JP2023165741A - Article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an article for branching a signal from an antenna which transmits a signal in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A relay cable device 1 comprises a first connector 2 and a second connector 3, a relay cable 4 which relays therebetween, and a branch cable 5 which is branched from the relay cable 4. The relay cable device 1 is solely connected to an antenna in a vehicle. The first connector 2 is connected to an antenna side connector of the antenna, and the second connector 3 is connected to a cable side connector. A signal branched from the relay cable 4 by the branch cable 5 is transmitted to a vehicle repeater in the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, things that transmit signals.

BACKGROUND ART Remote control has conventionally been performed within a vehicle via wireless communication. Patent Document 1 is shown as an example of such a technique.
Patent Document 1 relates to a remote starting device for a vehicle. In Patent Document 1, remote control is performed as follows.
First, the driver of the vehicle 1 carries the portable device 16 and operates the remote control 34 at a position away from the vehicle 1, causing the remote control 34 to wirelessly transmit a remote control start signal. Thereby, upon receiving this remote control starting signal, the wireless transmitting/receiving section 32 of the vehicle-mounted device 30 outputs an engine starting signal SSW2 to the vehicle control section 4. Upon receiving the engine start signal SSW2, the vehicle control section 4 makes an inquiry to the verification control section 6 for permission to start the engine, and the verification control section 6 transmits a request signal from the wireless transmitting/receiving section 18.

When the on-vehicle device 30 receives this request signal at the wireless transmitter/receiver 32, it amplifies the request signal and transfers it to the remote controller 34. Upon receiving the request signal, the wireless transmitter/receiver 36 of the remote controller 34 transfers the request signal to the wireless transmitter/receiver 24 of the portable device 16 . When the portable device 16 receives the request signal, it transmits a password code signal including the password from the wireless transmitting/receiving section 24 or the transponder section 26 . When the remote controller 34 receives this code code signal, it amplifies the code signal and wirelessly transmits it from the wireless transmitting/receiving section 36.
When the vehicle-mounted device 30 receives this code code signal, it transmits the code signal from the wireless transmitter/receiver 32 or transponder unit 35 to the wireless transmitter/receiver 18 or transponder unit 20 of the verification control unit 6 . When the verification control unit 6 receives the PIN code signal, it verifies the reference code and the PIN code. When the reference code and the password match, the verification control section 6 outputs an engine start permission signal to the vehicle control section 4.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-121791

In the remote control disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a signal is wirelessly transmitted from the vehicle side, the on-vehicle device 30 on the receiving side receives the signal wirelessly using the wireless transmitting/receiving section 32 . However, when receiving this signal wirelessly, the wireless transmitter/receiver 32 must be installed at a position and in a direction that optimizes its reception performance for radio waves. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the vehicle-mounted device 30 in a position and direction that provides the best reception performance while checking the indicator of the measuring device. Moreover, it is not possible to place the onboard device 30 anywhere, so it is quite difficult to place the onboard device 30 while ensuring reception performance, and it takes time to find such a place. Such is the case.
Therefore, the inventor attempted to achieve signal transmission by connecting an object that transmits a signal to an antenna instead of transmitting the signal wirelessly. In order to relay the signal from the antenna, it is preferable to arrange a device for branching the signal between the antenna and the wiring to the antenna. For example, a relay cable device may be used as the signal branching device.
A relay cable device is one in which a pair of connectors are arranged at both ends of one or more relay cables, and a branch cable is connected to the relay cables. The relay cable device is used by interposing the connectors of the relay cable device between connectors on the antenna side to which the cables are connected, respectively. For example, it is possible to use an electrotap as a simple connector to connect a branch cable in the middle of a cable, but with a simple installation like an electrotap, connection failures may occur due to work errors depending on the skill of the worker. It's for a reason.

Incidentally, when attaching a relay cable device for wired connection with an antenna, the following problems may occur, for example.
(b) As for the connectors on the cable route for branching from the antenna, other connector groups other than the intended connector are often arranged at the position where the relay cable device is attached, so it is difficult to search for the intended connector. It takes a lot of time. It's hard to know which connector to remove to insert a branch cable connector, for example, when you remove one connector and try to insert a branch cable, you realize that you have removed the wrong connector that the branch cable cannot be inserted into, and then you have to remove another connector. There were problems such as disconnecting the connector and then realizing that you had disconnected the wrong connector and the branch cable could not be inserted.
(b) There was a problem in that there was no commonality in the connector shape between vehicle manufacturers, and there was also a lack of commonality in the connector shape between vehicle models even from the same vehicle manufacturer. How and where the cable is relayed to which connector is optimized depending on the allocation of functions in the vehicle design, the order of the vehicle assembly process, work efficiency, etc. depending on the car manufacturer and car model. This is for the purpose of Furthermore, since the idea is to bundle the cables together into a harness, the shape of the cables will inevitably vary depending on the vehicle model.
Therefore, in order to accommodate these connectors, it was necessary to prepare many different types of relay cable devices depending on the vehicle type. Therefore, molds for manufacturing many different types of connectors must be prepared, which increases mold costs. In addition, in many different types of relay cable equipment, workers have to perform work such as attaching relay cables to connectors and branch cables, which is cumbersome, and the production is done in small lots. It must be made. As a result, the work cost of the relay cable device also increases. Furthermore, it is necessary to stock many types of relay cable devices, and it is also necessary to secure a storage space for them.
(c) Many connectors and cables are concentrated at the location where the relay cable device is installed, and it may be difficult to install the relay cable device at this location in terms of space capacity.
While the above-mentioned problems arise when installing a relay cable device for an antenna, the inventor examined various vehicle models regarding the current state of antennas, and found that an antenna for authentication of vehicle control. has discovered that currently the same products are being supplied exclusively regardless of car model or manufacturer.

The present invention has been made in view of the various problems described above.
(1) A vehicle that wirelessly transmits a signal into the vehicle interior from an antenna installed in the vehicle, and determines whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle based on a response signal received from a portable device located in the vehicle interior. , a device for acquiring the signal in another system that uses the signal, the most externally accessible device provided in the wiring in the vehicle from the device of the vehicle that generates the signal to the antenna. a first connector that fits into one of a pair of connectors closer to the antenna; a second connector that fits into the other; a relay line that relays a signal between the first connector and the second connector; It is preferable to include a branch line for acquiring signals.
Thereby, for example, signals near the antenna can be received by wire. Further, unlike when receiving signals from an antenna wirelessly, for example, there is no need to take time to set up other systems that use the signals.
In addition, regarding problem (a) above, since it is difficult to place other connector groups at the position of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside, it is difficult to find the desired connector or mix up the connectors. It becomes difficult to wake up.
In addition, regarding the issue (b) above, since the connectors provided uniquely to antennas have commonality, it is sufficient to use the first connector and second connector that fit with such a connector, and different types of connectors may be used. There is no need to prepare different types of "things".
Furthermore, regarding the problem (c) above, since the antenna is placed alone, it is advantageous in terms of space when attaching "objects".

