JP2019214832A - Electronic key system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electronic key system capable of improving convenience.SOLUTION: When an electronic key 2 enters inside a communication area 35 while a slide door automatic opening function is set to ON in the electronic key 2 or a vehicle 3, an instruction for opening a slide door 38 is sent from the electronic key 2 to the vehicle 3. The vehicle 3 indicates by a laser a detection area 37 at a foot of the slide door 38 and a walking zone 36 in which a key possessor should walk. The vehicle 3 automatically opens the slide door 38 when the possessor of the electronic key 2 walks in the walking zone 36 and when a person is present inside the detection area 37.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic key system that controls a control target through wireless communication between an electronic key having a communication function and a communication target of the electronic key.

  In this type of electronic key system, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the swing operation of the electronic key is reflected in the opening / closing control of the slide door, and in the technology of Patent Document 2, the tapping operation of the electronic key is reflected in the control of opening and closing the door. Is done.

JP 2011-000903 A JP 2010-275701 A

  In an electronic key system that controls the vehicle by swinging and hitting operations, including button operations on the electronic keys, key operations are difficult when both hands of the key holder are blocked by luggage, etc. Even if is not blocked, it is inconvenient to take out the key.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic key system capable of improving convenience.

  An electronic key system that solves the above-mentioned problem detects a position of an electronic key with respect to a communication target in an electronic key system that controls a control target through wireless communication between an electronic key having a communication function and a communication target of the electronic key. Control means for permitting the operation of the controlled object when it is detected that the holder of the electronic key has walked on a prescribed walking belt based on the result of detecting the position of the electronic key by the position detection means. And

  According to this configuration, even when both hands of the key holder are closed, it is easy to walk, and therefore, the control target can be easily operated without taking out the keys by walking along the prescribed walking belt. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

  The electronic key system includes a human detection sensor that detects that a human is in a detection area corresponding to a control target, and the control unit detects that a human is in the detection area by the human detection sensor. Under the condition, the operation of the control target corresponding to the detection area may be performed.

  According to this configuration, the control is performed such that the keyless person is in the detection area corresponding to the slide door, which is an example of the control target, and the slide door is opened when the keyholder walks on the prescribed walking belt. Becomes possible. Therefore, when the non-key holder gets on the vehicle before the key holder, the door can be unlocked and the door opened without taking out the key, so that the convenience can be improved.

  According to the present invention, convenience can be improved.

The figure which shows the concept of a slide door automatic opening function with the structure of an electronic key system.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic key system will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic key system 1 is a control target (an example is a vehicle) through wireless communication between an electronic key 2 having a communication function and a communication target of the electronic key 2 (an example is a verification ECU 30 of the vehicle 3). The third slide door 38) is controlled.

  The vehicle 3 includes a collation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30 that controls the security of the vehicle, a transmitter 31 that transmits a polling signal around the vehicle 3, and a receiver that receives a response signal to the polling signal. 32, a person detection sensor 33 for detecting that a person is in a detection area 37 corresponding to the slide door 38. In addition, the vehicle 3 includes a laser light source 34, and the verification ECU 30 presents a detection area 37 near the foot of the slide door 38 through projection control or the like on the laser light source 34, and a prescribed walking zone for the key holder to walk. 36 is presented.

  The electronic key 2 possessed by the user as a vehicle key includes, in addition to the microcomputer 20 that controls the overall control of the own key, a reception circuit 21 that receives a polling signal, a transmission circuit 22 that transmits a response signal, and acceleration of the electronic key 2. An acceleration sensor 23 for detecting is provided. The microcomputer 20 transmits a response signal based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 23 on condition that the electronic key 2 is moving. That is, when the electronic key 2 is not moved, the response signal is not transmitted even if the polling signal is received.

  The verification ECU 30 periodically transmits a polling signal from the transmitter 31 to form a communication area 35 around the vehicle 3 in order to monitor the approach of the electronic key 2. When the electronic key 2 enters the communication area 35 with the slide door automatic open function set to ON in the electronic key 2 or the vehicle 3, the microcomputer 20 receives the polling signal and opens the slide door 38. A response signal for instructing the operation is transmitted. The response signal includes a unique key code of the electronic key 2.

