JP2010130137A - Information processing system, information processor and method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify the location of a portable device more accurately even if an electrical component located near the receivable range of the portable device is in operation. <P>SOLUTION: When it is specified whether a portable device 13 possessed by a user exists in a predetermined reception range or not, vehicle-mounted equipment 12 transmits a request signal which designates the transmission of a vehicle ID by power strength at which a request signal can be received by only an apparatus in a reception range. Since the portable device 13 transmits an answer signal including vehicle ID upon receiving the request signal, the vehicle-mounted equipment 12 receives the answer signal and compares the vehicle ID included in the answer signal with a prerecorded vehicle ID, thus specifying whether the portable device 13 is located in the receivable range. When an electrical component in a vehicle 11 is in operation, the vehicle-mounted equipment 12 increases the power strength of the request signal in order to prevent a failure of communication with the portable device 13, and specifies whether the portable device 13 is located in the receivable range more accurately by utilizing an RSSI. The invention is applicable to an information processing system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus and method, and a program, and more particularly, to an information processing system, information processing apparatus and method, and program that can more accurately specify the position of a portable device.

  Conventionally, a driver of a vehicle can start or stop the engine without operating a troublesome operation such as inserting a mechanical key into the keyhole by simply operating a switch provided near the steering wheel. Systems that can do this are known.

  In such a system, the vehicle-mounted device installed in the vehicle and the portable portable device possessed by the driver communicate wirelessly, so that the driver who owns the portable device is an authorized user, that is, a vehicle. Authentication processing is performed to determine whether or not the user is an owner. When the user is authenticated, the instructed operation such as starting the engine is performed. The authentication process generally determines whether or not the vehicle ID (Identification) for identifying the vehicle, which is recorded in advance by the portable device, matches the vehicle ID that is recorded in advance by the in-vehicle device. Is performed by determining.

  Further, if the portable device is taken out of the passenger compartment while the vehicle engine is operating, the engine cannot be stopped or the engine cannot be started again. Therefore, in order to prevent the user from being able to operate the engine, the in-vehicle device performs a monitoring process to monitor taking out the portable device to the outside of the passenger compartment when the engine is started.

  In the monitoring process, the vehicle ID recorded in the portable device and the vehicle ID recorded in the in-vehicle device are compared with each other in the same manner as when the engine is started to specify whether the portable device is in the vehicle interior. . In this case, the following two methods are mainly conceivable as a method for the vehicle-mounted device to receive the vehicle ID from the portable device by wireless communication.

  That is, a request signal for requesting transmission of the vehicle ID is periodically (intermittently) transmitted to the portable device by the in-vehicle device and the vehicle ID is received from the portable device, and the vehicle door or window is opened. This is a method in which the in-vehicle device transmits a request signal to the portable device and receives the vehicle ID.

  Conventionally, as a technique for specifying the position of a portable device, an antenna is provided in each of the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle, and the portable device is installed in the vehicle interior depending on whether there is a response to a request signal transmitted from these antennas. Or the technique which pinpoints whether it is located in the collation possible area outside a vehicle room is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1). In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when there is a response to request signals from both antennas, the power intensity of the request signals from these antennas is lowered, and the portable device can receive the request signal. By narrowing the range, the position of the portable device is specified.

JP 2007-303254 A

  By the way, when the in-vehicle device specifies the position of the portable device by wireless communication with the portable device, the request signal from the in-vehicle device and the request signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device and reflected by the wall in the vehicle interior cancel each other. Even if the portable device is located within the communicable range, that is, within the receivable range capable of receiving the request signal, communication between the in-vehicle device and the portable device is established depending on the location. It may not be.

  Further, if an electrical component such as an engine is disposed in the vicinity of the receivable range and the electrical component is in operation, communication between the in-vehicle device and the portable device becomes more difficult due to noise generated from the electrical component. That is, due to the occurrence of noise, a place where the portable device cannot receive the request signal even within the receivable range occurs.

  For example, during the monitoring process to monitor the take-out of a portable device outside the passenger compartment, the engine is always running, so that the actual power intensity of the request signal decreases due to noise generated from the engine, and the portable device outside the passenger compartment. There is a risk of mis-detection of taking out.

  In the technology described above, in particular, when there is an electrical component in the vicinity of the receivable range where the portable device can receive the request signal and the electrical component is operating, the in-vehicle device is connected to the portable device within the receivable range. It has been difficult to reliably perform wireless communication and specify the position of the portable device.

  For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to increase the power intensity of request signals transmitted from both antennas. However, in such a case, the overlapping area between the vehicle interior and the exterior of the vehicle interior becomes wider, so that the detection accuracy of the position of the portable device is lowered. That is, even if the power intensity of the request signal is simply increased, it is difficult to accurately specify whether the portable device is in the vehicle interior or outside the vehicle interior.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and even when an electrical component located in the vicinity of the receivable range of the portable device is in operation, the position of the portable device can be specified more accurately. It is what you want to do.

A first information processing system of the present invention is an information processing system including an information processing device and a portable portable device in which unique information is recorded,
The information processing apparatus includes:
First recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with the unique information;
First transmission means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the specific information, or a second request signal for requesting power intensity information indicating the power intensity of the specific information and the received signal;
Controlling the first transmission means to transmit the first request signal when a specific electrical component in the vicinity of the information processing apparatus is not operating, and when the electrical component is operating, First control means for transmitting the second request signal having a higher power intensity than the one request signal;
First receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
Comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the first recording means, the position specifying means for specifying whether or not the portable device is in a predetermined area, and
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is within the area from the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. Whether or not
The portable device is
Second receiving means for receiving the first request signal or the second request signal from the information processing apparatus;
Detecting means for detecting the power intensity of the received first request signal or the second request signal;
Second recording means for recording the unique information;
Second transmission means for transmitting the unique information recorded in the second recording means in response to the first request signal or the second request signal;
When the second request signal is received, second control means for adding the power intensity information indicating the power intensity detected by the detection means to the specific information and transmitting the specific information to the second transmission means. And.

  In the first information processing system of the present invention, when a specific electrical component is operating, the information processing apparatus transmits a second request signal having higher power intensity, and the portable device receives the second request signal. Is received. Then, the unique information to which the power intensity information is added is transmitted to the information processing apparatus by the portable device, and the unique information to which the power intensity information is added is received by the information processing apparatus. Further, the information processing apparatus uses the power intensity information, the received unique information, and the specific information recorded in the first recording means to determine whether the portable device is within a predetermined area. Identified.

  Therefore, even when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity of a predetermined area is in operation, communication between the information processing apparatus and the portable device is prevented from being established and the position of the portable device is more accurately specified. be able to.

  For example, the first recording means is constituted by a memory, the first transmission means is constituted by an indoor transmission section, the first control means is constituted by a verification ECU, and the first reception means is constituted by an indoor reception section. The position specifying means includes a position specifying unit. Further, for example, the second receiving means is composed of a receiving antenna, the detecting means is composed of a reception intensity detecting section, the second recording means is composed of a memory, and the second transmitting means is composed of a transmitting section, The second control means is composed of an ECU.

A second information processing system according to the present invention is an information processing system including an information processing device provided in a vehicle and a portable portable device in which unique information is recorded.
The information processing apparatus includes:
First recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with the unique information;
First transmission means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the specific information, or a second request signal for requesting power intensity information indicating the power intensity of the specific information and the received signal;
The first transmission means is controlled to transmit the first request signal when a specific electrical component of the vehicle is not operating, and when the electrical component is operating, the first request is transmitted. First control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity than the signal;
First receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
Comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the first recording means, the position specifying means for specifying whether or not the portable device is in the interior of the vehicle,
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is in the vehicle interior based on the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. By monitoring whether or not the portable device is taken out of the passenger compartment,
The portable device is
Second receiving means for receiving the first request signal or the second request signal from the information processing apparatus;
Detecting means for detecting the power intensity of the received first request signal or the second request signal;
Second recording means for recording the unique information;
Second transmission means for transmitting the unique information recorded in the second recording means in response to the first request signal or the second request signal;
When the second request signal is received, second control means for adding the power intensity information indicating the power intensity detected by the detection means to the specific information and transmitting the specific information to the second transmission means. And.

  In the second information processing system of the present invention, when a specific electrical component of the vehicle is operating, a second request signal having higher power intensity is transmitted from the information processing device, and the second request signal is transmitted by the portable device. A request signal is received. Then, the unique information to which the power intensity information is added is transmitted to the information processing apparatus by the portable device, and the unique information to which the power intensity information is added is received by the information processing apparatus. Further, the information processing apparatus uses the power intensity information, the received unique information, and the specific information recorded in the first recording means to specify whether or not the portable device is in the vehicle cabin. Thus, taking out the portable device out of the passenger compartment is monitored.

