JP2015098757A - Electronic key system and electronic key - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic key system and an electronic key which prevent actuation of an operation object unintended by a user.SOLUTION: An electronic key 1 includes an operation determination part 20 which determines a key operation performed with the electronic key 1 for operating a vehicle 2, and an output switch part 21 which switches transmission output of an electric wave on the basis of a determination result of the operation determination part 20. The operation determination part 20 determines whether the key operation is either a wireless operation or a motion detection operation. The output switch part 21 sets an electric wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 to a standard level at the time of wireless operation, and sets the electric wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 to a low level at the time of motion detection operation.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic key system and an electronic key that can operate an operation target wirelessly with the electronic key.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for remotely operating a vehicle device by incorporating an acceleration sensor in an electronic key, detecting a prescribed movement of the key holder by the acceleration sensor, and the like (see Patent Document 1, etc.) is well known. If this technology is adopted, for example, the electronic key is put in the pocket or bag of the clothes, and the electronic key is hit through the clothes or over the bag without taking out the electronic key from the pocket or bag. Since it is possible to switch the locking / unlocking of the vehicle door, the convenience is improved.

JP 2010-275701 A

  By the way, when the user possesses the electronic key, it is assumed that the movement taken by the user accidentally becomes a specific operation that can operate the in-vehicle device even though there is no intention to operate the in-vehicle device. . In this case, since the device control signal is transmitted from the electronic key to the vehicle regardless of the intention of the user, there is a problem that the vehicle device is operated where the user does not intend.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic key system and an electronic key that are less likely to cause a situation in which an operation target is activated without a user's intention.

  The electronic key system that solves the above-described problem allows the operation target to be operated on condition that a wireless ID verification is performed between the operation target and the electronic key according to the normal operation of the electronic key. And an operation determination unit for determining a key operation in a configuration in which a specific operation in the electronic key is detected by an operation detection unit and the operation target can be operated even by a motion detection operation of the electronic key. When one operation is performed, the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key or the reception level of the receiver to be operated is set to a normal level. When the key operation is the second operation, the transmission of the radio wave of the electronic key is performed. An output switching unit that sets a level or a reception level of the operation target receiver to a level lower than normal.

  According to this configuration, the key operation when operating the operation target with the electronic key is determined, and the transmission level of the radio wave transmitted from the electronic key is switched according to each key operation of the first operation and the second operation. . For this reason, when the electronic key transmits radio waves, the communication area of the electronic key can be formed in an appropriate area according to the type of key operation. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for a situation in which the operation target operates where the user does not intend.

  In the electronic key system, it is preferable that the first operation is the normal operation and the second operation is the motion detection operation. According to this configuration, it is advantageous to accurately perform the normal operation and the motion detection operation.

  In the electronic key system, the normal operation may be a wireless operation in which the operation target is operated on condition that an ID collation that is executed in response to an operation of a remote operation unit provided in the electronic key is established. preferable. According to this configuration, it is possible to form a communication area suitable for each key operation in wireless operation or motion detection operation.

  In the electronic key system, the second operation is subdivided into an operation of locking and unlocking a vehicle door and an operation of starting an engine, and the output switching unit is configured to perform an operation of starting the engine by the key operation. In some cases, it is preferable to set the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key or the reception level of the operation target receiver to a level lower than that in the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door. According to this configuration, when the engine is started, it is necessary to perform key operations in a narrower area than when the vehicle door is locked and unlocked. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult to generate a situation where the engine starts at a place not intended by the user.

  The electronic key that solves the above problem can be operated by the operation target on the condition that wireless ID verification is performed with the operation target in accordance with normal operation, and a specific operation is detected by the motion detection unit. In the configuration in which the operation target can be operated even by the motion detection operation detected by the operation determination unit for determining the key operation, and the transmission level of the radio wave transmitted from the electronic key based on the determination result of the operation determination unit And an output switching unit that switches according to the key operation. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as those of the electronic key system described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can be made hard to produce the condition where an operation target operates in the place which a user does not intend.

