JP2011208466A - Mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile device increased in usability.SOLUTION: In the mobile device, an instruction signal is transmitted from a transmitter 11 on the basis of the operations of first and second operation switches SW1, SW2. An on-vehicle device 20 is remotely operated by the instruction signal. A plurality of instruction codes for instructing the on-vehicle device 20 are stored in the ROM (Read Only Memory) 13a of the mobile device 10. Designation information for designating which of the plurality of instruction codes is included in the instruction signal based on the operations of the first and second operation switches SW1, SW2 is stored in the EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 13b of the mobile device 10. When detecting the operations of the first and second operation switches SW1, SW2, a mobile device control device 13 performs, on the basis of the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b, a processing for transmitting the instruction signal including the instruction code corresponding to the operated operation switch from the transmitter 11.

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable device for remotely operating a communication target.

  As one of wireless communication systems mounted on a vehicle, a system that can remotely control an in-vehicle device using a portable device is well known. In this wireless communication system, when a user operates an operation button provided on a portable device, a command signal is transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle. In the vehicle, when the command signal transmitted from the portable device is received, the vehicle-mounted device is driven based on the command content. According to such a wireless communication system, since the user can drive the in-vehicle device only by operating the portable device, convenience for vehicle operation is greatly improved.

  As a portable device used in this wireless communication system, for example, a portable device described in Patent Document 1 is known. The portable device is provided with two operation buttons, a lock button for locking the vehicle door and an unlock button for unlocking the vehicle door. In this portable device, when the lock button or the unlock button is operated, a lock command signal or an unlock command signal is transmitted to the vehicle. Incidentally, when receiving these command signals, the vehicle locks or unlocks the door lock mechanism provided in the vehicle door.

JP 2005-264462 A

  By the way, a portable device having two operation buttons such as a lock button and an unlock button usually has two operation switches that are turned on when each operation button is operated, and these operation switches are in an on state. There is provided a control device (ECU) that executes processing for transmitting the lock command signal and the unlock command signal when it is detected that the above has occurred.

  On the other hand, in the vehicle wireless communication system described above, generally, the types of in-vehicle devices that can be remotely operated by a portable device differ depending on the vehicle type. For this reason, the portable device is provided with operation buttons of a type corresponding to the vehicle type. Specifically, in addition to the portable device having the lock button and the unlock button, for example, a lock / unlock button for locking / unlocking the vehicle door and a power slide door (PSD) of the vehicle are opened and closed. There are portable devices equipped with two operation buttons of the PSD button. By the way, in the control device of this portable device, every time it detects that the operation switch corresponding to the lock / unlock button is turned on, the process of transmitting the lock command signal and the unlock command signal are transmitted. The process to perform is executed alternately. Further, when it is detected that the switch corresponding to the PSD button is turned on, processing for transmitting a PSD open / close command signal is executed.

  Thus, in the control apparatus of a portable machine, the process which transmits various command signals according to the kind of vehicle-mounted apparatus which can be operated remotely must be performed separately. Therefore, there is a concern that the cost of the portable device increases because it is necessary to install a different control device for each portable device or to change the software of the control device for each portable device.

  Such a problem is not limited to a portable device including two operation switches, and is common to, for example, a portable device including one operation switch or a portable device including three or more operation switches. It is a problem to do. Moreover, not only a portable device for remotely operating a vehicle-mounted device, but for remotely controlling a communication target by wireless communication, such as a portable device for remotely controlling a lock device for locking / unlocking a front door of a house. It is a problem common to all portable devices.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, The objective is to provide the portable device which can improve versatility.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a portable device that remotely controls a communication target by wirelessly transmitting a command signal from a transmission unit based on an operation of an operation switch. A plurality of command codes indicating a command, and storage means each storing designation information for specifying which of the plurality of command codes is included in the command signal based on an operation of the operation switch; and the operation switch And a control device that executes processing for transmitting a command signal including a command code corresponding to the operated operation switch based on the designation information from the transmission unit when the operation is detected. .

  According to this configuration, the command code included in the command signal can be changed by changing the content of the designation information stored in the storage means. As a result, the command content of the command signal can be changed without exchanging the control device or changing the software of the control device, so that the versatility of the portable device can be improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the portable device according to the first aspect, the portable device includes receiving means for receiving a radio signal transmitted from an external device different from the portable device, and the control device includes the control device, The gist is to change the designation information based on a radio signal transmitted from an external device.

According to this configuration, the content of the designation information can be changed simply by transmitting a radio signal from the external device, so that the content can be easily changed.
The gist of the invention described in claim 3 is that, in the portable device described in claim 1 or 2, the designation information stored in the storage means is information that can be changed only once.