  Therefore, even when a specific electrical component of the vehicle is in operation, communication between the information processing apparatus and the portable device can be prevented, and the taking-out of the portable device out of the passenger compartment can be monitored more accurately.

  For example, the first recording means is constituted by a memory, the first transmission means is constituted by an indoor transmission section, the first control means is constituted by a verification ECU, and the first reception means is constituted by an indoor reception section. The position specifying means includes a position specifying unit. Further, for example, the second receiving means is composed of a receiving antenna, the detecting means is composed of a reception intensity detecting section, the second recording means is composed of a memory, and the second transmitting means is composed of a transmitting section, The second control means is composed of an ECU.

  An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a recording unit that records specific information having a predetermined relationship with specific information recorded in a portable portable device, and a first request signal that requests the specific information, or the specific information Transmitting means for transmitting a second request signal for requesting information and power intensity information indicating the power intensity of the received signal by wireless communication, and controlling the transmitting means to operate a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity If not, control means for transmitting the first request signal, and when the electrical component is operating, control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity than the first request signal; Receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication, comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording means, Position specifying means for specifying whether or not the banding device is in a predetermined area, and the position specifying means, when the electrical component is operating, the position information added to the received unique information Whether or not the portable device is in the region is specified from power intensity information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity is operating, the second request signal having higher power strength is transmitted, and the power strength information transmitted from the portable device The unique information to which is added is received. Then, using the power intensity information, the received unique information, and the specific information recorded in the recording means, it is specified whether or not the portable device is within a predetermined area.

  Therefore, even when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity of a predetermined area is in operation, communication between the information processing apparatus and the portable device is prevented from being established and the position of the portable device is more accurately specified. be able to.

  For example, the recording means is composed of a memory, the transmitting means is composed of an indoor transmitting section, the control section is composed of a verification ECU, the receiving means is composed of an indoor receiving section, and the position identifying means is composed of a position identifying section. The

  In the position specifying means, when the electrical component is in operation, the portable device is configured based on the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. By specifying whether or not it is located within the area, it is possible to monitor the taking-out of the portable device outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle provided with the information processing apparatus. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably monitor the portable device being taken out of the passenger compartment.

  According to the information processing method or program of the present invention, when the electrical component is in operation, the transmitting unit transmits the second request signal, the receiving unit receives the unique information, and the position specifying unit includes: A comparison step for comparing the received specific information with the specific information recorded in the recording means; and when the electrical component is operating, the position specifying means adds the power intensity added to the received specific information. A position specifying step for specifying whether or not the portable device is in the area from the information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information.

  In the information processing method or program of the present invention, when the electrical component is operating, the second request signal is transmitted, the unique information is received, and the received unique information and the specific information recorded in the recording means are When the electrical component is compared, the power intensity information added to the received unique information, and the comparison result between the unique information and the specific information, it is specified whether or not the portable device is in the area.

  Accordingly, even when a specific electrical component is in operation, communication between the information processing apparatus and the portable device can be prevented and the position of the portable device can be specified more accurately.

  For example, this transmission step is executed by the indoor transmission unit, the reception step is executed by the indoor reception unit, the comparison step is executed by the position specifying unit, and the position specifying step is executed by the position specifying unit.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if the electrical component located in the receivable range vicinity of a portable device is in operation, the position of a portable device can be pinpointed more correctly.

  Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an embodiment of a wireless communication system to which the present invention is applied. This wireless communication system includes an in-vehicle device 12 provided in the vehicle 11 and a portable portable device 13 possessed by the owner of the vehicle 11.

  The in-vehicle device 12 specifies the position of the portable device 13 by wireless communication, locks or unlocks the door of the vehicle 11, starts an engine provided in the vehicle 11, and goes out of the vehicle 11 of the portable device 13 during engine operation. Monitoring of taking out

  The position of the portable device 13 is specified by causing the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 to previously record the same vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle 11 and determining whether the vehicle IDs match. Done.

  In addition to using the vehicle ID, a unique ID is given to the portable device 13, and this unique ID is registered in the in-vehicle device 12 as the specific information, so that the unique ID of the portable device 13 and the specified in the in-vehicle device 12 are registered. Information may be compared.

  As another method, unique information may be recorded in the portable device 13 and data obtained by converting the unique information using a predetermined algorithm may be recorded in the in-vehicle device 12 as specific information. In such a case, for example, the in-vehicle device 12 converts the received unique information of the portable device 13 using a predetermined algorithm, compares the data obtained by the conversion with the recorded specific information, and stores the data and It is determined whether the specific information matches. Moreover, you may make it determine whether the data obtained by converting the specific information of the portable device 13 with a predetermined algorithm and the specific information recorded in the vehicle-mounted device 12 have a predetermined relationship.

  As described above, the information to be recorded in each of the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 may be any information as long as the in-vehicle device 12 can authenticate the portable device 13 based on the information held by the portable device 13. The information used for is not limited to the examples.

  For example, when the door of the vehicle 11 is locked or unlocked, an indoor antenna provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11 and an outdoor antenna provided outside the vehicle compartment are used to perform various operations such as door locking. The position of the portable device 13 possessed by a legitimate user who should be permitted is specified.

  That is, when the in-vehicle device 12 wirelessly transmits a signal for instructing transmission of the vehicle ID (hereinafter referred to as a request signal) from the indoor antenna at a power intensity that can be received only by a device in the vehicle interior, the portable device 13 Is in the passenger compartment, the portable device 13 receives the request signal. When receiving the request signal, the portable device 13 wirelessly transmits a signal including the recorded vehicle ID (hereinafter referred to as an answer signal). If the in-vehicle device 12 compares the vehicle ID included in the answer signal received by the indoor antenna with the recorded vehicle ID, whether the portable device 13 possessed by the authorized user is in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11. You can know whether or not.

  Similarly, if the vehicle-mounted device 12 transmits a request signal from the outdoor antenna and compares the vehicle ID included in the answer signal received at the outdoor antenna with the recorded vehicle ID, the vehicle-mounted device 12 possesses the authorized user. Whether or not the portable device 13 is outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11 can be known.

  The in-vehicle device 12 is a user who has requested the door to be locked or unlocked, that is, the portable device 13 when the portable device 13 possessed by the authorized user is detected outside the vehicle compartment and not detected inside the vehicle compartment. The door of the vehicle 11 is locked or unlocked.

  Further, for example, when the engine is started or when the portable device 13 is being taken out, the indoor antenna is used to specify the position of the portable device 13. That is, when the portable device 13 possessed by the authorized user is detected in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, the engine is started or it is determined that the portable device 13 has not been taken out of the passenger compartment.

  In this way, the vehicle-mounted device 12 and the portable device 13 record the same vehicle ID, and when the various operations are requested or when the portable device 13 is monitored, the vehicle-mounted device 12 records it. If the current vehicle ID is compared with the vehicle ID received from the portable device 13, it is determined whether the portable device 13 that has requested the operation is a legitimate portable device that should be permitted to operate or the portable device 13 is in the vehicle interior. You can specify what is in the.

  By the way, when specifying the position of the portable device 13 for locking or unlocking the door of the vehicle 11, the power intensity of the request signal transmitted from the indoor antenna receives the request signal as shown on the upper side of FIG. A possible range is set to be a range R11.

  In other words, the vehicle-mounted device 12 has such power that the portable device 13 can receive the request signal in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11, that is, in an arbitrary position within the range R11, and the portable device 13 cannot receive the request signal outside the vehicle cabin. Send a request signal at strength.

  This is because when the door is locked or unlocked, it is detected whether or not the portable device 13 exists in the vehicle interior by transmitting a request signal from the indoor antenna. In this case, since the electrical component provided in the vehicle 11 is not in operation, no noise is generated from the electrical component, and wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 is not established. That is, it is rare that transmission / reception of a request signal or an answer signal fails.

  On the other hand, when the position of the portable device 13 is specified for starting the engine or monitoring the portable device 13 taken out, the power intensity of the request signal transmitted from the indoor antenna is as shown in the lower side of FIG. In addition, the range in which the request signal can be received is set to a range R12 wider than the normal range R11.

  In other words, the in-vehicle device 12 transmits the request signal at a power intensity at which the portable device 13 can receive the request signal in an interior of the vehicle 11, that is, in an arbitrary position within the range R12 wider than the range R11.

  This is because when the engine is started or when the portable device 13 is being taken out, the electrical components provided in the vicinity of the range R11 in the vehicle 11 are in operation. This is to prevent wireless communication with the portable device 13 from being established. That is, by making the power intensity of the request signal larger than usual, the portable device 13 in the vehicle cabin can receive the request signal more reliably.