The block diagram of the electronic key system of 1st Embodiment. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key during wireless operation, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key during motion detection operation. Explanatory drawing when operation, such as hitting an electronic key, is performed. The block diagram of the electronic key system of 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the reception area of the vehicle receiver at the time of wireless operation, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the reception area of the vehicle receiver at the time of motion detection operation. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key during wireless operation, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key during operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door, and (c) is for starting the engine The schematic diagram which shows the electric wave transmission level of the electronic key at the time of operation to perform. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the reception area of the vehicle receiver at the time of wireless operation, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the reception area of the vehicle receiver at the time of operation to lock and unlock the vehicle door, (c) is to start the engine The schematic diagram which shows the receiving area of the vehicle receiver at the time of operation to perform.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic key system and an electronic key will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, an operation target (for example, a vehicle 2) of the electronic key 1 includes an electronic key system 3 that performs ID collation with the electronic key 1 wirelessly. The electronic key system 3 is preferably a wireless key system that performs ID collation by narrow-band radio (communication distance: several meters), triggered by communication from the electronic key 1. Hereinafter, ID verification in the wireless key system is referred to as “wireless verification”, and the communication is referred to as “wireless communication”.

  The vehicle 2 includes a verification ECU (Electric control unit) 4 that performs various verifications with the electronic key 1, a body ECU 5 that manages the power source of the on-vehicle electrical components, and an engine ECU 6 that controls the operation of the engine 7. . These ECUs are electrically connected through a communication line 8 in the vehicle. The electronic key ID of the electronic key 1 registered in the vehicle 2 is written and stored in the memory 9 of the verification ECU 4. The vehicle 2 includes a vehicle receiver 10 that can receive radio waves transmitted from the electronic key 1. The vehicle receiver 10 is connected to the verification ECU 4 through electrical wiring. The radio wave received by the vehicle receiver 10 is preferably a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band radio wave, for example. The body ECU 5 controls the operation of the door lock mechanism 11 that locks and unlocks the vehicle door.

  The electronic key 1 includes a key control unit 12 that controls the operation of the electronic key 1, a remote operation unit 13 that is operated when the vehicle 2 is remotely operated from the electronic key 1 side, and a transmission unit that can transmit radio waves to the vehicle 2. 14. In the memory 15 of the key control unit 12, an electronic key ID that is an ID unique to the key is written and stored. The remote operation unit 13 is preferably a push switch (push-type momentary switch), for example. The remote operation unit 13 is preferably, for example, a lock button that is operated when the vehicle door is locked or an unlock button that is operated when the vehicle door is unlocked. The transmission unit 14 is connected to the key control unit 12 through electrical wiring. The transmitter 14 is preferably capable of transmitting, for example, UHF band radio waves.

  When the remote operation unit 13 is operated, for example, an ON signal is output from the remote operation unit 13 to the key control unit 12. When the key control unit 12 receives an ON signal from the remote operation unit 13, the key control unit 12 transmits a device control signal Swl corresponding to the operated remote operation unit 13 from the transmission unit 14 to start wireless communication. The device control signal Swl is a so-called wireless signal, and includes a command for requesting the start of operation of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the operated remote operation unit 13 and the electronic key ID registered in the memory 15.

  When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the device control signal Swl transmitted from the electronic key 1, the verification ECU 4 confirms the validity of the electronic key ID included in the device control signal Swl. When the verification ECU 4 confirms that the electronic key ID received from the electronic key 1 matches the electronic key ID registered in itself and the wireless verification is established, the verification ECU 4 operates according to the command included in the same signal. Thus, the operation of the in-vehicle device is started. For example, when a lock request signal is received as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is locked, and when an unlock request signal is received as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is unlocked.

  The electronic key system 3 includes a remote operation function (remote operation system 16) that enables a device (for example, a vehicle-mounted device) to be remotely operated by causing the electronic key 1 to perform a specific movement. The electronic key system 3 of this example includes a communication mode switching function for switching the communication mode of the electronic key system 3 according to the mode of vehicle operation on the electronic key 1. The communication mode switching function switches the communication mode of the electronic key system 3 in accordance with each of the first operation and the second operation of the key operation. The first operation is preferably a normal operation of the electronic key 1, for example. The normal operation is preferably wireless operation, for example. The second operation is preferably a motion detection operation for remotely operating the vehicle 2 by causing the electronic key 1 to generate a specific operation. The communication mode switching function is preferably a function for switching the transmission level (output level) of the radio wave transmitted from the electronic key 1 in accordance with the mode of key operation.