  In such a portable device, the command code included in the command signal may be changed if the content of the designation information may be changed due to some abnormality. In this case, when the user operates the operation switch, a command signal including an inappropriate command code is transmitted to the communication target, and there is a possibility that the communication target may perform an operation not intended by the user. is there. In this regard, according to the above configuration, since the content of the designation information is once changed, the content cannot be changed, so that such inconvenience can be solved. For this reason, the reliability of the portable device can be ensured accurately.

  According to the portable device according to the present invention, versatility can be improved.

The block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the radio | wireless communications system of the vehicle using the portable device about one Embodiment of the portable device concerning this invention. The figure which shows typically the content of the command code memorize | stored in the ROM about the portable device of the embodiment. The figure which shows typically the content of the command for designating operation | movement of the portable device control apparatus about the portable device of the embodiment. (A), (b) is a figure which each shows typically the content of the designation | designated information memorize | stored in the EEPROM about the portable device of the embodiment. The block diagram for demonstrating the method to memorize | store designation | designated information in the EEPROM about the portable device of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a portable device according to the present invention is applied to a portable device used in a wireless communication system for a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle radio communication system. First, the configuration and operation of the radio communication system will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, in this wireless communication system, various types of communication control by wireless communication are executed between a portable device 10 possessed by a user and an in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle.
Here, the portable device 10 is provided with a transmission device 11 as a transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting a command signal to the in-vehicle device 20, and a reception unit for receiving a wireless signal transmitted from an external device (not shown). A receiving device 12 is provided. Further, the portable device 10 is provided with first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 that are turned on when the first and second operation buttons B1 and B2 are pressed. The output signals of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 are taken into the portable device control unit (ECU) 13, respectively. The portable device control device 13 includes a microcomputer having a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13a, an EEPROM (Electric EPROM) 13b, and the like, and is based on output signals of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2. This is the part that executes the process of transmitting the command signal from the transmitter 11. The portable device control device 13 is also a part that processes a radio signal received via the receiving device 12. In the ROM 13a, for example, a command code representing a command to the in-vehicle device 20 with a code of several bits such as a command to lock the vehicle door and a command to open / close the power slide door (PSD) of the vehicle is stored in advance. Has been.

  On the other hand, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided with a receiving device 21 for receiving a command signal transmitted from the portable device 10. And the process of the command signal received via this receiver 21 is performed by the vehicle control apparatus 22 mainly composed of a microcomputer. The vehicle control device 22 is also a part that controls a control object 23 such as a door lock mechanism that locks / unlocks a vehicle door or a PSD motor that opens and closes a power slide door of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 22 is also provided with a ROM 22a, and the command code is stored in advance in the ROM 22a.

  In the wireless communication system configured as described above, when the user presses the first and second operation buttons B1 and B2 of the portable device 10, the portable device 10 and the vehicle-mounted device are configured in the following manner. Signal exchange with 20 is performed. That is, in this system, when one of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 is turned on in accordance with the pressing operation of the first and second operation buttons B1 and B2, that fact is indicated. Detected by. Then, the portable device control device 13 reads a command code corresponding to the operation switch that has been turned on from the ROM 13a, generates a command signal including the read command code, and transmits the command signal to the transmission device 11. A command signal is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20. When the command signal is transmitted in this manner, the receiving device 21 receives the command signal and transmits the received command signal to the vehicle control device 22. The vehicle control device 22 compares the command code included in the received command signal with the command code stored in the ROM 22a, and drives the controlled object 23 based on the comparison result. Specifically, when the command code included in the command signal is a code indicating a command to lock the vehicle door, for example, the vehicle door is locked by the door lock mechanism. If the command code included in the command signal is a code indicating a command to open / close the power slide door, for example, the PSD motor is driven to open / close the power slide door of the vehicle.

  By the way, in such a wireless communication system, generally, the type of the in-vehicle device 20 that can be remotely operated by the portable device 10 differs depending on the vehicle type. Specifically, there is an in-vehicle device that only locks / unlocks the vehicle door, and there is an in-vehicle device that opens and closes the power slide door together with the locking / unlocking of the vehicle door. For this reason, the portable device control device 13 must generate command signals including various command codes according to the type of the in-vehicle device 20. For this reason, since it is necessary to mount a different control device for each portable device or to change the software of the control device for each portable device, there is a concern that the cost of the portable device increases.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, first, a plurality of command codes used in a plurality of vehicle types are stored in advance in the ROM 13a of the portable device control device 13. Further, when the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 are operated, designation information for designating which of the plurality of command codes is included in the command signal is stored in the EEPROM 13b. When the portable device control device 13 detects an operation of either the first or second operation switch SW1, SW2, the portable device control device 13 corresponds to the operated operation switch based on the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b. The command code to be transmitted is included in the command signal and transmitted. Thus, the command code included in the command signal can be changed by changing the content of the designation information.