Here, the "object" may be, for example, an object capable of transmitting a signal, and may be, for example, a structure that branches wiring from a vehicle device to an antenna. The trunk line or branch line may be, for example, a cable, and in particular may be a singly coated wire. Then, the first connector and the second connector may be attached thereto. For example, the relay line and branch line may be arranged on a printed circuit board, or a connector connected to the relay line or branch line may be formed on the printed circuit board. It is particularly preferable to form the connector member and the wiring member without providing the connector member and the wiring member. In particular, the wiring member is preferably made of a flexible material. In this way, it can be easily bent and inserted into a narrow empty space left in a vehicle or into different empty spaces between different vehicle models.
"A vehicle that wirelessly transmits a signal into the vehicle interior from an antenna installed in the vehicle, and determines whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle based on a response signal received from a portable device located in the vehicle interior." For example, it is preferable to provide a vehicle control system that controls a vehicle by wirelessly exchanging signals between a vehicle control device and a portable device that can communicate wirelessly with each other. In a vehicle control system, for example, when authentication information stored in a vehicle control device and authentication information stored in a portable device that can communicate wirelessly with the vehicle control device satisfy predetermined authentication conditions, vehicle control is performed. It is better to have a system that allows "The authentication information satisfies a predetermined authentication condition" may be defined as, for example, a predetermined authentication condition being met, or a different authentication condition being calculated each time as the authentication condition to match the authentication condition. The "predetermined operation of the vehicle" may be, for example, starting the engine.
"Other systems that use signals" are, for example, vehicle control systems that control vehicles by exchanging signals wirelessly between a vehicle control device and a portable device that can communicate wirelessly with each other. It is preferable to use a relay system that relays wireless communication between the device and the portable device. As a device constituting a relay system that relays wireless communication, it is preferable to use, for example, a first relay placed on the vehicle side and a second relay carried together with a portable device.
A pair of connectors "closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside" is, for example, a pair of connectors on the antenna side that is exposed from the antenna housing as a part of the antenna unit that is the antenna main body, or It is preferable to have a structure in which the antenna is directly fixed to the casing of the antenna, or supported near the casing of the antenna by, for example, a connecting object (for example, a very short cable). For example, even if a connector connected to the internal circuit of the antenna unit is installed inside the antenna casing, if the connector cannot be fitted with an external connector, then ” cannot be used as a connector.
The "wiring" may be electrically connected, for example, and may be wired not only with conductors such as cables and conductive wires but also with parts such as resistors and capacitors interposed therebetween. The same applies to other lines such as "relay line" and "branch line".
The first connector is, for example, a connector that fits into the connector on the antenna side of a pair of connectors closest to the antenna provided in the wiring in the vehicle from the vehicle device that generates the signal to the antenna; The connector may be, for example, a connector that fits into a connector on the vehicle device side out of a pair of connectors provided on wiring in the vehicle from the vehicle device that generates the signal to the antenna and which is closest to the antenna.

(1-1) A signal is wirelessly transmitted into the vehicle interior from an antenna installed in the vehicle, and it is determined whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle based on a response signal received from a portable device located in the vehicle interior. A device for acquiring the signal with another system that uses the signal in a vehicle that uses the signal, and a wiring route in the vehicle from a device in the vehicle that generates the signal to the antenna includes a plurality of pairs of connectors. a first connector that fits into one of the pair of connectors with fewer wires, a second connector that fits into the other of the pair of connectors, and the first connector and the second connector. It is preferable to include a trunk line for relaying signals between the connectors, and a branch line for acquiring the signals.
In this way, by connecting "things" to a pair of connectors with fewer wires, it takes less time to check the wiring during installation than when connecting to a pair of connectors with relatively more wires. It doesn't cost. The first connector and second connector that are compatible with a pair of connectors with fewer wires do not become larger and require less manufacturing cost than when connected to a pair of connectors with relatively more wires.

(1-2) A signal is wirelessly transmitted from an antenna installed in the vehicle into the vehicle interior, and based on a response signal received from a portable device located in the vehicle interior, it is determined whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle. A device for acquiring the signal with another system that uses the signal in a vehicle that uses the signal, and a wiring route in the vehicle from a device in the vehicle that generates the signal to the antenna includes a plurality of pairs of connectors. has
Among the plurality of pairs of connectors, there is a connector in which a connector to which wiring other than the wiring leading to the antenna is connected is arranged near the pair of connectors, and a connector to which wiring other than the wiring leading to the antenna is connected near the pair of connectors. It has a connector to which wiring is connected and a connector that is not arranged,
A first connector that fits into one of the pair of connectors that does not have a connector connected to wiring other than the wiring that leads to the antenna in the vicinity of the pair of connectors, a second connector that fits into the other connector, and a second connector that fits into the other connector. It is preferable to include a trunk line for relaying signals between the connector and the second connector, and a branch line for acquiring the signal.
In this way, there are a plurality of connectors on the wiring route in the vehicle leading to the antenna, and the "object" is connected to a pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside, Of the multiple connectors on the vehicle's wiring route leading to the antenna, the "object" that is not closest to the antenna cannot be connected, so "objects" are not connected near the area where many types of connectors are gathered, and the connector to be installed is Eliminates problems such as sorting and mistakes.
In particular, it is preferable to include a first connector, a second connector, a trunk line, and a branch line having both configurations (1) and (1-2). More preferably, the first connector, the second connector, the trunk line, and the branch line are provided so as to have all of the configurations (1), (1-1), and (1-2).

(2) The wiring in the vehicle from the vehicle device that generates the signal to the antenna includes a pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside, and one or more pairs of connectors that are not closest to the antenna. are provided, the connectors closest to the antenna are connected to other wiring other than the wiring leading to the antenna, and the first and second connectors are externally accessible connectors closest to the antenna. It is preferable to fit the
This idea is, for example, to fit the first and second connectors into one of the pair of connectors that has fewer wires. In this way, when other wiring other than the antenna material wiring is connected to the "connector that is the closest to the antenna", it is difficult to place an "object" with respect to the "connector that is the closest to the antenna". Many problems then arise.
For example, multiple wires are concentrated in the "connector closest to the antenna", so even if you look at the "connector closest to the antenna", you will not be able to tell at a glance which wire is for what purpose. It's something to put away. Therefore, first, it takes extra work time to check the wiring during installation.
Furthermore, for example, since a plurality of wires are connected, the "connector closest to the antenna" tends to be larger, which increases material costs. Also, for example, the shape of the "connector closest to the antenna" is not necessarily the same for each vehicle model, so the type and number of wires concentrated in the "connector closest to the antenna" is the same for each vehicle model. That's not to say. Therefore, in that case, the number of molds for manufacturing the first connector and the second connector of the "product" also increases, which increases the cost of the molds. Further, for example, it is necessary to incorporate a corresponding number of relay wires according to the number of poles (number of terminals) of the first connector and the second connector of the "product", which increases work costs. These factors also increase the manufacturing cost when manufacturing "products". In addition, for example, when preparing many types of "things", it is necessary to secure a place to stock those many types of "things", and from those many types of "things", it is necessary to secure a place to stock the many types of "things". It also takes time to select.
On the other hand, if the configuration is such that the first and second connectors are fitted into the externally accessible connector closest to the antenna, the above problems will not occur and the work of installing the first and second connectors will be easier. It will be simplified and the manufacturing cost of the first and second connectors will also be reduced.

The reason why a connector is placed in the middle of a cable in a vehicle is as follows.
Cables that transmit signals are connected with connectors at the boundary positions divided into areas, such as near the boundary between the engine room side and the instrument panel, or near the boundary between the engine room side and the indoor side. The route is configured. The reason why the cables are separated and connected with connectors is because the assembly process in vehicle manufacturing is different from the conventional method of connecting a single cable to the target device without a connector in the middle of the vehicle. This is because cable management becomes difficult. Therefore, a cable in a vehicle is generally connected to a target in-vehicle device via a connector midway.
Further, cables of the same type are bundled into a harness through one connector, and each harness has a plurality of different connectors. The position where the connector group is concentrated is generally near the boundary. The location where a group of connectors is concentrated is generally a location where workers can easily access the connectors for connecting connectors when assembling a vehicle, and at the same time, it is also a location where workers can easily access the connectors for vehicle maintenance and repair. Therefore, it is an appropriate place to place the connector both empirically and efficiently. Therefore, the connector group is often stored in a storage space provided near the lower front of the passenger seat, for example.

