JP2012184609A - Keyless entry device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyless entry device which has excellent responsiveness by making a time of signal transmission as short as possible.SOLUTION: A vehicle-side device 2 includes a vehicle-side control unit 12 which controls a vehicle-side transmission unit 11 and also performs specific control on authenticating an answer signal from a portable device 3. The portable device 3 includes a portable device control unit 22 which detects respective intensity levels of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission antennas 15 of the vehicle-side device 2. The vehicle-side control unit 12 makes the plurality of transmission antennas 15 transmit wakeup signals for placing the portable device 3 in an actuated state and makes the plurality of transmission antennas 15 transmit signals for intensity measurement, respectively thereafter.

Description

  The present invention relates to a keyless entry device that locks and unlocks a vehicle door by performing wireless communication between a vehicle-side device and a portable device, and more particularly to a keyless entry device that can determine the position of a portable device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a keyless entry device that performs wireless communication between a vehicle-side device provided in a vehicle and a portable device carried by a user and locks / unlocks the door of the vehicle is known. Further, in recent years, when a portable device approaches the vehicle, communication is automatically performed between the vehicle-side device and the portable device, and the identification code uniquely set for each portable device is authenticated. Passive and keyless entry devices that lock and unlock doors are also known.

  In the passive keyless entry device, it is necessary to determine the position of the portable device. For example, it is determined whether the portable device is outside or inside the vehicle. In order to make this determination, a plurality of transmission antennas are provided inside and outside the vehicle, and a signal for intensity measurement is transmitted from each transmission antenna. In the portable device that has received each transmitted signal, the strength of each strength measurement signal is detected, and the position of the portable device is determined based on the information on the detected signal strength. As such a keyless entry device for determining the position of the portable device based on the signal strength, there is one as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2006-348497 A

  When transmitting strength measurement signals from a plurality of transmission antennas, the signals transmitted from the transmission antennas are a wake-up signal for starting a portable device in a sleep state, a command signal for performing authentication, and the like. The above-mentioned intensity measurement signal and the like.

  The strength measurement signal can be received and measured by the portable device even if the signal level is small, but the portable device cannot determine that the wake-up signal is received unless the signal level is high. For this reason, the transmitting antenna that allows the portable device to receive the wake-up signal with a sufficient signal level varies depending on the position of the portable device.

  Conventionally, all of these signals are transmitted in order from each transmission antenna until the answer signal from the portable device is received on the vehicle side. However, in Patent Document 1, this is the same for the wake-up signal and the command signal. Transmission is performed from one transmission antenna, and only the intensity measurement signal is sequentially transmitted from all the transmission antennas, thereby shortening the time required for signal transmission.

  However, even when transmitting a wakeup signal and a command signal from one transmitting antenna and transmitting signals for intensity measurement from all transmitting antennas, if the wakeup signal is not received at a sufficient signal level in the portable device, Since it is necessary to start the same operation from the other transmission antennas, and it is necessary to repeat this operation as many as the number of transmission antennas, it takes time to transmit signals.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a keyless entry device having a good response by shortening a signal transmission time as much as possible.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a keyless entry device according to the present invention includes a vehicle-side transmission unit that is provided in a vehicle and has a plurality of transmission antennas that transmit request signals, and a vehicle-side reception unit that receives an answer signal. In a keyless entry device having a vehicle-side device, a portable device including a portable device receiver that receives the request signal, and a portable device transmitter that transmits an answer signal,
The vehicle-side device includes a vehicle-side control unit that controls the vehicle-side transmission unit and performs predetermined control when an answer signal from the portable device is authenticated, and the portable device transmits a plurality of transmissions of the vehicle-side device. A portable device control unit that detects each intensity of the signal transmitted from the antenna,
The vehicle-side control unit is configured to transmit a wake-up signal that activates the portable device from each of the plurality of transmission antennas, and then transmit an intensity measurement signal from each of the plurality of transmission antennas. ing.

  Further, in the keyless entry device according to the present invention, only when the vehicle-side control unit causes the plurality of transmitting antennas to transmit the wake-up signal and receives an answer signal from the portable device, It is configured to transmit the intensity measurement signals from the transmission antennas.

  Furthermore, in the keyless entry device according to the present invention, when the vehicle-side control unit sequentially transmits the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of transmission antennas and receives an answer signal from the portable device, a subsequent wake-up signal The transmission is stopped and the intensity measurement signals are transmitted from the plurality of transmission antennas, respectively.