  The electronic key 1 includes an operation detection unit 17 that can detect a movement generated in the electronic key 1. The motion detection unit 17 is preferably a G sensor (acceleration sensor), for example. When detecting the movement generated in the electronic key 1, the operation detection unit 17 outputs a detection signal to the key control unit 12.

  The key control unit 12 transmits a radio wave based on the motion determination unit 18 that determines whether or not a specific motion has occurred in the electronic key 1 based on the detection signal of the motion detection unit 17 and the determination result of the motion determination unit 18. It is preferable to provide a transmission permission / inhibition setting unit 19 for switching the permission / inhibition. For example, the motion determination unit 18 confirms whether the detection signal input from the motion detection unit 17 changes the waveform according to a specific motion, thereby validating the motion generated in the electronic key 1. judge. When it is determined that a valid movement has occurred in the electronic key 1, the transmission permission / inhibition setting unit 19 permits transmission of the device control signal Swl from the electronic key 1.

  The key control unit 12 transmits a radio wave based on the operation determination unit 20 that determines a key operation performed on the electronic key 1 in order to operate the operation target (the vehicle 2 in this example), and the determination result of the operation determination unit 20. And an output switching unit 21 for switching the output. For example, the operation determination unit 20 determines whether the vehicle operation is a wireless operation or a motion detection operation based on the detection signal input from the remote operation unit 13 and the determination result of the motion determination unit 18. The output switching unit 21 realizes switching of the radio wave output of the transmission unit 14 by adjusting the output switching function of the IC disposed in the transmission unit 14, for example. The output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a standard level during wireless operation, and sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a low level during motion detection operation. It is preferable to set to.

Next, operation | movement of the remote control system 16 of this example is demonstrated using FIG.2 and FIG.3.
As shown in FIG. 2A, when the remote operation unit 13 of the electronic key 1 is operated by the user, a detection signal is output from the remote operation unit 13 to the key control unit 12. The operation determination unit 20 recognizes that a wireless operation has been performed on the electronic key 1 based on the detection signal input from the remote operation unit 13. When the vehicle operation with the electronic key 1 is a wireless operation, the output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a standard level (normal level). That is, the radio wave transmission intensity of the transmitter 14 is strong, and the radio wave of the electronic key 1 reaches the vehicle 2 even from a distance.

  When the remote control unit 13 of the electronic key 1 is operated, a device control signal Swl is transmitted from the transmission unit 14 from the electronic key 1. When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the device control signal Swl transmitted from the electronic key 1, the verification ECU 4 confirms the validity of the electronic key ID included in the device control signal Swl. When the verification ECU 4 confirms that the electronic key ID received from the electronic key 1 matches the electronic key ID registered in itself and the wireless verification is established, the verification ECU 4 operates according to the command included in the same signal. By this, the on-vehicle equipment is operated. For example, if a locking request signal is transmitted as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is locked, and if an unlocking request signal is transmitted as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is unlocked.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in order for the user to lock and unlock the vehicle door not by the electronic key 1 but by the movement of the body, for example, an operation using the body (movement detection operation) with the electronic key 1 in the pocket of clothes. Execute. The motion detection operation is preferably a “tap operation” in which, for example, the electronic key 1 is tapped multiple times. At this time, the electronic key 1 is instantaneously greatly shaken a plurality of times, and a detection signal corresponding to the movement is output from the operation detection unit 17 to the key control unit 12. When the motion determination unit 18 confirms that there is a specific operation for remotely operating the vehicle door based on the detection signal of the operation detection unit 17, for example, whether or not a notification of detection of a specific operation (trigger signal or the like) can be transmitted. Output to the setting unit 19. The transmission permission / inhibition setting unit 19 permits transmission of radio waves in the electronic key 1 when a detection notification of a specific operation is input from the motion determination unit 18.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2B, when the operation determination unit 20 receives a specific operation detection notification from the movement determination unit 18, the operation determination unit 20 recognizes that a motion detection operation has been performed on the electronic key 1. When the vehicle operation with the electronic key 1 is a motion detection operation, the output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a low level. In other words, the radio wave of the electronic key 1 does not reach the vehicle 2 unless the radio wave transmission intensity of the transmission unit 14 is lower than the standard time and does not approach the vehicle 2. For this reason, even if the electronic key 1 accidentally moves according to the motion detection operation, the device control signal Swl does not reach the vehicle 2 unless it is close to the vehicle 2, so that the vehicle door is unlocked and unlocked at a place not intended by the user. It will not be done.