(3) The wiring in the vehicle from the vehicle device that generates the signal to the antenna includes a pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside, and one or more pairs of connectors that are not closest to the antenna. A connector to which wiring inside the vehicle other than the wiring leading to the antenna is connected is arranged near the connector that is not closest to the antenna, and the first and second connectors are accessible from the outside. It is preferable to fit the connector closest to the antenna as possible.
With this configuration, the first and second connectors of the "object" can be fitted into the vehicle's connector without any other connectors around, allowing the worker to work with sufficient space. can do. Further, since the first connector and the second connector can be fitted to the connector closest to the antenna in the wiring leading to the antenna, there is no possibility of connectors being mixed up.
On the other hand, if "things" are to be installed on a pair of connectors that are not closest to the antenna, for example, it is necessary to distinguish between the connector that is originally planned to be installed and other connectors in the vicinity. However, this results in wasted work time. Furthermore, if the mounting area is narrow, the wiring of the connector may get in the way during installation.

(4) Either the first or second connector that fits into the antenna-side connector of the pair of connectors closer to the antenna is preferably a connector that fits into a connector provided on the antenna.
The inventors actually disassembled and studied many cars distributed in various countries, and as a result, they were able to wirelessly transmit a signal from an antenna installed in the vehicle into the vehicle interior, and receive it from a portable device located inside the vehicle interior. In a vehicle that determines whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle based on a response signal, this antenna uses a common connector between different vehicle models of the same manufacturer, and also uses a common connector between different vehicle models of different manufacturers. It was also found that common connectors were used. On the other hand, we also found that this possibility is low with other connectors. Since the connector closest to the antenna is common even in different car models, one type of "object" having a first connector and a second connector that fits into that connector is sufficient for most car models. That will happen. At the very least, the number of types can be significantly reduced compared to using connectors that fit into other connectors. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure the manufacturing cost of manufacturing many types of connectors and the space to stock these various types of connectors.
Here, "a connector provided on an antenna" means, for example, whether the connector is fixed directly to the antenna housing or exposed from the antenna housing as part of an antenna unit housed within the antenna housing. For example, the connector may be fixed to a connecting object other than the casing (for example, a very short cable) that extends slightly from the antenna side.
(5) Either the first or second connector that fits into the connector on the antenna side of the pair of connectors located near the antenna is preferably a connector that fits on the connector fixed on the antenna side. .
As a result, the antenna and the connector on the antenna side are integrated, so it is no longer necessary to prepare many types of connectors on the antenna side, and the connector on the antenna side can be unified. Therefore, the shapes of the connectors that fit into the connectors on the antenna side of various types are unified, and there is no need to prepare many types of connectors.

(6) The first connector and the second connector are located closer to the antenna than the pair of connectors accessible from the outside of the wiring route leading to the pair of connectors closest to the antenna that are accessible from the outside. It is also preferable that the connector can also be fitted with a pair of connectors provided on wiring in the vehicle leading to the antenna provided on the device side of the vehicle that generates the signal and which is not closest to the antenna.
As a result, if two or more pairs of connectors are formed on the route of "wiring in the vehicle from the vehicle device that generates the signal to the antenna", the first connector and the second connector of the "object" Since it can be connected to any connector, the degree of freedom in attaching the "object" increases.

(7) The first connector and the second connector are a pair of externally accessible connectors located closest to the antenna and located at positions that are relatively more difficult to access than the connector that is not closest to the antenna. It is preferable that it can be fitted with the
In such a configuration, for example, if you think of attaching the first and second connectors of "things" to the connector that is not close to the antenna, there are many places where the connector that is not close to the antenna is located and which is easy to access. Other connectors tend to be arranged in a concentrated manner, making it difficult to find a connector that is not close to the intended antenna for arranging an "object". Furthermore, there is not necessarily sufficient space to place new "things", so it may be difficult to install them. On the other hand, many other connectors are difficult to concentrate in the hard-to-access location where the "connector closest to the antenna" is located, making it easier to find the desired "connector closest to the antenna". In addition, since connectors other than the "connector closest to the antenna" are difficult to concentrate, there is sufficient space. Therefore, by attaching "objects" to such positions, it can be expected that the work time of the worker will be reduced and that it will be less likely that connectors will be mixed up.

(8) The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of antennas that wirelessly transmit signals into the vehicle interior, and the first connector and the second connector are connected to the antennas that are the most among the plurality of antennas provided in the vehicle. It is preferable that the connector be fitted with a connector that is accessible from the outside and is closest to the antenna on the route to the antenna located in the center of the vehicle.
When attaching the first connector and the second connector to the connector closest to the antenna, it is easy to access from any direction of the vehicle. This makes it easier to attach the antenna to the connector closest to the antenna.

(9) Another system that uses the signal is a system that requires connection to at least a push switch, an ignition switch, a brake signal line, and a power source of the vehicle, and the antenna that wirelessly transmits the signal into the vehicle interior is The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of connectors, and the first connector and the second connector are located on a route to the antenna located at a position accessible from the driver's seat among the plurality of antennas provided in the vehicle. It is preferable that the connector be fitted with a connector that is accessible from the outside and is closest to the antenna.
The vehicle's push switch, ignition switch, brake signal line, and power source are all located in front of the driver's seat in a position that can be accessed and connected from the driver's seat in the vehicle, and the most connected on the path to the antenna. Since the connector that mates with the connector near the antenna is also located in a position that can be accessed from the driver's seat, wiring work to other systems that use signals can be concentrated, improving work efficiency.
(10) The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of antennas that wirelessly transmit signals into the vehicle interior, and the plurality of antennas have a common connector as a pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside; The first connector and the second connector may be disposed between the connector of one of the antennas closest to the antenna.
This allows the worker to select an antenna that is located in a location that is convenient for the worker and attach the "object" to it.
(11) The antenna is preferably disposed near the center of the vehicle in the width direction.
This allows the operator to select an antenna that is easy for the operator to work with and attach the "object" to it. In particular, if the antenna is located near the center in the width direction of the vehicle, work can be done from either side of the vehicle, and the work area is secured, which is good for work.

(12) The shape of the first connector is such that the connector on the antenna side of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside is mated with each other, and The pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed may have a shape different from that of the connector on the wiring side.
In this way, even if the first connector and the connector on the wiring side of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna are configured to have different connection shapes, they will still fit together with the connector on the antenna side of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna. Because it has a structure that can be connected together, there is no need to prepare a connector with the same shape as the wiring side connector as the first connector.For example, a connector that is already available as a mass-produced product can be used as the first connector. Therefore, it is also possible to eliminate the need for a new mold for manufacturing the first connector, and the manufacturing cost related to the connector can be significantly reduced.

(13) The number of terminals and the pitch between the terminals of the second connector are configured to be the same as those of the connector on the antenna side of the pair of externally accessible connectors closest to the antenna, and The shape of the guide portion that guides the wiring-side connectors of the pair of externally accessible connectors closest to the antenna for mating is changed to the shape of the guide portion on the antenna side of the externally accessible pair of connectors closest to the antenna. It is preferable that the shape is different from that of the connector.
The shape of the second connector and the shape of the connector on the antenna side may be different as long as the shape of the guide part is such that the terminals are connected to each other between the connectors, and the only requirements are the number of terminals and the pitch between the terminals. As a result, it becomes possible to apply various connectors having different shapes of guide portions, and manufacturing costs related to the connectors can be significantly reduced.
(14) It is preferable that the first connector has a connecting portion having the same shape as a wiring side connector of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside.
This eliminates the need to prepare the first connector and the wiring-side connector separately, and allows commonality of parts, resulting in cost reduction.