  Furthermore, in the keyless entry device according to the present invention, the vehicle-side control unit transmits a predetermined command signal after receiving the answer signal from the portable device and before transmitting the strength measurement signal. It is configured as a feature.

  In the keyless entry device according to the present invention, the vehicle-side control unit is configured to cause the transmitting antenna that has transmitted the wake-up signal received by the portable device to transmit the predetermined command signal.

  In the keyless entry device according to the present invention, the vehicle-side control unit transmits a wake-up signal together with the predetermined command signal.

  According to the keyless entry device according to the present invention, the vehicle-side control unit causes the plurality of transmission antennas to transmit the wake-up signal that activates the portable device, and then transmits the intensity measurement signals from the plurality of transmission antennas. By doing so, each signal can be transmitted efficiently without transmitting the strength measurement signal even though the portable device is not activated. Can be improved.

  In addition, when the vehicle-side control unit sequentially transmits a wakeup signal from each of the plurality of transmission antennas and receives an answer signal from the portable device, transmission of the subsequent wakeup signal is stopped, and each of the plurality of transmission antennas performs intensity measurement. By transmitting the signal, the time required for transmitting the request signal can be further shortened.

It is a schematic diagram of the keyless entry device in this embodiment. It is a block diagram of a keyless entry device. It is a flowchart of the 1st form which transmits a request signal from a vehicle side device. It is a chart figure with respect to time passage of a request signal and an answer signal in the 1st form. It is a flowchart of the 2nd form which transmits a request signal from a vehicle side apparatus. It is a chart figure with respect to time passage of a request signal and an answer signal in the 2nd form.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a keyless entry device according to this embodiment. The keyless entry device according to the present embodiment locks or unlocks the door 1a of the vehicle 1. The vehicle-side device 2 is provided on the vehicle 1, the user carries the portable device 3, and the vehicle-side device. Wireless communication is performed between the mobile phone 3 and the portable device 3 to perform authentication, locking / unlocking commands, and the like. The vehicle side device 2 has a plurality of transmission antennas 15 at various locations of the vehicle 1, and a request signal is transmitted from each transmission antenna 15 to the portable device 3. The request signal is a low frequency signal.

  In order to unlock the door 1a, the user with the portable device 3 needs to press the request switch 16 provided near the door knob 1b of the door 1a. When the request switch 16 is pressed, communication such as authentication is performed between the vehicle-side device 2 and the portable device 3, and when the authentication is made, the vehicle-side device 2 unlocks the door 1a.

  The configurations of the vehicle side device 2 and the portable device 3 will be described. FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of the keyless entry device. As shown in this figure, the vehicle-side device 2 includes a vehicle-side receiver 10 that receives an answer signal from the portable device 3, a vehicle-side transmitter 11 that transmits a request signal to the portable device 3, and an answer signal. And a vehicle-side control unit 12 that performs various controls when the request switch 16 is pressed.

  The vehicle-side control unit 12 stores information necessary for control such as an 8-bit V-ID (V-ID) that is a vehicle-specific identification code and IDs of a plurality of portable devices that can operate one vehicle. And the request switch 16 described above are connected. The vehicle-side receiving unit 10 is connected to a receiving antenna 14 for receiving an answer signal, and the vehicle-side transmitting unit 11 is connected to a plurality of transmitting antennas 15 for transmitting a request signal. The plurality of transmission antennas 15 are provided at various locations inside and outside the vehicle 1, respectively.

  The portable device 3 includes a portable device receiver 20 that receives a request signal from the vehicle-side device 2, a portable device transmitter 21 that transmits an answer signal to the vehicle-side device 2, and various types of signals when receiving a request signal. A portable device control unit 22 that performs control and a memory 24 that stores, for example, a 24-bit portable device ID and a V-ID in which unique values are set in the own device. In addition, the portable device receiver 20 and the portable device transmitter 21 are connected to a three-axis antenna 23 that has X, Y, and Z direction reception axes orthogonal to each other and transmits and receives request signals and answer signals.

  The portable device control unit 22 performs a normal operation such as ID authentication from a sleep state where power consumption is substantially zero by a wake-up signal included in a request signal from the vehicle-side device 2 received by the portable device reception unit 20. Switch to a possible startup state. In addition, the portable device control unit 22 performs various operations based on the command signal included in the request signal.