  In this case, since the range R12 includes an area outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, a technique called RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicaor) is used to specify whether or not the portable device 13 is in the passenger compartment. The The location of the portable device 13 using RSSI requires a longer processing time than the case where the location of the portable device 13 is identified by only exchanging the vehicle ID, but the resistance to noise can be improved. .

  As described above, in the in-vehicle device 12, when the engine in which the electrical component is operating is started or when the portable device 13 is being taken out, the range in which the request signal can be received is made wider so that the wireless communication can be performed more reliably. In addition, RSSI is used to prevent a decrease in the accuracy of specifying the position of the portable device 13. Further, when the door is locked or unlocked, the user can be quickly authenticated by setting the range in which the request signal can be received within a normal range. Thereby, the usability of the portable device 13 by the user can be improved.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the vehicle 11 and the portable device 13 of FIG.

  The vehicle 11 includes an engine 41, an instrument panel section 42, a navigation section 43, an alarm section 44, an engine start switch 45, a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 46, a CAN bus 47, a door open / close detection section 48, a door handle switch 49, The door lock unit 50, the verification ECU 51, the indoor transmission unit 52, the indoor reception unit 53, the outdoor transmission unit 54, and the outdoor reception unit 55 are configured. In the vehicle 11, the in-vehicle device 12 includes a verification ECU 51 to an outdoor reception unit 55.

  The engine 41 is driven by the control of the vehicle ECU 46 and causes the vehicle 11 to travel. The instrument panel unit 42 includes, for example, various meters and switches, and displays the traveling speed of the vehicle 11 and the like. The navigation unit 43 includes a so-called car navigation device, and guides a travel route in accordance with a user operation. The alarm unit 44 includes, for example, a speaker, a liquid crystal display panel, and the like, and issues an alarm when the portable device 13 is taken out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11 according to the control of the vehicle ECU 46.

  When the engine start switch 45 is operated by a user, the engine start switch 45 supplies a signal indicating that the operation has been performed to the vehicle ECU 46.

  When the engine start switch 45 is operated, the vehicle ECU 46 switches the operating state of electrical components and the like provided in the vehicle 11. The operating state of the electrical components and the like is “OFF” in which the electrical components in the vehicle 11 are not operated, and “ACC (Accessories) in which only some predetermined electrical components in the vehicle 11 are operable. The state is either “on”, “IG (Ignition) on” in which all the electrical components in the vehicle 11 are operable, or “start” in which the engine 41 is started.

  For example, the engine start switch 45 is a rotary switch, and can be rotated to each position to “OFF”, “ACC ON”, “IG ON”, and “START”.

  For example, when the driver rotates the position of the switch from “OFF” to “ACC ON”, a signal indicating the ACC state is supplied to the vehicle ECU 46. Then, the vehicle ECU 46 drives an ACC relay (not shown), and the ACC relay connects the vehicle battery and each electrical component connected to the contact point of the ACC relay. As a result, power is supplied to the electrical components from the vehicle battery and the electrical components are in an operating state.

  For example, when the engine start switch 45 is operated and the operating state of the electrical component is set to “ACC ON”, the instrument panel unit 42 and the navigation unit 43 as electrical components provided in the vehicle 11 are operated. That is, power is supplied from the vehicle battery to the instrument panel unit 42 and the navigation unit 43 by the ACC relay.

  Further, when the engine start switch 45 is operated and the operating state is set to “IG ON”, the engine 41 as an electrical component can be operated in addition to the instrument panel unit 42 and the navigation unit 43. . That is, electric power is supplied from the vehicle battery to the engine 41 by driving an IG relay (not shown).

  The vehicle ECU 46 is connected to the verification ECU 51 via the CAN bus 47, and supplies position information indicating the operating state of the electrical components to the verification ECU 51 in response to a signal from the engine start switch 45, or from the verification ECU 51. The operation of the engine 41 and the alarm unit 44 is controlled according to the instruction.

  The door opening / closing detection unit 48 includes a sensor or the like, detects opening / closing of a door provided in the vehicle 11, and supplies the detection result to the verification ECU 51. The door handle switch 49 is provided on a door handle that is gripped when the door of the vehicle 11 is opened and closed, and is operated when the door is locked or unlocked. When the door handle switch 49 is operated, a signal indicating that the operation has been performed is supplied to the verification ECU 51. The door lock unit 50 locks or unlocks the door by locking or unlocking a key provided on the door portion of the vehicle 11 according to the control of the verification ECU 51.

  The verification ECU 51 executes various processes in accordance with signals supplied from the door opening / closing detection unit 48, the door handle switch 49, or the vehicle ECU 46. For example, the verification ECU 51 controls the door lock unit 50 to lock or unlock the door, or causes the indoor transmission unit 52 or the outdoor transmission unit 54 to transmit a request signal.

  The verification ECU 51 specifies the position of the portable device 13 using the answer signal supplied from the indoor receiving unit 53 or the outdoor receiving unit 55. That is, the verification ECU 51 includes a memory 61 and a position specifying unit 62, and the position specifying unit 62 determines the position of the portable device 13 based on the vehicle ID recorded in advance in the memory 61 and the supplied answer signal. Is identified.

  The indoor transmission unit 52 includes an indoor antenna or the like provided near the steering wheel in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11, and modulates and transmits the request signal supplied from the verification ECU 51. The indoor reception unit 53 includes an indoor antenna or the like provided near the steering wheel in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11. The indoor reception unit 53 receives and demodulates an answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13, and supplies it to the verification ECU 51.

  The outdoor transmission unit 54 includes an outdoor antenna or the like provided near the door handle outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11, and modulates and transmits the request signal supplied from the verification ECU 51. The outdoor receiving unit 55 includes an outdoor antenna or the like provided near the door handle outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11, receives and demodulates the answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13, and supplies it to the verification ECU 51.

  For example, a request signal transmitted from the indoor transmission unit 52 or the outdoor transmission unit 54 is a radio wave having a frequency called LF (Low Frequency) of 30 to 300 kHz. For example, the answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13 is a radio wave having a frequency called UHF (Ultra High Frequency) of 300 to 3000 MHz.

  Note that the number of indoor antennas for transmission constituting the indoor transmission unit 52 and the number of indoor antennas for reception constituting the indoor reception unit 53 may be one or plural. Similarly, the number of outdoor antennas for transmission that constitute the outdoor transmitter 54 and the number of outdoor antennas for reception that constitute the outdoor receiver 55 may be one or more.

  The portable device 13 includes a receiving unit 71, an ECU 72, a memory 73, and a transmitting unit 74.

  The receiving unit 71 receives the request signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 and supplies it to the ECU 72. The reception unit 71 includes a reception antenna 81, a start detection unit 82, a demodulation unit 83, and a reception intensity detection unit 84.

  The reception antenna 81 receives the request signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 and supplies the request signal to the activation detection unit 82, the demodulation unit 83, and the reception intensity detection unit 84. The activation detection unit 82 supplies a wakeup signal for activating the ECU 72 to the ECU 72 when a predetermined frequency component exceeds a demodulatable level in the preamble portion arranged at the head of the request signal supplied from the reception antenna 81. .

  In addition, the demodulator 83 demodulates a part of the request signal supplied from the receiving antenna 81 after the preamble and supplies it to the ECU 72. The reception intensity detection unit 84 detects the power intensity of the request signal by holding the reception level of the preamble portion of the request signal supplied from the reception antenna 81, and supplies the RSSI value indicating the detected power intensity to the ECU 72. To do.

  The ECU 72 is activated when a wakeup signal is supplied from the activation detection unit 82, and generates an answer signal according to the request signal from the demodulation unit 83 and the RSSI value from the reception intensity detection unit 84. That is, the ECU 72 generates an answer signal including a vehicle ID that identifies the vehicle 11 recorded in the memory 73, and supplies the answer signal to the transmission unit 74 for transmission. The transmission unit 74 modulates and transmits the answer signal supplied from the ECU 72.

  By the way, when the user of the vehicle 11 tries to get on the vehicle 11 and drive while the door of the vehicle 11 is locked, the user first holds the portable device 13 and opens the door to open the door. The door handle switch 49 provided on the handle is operated to request unlocking of the door.

  When a signal indicating that the door handle switch 49 is operated is supplied from the door handle switch 49 to the verification ECU 51 in a state where the door is locked, the vehicle 11 starts the unlocking process and unlocks the door. To do. Hereinafter, the unlocking process by the vehicle 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S <b> 11, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits a request signal based on the control of the verification ECU 51. That is, the verification ECU 51 generates a request signal for requesting transmission of the vehicle ID recorded in the portable device 13 and supplies the request signal to the indoor transmission unit 52.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the request signal includes a code indicating a vehicle ID transmission instruction. In the example of FIG. 5, a preamble B11 is disposed at the head of the request signal, and a code B12 indicating a vehicle ID transmission instruction is disposed following the preamble B11.

