenger side coverage area

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2E250 AA21 BB08 BB12 CC20 CC28 DD06 FF27 FF28 FF36 HH01 JJ00 JJ03 KK03 LL00 LL01 LL18 SS01 SS04 SS05 SS09 TT04 UU01 UU02 VV00

Claims (3)

[Claims] An electronic key device for a vehicle, comprising: a portable device and a vehicle-mounted device, wherein a door lock is permitted when an ID of the portable device and an ID of the vehicle-mounted device match. A memory that stores an ID in the portable device, a wireless communication device that has an area that can communicate with the portable device only outside the vehicle near the vehicle door, a memory that stores a pre-registered ID, Door lock operation detecting means for detecting that an operation to lock the door has been performed; and performing wireless communication with the portable device when a door lock operation from outside the vehicle is detected, and when communication with the portable device is not possible. The vehicle electronic key device, further comprising: a control unit that issues a warning to the vehicle-mounted device. 2. The electronic key device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives an ID from the portable device when communication with the portable device is possible, and transmits the ID of the portable device and the ID. An electronic key device for a vehicle, wherein a warning is issued when the registered ID does not match. 3. The vehicle electronic key device according to claim 1, wherein the door lock operation detecting means is a door lock switch provided outside the vehicle near a vehicle door. Electronic key device.