  In addition, you may switch the vehicle equipment which can be controlled according to the mode of movement of specific operation | movement. For example, when the electronic key 1 is tapped once, the vehicle door may be locked, and when the electronic key 1 is tapped twice, the vehicle door may be unlocked. Further, when the electronic key 1 is tapped three times, the sliding door of the vehicle 2 may be opened. In the case of this configuration, a device control signal Swl corresponding to a specific operation is transmitted from the electronic key 1 to the vehicle 2, and the vehicle 2 is operated based on the device control signal Swl.

  For example, the radio wave transmission level at the time of the motion detection operation is preferably set to a level (intensity) of ½ or less than that during the normal operation. More preferably, for example, it may be set to a level (intensity) of 1/3 or less of that during normal operation. In any case, it is possible to set the output of the electronic key 1 at the time of motion detection so that unintentional communication establishment in the motion detection operation can be prevented and communication can be established without excessively approaching the vehicle 2 during the motion detection operation. preferable.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) A key operation when the vehicle 2 is remotely operated with the electronic key 1 is determined, and the transmission level of the radio wave (device control signal Swl) transmitted from the electronic key 1 is switched according to the key operation. That is, the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 is set to the standard level during the wireless operation, and the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 is set to the low level during the motion detection operation. For this reason, when the electronic key 1 transmits radio waves, the communication area of the electronic key 1 can be formed in an appropriate area according to the type of key operation. Thereby, in the case of motion detection operation, if the electronic key 1 is not located near the vehicle 2, the vehicle 2 does not operate. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the vehicle 2 to operate where the user does not intend.

  (2) The first operation is a normal operation of the electronic key 1, and the second operation is a motion detection operation of the electronic key 1. Therefore, it is advantageous to execute the normal operation and the motion detection operation with high accuracy.

  (3) Since the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 at the time of the motion detection operation is set lower than that at the time of the normal operation, the motion generated in the electronic key 1 moves temporarily when the electronic key 1 is away from the vehicle 2. Even if the movement according to the detection operation is taken, the device control signal Swl transmitted from the electronic key 1 at this time does not reach the vehicle 2. Therefore, even from this point, it can be said that it is highly advantageous to switch the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 in accordance with the key operation.

  (4) The radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 during the wireless operation is set to a standard level, and the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 during the motion detection operation is set to a low level. For this reason, the radio wave of the electronic key 1 can be transmitted far in the wireless operation, and the radio wave of the electronic key 1 can be transmitted only in the vicinity in the motion detection operation. Therefore, each communication area suitable for each key operation can be formed.

  (5) Even if the electronic key 1 moves away from the vehicle 2 and the movement generated in the electronic key 1 moves according to the movement detection operation, the locked vehicle door is unlocked unintentionally. You do n’t have to. Thus, security such as vehicle theft prevention can be ensured.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. This example is an example in which the communication mode switching function is changed. Therefore, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof is omitted, and only different parts are described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the communication mode switching function of this example is preferably a function for switching the reception level (reception sensitivity) of the vehicle receiver 10 according to the mode of key operation. In this case, the key control unit 12 preferably includes a notification output unit 31 that can transmit a notification based on the determination result of the operation determination unit 20 to the operation target (vehicle 2). For example, when it is determined that a motion detection operation has been performed on the electronic key 1, the notification output unit 31 preferably notifies the vehicle 2 of the operation presence notification Smv by radio. The output switching unit 21 is preferably provided in the verification ECU 4 of the vehicle 2. The output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 based on the operation presence notification Smv received from the notification output unit 31.