  The indoor transmission unit 52 transmits the request signal supplied from the verification ECU 51 with normal power intensity. As a result, only the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11, that is, the device located within the range R <b> 11 of FIG. 2 can receive the request signal transmitted from the indoor transmission unit 52.

  For example, when the portable device 13 exists in the range R11, when the portable device 13 receives a request signal, the portable device 13 transmits an answer signal in response to the request signal. If the portable device 13 does not exist within the range R11, no answer signal is transmitted from the portable device 13.

  When an answer signal is transmitted from the portable device 13 to the in-vehicle device 12, the indoor receiving unit 53 receives the answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13 and supplies it to the verification ECU 51.

  In step S <b> 12, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not an answer signal has been transmitted from the portable device 13. If it is determined in step S12 that no answer signal has been transmitted, the process of step S13 is skipped, and the process proceeds to step S14.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that an answer signal has been transmitted, that is, if an answer signal is supplied from the indoor reception unit 53 to the verification ECU 51, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S <b> 13, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 reads out the vehicle ID that specifies the vehicle 11 recorded in advance in the memory 61, and uses the vehicle ID and the answer signal supplied from the indoor receiving unit 53. The portable device 13 is detected in the passenger compartment by comparing the vehicle ID that identifies the vehicle 11 that is included. For example, if the vehicle ID read from the memory 61 matches the vehicle ID included in the answer signal, the portable device 13 is assumed to be present in the vehicle interior. If the vehicle IDs do not match, the portable device 13 It is assumed that other different portable devices do not exist in the vehicle interior, that is, exist in the vehicle interior.

  If it is determined in step S12 that no answer signal has been transmitted, or if the vehicle ID is compared in step S13, the outdoor transmission unit 54 transmits a request signal based on the control of the verification ECU 51 in step S14. That is, the verification ECU 51 supplies the same request signal as the request signal transmitted in the process of step S11 to the outdoor transmission unit 54, and the outdoor transmission unit 54 transmits the request signal supplied from the verification ECU 51. As a result, only a device located in a predetermined region near the door handle outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11 can receive the request signal transmitted from the outdoor transmission unit 54.

  Thus, when a request signal is transmitted from the vicinity of the door handle outside the vehicle compartment, the portable device 13 in the vicinity of the door handle receives this request signal and transmits an answer signal in response to the request signal.

  When an answer signal is transmitted from the portable device 13 to the in-vehicle device 12, the outdoor receiving unit 55 receives the answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13 and supplies it to the verification ECU 51.

  In step S <b> 15, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not an answer signal has been transmitted from the portable device 13. If it is determined in step S15 that no answer signal has been transmitted, the process of step S16 is skipped, and the process proceeds to step S17.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S15 that an answer signal has been transmitted, that is, if an answer signal is supplied from the outdoor receiving unit 55 to the verification ECU 51, the process proceeds to step S16.

  In step S <b> 16, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 compares the vehicle ID recorded in the memory 61 with the vehicle ID included in the answer signal supplied from the outdoor receiving unit 55. The portable device 13 is detected outdoors. For example, if the vehicle ID recorded in the memory 61 matches the vehicle ID included in the answer signal, the portable device 13 is assumed to exist outside the passenger compartment. If the vehicle IDs do not match, the portable device No. 13 does not exist outside the passenger compartment.

  Thus, when the portable device 13 is detected in the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle 11, the position of the portable device 13 is specified based on the detection result. For example, the position specifying unit 62 specifies that the portable device 13 exists outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11 only when the portable device 13 is not detected inside the vehicle compartment and the portable device 13 is detected outside the vehicle compartment.

  If it is determined in step S15 that no answer signal has been transmitted, or if the vehicle ID is compared in step S16, the verification ECU 51 determines in step S17 that the collation ECU 51 is based on the result of specifying the position of the portable device 13. It is determined whether or not the requested operation, that is, the door unlocking is permitted.

  For example, when the portable device 13 owned by the authorized user is specified to be outside the passenger compartment by the processing in steps S11 to S16, unlocking of the door is permitted. This is because the user should be outside the passenger compartment if the authorized user instructs the door to be unlocked with the door locked. Further, when it is specified that the portable device 13 is not outside the passenger compartment, the user who has requested unlocking of the door is not an authorized user, and therefore unlocking of the door is not permitted.

  If it is determined in step S17 that the operation is not permitted, the door is not unlocked, so the process of step S18 is skipped and the unlock process ends. That is, the door of the vehicle 11 remains locked.

  In contrast, if it is determined in step S17 that the operation is permitted, the verification ECU 51 instructs the door lock unit 50 to unlock the door, and the process proceeds to step S18.

  In step S18, the door lock unit 50 unlocks the door in accordance with the instruction from the verification ECU 51, and the unlock process ends.

  Thus, when the door handle switch 49 is operated and unlocking of the door is requested, the vehicle 11 specifies the position of the portable device 13 and unlocks the door when the portable device 13 is outside the passenger compartment. To do. When the unlocking process is performed, since the electrical component of the vehicle 11 is not in operation, communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 is not established due to noise from the electrical component.

  When the door of the vehicle 11 is unlocked, the user can get on the vehicle 11. In the state where the door is unlocked, the operating state of the electrical components of the vehicle 11 is “off”, and each electrical component is not operating. From this state, the user operates the engine start switch 45 to change the operating state of the electrical components, operates various electrical components provided on the vehicle 11, or starts the engine 41 to drive the vehicle 11. You can do it.

  Next, engine start processing by the vehicle 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S <b> 41, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether “ACC ON” is instructed based on a signal from the engine start switch 45. For example, when the user operates the engine start switch 45 to instruct the change from the operating state “off” to the “ACC on” state, it is determined that “ACC on” is instructed.

  If it is determined in step S41 that “ACC on” is not instructed, the process returns to step S41, and the above-described processing is repeated until “ACC on” is instructed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S41 that “ACC on” is instructed, in step S42, the vehicle ECU 46 sets the operating state to “ACC on”. The vehicle ECU 46 supplies position information indicating the operating state of the switched electrical component to the verification ECU 51 via the CAN bus 47. Thereby, collation ECU51 can grasp | ascertain the operating state of an electrical component.

  Further, when the operating state is “ACC ON”, among the electrical components of the vehicle 11, power is supplied from the vehicle battery to the electrical components that can be operated in the operating state “ACC ON”. The electrical equipment starts operation. For example, the instrument panel unit 42 and the navigation unit 43 are operated.

  In step S43, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether or not “OFF” is instructed based on a signal from the engine start switch 45. For example, when the user operates the engine start switch 45 to instruct the change to the operation state “off”, it is determined that “off” is instructed.

  If it is determined in step S43 that “off” is instructed, in step S44, the vehicle ECU 46 changes the operating state of the electrical component from “ACC on” to “off”, and the engine start process ends. That is, when the operation state of the electrical component is “off”, the electrical component provided in the vehicle 11 is not activated, and the user gets out of the vehicle 11.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S43 that “OFF” is not instructed, in step S45, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether or not “IG ON” is instructed based on a signal from the engine start switch 45. To do.

  If it is determined in step S45 that “IG ON” has not been instructed, the process returns to step S43, and the above-described process is repeated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S45 that “IG on” is instructed, in step S46, the vehicle ECU 46 sets the operation state of the electrical component to the “IG on” state. Then, the vehicle ECU 46 supplies position information indicating the operating state of the switched electrical component to the verification ECU 51.

  Further, when the operating state is “IG ON”, electric power is supplied from the vehicle battery to electrical components that can be operated in the operating state “IG ON” among the electrical components of the vehicle 11. Thereby, in addition to the instrument panel part 42 and the navigation part 43, for example, the engine 41 can be further operated.

  In step S47, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether or not “ACC ON” is instructed based on a signal from the engine start switch 45.

  If it is determined in step S47 that “ACC ON” has been instructed, the process returns to step S42, and the above-described process is repeated. That is, the operating state is “ACC ON”.

  When it is determined in step S47 that “ACC ON” has not been instructed, in step S48, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether or not “START” has been instructed based on a signal from the engine start switch 45. To do.

  If it is determined in step S48 that “START” has not been instructed, the process returns to step S47, and the above-described process is repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S48 that "start" has been instructed, in step S49, the vehicle ECU 46 changes the operating state from "IG on" to "start", and position information indicating the operating state "start". Is supplied to the verification ECU 51.

  When the operating state becomes “start”, the vehicle ECU 46 controls the engine 41 to start the engine 41 in step S50.