  In the memory of the verification ECU 30, the key code of the electronic key 2 suitable for the own vehicle is registered as a reference key code. Upon receiving the response signal, the verification ECU 30 analyzes the response signal, and determines that the key authentication has been established when the response signal includes a key code that matches the reference key code. , Walking zone 36 and detection area 37 are presented by laser. At this time, the verification ECU 30 estimates the distance from the receiver 32 to the electronic key 2 based on the received signal strength of the response signal, and also determines that the receiver 32 receives the response signal while shifting the directivity. Then, the direction of the electronic key 2 with respect to the receiver 32 is specified while estimating the arrival direction of the response signal. Then, the verification ECU 30 detects the position of the electronic key 2 with respect to the receiver 32 based on the distance and the direction, and presents the walking zone 36 heading for the vehicle 3 from the detected position by the laser. The verification ECU 30 corresponds to a position detecting unit.

  The position of the electronic key 2 is detected by measuring the received signal strength of the polling signal with the electronic key 2, transmitting a response signal including the measured value from the electronic key 2, and analyzing the response signal by the verification ECU 30. May be.

  The verification ECU 30 monitors the position of the electronic key 2 through wireless communication with the electronic key 2 and, when detecting that the holder of the electronic key 2 has walked the specified walking belt 36, The opening operation of the slide door 38 is permitted. Then, while permitting the opening operation of the slide door 38, the verification ECU 30 performs the opening operation of the slide door 38 on the condition that the presence of a person in the detection area 37 is detected by the human detection sensor 33. . The verification ECU 30 corresponds to a control unit.

Next, the operation of the electronic key system 1 will be described.
When the key holder (first user) enters the communication area 35, the walking belt 36 and the detection area 37 are presented by the laser.

(Assumption 1)
It is assumed that a keyless person (the second user) gets into the vehicle 3 before the key holder, and if the keyless person enters the detection area 37 first, the key holder becomes the specified walking zone. Since the slide door 38 is automatically opened at the stage when the vehicle 36 has completed the walk, the non-key holder can get on the vehicle 3 before the key holder.

(Assumption 2)
It is assumed that a third person is in the detection area 37, and if the key holder goes out of the walking zone 36, the slide door 38 is not opened even if the key authentication is established, so that security is ensured.

(Assumption 3)
It is assumed that the key holder alone gets into the vehicle 3. If the key holder enters the detection area 37 within a predetermined time after walking the specified walking belt 36, the slide door 38 is automatically opened. Key holders can carry luggage.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Even if both hands of the key holder are closed, it is easy to walk, and therefore, by walking in the prescribed walking belt 36, the slide door 38 can be easily operated without taking out the electronic key 2. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

(2) The door can be unlocked and opened without taking out the electronic key 2 when the non-key holder gets on the vehicle 3 before the key holder, so that the convenience can be improved.
The above-described embodiment can be embodied with the following modifications.

When the slide door automatic opening function is set to ON, a function for notifying the user at the timing when the engine is turned off may be provided.
The distance of the communication area 35 and the walking belt 36 may be customized by the vehicle 3.

The walking belt 36 is not limited to being set from the entrance of the key holder to the communication area 35 toward the vehicle 3 and may be set at an arbitrary position.
・ Laser irradiation technology is optional. It suffices if a sharp projection can be obtained so that the key holder can view it.

The position and the number of the laser light sources 34 are arbitrary.
-As the human detection sensor 33, an infrared sensor, an illuminance sensor, or the like may be used.
Not only the acceleration sensor 23 but also a vibration sensor such as an angular velocity sensor may be used.

  Radio waves of various frequency bands may be used as the polling signal or the response signal according to the required communication distance. Note that radio waves of the same frequency band may be used for them, or radio waves of different frequency bands may be used.

The control object is not limited to the slide door 38, but may be a driver's seat door or a passenger's seat door.
The present invention is not limited to the electronic key system 1 for vehicles, but may be applied to an electronic key system for buildings.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic key system, 2 ... Electronic key, 3 ... Vehicle, 20 ... Microcomputer, 21 ... Reception circuit, 22 ... Transmission circuit, 23 ... Acceleration sensor, 30 ... Verification ECU (communication object, position detection means, control means), 31 ... transmitter (communication target), 32 ... receiver (communication target), 33 ... human detection sensor, 34 ... laser light source, 35 ... communication area, 36 ... walking belt, 37 ... detection area, 38 ... slide door (control Target).

Claims (2)

An electronic key system that controls a control target through wireless communication between an electronic key having a communication function and a communication target of the electronic key,
Position detecting means for detecting the position of the electronic key with respect to the communication target;
A control unit for permitting an operation of a control target when detecting that a holder of the electronic key has walked a prescribed walking zone based on a result of detecting a position of the electronic key by the position detection unit. . A human detection sensor that detects that a person is in the detection area corresponding to the control target,
The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs an operation of a control target corresponding to the detection area on condition that the presence of a person in the detection area is detected by the human detection sensor.