Next, the operation of the remote operation system 16 of this example will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the vehicle receiver 10 stands by for radio waves transmitted from the electronic key 1 by, for example, taking a standard reception level during normal operation. For this reason, since the vehicle receiver 10 takes a certain range of reception area, for example, radio waves transmitted from the electronic key 1 during wireless operation can be received without delay in this wide range of reception area. Is possible. Incidentally, the vehicle receiver 10 intermittently performs a reception preparation operation and waits for a radio wave transmitted from the electronic key 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that a motion detection operation is performed with the electronic key 1. At this time, the operation determination unit 20 notifies the notification output unit 31 that the motion detection operation has been executed. The notification output unit 31 causes the transmission unit 14 to transmit an operation presence notification Smv before the electronic key 1 transmits the device control signal Swl. The operation presence notification Smv is preferably a signal including, for example, a command notifying that there has been a motion detection operation and the electronic key ID registered in the electronic key 1. The operation presence notification Smv is preferably a UHF radio wave, for example.

  When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the operation presence notification Smv transmitted from the electronic key 1, the output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 based on the operation presence notification Smv. At this time, the verification ECU 4 first checks the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation presence notification Smv, and if it can be determined that the electronic key ID is valid, notifies the output switching unit 21 accordingly. When the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation presence notification Smv can be confirmed, the output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 to a level with lower sensitivity than usual in accordance with the command in the same signal.

  When a motion detection operation is performed with the electronic key 1, the electronic key 1 transmits a device control signal Swl for controlling the in-vehicle device from the transmitting unit 14 after transmitting the operation notification Smv. At this time, since the reception sensitivity of the vehicle receiver 10 is set low, if the electronic key 1 is located near the vehicle 2, the vehicle receiver 10 can receive the device control signal Swl, while the electronic key 1 If 1 is at a position away from the vehicle 2, the vehicle receiver 10 cannot receive the device control signal Swl. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for a situation in which the vehicle 2 is activated by a motion detection operation where the user does not intend. Note that the device control signal Swl of this example is not necessarily a signal including the electronic key ID, and may be a signal in which this is omitted.

  The output switching unit 21 preferably returns the vehicle receiver 10 to the original normal reception sensitivity when the operation of the in-vehicle device by the device control signal Swl is completed. In addition, after switching the reception sensitivity of the vehicle receiver 10 to a low level, the output switching unit 21 does not receive the device control signal Swl, but if a certain time elapses after the reception sensitivity is switched to a low level. The reception level may be returned to the original normal sensitivity.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, in addition to (2) and (5) described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(6) When the wireless operation is performed, the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 is set to the standard level, and when the motion detection operation is performed, the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 is set to a low level. Therefore, in the case of the motion detection operation, if the electronic key 1 is not located near the vehicle 2, the vehicle receiver 10 cannot receive the radio wave of the electronic key 1, and the vehicle 2 does not operate. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the vehicle 2 to operate where the user does not intend.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In this example, the motion detection operation is subdivided into an operation for locking and unlocking the vehicle door and an operation for starting the engine. For example, an operation of tapping the electronic key 1 once is defined as an operation of locking the vehicle door, and an operation of tapping the electronic key 1 is defined as an operation of unlocking the vehicle door, and the electronic key 1 is tapped five times. The operation is defined as an operation for starting the engine.

  The output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to an intermediate level lower than the standard level at the time of wireless operation when one tap operation or two tap operations are performed. It is preferable to set the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a lower level that is lower than the intermediate level when tapping is performed once. Note that the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 may be differentiated between one tap operation and two tap operations.

Next, the operation of the remote operation system 16 of this example will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6A, when the remote operation unit 13 of the electronic key 1 is operated by the user, a detection signal is output from the remote operation unit 13 to the key control unit 12. The operation determination unit 20 recognizes that a wireless operation has been performed on the electronic key 1 based on the detection signal input from the remote operation unit 13. When the vehicle operation with the electronic key 1 is a wireless operation, the output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a standard level (normal level). That is, the radio wave transmission intensity of the transmitter 14 is strong, and the radio wave of the electronic key 1 reaches the vehicle 2 even from a distance.