(15) The other system that uses the signal is preferably a system that is installed in the vehicle and has a function of wirelessly transmitting at least a signal based on the signal to the outside of the vehicle.
Since the signal acquired from the antenna has little deterioration, other systems can perform accurate transmission operations when transmitting wirelessly to outside the vehicle based on this signal.
The signal to be transmitted wirelessly is, for example, a signal that determines whether or not authentication information stored in a vehicle control device and authentication information stored in a portable device that can communicate wirelessly with the vehicle control device satisfy predetermined authentication conditions. It is recommended that the signal be used for When wirelessly transmitting to the outside of the vehicle, it is preferable to use a higher frequency than the frequency received by other systems and a power greater than the power of the wireless transmission.
(16) Another system that utilizes the signal relays the signal via wireless to a portable device located outside the vehicle, and relays a response signal to the relayed signal from the portable device located outside the vehicle. Preferably, the system generates the response signal that can be received by a vehicle.
With such a system, there is little deterioration of the signal acquired by wire from the antenna, so even when other systems transmit wirelessly to the outside of the vehicle based on this signal, the transmission operation can be performed accurately. The response signal from the portable device outside the room will also be accurate.
(17) The determination of whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle involves exchanging authentication information on the vehicle control device side and authentication information on the mobile device side, and when a predetermined authentication condition is met, the above operation is performed. Preferably, predetermined movements of the vehicle are permitted.
In this way, by permitting the predetermined operation of the vehicle when the authentication conditions are met, malfunctions of the vehicle are prevented.
The inventions (1) to (17), (1-1), and (1-2) described above can be combined arbitrarily. For example, it may be provided with at least any one of the other configurations (2) to (17) without all or part of (1). However, it is particularly preferable to include the configuration (1) and a combination of at least one of the configurations (2) to (17). In particular, it is preferable to include the configuration (1-1) and the components and combinations described in at least one of the configurations (1) to (17). In particular, it is preferable to include the configuration (1-2) and the components and combinations described in at least one of the configurations (1) to (17). Any component of each of the inventions (1) to (17), (1-1), and (1-2) may be extracted and combined with other components.

According to the present invention, for example, signals near the antenna can be received by wire. Further, unlike the case where a signal is received wirelessly from an antenna, for example, there is no need to take time to set up other systems that use the signal.
In addition, as an effect on the problem (a) above, it is difficult to place other connector groups at the position of the pair of connectors closest to the antenna that can be accessed from the outside, so it is difficult to find the desired connector or mix up the connectors. Hard to occur.
In addition, as an effect on the problem (b) above, since the connectors provided uniquely to the antenna are common, it is sufficient to use the first connector and the second connector that fit with such a connector. There is no need to prepare different types of "things".
Furthermore, as an effect of the problem (c) above, since the antenna is arranged alone, it is advantageous in terms of space when attaching "objects".

FIG. 1 is a front view of a relay cable device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a perspective view of a first connector and a cable side connector, and (b) is a perspective view of a second connector of the same relay cable device. (a) is a front view of the first connector and (b) is a front view of the second connector of the same relay cable device. (a) is a rear view of the antenna, and (b) is a side view of the antenna fixed to the vehicle side. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a wiring state of a relay cable device from a vehicle relay device. An explanatory diagram illustrating the position of an antenna in a vehicle and the connection position of a relay cable device of a vehicle repeater. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the fitting relationship of the first connector to the antenna-side connector of the antenna, with (a) showing the fitting before fitting and (b) showing the fitting completed state. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the fitting relationship of the cable-side connector to the second connector, with (a) showing the fitting before fitting, and (b) showing the fitting completed state. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional plan view illustrating a state in which the cable-side connector is being inserted into the second connector. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of a vehicle remote control system including a relay system. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the electrical configuration and signal exchange of a vehicle remote control system including a relay system. (a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining a route from an antenna to a vehicle control device in an embodiment, and (b) is an explanatory diagram for explaining a route from an antenna to a vehicle control device in another embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. These drawings are used to explain technical features that can be adopted by the present invention. The configuration, shape, etc. of the device described are merely illustrative examples. The present invention is not to be construed as being limited to these, and various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a relay cable device 1 which is a device for transmitting signals according to the present invention. The relay cable device 1 includes a first connector 2, a second connector 3, two relay cables 4 that connect the metal terminals in the first and second connectors 2 and 3, and one of the hot side It is composed of a branch cable 5 branching from a relay cable 4.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3(a), 5, and 8, the plastic housing 6 of the first connector 2 is manufactured by injection molding using a mold. However, other manufacturing methods using a mold such as extrusion molding may also be used. The first connector 2 is a connector having the same shape as a cable side connector 46 to be described later, and is not a limited connector for use in this position, but a commonly available general-purpose product. In the following description, the surface displayed in FIG. 3(a) is assumed to be the front side.
The housing 6 has a terminal accommodating portion 7. The terminal accommodating portion 7 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction, and the frontmost surface thereof is a flat contact surface 7a. The upper surface of the terminal accommodating portion 7 is configured to be a plane in which the rear side is one step higher than the front side (in this embodiment, the height difference is, for example, 0.5 mm). Three through holes 8 are formed inside the terminal accommodating portion 7 and are arranged on the same plane in the lateral direction and communicate with each other in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 8 , the through hole 8 is separated from the adjacent through hole 8 inside the terminal accommodating portion 7 by a partition wall 9 . The frontmost part of the through hole 8 is a terminal insertion opening 10 having a square outer shape narrowed to a small diameter. Adjacent through holes 8 (and terminal insertion openings 10) are spaced evenly apart, and the central one of the three through holes 8 is arranged at the center of the terminal accommodating portion 7 in the left and right width direction.

A swinging portion 11 is integrally formed below the terminal accommodating portion 7 . The swinging portion 11 is a swingable portion extending rearward in a cantilever shape below the terminal receiving portion 7 with the front side of the terminal receiving portion 7 as a base. The horizontal width of the swinging portion 11 is formed to be slightly smaller than that of the terminal accommodating portion 7. The swinging portion 11 has a horizontal portion 11A extending rearward parallel to the bottom surface 7b of the terminal accommodating portion 7 toward the base, and an operating portion 11B extending diagonally downward relative to the horizontal portion 11A toward the tip. has been done. By operating the operation part 11B and swinging the swinging part 11 so as to approach the terminal accommodating part 7 with the base as the center, the swinging part 11 internally applies a biasing force that becomes a spring force to return to the original position. generate. The front surface of the base of the swinging section 11 is formed flush with the contact surface 7a of the terminal accommodating section 7, so that the front surface of the base of the swinging section 11 does not interfere with the fitting operation when the first connector 2 is used. It is composed of The bottom surface 11a of the base of the swinging portion 11 serves as a guide surface when fitting the first connector 2 to the second connector 3.
A claw 12 is formed in the shape of a protrusion on the lower surface of the swinging portion 11 . The claw 12 is formed with a tapered surface 12a on the front side, which is the direction in which the first connector 2 advances, at a gentle angle so as to come into contact with an abutment portion in the advancing direction. A pair of legs 13 extending downward are formed at both ends in the left-right direction on the rear side of the terminal accommodating portion 7 . The legs 13 are formed to guide and protect the pawl 12 when it swings.