  In step S <b> 51, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits a request signal including an RSSI request to the portable device 13 in the vehicle interior based on the control of the verification ECU 51. That is, when the position information indicating the operation state “start” is supplied from the vehicle ECU 46, the verification ECU 51 includes the vehicle ID of the vehicle ID including the RSSI request that requests transmission of the RSSI value indicating the power intensity of the received request signal. A request signal for requesting transmission is generated and supplied to the indoor transmission unit 52.

  More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the request signal includes a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID and the RSSI value, and the request signal including the code includes an RSSI request. Is included in the request signal. In FIG. 7, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In the example of FIG. 7, a preamble B11 is arranged at the head of the request signal, and a code B21 indicating an instruction for transmitting the vehicle ID and the RSSI value is arranged following the preamble B11. Further, following the code B21, a code part B22 of a CW (Continuous Wave) wave composed of a repeated waveform of high level and low level is arranged.

  Based on the control of the verification ECU 51, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits the request signal supplied from the verification ECU 51 with a higher power intensity than usual. The power intensity of the request signal is increased, for example, by changing the duty ratio of the carrier wave of the request signal, that is, the length of the period during which the power is high in one cycle of the request signal. Note that the power intensity of the request signal may be increased using harmonics.

  In this way, when a request signal with increased power intensity is transmitted, only a device located within the range R12 of FIG. 2 can receive the request signal transmitted from the indoor transmission unit 52.

  At the present time, the user who has the portable device 13 operates the engine start switch 45 in the state of getting on the vehicle 11, and therefore the portable device 13 is present in the passenger compartment. Therefore, the request signal transmitted from the indoor transmission unit 52 is received by the portable device 13, and the portable device 13 responds to the received request signal with the answer signal including the RSSI value (vehicle ID with the RSSI value added). ).

  When the answer signal is transmitted from the portable device 13, the indoor receiver 53 receives the answer signal and supplies it to the verification ECU 51.

  The code included in the request signal transmitted in step S51 is a code indicating an instruction for transmitting the vehicle ID and the RSSI value, and an instruction for transmitting the vehicle ID included in the request signal transmitted in step S11. Different from the code shown. The portable device 13 generates and transmits either an answer signal containing only the vehicle ID or an answer signal containing the vehicle ID and the RSSI value according to the code included in the request signal.

  In step S <b> 52, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not an answer signal has been transmitted from the portable device 13. If it is determined in step S52 that an answer signal has not been transmitted, the processes in steps S53 and S54 are skipped, and the process proceeds to step S55.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S52 that the answer signal has been transmitted, that is, if the answer signal is supplied from the indoor reception unit 53 to the verification ECU 51, the process proceeds to step S53.

  In step S53, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 compares the vehicle ID included in the answer signal supplied from the indoor receiving unit 53 with the vehicle ID recorded in the memory 61, and the vehicle ID is Determine whether they match. That is, if the two vehicle IDs match, it is determined that the regular portable device 13 exists in the position within the range R12 in FIG. 2, and if the vehicle ID does not match, the portable device 13 exists in the range R12. It is said not to.

  In step S54, the position specifying unit 62 determines the position of the portable device 13 that has transmitted the answer signal based on the comparison result of the vehicle ID and the RSSI value included in the answer signal received by the indoor receiving unit 53. Identify.

  That is, the RSSI value indicates the magnitude of the power intensity of the request signal received by the portable device 13, and the power intensity of the request signal decreases as the distance from the indoor transmission unit 52 to the reception position increases. Therefore, if the RSSI value is used, the reception position of the request signal of the portable device 13 can be specified.

  For example, if the compared vehicle IDs match, the portable device 13 exists at a position within the range R12 in FIG. 2. In this case, whether the RSSI value is a value equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. By determining whether or not, it is possible to specify whether the portable device 13 is located within the range R11 or within the range R12 and outside the range R11. Specifically, when the compared vehicle IDs match and the RSSI value included in the answer signal is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the position of the portable device 13, that is, the reception position of the request signal by the portable device 13 is The position is within the range R11.

  If it is determined in step S54 that the position of the portable device 13 has been specified or no answer signal has been transmitted in step S52, the process proceeds to step S55.

  In step S55, the verification ECU 51 determines whether to permit the operation requested by the user, that is, to start the engine 41. For example, when the authorized portable device 13 is present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, that is, when the user is within the range R11 of FIG. 2, the requested operation is permitted. This is because when a legitimate user operates the engine start switch 45 to instruct the engine 41 to start, the portable device 13 possessed by the user should be in the vehicle compartment. If it is determined in step S52 that the answer signal has not been transmitted, the portable device 13 does not exist within the range R11, and the engine 41 is not permitted to start.

  If it is determined in step S55 that the requested operation is not permitted, the verification ECU 51 instructs the vehicle ECU 46 to stop the rotation of the engine 41, and the vehicle ECU 46 controls the engine 41 according to the instruction, The rotation of 41 is stopped. Thereafter, the process returns to step S46, and the above-described process is repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that the requested operation is permitted, the verification ECU 51 instructs the vehicle ECU 46 to continuously rotate the started engine 41, and the process proceeds to step S56.

  In step S <b> 56, the vehicle ECU 46 controls the engine 41 in accordance with an instruction from the verification ECU 51 and continues the rotation of the engine 41. Accordingly, the user can start driving and drive the vehicle 11. When the engine 41 is started, the portable device 13 is taken out of the passenger compartment while the engine 41 is operating, and the removal of the portable device 13 out of the passenger compartment is monitored in order to prevent the engine 41 from being restarted. The take-out monitoring process is started.

  That is, in step S57, the vehicle ECU 46 changes the operating state of the electrical component from “start” to “IG on”.

  In step S <b> 58, the vehicle 11 performs a take-out monitoring process to monitor taking-out of the portable device 13 out of the passenger compartment. Although details of the take-out monitoring process will be described later, this take-out monitoring process is continuously performed until the engine 41 of the vehicle 11 is stopped. When the take-out monitoring process is performed, the process returns from step S58 to step S42, and the above-described process is repeated until the operating state is set to “off”.

  Thus, the vehicle 11 is in a state where predetermined electrical components are operating in the vehicle 11, that is, when the operating state is “ACC ON”, “IG ON”, or “START”. By increasing the power intensity of the request signal, wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 is prevented. Furthermore, when increasing the power intensity of the request signal, the vehicle 11 specifies the position of the portable device 13 using the RSSI value, thereby preventing erroneous detection of the position of the portable device 13.

  Therefore, even when the electrical equipment such as the engine 41 to the navigation unit 43 located near the range in which the portable device 13 can receive the request signal is in operation, the in-vehicle device 12 can more reliably communicate with the portable device 13, And the position of the portable device 13 can be specified more accurately. As a result, it is possible to more reliably determine whether or not the requested operation such as starting of the engine 41 should be permitted.

  In the above, by identifying the position of the portable device 13 when starting the engine 41, authentication of whether the portable device of the user who has requested the start of the engine 41 is a regular portable device is performed. Although described as being performed, this authentication may be performed at any timing.

  That is, the authentication as to whether it is a legitimate portable device may be performed before an operation on the engine start switch 45 is performed, for example, when a user opens a door to get into the vehicle 11. Further, authentication may be performed when the engine start switch 45 is operated and the operating state of the electrical component is changed from “OFF” to “ACC ON”.

  Next, the take-out monitoring process corresponding to the process of step S58 of FIG. 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S <b> 81, the vehicle ECU 46 determines whether or not an instruction to change the operating state of the electrical component from “IG ON” to “ACC ON” is given by the user's operation on the engine start switch 45.

  For example, in order for the user to stop the engine 41, the engine start switch 45 is operated so that the operating state changes from “IG on” to “ACC on”, and a signal corresponding to the operation is sent from the engine start switch 45 to the vehicle. When supplied to the ECU 46, it is determined that a change has been instructed.

  If it is determined in step S81 that no change has been instructed, that is, if the engine 41 is to be continuously operated, the process proceeds to step S82.

  In step S <b> 82, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not the door of the vehicle 11 is open based on the detection result from the door opening / closing detection unit 48.

  If it is determined in step S82 that the door is not open, the portable device 13 is not taken out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, so the process returns to step S81 and the above-described processes are repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S82 that the door is open, the portable device 13 may be taken out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, so the process proceeds to step S83, where the vehicle of the portable device 13 is The takeout outside is monitored.

  That is, in step S83, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits a request signal including an RSSI request. At this time, if the portable device 13 is in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11, an answer signal is transmitted from the portable device 13, so the indoor receiving unit 53 receives the answer signal from the portable device 13 and supplies it to the verification ECU 51. .