  When the remote control unit 13 of the electronic key 1 is operated, a device control signal Swl is transmitted from the transmission unit 14 from the electronic key 1. When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the device control signal Swl transmitted from the electronic key 1, the verification ECU 4 confirms the validity of the electronic key ID included in the device control signal Swl. When the verification ECU 4 confirms that the electronic key ID received from the electronic key 1 matches the electronic key ID registered in itself and the wireless verification is established, the verification ECU 4 operates according to the command included in the same signal. By this, the on-vehicle equipment is operated. For example, if a locking request signal is transmitted as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is locked, and if an unlocking request signal is transmitted as the device control signal Swl, the vehicle door is unlocked.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the operation determination unit 20 inputs a detection notification of a specific operation (here, one tap operation or two tap operations) from the movement determination unit 18, the operation determination unit 20 now uses the electronic key 1. Recognize that an operation to lock and unlock the vehicle door has been executed. When the vehicle operation with the electronic key 1 is an operation to lock and unlock the vehicle door, the output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to an intermediate level. In other words, the radio wave of the electronic key 1 does not reach the vehicle 2 unless the radio wave transmission intensity of the transmission unit 14 is lower than the standard time and does not approach the vehicle 2. For this reason, even if the electronic key 1 accidentally moves in accordance with the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door, the device control signal Swl does not reach the vehicle 2 unless it is close to the vehicle 2. The door is never unlocked.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (c), when the operation determination unit 20 inputs a detection notification of a specific operation (here, five tap operations) from the movement determination unit 18, an operation to start the engine is now performed with the electronic key 1. Recognize that it was executed. When the vehicle operation with the electronic key 1 is an operation to start the engine, the output switching unit 21 sets the radio wave transmission level (transmission intensity) of the transmission unit 14 to a low level. That is, the radio wave intensity of the electronic key 1 does not reach the vehicle 2 unless the radio wave transmission intensity of the transmitter 14 is further lower than the intermediate level and enters the vehicle. For this reason, even if the electronic key 1 accidentally moves in accordance with the operation for starting the engine, the device control signal Swl does not reach the vehicle 2 unless it enters the vehicle, so that the engine is started without the user's intention. There is nothing.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, in addition to (1) to (5) described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(7) When starting the engine, it is necessary to perform key operations (five tap operations) in a smaller area than when the vehicle door is locked and unlocked. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult to cause a situation where the engine starts at a place not intended by the user.

(8) Since the engine start by a third party is suppressed, security is improved.
(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In this example, the motion detection operation is subdivided into an operation for locking and unlocking the vehicle door and an operation for starting the engine. For example, an operation of tapping the electronic key 1 once is defined as an operation of locking the vehicle door, and an operation of tapping the electronic key 1 is defined as an operation of unlocking the vehicle door, and the electronic key 1 is tapped five times. The operation is defined as an operation for starting the engine.

  When the operation determination unit 20 determines that one tap operation or two tap operations have been performed on the electronic key 1, the notification output unit 31 notifies the operation presence notification Smv of the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door. 2 is preferably notified by radio. Similarly, the notification output unit 31 wirelessly notifies the vehicle 2 of the operation presence notification Smv when the operation determination unit 20 determines that five tap operations have been performed on the electronic key 1. It is preferable to do. Note that the operation presence notification Smv may be differentiated between one tap operation and two tap operations. The output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 based on the operation presence notification Smv received from the notification output unit 31.

Next, the operation of the remote operation system 16 of this example will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the vehicle receiver 10 stands by for radio waves transmitted from the electronic key 1 by taking a standard reception level, for example, during normal operation. For this reason, since the vehicle receiver 10 takes a certain range of reception area, for example, radio waves transmitted from the electronic key 1 during wireless operation can be received without delay in this wide range of reception area. Is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, it is assumed that a motion detection operation (here, one tap operation or two tap operations) is performed with the electronic key 1. At this time, the operation determination unit 20 notifies the notification output unit 31 that the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door has been executed. The notification output unit 31 causes the transmission unit 14 to transmit an operation presence notification Smv before the electronic key 1 transmits the device control signal Swl. The operation presence notification Smv is preferably a signal including, for example, a command notifying that there has been an operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door and the electronic key ID registered in the electronic key 1.

  When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the operation presence notification Smv transmitted from the electronic key 1, the output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 based on the operation presence notification Smv. At this time, the verification ECU 4 first checks the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation presence notification Smv, and if it can be determined that the electronic key ID is valid, notifies the output switching unit 21 accordingly. When the output switching unit 21 can confirm the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation notification Smv, the output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 to an intermediate level having a lower sensitivity than usual in accordance with a command in the same signal.