A pair of side rails 14 that extend linearly in the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) of the terminal accommodating portion 7 are formed at left and right side positions of the terminal accommodating portion 7 . The side rails 14 are formed along the bottom surface 7b of the terminal accommodating portion 7 at positions facing each other on the left and right sides of the housing 6. The position where the side rail 14 is formed is slightly lower than the center in the vertical width of the housing 6 (here, the interval L1 shown in FIG. 3(a)).
Two female terminals 15 are arranged as metal terminals in the terminal accommodating portion 7. Each female terminal 15 is arranged in two on both sides of the three through holes 8 of the terminal accommodating portion 7. Each female terminal 15 is housed near the front of the through hole 8 and is connected via a crimp terminal 16 to one end of the relay cable 4 led from the rear opening 18 of the through hole 8 into the terminal accommodating portion 7. . The vertical width interval L1 from the terminal accommodating portion 7 to the base of the swinging portion 11 at the front of the housing 6 is set to 6.5 mm. The left-right width direction dimension L2 of the terminal accommodating portion 7 of the housing 6 is 7.2 mm, and the left-right width direction dimension including both side rails 14 is 10 mm. These sizes are examples.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3(b), 5, 8, and 9, the plastic housing 21 of the second connector 3 is manufactured by injection molding using a mold. There is. However, similar to the first connector 2, other manufacturing methods using a mold such as extrusion molding may be used. The second connector 3 does not have the same shape as the antenna-side connector 37 described later, but has a different shape, and is not a limited connector for use in this position, but a general-purpose product that is widely distributed. ing. In the following explanation, the surface displayed in FIG. 3(b) is assumed to be the front side.
The housing 21 has a terminal accommodating portion 22 . The terminal accommodating portion 22 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical portion 23 is integrally formed in front of the terminal accommodating portion 22 . The terminal accommodating portion 22 and the cylindrical portion 23 are configured to have the same width in the left-right direction, and the cylindrical portion 23 is configured to slightly protrude downward in the vertical direction. The cylindrical portion 23 is a bottomed cylindrical body having a rectangular outer circumferential shape with rounded corners, and the bottomed portion, that is, the innermost portion thereof is a front surface 22a formed on the plane of the terminal accommodating portion 22. .
A pair of guide rails 24 are formed on the bottom surface 23a inside the cylindrical portion 23 and extend in the front-rear direction. Each guide rail 24 is arranged at an equal distance from the adjacent left and right inner wall surfaces (that is, at an equal distance left and right with a straight line extending back and forth passing through the center of the cylindrical portion 23 in the left and right direction as a boundary). Both guide rails 24 extend from the opening 25 position to the front surface 22a of the terminal accommodating portion 22. The mutual spacing between both guide rails 24 is configured to be slightly larger than the width of the housing 6 of the first connector 2, so that the housing 6 can be placed between them. The height from the bottom surface 23a inside the cylindrical portion 23 to the upper surface of both guide rails 24 matches the length from the base bottom surface 11a of the swinging portion 11 of the first connector 22 to the lower surface of the side rail 14. A shallow ridge 26 is formed between both guide rails 24 at a position facing the opening 25 of the cylindrical portion 23 . As shown in FIGS. 2(b), 8(a), and 8(b), the ridge 26 extends in the left-right direction near the opening 25, is bent 90 degrees at both ends, and is connected to the terminal along the side rail 14. It extends to the front surface 22a of the housing section 22.
The vertical distance L3 between the upper surface of the ridge 26 in the internal space of the cylindrical portion 23 and the ceiling surface 23b inside the cylindrical portion 23 is 7 mm, and the lateral distance L4 is 14 mm. These sizes are examples.

A plurality of (five in this embodiment) through holes 28 are formed inside the terminal accommodating portion 22 and are arranged on the same plane in the lateral direction and communicate in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 8 , the through hole 28 is separated from the adjacent through hole 28 inside the terminal accommodating portion 22 by a partition wall 29 . The frontmost surface of the through hole 28 is a terminal protrusion 30 having a square outer shape narrowed to a small diameter. Five terminal protruding openings 30 are horizontally exposed in the front surface 22a of the terminal accommodating portion 22 in the lateral direction. Adjacent through holes 28 (and terminal protruding ports 30) are equally spaced from each other, and the central through hole 28 is located at the center of the terminal accommodating portion 22 in the left and right width direction. The spacing between the through holes 28 is the same as the spacing between the through holes 8 in the terminal accommodating portion 7 of the first connector 2.
Two male terminals 31 are arranged as metal terminals in the terminal accommodating portion 22 . Each male terminal 31 is arranged at the second and fourth positions in the row of through holes 28 in the terminal accommodating portion 22 . In the disposed state, the distance between the two male terminals 31 matches the distance between the female terminals 15 on the first connector 2 side. Each male terminal 31 is accommodated in the through hole 28 near the front surface 22a of the terminal accommodating portion 22, and its front end side is arranged to protrude into the cylindrical portion 23. Each male terminal 31 is connected via a crimp terminal 32 to the other end of the relay cable 4 guided into the terminal accommodating portion 22 from the rear opening 33 of the through hole 28 .
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, whichever of the two relay cables 4 arranged between the first connector 2 and the second connector 3 is on the hot side. A branch cable 5 is connected in the middle (for example, at an intermediate position). The connecting portion of the branch cable 5 is protected by being wrapped with a rubber sleeve 34.

The relay cable device 1 having such a configuration is used to directly connect to the base position of the antenna 35 shown in FIG. The antenna 35 is placed in the vehicle from the beginning, and in the default state without the relay system described later installed, the antenna side connector 37 of the antenna 35 is fitted with the cable side connector 46 as shown in FIG. 12(a). There is. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the cable side connector 46 has the same shape as the first connector 2. In this embodiment, when the relay system is installed, the antenna-side connector 37 and the cable-side connector 46 are disengaged from each other, and the relay cable device 1 is connected therebetween.
First, the antenna 35 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of (three in this embodiment) antennas 35A to 35C are located at different locations within the vehicle C, specifically, in this embodiment, the inside of the console box, the underside of the rear seat, and the trunk room. They are located in three locations on the back side of the internal floor. In this embodiment, the arrangement positions are all at the center position in the width direction of the vehicle C. All of these positions are positions where no other connectors or other equipment connected to cables installed in the vehicle are located. Also, although it is a position that is easy for workers to access, it is hidden and cannot be seen just by riding normally. As will be described later, the antenna 35 is an antenna that is originally installed in the vehicle in order to transmit radio waves at a frequency of 134 kHz, which is used to wirelessly transmit LF data such as various commands and data at the first frequency. . A cable 47 extends from each antenna 35, and a pair of cables 47 are stored in a connector/cable storage space (not shown) under the passenger seat in the vehicle C located near "A" indicated by the arrow in FIG. It is connected via a connector 48 to a vehicle control device 50 located near "B" indicated by an arrow in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12(a), in addition to the cable 47, a relay cable connected to other equipment is connected to the connector 48. Regardless of vehicle C, most other vehicle models or vehicle models from different manufacturers use this antenna 35 as a common specification. In the storage space "A" indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, connectors other than the connector 48 to which the cable 47 led to the antenna 35 is connected are also stored together.