Next, the contents of the command code and the designation information stored in the ROM 13a and the EEPROM 13b will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the ROM 13a stores the following command codes (a1) to (a3). These command codes are represented by, for example, several bits of code as described above.

(A1) A lock command code C1 indicating a command to lock the vehicle door.
(A2) An unlock command code C2 indicating a command to unlock the vehicle door.
(A3) PSD opening / closing command code C3 indicating a command to open / close the power slide door of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ROM 13a has the following commands for specifying the operation of the portable device control device 13 when the operation of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 is detected: The commands shown in b1) to (b4) are stored.

(B1) A first command for executing a process of transmitting a command signal including the lock command code C1. The first command is indicated by a logical “00” bit.
(B2) A second command for executing a process of transmitting a command signal including the unlock command code C2. The second command is indicated by a bit of logic “01”.

  (B3) A third command for alternately executing processing for transmitting a command signal including the lock command code C1 and processing for transmitting a command signal including the unlock command code C2. The third command is indicated by a logical “10” bit.

(B4) A fourth command for executing a process of transmitting a command signal including the PSD opening / closing command code C3. The fourth command is indicated by a logical “11” bit.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the EEPROM 13b has one of the first to fourth commands when the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 are operated. The designation information indicating whether or not to execute is stored.

  Here, for example, the specification information includes the content of the specification A shown in FIG. 4A, that is, the first command is executed when the first operation switch SW1 is operated, and the second operation switch SW2 is It is assumed that the content indicates that the second command is executed when operated. At this time, when detecting the operation of the first operation switch SW1, the portable device control device 13 executes a process of generating and transmitting a command signal including the lock command code C1. When the operation of the second operation switch SW2 is detected, a process for generating and transmitting a command signal including the unlock command code C2 is executed.

  On the other hand, for example, the specification information includes the content of the specification B shown in FIG. 4B, that is, the third command is executed when the first operation switch SW1 is operated, and the second operation switch SW2 is operated. It is assumed that the content indicates that the fourth command is executed when the command is executed. At this time, when detecting the operation of the first operation switch SW1, the portable device control device 13 generates and transmits a command signal including the lock command code C1, and generates a command signal including the unlock command code C2. The transmission process is executed alternately. When the operation of the second operation switch SW2 is detected, a process for generating and transmitting a command signal including the PSD opening / closing command code C3 is executed.

  According to such a configuration, by changing the command corresponding to the first operation switch SW1 and the command corresponding to the second operation switch SW2 among the contents of the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b, the command is issued. The command code included in the signal can be changed. Thereby, since the command content of the command signal can be changed without exchanging the portable device control device or changing the software of the portable device control device, the versatility of the portable device 10 can be improved. It becomes like this.

  By the way, in such a portable device 10, if the content of the designation information may be changed due to some abnormality, the command code included in the command signal may be changed. Specifically, for example, in the specification information of the specification B illustrated in FIG. 4B, the command of the first operation switch SW1 may be changed from the third command to the first command. In this case, when the user operates the first operation switch SW1, only the command signal including the lock command code C1 is transmitted from the portable device 10, and for example, the vehicle door cannot be unlocked. For example, there is a risk that the in-vehicle device 20 may perform an operation not intended by the user.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, since the designation information is stored in the EEPROM 13b, it is only possible to read the designation information in normal times. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the content of the designation information is changed due to some abnormality, so that the above-described inconvenience can be solved, and as a result, the reliability of the portable device 10 can be ensured accurately. become.

  Next, a method for storing the designation information in the EEPROM 13b will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, in the portable device 10A, the first and second operation buttons B1 and B2 are set as an operation button for locking the vehicle door and an operation button for unlocking the vehicle door, respectively. It has been done. In the portable device 10B, the first and second operation buttons B1 and B2 are set as an operation button for locking / unlocking the vehicle door and an operation button for opening / closing the power slide door of the vehicle, respectively. It has been done. Further, in the EEPROM 13b of each of the portable devices 10A and 10B, designation information indicating that the first command is executed when the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 are operated is stored as initial information. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, after the assembly is completed in the manufacturing process of each portable device 10A, 10B, a radio signal including designation information from an external device 30 different from the portable devices 10A, 10B. Send. At this time, a radio signal including the specification information of the specification A exemplified in FIG. 4A is transmitted to the portable device 10A. On the other hand, a wireless signal including the specification information of the specification B illustrated in FIG. 4B is transmitted to the portable device 10B. Thereby, in each of the portable devices 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B, when the wireless signal transmitted from the external device 30 is received via the receiving device 12, the wireless signal is transmitted to the portable device control device 13. Then, the portable device control device 13 rewrites the content of the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b based on the designation information included in this wireless signal.