  When the operation for locking and unlocking the vehicle door is performed with the electronic key 1, the electronic key 1 transmits the device control signal Swl for controlling the in-vehicle device from the transmission unit 14 after transmitting the operation notification Smv. At this time, since the reception sensitivity of the vehicle receiver 10 is set to an intermediate level, if the electronic key 1 is located near the vehicle 2, the vehicle receiver 10 can receive the device control signal Swl, If the electronic key 1 is located away from the vehicle 2, the vehicle receiver 10 cannot receive the device control signal Swl. Therefore, it becomes possible to make it difficult to generate a situation in which the vehicle 2 is activated by an operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door where the user does not intend.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, it is assumed that a motion detection operation (here, five tap operations) is performed with the electronic key 1. At this time, the operation determination unit 20 notifies the notification output unit 31 that the operation for starting the engine has been executed. The notification output unit 31 causes the transmission unit 14 to transmit an operation presence notification Smv before the electronic key 1 transmits the device control signal Swl. The operation presence notification Smv is preferably a signal including, for example, a command for notifying that an operation for starting the engine has been performed and the electronic key ID registered in the electronic key 1.

  When the vehicle receiver 10 receives the operation presence notification Smv transmitted from the electronic key 1, the output switching unit 21 switches the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 based on the operation presence notification Smv. At this time, the verification ECU 4 first checks the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation presence notification Smv, and if it can be determined that the electronic key ID is valid, notifies the output switching unit 21 accordingly. When the output switching unit 21 can confirm the validity of the electronic key ID in the operation presence notification Smv, the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 is set to a low level that is lower in sensitivity than the intermediate level in accordance with the command in the same signal. Switch.

  When an operation for starting the engine is executed with the electronic key 1, the electronic key 1 transmits a device control signal Swl for controlling the in-vehicle device from the transmitting unit 14 after transmitting the operation notification Smv. At this time, since the reception sensitivity of the vehicle receiver 10 is set to a low level, if the electronic key 1 is located in the vehicle, the vehicle receiver 10 can receive the device control signal Swl, while the electronic key 1 Is outside the vehicle, the vehicle receiver 10 cannot receive the device control signal Swl. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the vehicle 2 to operate due to an operation of starting the engine where the user does not intend.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, in addition to (2) and (5) described in the first embodiment and (6) described in the second embodiment, (7) and (8 described in the third embodiment are used. ) Effect.
Note that the embodiment is not limited to the configuration described so far, and may be modified as follows.

  In each embodiment, the vehicle 2 may include a key operation free system as the electronic key system 3, and the electronic key 1 may be a key capable of performing both smart verification and wireless verification. The key operation free system performs ID collation (smart collation) by narrow-band radio in response to communication from the vehicle 2. In the key operation free system, when the electronic key 1 receives, for example, a request signal transmitted from the vehicle 2 by radio waves in the LF (Low Frequency) band, the electronic key 1 is activated and transmits an ID signal to the vehicle 2 via UHF. Perform smart verification on the ID signal. And if smart collation is materialized, operation of in-vehicle equipment will be permitted or performed.

In each embodiment, the device control signal Swl may be a signal constructed from a plurality of frames.
In each embodiment, the device control signal Swl may have different signal contents for the normal operation and the motion detection operation.

  In each embodiment, the specific operation (motion detection operation) imposed on the user by the remote operation system 16 is not limited to a tap operation, and can be changed to various modes as long as it is a motion involving movement using the body. .

  In each embodiment, the wireless operation is not limited to the remote operation of locking / unlocking the vehicle door, and can be changed to various operations such as opening / closing operation of the slide door and starting operation of the panic function. Accordingly, the remote operation unit 13 is not limited to the locking / unlocking button, but can be changed to a sliding door opening / closing button, a panic button, or the like.

  In the first embodiment or the third embodiment, the output switching unit 21 satisfies the condition that the motion detection operation can be recognized and the radio wave (request signal) according to the free system is not received from the vehicle 2. At this time, the transmission level of the electronic key 1 may be switched to a low level. In this case, the transmission level of the electronic key 1 can be accurately switched to a low level. In the second embodiment or the fourth embodiment, the notification output unit 31 satisfies the condition that the motion detection operation can be recognized and the radio wave (request signal) according to the key operation free system is not received from the vehicle 2. When the operation is being performed, the operation presence notification Smv may be transmitted to the vehicle 2. In this case, the operation presence notification Smv can be accurately transmitted from the electronic key 1 to the vehicle 2.