As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 35 includes an antenna housing 36 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, an antenna unit 40 housed in the antenna housing 36, and a longitudinal rear end of the antenna housing 36 as a part of the antenna unit 40. and an antenna side connector 37 exposed to the outside from the side. In other words, the antenna-side connector 37 is integrally formed as a part of the antenna 35. In the following description, the right side of FIG. 4(b) will be referred to as the front side. The antenna housing 36 is fixed to a catch 39 fixed to the vehicle C side via a fixing connector 38 attached to a side surface (upper surface in FIG. 4(b)).
As shown in FIGS. 4(a), 7(b), and 7(a), (b), the antenna-side connector 37 has a cylindrical shape that is open at the rear. The antenna side connector 37 is a bottomed cylinder having a rectangular outer circumferential shape with rounded corners, and the bottomed part, that is, the innermost part thereof is the rear surface 40a of the antenna unit 40. The horizontal distance L5 in the internal space of the antenna side connector 37 is 7.5 mm, and the vertical distance L6 is 7 mm. The left-right spacing L5 of the antenna-side connector 37 is such that the housing 6 fits perfectly in the left-right direction when the cable-side connector 46 is fitted, while the second connector 3 is laterally spaced further than the antenna-side connector 37. Since the cable side connector 46 is wide, a gap will be created in the left and right direction when the cable side connector 46 is fitted (it fits snugly in both the top and bottom directions).
A pair of left and right guide grooves 41 extending in the front-rear direction are formed in the left and right inner walls 37a of the antenna-side connector 37. The guide groove 41 extends from the position of the opening 42 of the antenna-side connector 37 to the rear surface 40a of the antenna unit 40. The guide grooves 41 are formed at positions facing each other, and are arranged at positions slightly shifted to one side (downward in FIG. 4A) from the center in the vertical direction. A rectangular through hole 43 communicating inside and outside is formed near the rear of the bottom inner wall 37b of the antenna side connector 37 on the side closer to the guide groove 41. In the bottom inner wall 37b, ridges 44 are formed around the through hole 43 on three sides (the opening 42 side and the left and right sides adjacent thereto) to surround the through hole 43.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 7, two male terminals 45 as metal terminals are arranged to protrude from the rear surface 40a of the antenna unit 40 toward the rear antenna-side connector 37. . The male terminal 45 is disposed closer to the ceiling wall 37c than the guide groove 41, and extends parallel to the surface of the ceiling wall 37c. The spacing between the two male terminals 45 is exactly the same as the spacing between the two male terminals 31 on the second connector 3 side. Furthermore, the pair of male terminals 45 are arranged at the center position in the left-right direction within the antenna-side connector 37 (that is, the male terminals 45 are arranged at the same distance from the inner wall 37a on either the left or the right side, whichever is closer). . Further, the distance from the ceiling wall 37c to the male terminal 45 matches the distance from the ceiling surface 23b of the cylindrical portion 23 to the male terminal 31.

Next, the operation when fitting the first connector 2 of the relay cable device 1 to the antenna side connector 37 will be described. As described above, this operation is performed by releasing the state in which the antenna-side connector 37 of the antenna 35 and the cable-side connector 46 are fitted together as shown in FIG. 12(a) by default.
As shown in FIG. 7(a), the operator places the first connector 2 so that the contact surface 7a faces the opening 42 on the antenna side connector 37 side, and the first connector 2 37 (this can also be seen as the advancement of either one of them). When the side rails 14 on both sides of the housing 6 of the first connector 2 are brought relatively close to each other so that they fit into the left and right guide grooves 41 of the antenna-side connector 37, the housing 6 corresponds to the internal shape of the first connector 2. Since the outer shape of the first connector 2 is almost exactly the same, the housing 6 of the first connector 2 can be accommodated within the antenna side connector 37 without any difficulty. Moreover, the base bottom surface 11a of the swinging portion 11 (which becomes the bottom surface of the housing 6) also slides and moves on the bottom inner wall 37b. The female terminal 15 of the first connector 2 is in front of the male terminal 45 of the antenna connector 37 while being guided by the guide groove 41, the side rail 14, the bottom surface of the housing 6, and the bottom inner wall 37b. It will just be placed.
At this time, even if one of the connectors, for example, the first connector 2, is reversed by 180 degrees, the side rail 14 will not fit into the guide groove 41. Since both the guide groove 41 and the side rail 14 are formed at positions shifted from the center in the vertical direction, when the housing 6 of the first connector 2 is turned upside down, the housing 6 will be located near the opening 42 of the antenna side connector 37. This is because they collide with each other. This eliminates problems such as the male terminals 45 not being able to be inserted into the female terminals 15 due to the vertically incorrect arrangement, and causing the male terminals 45 to hit the first connector 2 and break.
When the tip of the housing 6 is placed inside the antenna-side connector 37, when the two are brought closer together, the opening of the antenna-side connector 37 as the operating portion 11B of the swinging section 11 moves forward, since the tip side is lowered. 42, and as it approaches, the swinging portion 11 is pushed upward and biased. Further, as the two approaches, the male terminal 45 is inserted into the female terminal 15, and the terminals are connected to each other. When the first connector 2 is fitted into the antenna-side connector 37, the tapered surface 12a of the claw 12 of the swinging part 11 serves as a guide surface, and the claw 12 moves over the ridge 44 to the position of the through hole 43. As a result, the biasing force applied to the swinging portion 11 is released, the swinging portion 11 moves downward, and the claw 12 is engaged with the through hole 43 on the connector 37 side (the state shown in FIG. 7(b)). In this state, the first connector 2 is housed within the antenna-side connector 37 and held at its innermost position. On the other hand, when removing this, the swinging part 11 is operated to release the engagement state of the claw 12 with the through hole 43 and move the two relatively in opposite directions.

Next, the fitting operation between the second connector 3 and the cable-side connector 46 of the relay cable device 1 will be explained. Since the cable-side connector 46 has exactly the same shape as the first connector 2, the same reference numerals as those of the first connector 2 will be used to explain the components of the cable-side connector 46, and detailed explanations will be omitted. . As shown in FIG. 12(a), a cable 47 extends from the cable-side connector 46, and is connected to the vehicle control device 50 via a connector 48 on its path.
As shown in FIG. 8(a), the operator places the contact surface 7a of the cable-side connector 46 so as to face the opening 25 on the antenna-side connector 37 side, and inserts the inside of the cylindrical portion 23 of the second connector 3. The cable side connectors 46 are brought relatively close together so that they are fitted into each other. (It can also be seen as an advance of one side or the other.) As shown in FIG. 9, the horizontal width of the cable-side connector 46 at the lower side of the housing 6 (horizontal portion 11A of the swinging section 11) fits perfectly into the space between the pair of guide rails 24 of the second connector 3. With this guide rail 24 as a guide, the housing 6 is easily accommodated within the second connector 3. Although the side rail 14 of the cable-side connector 46 does not play a guiding role, the housing 6 fitted into the cylindrical portion 23 has a base bottom surface 11a of the swinging portion 11 (the bottom surface of the housing 6) inside the cylindrical portion 23. Since the guide rail 24 is placed exactly on the guide rail 24 in contact with the bottom surface 23a of the guide rail 24, vertical shaking when the two approach each other is prevented. With the housing 6 being guided by the guide rail 24 in this manner, the female terminal 15 on the cable side connector 46 side is placed exactly in front of the male terminal 31 of the second connector 3.
At this time, even if one of the connectors, for example, the cable side connector 46, is reversed by 180 degrees, the side rail 14 will not fit into the guide groove 41. This is because the upper part of the housing 6 (on the side of the terminal accommodating part 7) is formed to be slightly wider, so that it hits the side rail 14. This eliminates problems such as the male terminals 45 not being able to be inserted into the female terminals 15 due to the vertically incorrect arrangement, and causing the male terminals 45 to hit the cable side connectors 46 and break.
When the distal end of the housing 6 is placed in the cylindrical portion 23, when the two are brought closer together, the operating portion 11B of the swinging portion 11 is lowered at the distal end, so as it advances, the opening 25 inside the cylindrical portion 23 is moved. As the swinging portion 11 approaches, the swinging portion 11 is pushed upward and biased. Further, as the two approaches, the male terminal 45 is inserted into the female terminal 15, and the terminals are connected to each other. As the cable-side connector 46 is fitted into the antenna-side connector 37, the tapered surface 12a of the claw 12 of the swinging section 11 becomes a guide surface, and when the cable-side connector 46 gets over the ridge 26, it is not attached to the swinging section 11. The force is released, the swinging portion 11 moves downward, and the claws 12 are engaged with the ridges 26 (the state shown in FIG. 8(b)). In this state, the cable-side connector 46 is accommodated within the cylindrical portion 23 of the second connector 3 and held at its innermost position. On the other hand, when removing this, the swinging part 11 is operated to release the engagement state of the claw 12 with the ridge part 26 and relatively move the two in opposite directions.
In this way, the first and second connectors 2 and 3 of the relay cable device 1 are connected to the base position of the antenna 35 (between the antenna side connector 37 and the cable side connector 46), and then the branch cable 5 tip side is connected to a vehicle relay device 51 that constitutes the following relay system.