  The transmission of the request signal from the vehicle side device 2 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a first mode for transmitting a request signal from the vehicle-side device 2, and FIG. 4 shows a chart with respect to the passage of time of the request signal and the answer signal in the first mode. In this flow, it is assumed that there are three transmission antennas 15 provided in the vehicle 1. This flow starts when the request switch 16 of the vehicle 1 is operated.

  When started, the vehicle-side control unit 12 controls the vehicle-side transmission unit 11 so that the request signal RW1 is transmitted from the first transmission antenna 15a (S1). The request signal RW1 includes a wake-up signal that brings the portable device 3 from the sleep state to the wake-up state, and an antenna identification signal that includes an identification code unique to the transmitting antenna and can identify the antenna. Subsequently, the vehicle-side control unit 12 transmits the request signal RW2 from the second transmission antenna 15b (S2), and further transmits the request signal RW3 from the third transmission antenna 15c (S3). The request signals RW2 and RW3 also include a wake-up signal and an antenna identification signal, like the request signal RW1. In addition, the numerical part of the code | symbol of each request signal has shown from which transmission antenna 15 it is a request signal, and it is the same also below.

  When the portable device 3 receives any one of these request signals RW1, RW2, and RW3, the mobile device 3 is activated from the sleep state to the activated state by the wakeup signal, and which transmission antenna 15 is received by the antenna identification signal Is determined. Then, the portable device control unit 22 causes the portable device transmission unit 21 to transmit the answer signal AA (S4). The signal AA includes information for transmitting a response to the vehicle side device 2 and the identification code of the transmission antenna 15 that has transmitted the request signal received by the portable device 3. In addition, the portable device 3 continues the activation state activated by the wakeup signal until transmission of an answer signal AB described later. In this example, it is assumed that the portable device 3 has received the request signal RW2 transmitted from the second transmission antenna 15b.

  The vehicle-side device 2 detects whether or not the answer signal AA is received from the portable device 3 (S5), and if received, proceeds to the next step, and returns to S1 if not received within a predetermined time. When the vehicle-side device 2 receives the answer signal AA, the vehicle-side control unit 12 transmits the request signal RC from the transmission antenna 15 that has transmitted the request signal received by the portable device 3 included in the signal AA (S6). In this example, since the portable device 3 receives the request signal RW2 from the second transmission antenna 15b, the request signal RC2 is transmitted from the second transmission antenna 15b.

  The request signal RC includes a command signal and a rolling code signal. The command signal includes a command for causing the portable device 3 to transmit the answer signal AB. The rolling code signal is a signal that changes for each communication, and is used to determine that the signal is a regular signal when it is a predetermined signal.

  The vehicle-side control unit 12 causes each transmission antenna 15 to transmit an intensity measurement signal following the transmission of the request signal RC. First, the intensity measuring signal RSSI1 is transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 15a (S7), then the intensity measuring signal RSSI2 is transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 15b (S8), and finally the third transmitting antenna 15c. The intensity measurement signal RSSI3 is transmitted (S9).

  The portable device 3 receives these intensity measurement signals and measures the intensity. After measuring the strength, the portable device control unit 22 transmits an answer signal AB in accordance with the command signal (S10). The answer signal AB includes the portable device ID and the strength information of the strength measurement signal received from each transmission antenna 15.

  The vehicle-side device 2 detects whether or not the answer signal AB is received from the portable device 3 (S11), and if received, proceeds to the next step, and returns to S1 if not received within a predetermined time. When the vehicle-side device 2 receives the answer signal AB, the vehicle-side control unit 12 authenticates the portable device ID included in the answer signal AB and determines the position of the portable device 3 based on the intensity information included in the answer signal AB. It discriminate | determines (S12). Here, it is determined whether the portable device 3 is inside or outside the vehicle.

  The position determination of the portable device 3 based on the signal intensity information is not limited to a specific method, but is performed as follows, for example. When the distance between the portable device 3 and each transmission antenna 15 is calculated from the intensity information corresponding to each transmission antenna 15, the intersection point of the spherical surface having the radius of each distance centered on the position of each transmission antenna 15 is the mobile phone. The position of the machine 3 can be determined by determining whether the position is within the vehicle or outside the vehicle. Also, an inner data group that acquires the intensity information from each transmission antenna 15 along the inside of the vehicle and an outer data group that acquires the intensity information from each transmission antenna 15 along the outer side of the vehicle are acquired in advance. Alternatively, the Mahalanobis distance between the actually measured intensity information and each data group may be calculated, and the position of the portable device 3 may be determined based on the magnitude.