  In step S84, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not an answer signal has been transmitted from the portable device 13. If it is determined in step S84 that no answer signal has been transmitted, the processes in steps S85 and S86 are skipped, and the process proceeds to step S87.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S84 that an answer signal has been transmitted, that is, if an answer signal is supplied from the indoor reception unit 53 to the verification ECU 51, the process proceeds to step S85.

  In step S85, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 compares the vehicle IDs. In step S86, the position specifying unit 62 specifies the position of the portable device 13 using the comparison result of the vehicle ID and the RSSI value.

  Note that the processing from step S83 to step S86 is the same as the processing from step S51 to step S54 in FIG.

  When the processing of these steps S83 to S86 is performed, it is specified whether or not the portable device 13 is in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11, that is, within the range R11 of FIG.

  If it is determined in step S84 that no answer signal has been transmitted, or if the position of the portable device 13 is specified in step S86, the process proceeds to step S87.

  In step S87, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not the portable device 13 is inside the vehicle 11, that is, whether or not the portable device 13 has been taken out of the vehicle. For example, if it is determined in step S84 that no answer signal has been transmitted, it is determined that the portable device 13 is not in the passenger compartment.

  If it is determined in step S87 that the portable device 13 is in the vehicle compartment, the portable device 13 has not been taken out of the vehicle compartment, so the process returns to step S81 and the above-described processing is repeated. That is, taking out of the portable device 13 is monitored until the engine 41 is stopped.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S87 that the portable device 13 is not in the passenger compartment, that is, when the portable device 13 is taken out of the passenger compartment, the verification ECU 51 instructs the vehicle ECU 46 to issue an alarm. Then, the vehicle ECU 46 controls the alarm unit 44 so that an alarm is issued in accordance with an instruction from the verification ECU 51, and the process proceeds to step S88.

  In step S88, the warning unit 44 issues a warning in response to an instruction from the vehicle ECU 46. For example, the alarm unit 44 displays a message warning that the portable device 13 is taken out of the passenger compartment on the liquid crystal display panel, or outputs the voice of the message from a speaker. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the portable device 13 from being taken out of the passenger compartment accidentally while the engine 41 is operating.

  If it is determined in step S81 that an instruction to change the operating state of the electrical component from “IG ON” to “ACC ON” is given, that is, if an instruction to stop the engine 41 is given, the process proceeds to step S89. .

  In step S89, the vehicle ECU 46 controls the engine 41 to stop the engine 41. When the engine 41 stops, the take-out monitoring process ends, and then the process proceeds to step S42 in FIG. That is, in step S42, the operating state of the electrical component is changed from “IG on” to “ACC on”.

  In this manner, when the engine 41 is started, the vehicle 11 monitors taking-out of the portable device 13 out of the passenger compartment. In addition, when monitoring the take-out of the portable device 13, by increasing the power intensity of the request signal, wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 can be prevented, and the RSSI value is used for the portable device 13. By specifying the position, erroneous detection of the position of the portable device 13 is prevented.

  Therefore, even when specific electrical components such as the engine 41 to the navigation unit 43 located in the vicinity of the range in which the portable device 13 can receive the request signal are in operation, the in-vehicle device 12 communicates with the portable device 13 more reliably. The position of the portable device 13 can be specified more accurately. This makes it possible to more reliably determine whether the portable device 13 has been taken out of the passenger compartment.

  In addition, although it demonstrated that the process of step S83 thru | or step S88 which monitors taking out of the portable device 13 out of a vehicle interior was performed when the door of the vehicle 11 is open, these processes are the doors of the vehicle 11. It may be performed when the window is open or may be performed periodically.

  In addition, when the engine 41 is stopped, the in-vehicle device 12 may acquire the vehicle ID from the portable device 13 and the engine 41 may be stopped only when the portable device 13 is in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11. .

  As described above, when the engine 41 is stopped and the operation state of the electrical component is “off”, the user can get off the vehicle 11. When the user gets off the vehicle 11 and locks the door of the vehicle 11, the user operates a door handle switch 49 provided in the vicinity of the door handle of the vehicle 11 to instruct locking of the door.

  Then, a signal corresponding to the user's operation is supplied from the door handle switch 49 to the verification ECU 51. When the signal corresponding to the operation of the user is supplied from the door handle switch 49 to the verification ECU 51 and the door is in the unlocked state, the in-vehicle device 12 performs the same process as described with reference to FIG. Go and lock the door.

  That is, in the lock process for locking the door, the door is locked in the process corresponding to step S18 in FIG. Specifically, processing similar to the processing in steps S11 to S17 is performed, and the position of the portable device 13 is detected. When it is determined that the portable device 13 is outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11, the door lock unit 50 locks the door according to the instruction of the verification ECU 51, and when it is determined that the portable device 13 is inside the vehicle compartment. The door is not locked and the locking process ends.

  For example, when the door is not locked and the locking process is completed, the user may have left the portable device 13 in the passenger compartment. In such a case, the user takes the portable device 13 out of the passenger compartment and operates the door handle switch 49 again to instruct the door to be locked, whereby the locking process is performed again and the door is locked.

  When the door is locked or unlocked, when the engine 41 is started, or when the portable device 13 is taken out, a request signal is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 to the portable device 13. When a request signal is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 to the portable device 13, the portable device 13 receives the request signal and starts an answer signal transmission process that is a process of transmitting an answer signal to the in-vehicle device 12.

  Hereinafter, an answer signal transmission process by the portable device 13 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 9.

  In step S <b> 111, the reception unit 71 receives the request signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 and supplies the request signal to the ECU 72. That is, the receiving antenna 81 receives a request signal and supplies the request signal to the activation detection unit 82, the demodulation unit 83, and the reception intensity detection unit 84. The activation detection unit 82 includes a preamble portion of the request signal supplied from the reception antenna 81. Thus, when the predetermined frequency component is equal to or higher than a level that can be demodulated, a wakeup signal is supplied to the ECU 72.

  Then, the ECU 72 is activated, and the demodulator 83 demodulates the part of the request signal after the preamble supplied from the receiving antenna 81, for example, the code B12 in FIG. 5 and the code B21 in FIG. .

  In step S112, the reception strength detection unit 84 detects the power strength of the received request signal based on the request signal supplied from the reception antenna 81, and obtains the RSSI value from the detection result. The reception intensity detection unit 84 supplies the obtained RSSI value to the ECU 72.

  In step S113, the ECU 72 determines whether an RSSI value is requested from the in-vehicle device 12 based on the request signal supplied from the demodulator 83. For example, when the code included in the request signal supplied from the demodulator 83 is a code indicating a vehicle ID transmission instruction, it is determined that the RSSI value is not requested. In addition, when the code included in the request signal is a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID and the RSSI value, it is determined that the RSSI value is requested.

  If it is determined in step S113 that the RSSI value is not requested, the ECU 72 acquires the vehicle ID from the memory 73 and generates an answer signal including the acquired vehicle ID. Then, the ECU 72 supplies the generated answer signal to the transmission unit 74, and the process proceeds to step S114.

  In step S114, the transmission unit 74 transmits the answer signal supplied from the ECU 72, and the answer signal transmission process ends. Thereby, the answer signal including only the vehicle ID is transmitted.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S113 that the RSSI value has been requested, the ECU 72 reads the vehicle ID from the memory 73, and includes the read vehicle ID and the RSSI value supplied from the reception intensity detection unit 84. An answer signal is generated and supplied to the transmitter 74. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S115.

  In step S115, the transmission unit 74 transmits the answer signal including the RSSI value (vehicle ID to which the RSSI value is added) supplied from the ECU 72, and the answer signal transmission process ends. Thereby, the answer signal including the vehicle ID and the RSSI value is transmitted.

  In this way, the portable device 13 transmits an answer signal including the vehicle ID or an answer signal including the vehicle ID and the RSSI value according to the received request signal. As described above, in response to the request signal received by the portable device 13, the in-vehicle device 12 that receives the answer signal by transmitting the answer signal including the RSSI value indicating the power intensity is more accurate than the portable device 13. It becomes possible to specify the correct position.

  Note that the power intensity of the answer signal transmitted is such that the indoor receiving unit 53 or the outdoor receiving unit 55 receives the answer signal when the portable device 13 is located in the range R11 or a predetermined range in the vicinity of the door handle. As long as it is large enough to receive the signal, it may be of any size.

  In the above description, the in-vehicle device 12 has been described based on the vehicle ID and the RSSI value to determine whether the portable device 13 is located within the range R11 in FIG. 2, but the portable device 13 is based on the RSSI value, You may make it determine whether an answer signal should be transmitted.