Next, an outline of a vehicle remote control system in which such a relay cable device 1 is disposed between the antenna-side connector 37 of the antenna 35 and the cable-side connector 46 will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the vehicle remote control system includes a vehicle control device 50, a vehicle relay device 51, a mobile relay device 52, and a portable device 53. Note that FIG. 11 shows only the basic configuration necessary for explaining the outline of the vehicle remote control system, and the vehicle remote control system may include other configurations other than this configuration. Basically, one of the conditions for the vehicle remote control system is that the authentication information stored in the portable device 53, which is called a smart key or mobile key, matches the authentication information stored in the vehicle control device 50. This is a system that controls predetermined operations of a vehicle, such as starting the engine. The vehicle relay device 51 and the mobile relay device 52 are relay systems that are interposed between the vehicle control device 50 and the portable device 53, and by interposing the relay system, when the portable device 53 is not present in the vehicle or near the vehicle. However, it becomes possible to determine whether or not to permit a predetermined operation of the vehicle.

The vehicle control device 50 is a device for controlling predetermined equipment of the vehicle. The control of this predetermined equipment is for starting the vehicle to a state where it can run in response to a user's operation such as pressing a push start button, for example, turning on the starter motor in a car powered by an internal combustion engine. (starting an engine), turning on power to an electric motor in an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power source, etc. Before the vehicle control device 50 controls the equipment of the vehicle to be controlled, one of the conditions is that the authentication information stored in the portable device 53 and the authentication information stored in the vehicle control device 50 match. As a first step, it controls engine starting, etc.
In order to perform such control, the vehicle control device 50 and the portable device 53 are configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with each other. In order to perform such processing, the vehicle control device 50 includes a control section 50a, a transmitting/receiving section 50b, and an authentication information storage section 50c.

The control unit 50a is configured by, for example, an MPU or the like. The control unit 50a has a function of outputting a control signal for controlling equipment of a vehicle to be controlled, and a response for confirming the existence of an authorized portable device 53 based on the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit 50c. It has a function of outputting commands and data when communicating with other devices, such as request signals (LF data).
The transmitting/receiving section 50b performs wireless communication with a transmitting/receiving section mounted on the portable device 53 or the vehicle relay device 51. The transmitting/receiving section 50b is configured by, for example, an in-vehicle transmitting/receiving RFIC. This transmitting/receiving unit 1b has a function of wirelessly transmitting LF data such as various commands and data outputted from the control unit 50a at a first frequency, and a function of wirelessly transmitting commands and data such as commands and data transmitted from other devices at a second frequency. It has a function of receiving RF data and passing it to the control unit 50a. The second frequency is a higher frequency than the first frequency, and the distance over which RF data can be communicated using the second frequency is also longer. In one example, the first frequency is 134kHz and the second frequency is 314MHz. As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle control device 50 includes an antenna 35 for transmitting a first frequency and an antenna 61 for receiving a second frequency, which are connected to a transmitting/receiving section 50b. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, three transmitting antennas 35A to 35C are arranged in the vehicle, and a receiving antenna 61 is arranged, for example, in the C-pillar behind the driver's seat. There is.

The vehicle relay device 51 is disposed at a selectable predetermined position in the vehicle, for example, at a position in front of the passenger seat near the center console box, on the back of the dashboard, or at a position that does not interfere with riding or driving. The vehicle relay device 51 includes a control section 51a that controls the vehicle relay device 51, a first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51b for performing wired communication with the vehicle control device 50, and a first vehicle side transmitting/receiving section 51b for performing wireless communication with the mobile relay device 52. A second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c is provided. The control unit 51a is configured by, for example, an MPU or the like. Further, the first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51b and the second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c are each constituted by, for example, a vehicle-mounted transmitting/receiving RFIC. The branch cable 5 of the relay cable device 1 relayed between the antenna side connector 37 and the cable side connector 46 of the antenna 35A is connected to the vehicle relay device 51.

As shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the relay cable device 1, a plurality of (for example, four in this embodiment) other relay cable devices 63 to 66 are arranged in the vehicle relay device 51. The other relay cable devices 63 to 66 are connected between a pair of connectors provided at predetermined positions in the vehicle to be connected to devices in a plurality of vehicles. is branched and led to the vehicle relay device 51 by a cable. Only relay cable device 1 is connected to a single in-vehicle device (for example, antenna 35A in this embodiment).
The first other relay cable 63 is connected near "C" indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 (position behind the audio). The second other relay cable 64 is connected near "D" (push switch) indicated by the arrow in FIG. The third other relay cable 65 is connected near "C" indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 (behind the audio). A fourth other relay cable 66 is connected near "E" (brake switch) indicated by the arrow in FIG.
The power or signals branched out from the relay cable device 1 and each of the other relay cables 63 to 66 are collected at a connector 67 fixed to the casing of the vehicle repeater 51, and connected to the vehicle repeater at one location. 51. A fuse 67, a body ground 68, an optional connector 69, etc. are extended from the relay cable device 1 by cables to the connector 67.

The first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving unit 51b transmits and receives data to and from the transmitting/receiving unit 50b of the vehicle control device 50, and transmits data from the antenna 35A through wired communication using the transmission frequency band (first frequency) of the transmitting/receiving unit 50b. It receives radio waves and transmits them wirelessly on a second frequency. Further, the second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c uses radio waves in a frequency band used by a specific power-saving wireless station. By using this specific power-saving wireless communication, the communication distance is, for example, about 1 to 2 km in terms of viewing distance, and even if there is an obstacle, it is about several hundred meters, for example.
As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle repeater 51 has an antenna 70 for transmitting a second frequency connected to the first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51b, and a specific power-saving wireless communication connected to the second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c. It is equipped with an antenna 71 that is used for both transmission and reception. In FIG. 10, the antenna 71 is shown as an antenna for both transmitting and receiving, but it may be used as an antenna for transmitting and receiving separately.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle relay device 51 and the vehicle control device 50 are connected by a communication cable for wired communication. The control unit 2a of the vehicle relay device 51 uses this wired communication to transmit a foot brake signal and an engine start request signal. The foot brake signal is a signal corresponding to a signal output when a foot brake pedal of a vehicle is depressed. The engine start request signal is, for example, a signal corresponding to a signal output when a push start button of a vehicle is pressed.