  According to such a configuration, the content of the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b can be changed simply by transmitting a radio signal from the external device 30, so that the content can be easily changed. .

As described above, according to the portable device according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) A plurality of command codes C1 to C3 indicating commands to the controlled object 23 are stored in the ROM 13a in advance. In addition, designation information for designating which of the plurality of command codes C1 to C3 is included in the command signal based on the operation of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 is stored in the EEPROM 13b. When the operation of the first and second operation switches SW1 and SW2 is detected, a command code corresponding to the operated operation switch is included in the command signal and transmitted based on the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b. I tried to do it. Thereby, since the command content of the command signal can be changed by changing the designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b, the versatility of the portable device 10 can be improved.

  (2) The designation information is stored in the EEPROM 13b. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the content of the designation information is changed due to some abnormality, so that it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the control target 23 performs an operation not intended by the user. Reliability can be improved.

  (3) The designation information stored in the EEPROM 13b is changed by transmitting a radio signal from the external device 30 to the portable device 10. As a result, the contents of the designation information can be easily changed.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be implemented with the following forms which changed this suitably.
In the above embodiment, the ROM 13a is used as the storage means for storing the command code. However, for example, an EEPROM or a flash memory may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the EEPROM 13b is used as the storage unit for storing the designation information. However, for example, a flash memory or an OTROM (One Time Programmable ROM) may be used. Incidentally, if an OTPROM capable of writing data only once is used, the designated information cannot be changed after the designated information is once changed from the initial information. For this reason, the disadvantage that the control target 23 performs an operation not intended by the user can be preferably eliminated, and as a result, the reliability of the portable device 10 can be ensured accurately.

  In the above embodiment, the designation information is changed by transmitting a radio signal from the external device 30 to the portable device 10. For example, after providing a terminal for directly connecting the external device to the portable device 10. The designation information may be changed by operating an external device connected to this terminal.

  In the above embodiment, the ROM 13a stores the three command codes C1 to C3. For example, a back door opening / closing command code indicating a command to open / close the power back door (PBD) of the vehicle, A panic command code or the like indicating a command to turn on a hazard or light of a vehicle to threaten trolling may be stored in the ROM 13a. According to such a configuration, the mobile communication system according to the present invention is applied to a vehicle wireless communication system capable of opening and closing the power back door, a vehicle wireless communication system that performs a threatening operation by turning on a hazard or a light of the vehicle, and the like. The machine can be applied.

  In the above embodiment, the portable device according to the present invention is applied to a portable device including two operation switches SW1 and SW2. However, for example, a portable device including one operation switch and a portable device including three or more operation switches. It is also possible to apply to a machine.

In the above embodiment, the portable device according to the present invention is applied to a portable device for remotely operating the in-vehicle device 20, but instead of this, for example, a lock device that locks / unlocks the entrance door of a house is used. It is also possible to apply to a portable device for remote operation. In short, any portable device that remotely controls a communication target by wirelessly transmitting a command signal may be used.
(Appendix)
Next, a technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and its modifications will be additionally described.

  (A) The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage means is an EEPROM. If the EEPROM is used as the storage means as in the same configuration, it is only possible to read the specified information in the normal state, so that it is possible to avoid a situation in which the content of the specified information is changed due to some abnormality. become able to. Thereby, since it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the communication target described above performs an operation not intended by the user, it is possible to accurately ensure the reliability of the portable device.

  (B) The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and appendix i, wherein the communication target is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle. In such a portable device, when the communication target is an in-vehicle device, the type of the in-vehicle device that can be remotely operated by the portable device often differs depending on the vehicle type. Therefore, it is significant that such a portable device adopts the configuration of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and appendix i.

  B1 ... first operation button, B2 ... second operation button, SW1 ... first operation switch, SW2 ... second operation switch, 10, 10A, 10B ... portable device, 11 ... transmission device, 12 ... reception device DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Portable machine control apparatus, 13a ... ROM, 13b ... EEPROM, 20 ... In-vehicle apparatus, 21 ... Receiver, 22 ... Vehicle control apparatus, 22a ... ROM, 23 ... Control object, 30 ... External apparatus.

Claims (3)

In a portable device that remotely controls a communication target by wirelessly transmitting a command signal from a transmission unit based on operation of an operation switch,
Storage means for storing a plurality of command codes indicating commands to the communication target and designation information for specifying which of the plurality of command codes is included in the command signal based on an operation of the operation switch And a control device that executes processing for transmitting a command signal including a command code corresponding to the operated operation switch based on the designation information when the operation switch is detected. A portable device characterized by that. The portable device according to claim 1,
Receiving means for receiving a radio signal transmitted from an external device different from the portable device, and the control device changes the designation information based on a radio signal transmitted from the external device. A portable machine characterized by The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the designation information stored in the storage unit is information that can be changed only once.

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