  In such a case, the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 are configured as shown in FIG. 10, for example. In FIG. 10, the same reference numerals are given to the portions corresponding to those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The verification ECU 51 in FIG. 10 generates a request signal including a different code according to the operating state of the electrical component. That is, when the operating state is “OFF”, the verification ECU 51 generates a request signal including a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID. When the operating state is “ACC ON”, “IG ON”, or “START”, the verification ECU 51 includes a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID only when the RSSI value satisfies a predetermined condition. Generate a request signal.

  Therefore, the vehicle-mounted device 12 performs the same process as the unlock process described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 at the time of so-called entry, that is, when the door of the vehicle 11 is unlocked.

  Since the answer signal transmitted from the portable device 13 does not include the RSSI value, the position specifying unit 62 performs only the comparison of the vehicle ID without using the RSSI value. Whether or not it is located within the range R11 of 2 is specified.

  Furthermore, the portable device 13 in FIG. 10 is different from the portable device 13 in FIG. 3 in that the ECU 72 further includes a position specifying unit 101. The ECU 72 specifies the position of the portable device 13 when the code included in the received request signal is a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID only when the RSSI value satisfies a predetermined condition.

  That is, the position specifying unit 101 of the ECU 72 compares the RSSI value from the reception intensity detecting unit 84 with a predetermined threshold, and the portable device 13 is within a predetermined distance from the indoor transmitting unit 52, that is, It is specified whether or not it is located within the range R11 of FIG. When the position specifying unit 101 determines that the portable device 13 is not located within the range R11, the ECU 72 does not transmit an answer signal even if it receives a request signal.

  Next, an engine start process performed by the vehicle 11 of FIG. 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Similarly to the case in FIG. 6, the engine start process is started when the user gets on the vehicle 11 and the operation state of the electrical component is “off”.

  Note that the processing from step S141 to step S150 is the same as the processing from step S41 to step S50 in FIG.

  When the operation state of the electrical component is “start” and the engine 41 is started, in step S151, the indoor transmission unit 52 requests the device that receives the request signal to be transmitted from now to specify the reception position of the request signal. A request signal including a location request to be transmitted is transmitted.

  Specifically, for example, the verification ECU 51 includes a code indicating an instruction to transmit a vehicle ID only when the RSSI value satisfies a predetermined condition, as shown in FIG. 12, as a request signal including a position specifying request. A request signal is generated and supplied to the indoor transmission unit 52. In FIG. 12, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In the example of FIG. 12, a preamble B11 is arranged at the head of the request signal, and a code B31 indicating an instruction to transmit a vehicle ID only when the RSSI value satisfies a predetermined condition is arranged following the preamble B11. ing. Further, a code part B22 of the CW wave is arranged following the code B31.

  When the request signal is supplied from the verification ECU 51, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits the request signal with higher power intensity than usual. That is, the request signal is transmitted with power intensity that allows the device located within the range R12 of FIG. 2 to receive the request signal.

  When the request signal including the position specifying request is transmitted in this way, the portable device 13 receives the request signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12 when it is located within the range R12 of FIG. The portable device 13 transmits an answer signal if the reception position of the request signal is within the range R11 of FIG. 2, and does not transmit the answer signal if the reception position of the request signal is outside the range R11.

  In step S152, the verification ECU 51 determines whether an answer signal has been transmitted. If it is determined in step S152 that the answer signal has not been transmitted, the portable device 13 is located outside the passenger compartment, so that the engine 41 is not allowed to start and the vehicle ECU 46 stops the started engine 41. . Then, the process returns to step S146, the operation state of the electrical component is changed from “start” to “IG on”, and the above-described process is repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S152 that an answer signal has been transmitted, the indoor reception unit 53 receives the answer signal and supplies it to the verification ECU 51 in step S153.

  In step S154, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 compares the vehicle ID recorded in advance with the vehicle ID included in the answer signal supplied from the indoor receiving unit 53.

  In step S155, the verification ECU 51 determines whether or not to permit the requested operation, that is, start of the engine 41. For example, if the vehicle IDs compared in the process of step S154 match, the legitimate portable device 13 is located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, so that the engine 41 is allowed to start.

  If it is determined in step S155 that the operation is not permitted, the start of the engine 41 is not permitted and the started engine 41 is stopped by the vehicle ECU 46. Then, the process returns to step S146, the operation state of the electrical component is changed from “start” to “IG on”, and the above-described process is repeated.

  If it is determined in step S155 that the operation is permitted, the process proceeds to step S156, and the processes in steps S156 to S158 are performed. The processes in steps S156 and S157 are performed in steps S56 and S156 in FIG. Since it is the same as the process of S57, the description is abbreviate | omitted. That is, the rotation of the engine 41 is continued and the operating state is set to “IG on”.

  In step S158, the vehicle 11 performs a take-out monitoring process, and the take-out of the portable device 13 out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11 is monitored. Details of the take-out monitoring process will be described later. Then, when the take-out monitoring process is performed, the process returns to step S142, and the above-described process is repeated until the operating state is set to “off”.

  In this way, in the vehicle 11 in which a predetermined electrical component is in operation and noise is generated, the power intensity of the request signal is increased, and the wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 is performed. Prevent communication failure. When the vehicle 11 increases the power intensity of the request signal, the answer signal is transmitted only from the portable device 13 in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11 by transmitting the request signal including the position specifying request. Like that.

  Thereby, even if the electrical component that generates noise is in operation, the in-vehicle device 12 can more reliably communicate with the portable device 13 and more accurately identify the position of the portable device 13. As a result, it is possible to more reliably determine whether or not the requested operation such as starting of the engine 41 should be permitted.

  Next, the take-out monitoring process corresponding to the process of step S158 of FIG. 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In addition, since the process of step S181 and step S182 is the same as the process of step S81 of FIG. 8, and step S82, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  If it is determined in step S182 that the door of the vehicle 11 is open based on the detection result by the door opening / closing detection unit 48, the process proceeds from step S182 to step S183, and monitoring of the portable device 13 being taken out of the passenger compartment is performed. Is done.

  That is, in step S183, the indoor transmission unit 52 transmits a request signal including a position specifying request, and in step S184, the verification ECU 51 determines whether an answer signal has been transmitted.

  If it is determined in step S184 that the answer signal has been transmitted, the indoor reception unit 53 receives the answer signal in step S185. Furthermore, in step S186, the position specifying unit 62 of the verification ECU 51 compares the vehicle ID included in the answer signal with the recorded vehicle ID.

  In addition, since the process of step S183 thru | or step S186 is the same as the process of step S151 thru | or step S154 of FIG. 11, the description is abbreviate | omitted suitably. When the processing of step S183 to step S186 is performed, it is specified whether or not the portable device 13 is in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11, that is, within the range R11 of FIG.

  After that, the processing of step S187 to step S189 is performed, the take-out monitoring processing ends, and the processing returns to step S142 of FIG. 11, but these processing is the same as the processing of step S87 to step S89 of FIG. Since it is the same, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  If it is determined in step S184 that no answer signal has been transmitted, the portable device 13 has been taken out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, and the process proceeds to step S188. In step S188, an alarm is issued by the alarm unit 44. Thereafter, the process returns to step S181, the above-described process is repeated, the take-out monitoring process ends, and the process returns to step S142 in FIG.

  In this way, the vehicle 11 can perform wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 12 and the portable device 13 by increasing the power intensity of the request signal when monitoring the carry-out of the portable device 13 in which specific electrical components are in operation. To prevent failure. When the vehicle 11 increases the power intensity of the request signal, the answer signal is transmitted only from the portable device 13 in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 11 by transmitting the request signal including the position specifying request. Like that.

  Thereby, even if the electrical component that generates noise is in operation, the in-vehicle device 12 can more reliably communicate with the portable device 13 and can more accurately specify the position of the portable device 13. Therefore, it can be more reliably determined whether the portable device 13 has been taken out of the passenger compartment.

  Next, an answer signal transmission process performed by the portable device 13 of FIG. 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This answer signal transmission process is started when a request signal is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 12. Note that the processing in step S221 and step S222 is the same as the processing in step S111 and step S112 in FIG.

  When the RSSI value is obtained in step S222, in step S223, the ECU 72 determines whether or not the location of the portable device 13 itself is requested based on the request signal supplied from the demodulation unit 83. For example, if the request signal includes a location specification request, that is, if the RSSI value includes a code indicating an instruction to transmit the vehicle ID only when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the location specification is requested. Determined.

  If it is determined in step S223 that the position is specified, in step S224, the position specifying unit 101 of the collation ECU 51 uses the RSSI value supplied from the reception intensity detecting unit 84 and the prerecorded threshold value. In comparison, it is determined whether the RSSI value is greater than or equal to a threshold value. For example, when the RSSI value is less than the threshold value, that is, when the power intensity of the request signal is less than a predetermined value, the portable device 13 that has received the request signal is located away from the indoor transmission unit 52 by a predetermined distance or more. The portable device 13 is located outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle 11.