In the second embodiment or the fourth embodiment, the operation presence notification Smv may be a signal constructed from a plurality of frames.
-In 2nd Embodiment or 4th Embodiment, operation notification Smv should just be a signal which can notify the vehicle 2 that there existed motion detection operation with the electronic key 1, For example, even the signal constructed | assembled from several bits Good.

  In each embodiment, the first operation may be a smart operation. That is, the communication mode of the electronic key system 3 may be switched between the motion detection operation and the smart operation. Smart operation is operation which operates the vehicle 2 by a key operation free system.

In each embodiment, the normal operation is not limited to the wireless operation or the smart operation, and various operations can be adopted as long as the operation function originally exists in the electronic key 1.
In each embodiment, the first operation may be a smart operation and the second operation may be a wireless operation. That is, the communication mode of the electronic key system 3 may be switched between the smart operation and the wireless operation, for example, without using the motion detection operation as a determination target.

  In the first embodiment or the third embodiment, the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 during normal operation may be set to a low level, and the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key 1 during motion detection operation may be set to a high level. In the second embodiment or the fourth embodiment, the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 during normal operation may be set to a low level, and the reception level of the vehicle receiver 10 during motion detection operation may be set to a high level.

-In each embodiment, an operation | movement detection part is not limited to an acceleration sensor (G sensor), If it can detect the motion which generate | occur | produces in the electronic key 1, it can be changed into various members.
In each embodiment, the operation target is not limited to the vehicle 2, and can be changed to another device or device such as a house door.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects.
(A) In the electronic key system, the output switching unit switches a radio wave transmission level by changing a communication function provided in an IC of a communication circuit. According to this configuration, the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key can be switched by a simple mode of changing the communication function of the IC of the communication circuit.

  (B) In the electronic key system, the output switching unit is configured to set the reception level of the receiver when the key operation is the motion detection operation from the reception level of the receiver when the key operation is a normal operation. Also set it low. According to this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the motion detection operation to occur without the user's intention by switching the reception level of the receiver.

  (C) The electronic key includes the operation determination unit and a notification output unit that transmits a notification based on the determination result to the operation target. The operation target is based on the notification received from the electronic key. The output switching unit that switches the reception level of the receiver is provided. According to this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the motion detection operation to occur without the user's intention by switching the reception level of the receiver.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic key, 2 ... Vehicle which is an example of operation object, 10 ... Receiver (vehicle receiver), 13 ... Remote operation part, 17 ... Motion detection part, 20 ... Operation determination part, 21 ... Output switching part, Swl ... A device control signal that is an example of radio waves transmitted from an electronic key.

Claims (5)

The operation object can be operated on the condition that wireless ID verification is performed between the operation object and the electronic key in accordance with the normal operation of the electronic key, and a specific operation on the electronic key is performed. In the electronic key system in which the operation object can be operated even by the motion detection operation of the electronic key detected by the detection unit,
An operation determination unit for determining a key operation;
When the key operation is the first operation, the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key or the reception level of the receiver to be operated is set to a normal level, and when the key operation is the second operation, the electronic key An electronic key system comprising: an output switching unit that sets a radio wave transmission level of a key or a reception level of the operation target receiver to a level lower than normal. The first operation is the normal operation,
The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the second operation is the motion detection operation. The normal operation is a wireless operation in which the operation target is operated on condition that an ID collation that is executed in response to an operation of a remote operation unit provided in the electronic key is established. Or the electronic key system of 2. The second operation is defined by subdividing into an operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door and an operation of starting the engine,
When the key operation is an operation for starting the engine, the output switching unit sets the radio wave transmission level of the electronic key or the reception level of the operation target receiver as compared with the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle door. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic key system is set to a low level. The operation target can be operated on condition that a wireless ID verification executed according to a normal operation is performed with the operation target, and a specific motion is detected by the motion detection unit, and the operation is also detected by the motion detection operation. In electronic keys that can be operated by the target,
An operation determination unit for determining a key operation;
An electronic key comprising: an output switching unit that switches a transmission level of a radio wave transmitted from the electronic key according to the key operation based on a determination result of the operation determination unit.