  When the position of the portable device 3 is determined, the vehicle-side control unit 12 performs control according to the determined position of the portable device 3 (S13). The operation here can be variously set according to the required function. For example, since this flow determines the position when the request switch 16 is operated, the door 1a is unlocked if the portable device 3 is outside the vehicle at this time, and the door 1a if the portable device 3 is inside the vehicle. It is possible to prevent unlocking. Thereby, even if a person who does not have the portable device 3 from outside the vehicle operates the request switch 16, the door 1a can be prevented from being unlocked.

  The transmission flow of the request signal in the first form can be changed more easily. First, transmission of the request signal RC in S6 may be omitted. In this case, since it is not necessary to determine which transmission antenna 15 should transmit the request signal RC, antenna identification signals are transmitted to the request signals RW1, RW2, and RW3 transmitted from the transmission antennas 15 in S1 to S3. There is no need to include it. At this time, even if there is no command signal, the portable device 3 is configured to automatically transmit the answer signal AB when receiving the strength measurement signal from the vehicle side device 2 after transmitting the answer signal AA.

  In addition to this, the transmission of the answer signal AA in S4 may be omitted. In this case, the vehicle-side device 2 is configured to transmit an intensity measurement signal immediately after transmitting the request signals RW1, RW2, and RW3.

  Further, in this embodiment, the portable device 3 continues until the request signal RC and the strength measurement signal are received and the answer signal AB is transmitted after being activated by any one of the request signals RW1, RW2, and RW3. However, if the portable device 3 is configured so as to be in the sleep state again when the answer signal AA is transmitted, the request signal RC transmitted again from the vehicle side device 2 is also woken up. The signal needs to be included.

  As described above, when transmitting a request signal from the vehicle-side device 2, first, a wake-up signal is transmitted from each transmission antenna 15 to activate the portable device 3, and then a signal for intensity measurement is transmitted from each transmission antenna 15. By doing so, the portable device 3 is not in the activated state, that is, the strength measurement signal is not transmitted even though the strength measurement signal cannot be detected even when the strength measurement signal is received, Since each signal can be transmitted efficiently, the time required for transmitting the request signal can be shortened to provide a keyless entry device with good responsiveness.

  Next, transmission of a request signal from the vehicle side device 2 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a second mode in which a request signal is transmitted from the vehicle side device 2, and FIG. 4 shows a chart with respect to the passage of time of the request signal and the answer signal in the second mode. Also in this flow, the number of transmission antennas 15 provided in the vehicle 1 is three, and it starts when the request switch 16 of the vehicle 1 is operated.

  When started, the vehicle-side control unit 12 controls the vehicle-side transmission unit 11 so that the request signal RW1 is transmitted from the first transmission antenna 15a (S1). The request signal RW1 includes a wakeup signal, but does not include an antenna identification signal. The same applies to the following request signals RW2 and RW3.

  In the present embodiment, the portable device 3 is configured to immediately transmit the answer signal AA when receiving any one of the request signals RW1, RW2, and RW3. The answer signal AA in this embodiment includes information for transmitting a response to the vehicle side device 2, but does not include an antenna identification signal. The vehicle-side device 2 determines which transmission antenna 15 has received the signal from the portable device 3 depending on when the answer signal AA is received.

  When the vehicle side device 2 transmits the request signal RW1 from the first transmitting antenna 15a, the vehicle side device 2 detects whether or not the answer signal AA is received from the portable device 3 (S2), and if received, proceeds to S7 and receives it within a predetermined time. If not, the request signal RW2 is transmitted from the second transmission antenna 15b (S3). When the request signal RW2 is transmitted, the vehicle side device 2 detects the presence / absence of reception of the answer signal AA from the portable device 3 (S4). If received, the process proceeds to S7, and if it is not received within a predetermined time, the third transmission is performed. A request signal RW3 is transmitted from the antenna 15c (S5). If the request signal RW3 is transmitted, the vehicle side device 2 detects whether or not the answer signal AA is received from the portable device 3 (S6), and if received, the process proceeds to S7, and if not received within a predetermined time, returns to S1.