  If the RSSI value is less than the threshold value in step S224, the portable device 13 is outside the passenger compartment, so the process in step S225 is skipped and no answer signal is transmitted, and the answer signal transmission process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S224 that the RSSI value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the portable device 13 is located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 11, so the process proceeds to step S225 and an answer signal is transmitted.

  If it is determined in step S224 that the RSSI value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, or if it is determined in step S223 that the position is not specified, the transmission unit 74 transmits an answer signal in step S225.

  That is, the ECU 72 acquires the vehicle ID from the memory 73, and generates an answer signal including the acquired vehicle ID. The ECU 72 supplies the generated answer signal to the transmission unit 74, and the transmission unit 74 transmits the answer signal supplied from the ECU 72. When the answer signal is transmitted, the answer signal transmission process ends.

  Thus, the portable device 13 transmits an answer signal including the vehicle ID in response to the received request signal. When the request signal includes a position specifying request, the portable device 13 specifies its own relative position with respect to the indoor transmission unit 52, and transmits an answer signal according to the result, so The machine 12 can specify the position of the portable machine 13 more accurately.

  The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or can be executed by software. When a series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software may execute various functions by installing a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware or various programs. For example, it is installed from a program recording medium in a general-purpose personal computer or the like.

  FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of hardware of a computer that executes the above-described series of processing by a program.

  In a computer, a central processing unit (CPU) 201, a read only memory (ROM) 202, and a random access memory (RAM) 203 are connected to each other by a bus 204.

  An input / output interface 205 is further connected to the bus 204. The input / output interface 205 includes an input unit 206 including a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone, an output unit 207 including a display and a speaker, a recording unit 208 including a hard disk and nonvolatile memory, and a communication unit 209 including a network interface. A drive 210 for driving a removable medium 211 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory is connected.

  In the computer configured as described above, the CPU 201 loads, for example, the program recorded in the recording unit 208 to the RAM 203 via the input / output interface 205 and the bus 204, and executes the program. Is performed.

  The program executed by the computer (CPU 201) is, for example, a magnetic disk (including a flexible disk), an optical disk (CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc.), a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor. The program is recorded on a removable medium 211 that is a package medium composed of a memory or the like, or provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital satellite broadcasting.

  The program can be installed in the recording unit 208 via the input / output interface 205 by attaching the removable medium 211 to the drive 210. Further, the program can be received by the communication unit 209 via a wired or wireless transmission medium and installed in the recording unit 208. In addition, the program can be installed in the ROM 202 or the recording unit 208 in advance.

  The program executed by the computer may be a program that is processed in time series in the order described in this specification, or in parallel or at a necessary timing such as when a call is made. It may be a program for processing.

  The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of one Embodiment of the radio | wireless communications system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure explaining the reception range of a request signal. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a vehicle and a portable device. It is a flowchart explaining an unlock process. It is a figure which shows the example of a request signal. It is a flowchart explaining an engine starting process. It is a figure which shows the example of a request signal. It is a flowchart explaining take-out monitoring processing. It is a flowchart explaining an answer signal transmission process. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of a vehicle and a portable device. It is a flowchart explaining an engine starting process. It is a figure which shows the example of a request signal. It is a flowchart explaining take-out monitoring processing. It is a flowchart explaining an answer signal transmission process. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a computer.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Vehicle, 12 In-vehicle machine, 13 Portable machine, 41 Engine, 45 Engine start switch, 46 Vehicle ECU, 51 Verification ECU, 52 Indoor transmission part, 53 Indoor reception part, 54 Outdoor transmission part, 55 Outdoor reception part, 62 Location specification Unit, 71 receiving unit, 72 ECU, 74 transmitting unit, 101 position specifying unit

Claims (8)

An information processing system comprising an information processing device and a portable portable device in which unique information is recorded,
The information processing apparatus includes:
First recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with the unique information;
First transmission means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the specific information, or a second request signal for requesting power intensity information indicating the power intensity of the specific information and the received signal;
Controlling the first transmission means to transmit the first request signal when a specific electrical component in the vicinity of the information processing apparatus is not operating, and when the electrical component is operating, First control means for transmitting the second request signal having a higher power intensity than the one request signal;
First receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
Comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the first recording means, the position specifying means for specifying whether or not the portable device is in a predetermined area, and
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is within the area from the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. Whether or not
The portable device is
Second receiving means for receiving the first request signal or the second request signal from the information processing apparatus;
Detecting means for detecting the power intensity of the received first request signal or the second request signal;
Second recording means for recording the unique information;
Second transmission means for transmitting the unique information recorded in the second recording means in response to the first request signal or the second request signal;
When the second request signal is received, the second control unit adds the power intensity information indicating the power intensity detected by the detection unit to the specific information and transmits the specific information to the second transmission unit. An information processing system comprising: An information processing system comprising an information processing device provided in a vehicle and a portable portable device in which unique information is recorded,
The information processing apparatus includes:
First recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with the unique information;
First transmission means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the specific information, or a second request signal for requesting power intensity information indicating the power intensity of the specific information and the received signal;
The first transmission means is controlled to transmit the first request signal when a specific electrical component of the vehicle is not operating, and when the electrical component is operating, the first request is transmitted. First control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity than the signal;
First receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
Comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the first recording means, the position specifying means for specifying whether or not the portable device is in the interior of the vehicle,
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is in the vehicle interior based on the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. By monitoring whether or not the portable device is taken out of the passenger compartment,
The portable device is
Second receiving means for receiving the first request signal or the second request signal from the information processing apparatus;
Detecting means for detecting the power intensity of the received first request signal or the second request signal;
Second recording means for recording the unique information;
Second transmission means for transmitting the unique information recorded in the second recording means in response to the first request signal or the second request signal;
When the second request signal is received, the second control unit adds the power intensity information indicating the power intensity detected by the detection unit to the specific information and transmits the specific information to the second transmission unit. An information processing system comprising: The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the first control unit transmits the second request signal when an engine of the vehicle is operating as the electrical component. Recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with unique information recorded in a portable portable device;
Transmitting means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the unique information, or a second request signal for requesting power strength information indicating the power strength of the unique information and the received signal;
The first request signal is transmitted when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity is not operating by controlling the transmission means, and when the electrical component is operating, the first request signal is transmitted. Control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity;
Receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
Comparing the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording means, the position specifying means for specifying whether or not the portable device is in a predetermined area, and
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is within the area from the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. An information processing device that identifies whether or not the device is in The position specifying means specifies whether the portable device is located in the area when the electrical component is operating, thereby moving the vehicle outside the vehicle compartment provided with the information processing device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the take-out of the portable device is monitored. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit transmits the second request signal when an engine of the vehicle is operating as the electrical component. Recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with unique information recorded in a portable portable device;
Transmitting means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the unique information, or a second request signal for requesting power strength information indicating the power strength of the unique information and the received signal;
The first request signal is transmitted when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity is not operating by controlling the transmission means, and when the electrical component is operating, the first request signal is transmitted. Control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity;
Receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a position specifying unit that compares the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording unit and specifies whether the portable device is in a predetermined area. An information processing method,
When the electrical component is operating, a transmission step in which the transmission means transmits the second request signal;
A receiving step in which the receiving means receives the specific information;
A comparison step in which the position specifying means compares the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording means;
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is within the area from the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. An information processing method comprising: a position specifying step for specifying whether or not the data is in a location. Recording means for recording specific information having a predetermined relationship with unique information recorded in a portable portable device;
Transmitting means for transmitting, by wireless communication, a first request signal for requesting the unique information, or a second request signal for requesting power strength information indicating the power strength of the unique information and the received signal;
The first request signal is transmitted when a specific electrical component arranged in the vicinity is not operating by controlling the transmission means, and when the electrical component is operating, the first request signal is transmitted. Control means for transmitting the second request signal having higher power intensity;
Receiving means for receiving the unique information transmitted from the portable device by wireless communication;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a position specifying unit that compares the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording unit and specifies whether the portable device is in a predetermined area. On the computer,
When the electrical component is operating, a transmission step in which the transmission means transmits the second request signal;
A receiving step in which the receiving means receives the specific information;
A comparison step in which the position specifying means compares the received unique information with the specific information recorded in the recording means;
When the electrical component is in operation, the position specifying means determines that the portable device is within the area from the power intensity information added to the received specific information and the comparison result of the specific information and the specific information. A program for executing a process including a position specifying step for specifying whether or not the data is in a location.

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