  Thus, in this embodiment, when the portable device 3 receives the request signal RW from one of the transmission antennas 15 and the answer signal AA is received by the vehicle-side device 2, the request signal RW is transmitted thereafter. The request signal RC is transmitted from the transmission antenna 15 without transmitting the request signal RW. In this example, as shown in FIG. 5, since the answer signal AA is received after the transmission of the request signal RW2 from the second transmitting antenna 15b, the vehicle-side device 2 receives the request signal received by the portable device 3. The transmitted transmission antenna 15 is determined to be the second transmission antenna 15b, and the request signal RC2 is transmitted from the second transmission antenna 15b without transmitting the request signal RW3 from the third transmission antenna 15c (S7). ). The request signal RC includes a command signal and a rolling code signal as in the first embodiment.

  The following operations are the same as in the first embodiment. The vehicle-side control unit 12 causes each transmission antenna 15 to transmit an intensity measurement signal following the transmission of the request signal RC. First, the intensity measurement signal RSSI1 is transmitted from the first transmission antenna 15a (S8), then the intensity measurement signal RSSI2 is transmitted from the second transmission antenna 15b (S9), and finally the third transmission antenna 15c. The intensity measurement signal RSSI3 is transmitted from (S10).

  The portable device 3 receives these strength measurement signals and measures the respective strengths, and the portable device control unit 22 transmits an answer signal AB in accordance with the command signal (S11). The vehicle-side device 2 detects whether or not the answer signal AB is received from the portable device 3 (S12), and if received, proceeds to the next step, and returns to S1 if not received within a predetermined time. When the vehicle-side device 2 receives the answer signal AB, the vehicle-side control unit 12 authenticates the portable device ID included in the answer signal AB and determines the position of the portable device 3 based on the intensity information included in the answer signal AB. It discriminate | determines (S13). When the position of the portable device 3 is determined, the vehicle-side control unit 12 performs control according to the determined position of the portable device 3 (S14).

  In this embodiment, when the answer signal AA is received from the portable device 3 with respect to the request signal RW including the wake-up signal, transmission of the subsequent request signal RW is stopped and the subsequent operation is performed. The time required for transmission can be further reduced.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the application of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be applied in various ways within the scope of its technical idea. For example, in the present embodiment, the number of transmission antennas 15 is three, but two or four or more may be installed, and the present invention is similarly applied to any number as long as there are a plurality. Can be applied. In the present embodiment, the operation when the request switch 16 of the vehicle 1 is operated has been described. In other cases, for example, when the ignition switch is operated in the driver's seat or when the person carrying the portable device 3 is operated. The present invention can be similarly applied when the position of the portable device 3 is determined such as when the user is away from the vehicle 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle side apparatus 3 Portable machine 10 Vehicle side receiving part 11 Vehicle side transmission part 12 Vehicle side control part 13 Memory 14 Reception antenna 15 Transmission antenna 16 Request switch 20 Portable machine receiving part 21 Portable machine transmission part 22 Portable machine control part 23 Triaxial antenna

Claims (6)

A vehicle-side device including a vehicle-side transmitter having a plurality of transmission antennas provided in the vehicle and transmitting a request signal, a vehicle-side receiver that receives an answer signal, and a portable device receiver that receives the request signal In a keyless entry device having a portable device equipped with a portable device transmitter for transmitting an answer signal,
The vehicle-side device includes a vehicle-side control unit that controls the vehicle-side transmission unit and performs predetermined control when an answer signal from the portable device is authenticated, and the portable device transmits a plurality of transmissions of the vehicle-side device. A portable device control unit that detects each intensity of the signal transmitted from the antenna,
The vehicle-side control unit causes each of the plurality of transmission antennas to transmit a wake-up signal that activates the portable device, and then causes each of the plurality of transmission antennas to transmit an intensity measurement signal. Entry device.   The vehicle-side control unit causes each of the plurality of transmission antennas to transmit an intensity measurement signal only when the wake-up signal is transmitted from each of the plurality of transmission antennas and only when an answer signal is received from the portable device. The keyless entry device according to claim 1.   The vehicle-side control unit sequentially transmits the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of transmission antennas and receives an answer signal from the portable device, and then stops transmission of the wake-up signal thereafter from the plurality of transmission antennas. 3. The keyless entry device according to claim 2, wherein each of them transmits an intensity measurement signal.   The vehicle-side control unit transmits a predetermined command signal after receiving an answer signal from the portable device and before transmitting the strength measurement signal. The keyless entry device according to any one of the above.   The keyless entry device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle-side control unit causes the transmitting antenna that has transmitted the wake-up signal received by the portable device to transmit the predetermined command signal.   6. The keyless entry device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle-side control unit transmits a wake-up signal together with the predetermined command signal.

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