The portable relay device 52 is carried along with the portable device 53 and can be moved in and out of the vehicle. The mobile relay device 52 includes a control unit 52a that controls the mobile relay device 52, a first mobile side transmitting and receiving unit 52b for communicating with the mobile device 53, and a second mobile side transmitting and receiving unit 52b for communicating with the vehicle relay device 51. A side transmitting/receiving section 52c is provided. Furthermore, the portable relay device 52 includes an operation section 52d.
The operation unit 52d is, for example, a push button switch that corresponds to operation instructions such as a start switch and a stop switch. A user located away from the vehicle operates the vehicle control device 50 mounted on the vehicle by pressing the operating portion 52d to remotely control the engine by starting or stopping the engine. In order to perform such processing, when the control unit 52a detects an operation on the operation unit 52d, it transmits an instruction corresponding to the operation from the second mobile-side transceiver unit 52c.
The control unit 52a is configured by, for example, an MPU or the like. Moreover, the first mobile-side transmitting/receiving section 52b and the second mobile-side transmitting/receiving section 52c are each constituted by an in-vehicle transmitting/receiving RFIC. Then, the first mobile-side transmitting/receiving section 52b wirelessly transmits at the receiving frequency band (first frequency) of the portable device 53, and wirelessly receives at the transmitting frequency (second frequency) of the transmitting/receiving section 53b. Since the communication distance is short, weak radio waves used by a weak radio station, which is one of the radio stations, are used. Further, the second mobile-side transmitting/receiving unit 52c uses radio waves in a frequency band used by a specific power-saving wireless station.
As shown in FIG. 10, the mobile repeater 52 includes an antenna 72 for transmitting a first frequency connected to the first mobile side transmitter/receiver 52b, an antenna 73 for receiving the second frequency, and a second antenna 73 for receiving the second frequency. The antenna 74 is connected to the transmitting/receiving unit 52c and is used for transmitting and receiving specific power-saving wireless communication. In addition, although the transmitting antenna 72 and the receiving antenna 73 of the mobile repeater 52 are shown as separate bodies in FIG. 10, this is a schematic representation that there is a transmitting side and a receiving side. For example, it may be a transmitting/receiving antenna. Conversely, the antenna 74 for specific power-saving wireless communication may be used as separate antennas for transmitting and receiving.

The portable device 53 includes a control section 53a, a transmitting/receiving section 53b, and an authentication information storage section 53c. The authentication information storage unit 53c stores a unique ID code as authentication information for the immobilizer function. The control unit 53a is configured by, for example, an MPU or the like. When the control unit 53a receives a response request signal addressed to itself from the vehicle control device 50 forming the pair, the control unit 53a outputs a response signal (RF data: response data). The transmitting/receiving unit 53b performs wireless communication with a transmitting/receiving unit installed in the vehicle control device 50 or the mobile relay device 52. For example, it is configured by an in-vehicle transmitting/receiving RFIC. The transmitting/receiving unit 53b has a function of receiving LF data such as commands and data wirelessly transmitted at the first frequency and passing it to the control unit 53a, and various commands and data such as response signals output from the control unit 53a. It has a function to wirelessly transmit RF data on a second frequency. As shown in FIG. 10, the portable device 53 includes an antenna 75 for receiving a first frequency and an antenna 76 for transmitting a second frequency, which are connected to the transmitting/receiving section 53b. In addition, in FIG. 10, the receiving antenna 75 and the transmitting antenna 76 of the portable device 53 are shown as separate bodies, but this is to schematically represent that there is a transmitting side and a receiving side, and in reality, for example, It may be a transmitting/receiving antenna.

In the outline of such a system, in this embodiment, the engine can be remotely started using the relay function of the portable relay device 52 through communication transitions in the following order. The numbers in the following description of communication transition correspond to the communication at the position of the number attached to the arrow indicating the communication state by the antenna in FIG. 11.
(1) The control unit 52a of the portable relay device 52 outputs a start signal when the operating unit 52d is pressed. The second mobile-side transmitting/receiving unit 52c wirelessly transmits this starting signal to the vehicle relay device 51.
(2) The second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c of the vehicle relay device 51 receives the starting signal transmitted from the mobile relay device 52. When the control unit 51a of the vehicle relay device 51 receives the start signal, it transmits a foot brake signal to the vehicle control device 50 using a wired communication function. The vehicle relay device 51 maintains the foot brake signal in an ON state during the relay/transmission processing of each data/signal described below.
(3) Upon receiving the foot brake signal, the control unit 50a of the vehicle control device 50 accesses the authentication information storage unit 50c, obtains the ID code as the stored authentication information, and requests a response including the ID code. Outputs a signal (LF data). The transmitting/receiving unit 50b transmits the LF data using a wireless transmission function.

(4) The first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51b of the vehicle relay device 51 receives the LF data. The vehicle relay device 51 wirelessly transmits wireless LF data based on the received LF data to the mobile relay device 52 using the transmission function of the second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 2c. Wireless LF data is data that is reversible with LF data.
(5) The second mobile side transmitting/receiving unit 52c of the mobile repeater 52 receives wireless LF data. The mobile relay device 52 generates original LF data from the received wireless LF data, and transmits the generated LF data to the mobile device 53 at the first frequency using the transmission function of the first mobile side transceiver 52b. Send.

(6) The LF data transmitted by the mobile repeater 52 is transmitted at the first frequency and is equivalent to the LF data transmitted by the transmitter/receiver 50b of the vehicle control device 50, so the transmitter/receiver 53b of the mobile device 53 receives the LF data. The control unit 53a determines whether the received LF data is addressed to itself. Specifically, it is determined whether the ID code included in the LF data matches its own ID code stored in the authentication information storage section 53c. If the ID codes match, RF data (response data) as a response signal is transmitted using the transmission function of the transmitting/receiving section 4b. Note that the control unit 53a does not transmit anything if the ID codes do not match.
(7) The first mobile side transmitting/receiving section 52b of the mobile repeater 52 receives RF data. The mobile relay device 52 transmits wireless RF data based on the received RF data using the transmission function of the second mobile side transmitting/receiving section 52c. Wireless RF data is data that is reversible with LF data.
(8) The second vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51c of the vehicle repeater 51 receives wireless RF data. The vehicle relay device 51 generates original RF data from the received wireless RF data, and transmits the generated RF data at the second frequency using the transmission function of the first vehicle-side transmitting/receiving section 51b. Furthermore, the control unit 51a of the vehicle relay device 51 transmits an engine start request signal to the vehicle control device 50 using the wired communication function, prior to transmitting the RF data from the first vehicle side transmitting/receiving unit 51b. The vehicle relay device 51 wirelessly transmits the above-mentioned RF data while keeping the engine start request signal ON.

By configuring as described above, the following effects are achieved in this embodiment.
(1) The second connector 3 constituting the relay cable device 1 has a different shape from the antenna-side connector 37 of the antenna 35. Nevertheless, the second connector 3 is shaped so that it can be fitted with the cable side connector 46. Therefore, it is possible to use a commonly available general-purpose product that can be fitted with the cable-side connector 46, and a new one is created by preparing a mold to manufacture a connector with the same shape as the antenna-side connector 37 of the antenna 35. There is no need to mold it.
(2) The first connector 2 constituting the relay cable device 1 has the same shape as the cable side connector 46 that is originally connected to the antenna side connector 37 of the antenna 35 used by default. There is no need to prepare another shape as 37. In addition, the first connector 2 is not a limited connector for use in this position, but a general-purpose product that is widely distributed, so it is easily available and requires a mold to be prepared and a new connector molded. There is no.
(3) Since the relay cable device 1 is used only for the antenna 35, there are only two relay cables 4, one on the hot side and one on the cool side. Therefore, in the production work of the relay cable device 1 that branches the branch cable 5, there is no mistake of connecting the branch cable 5 by mistake with another relay cable, and the correct relay cable corresponding to the cable connected to the antenna 35 is selected. This is advantageous in terms of work since there is no need to do this.
(4) Since the relay cable device 1 is used only for the antenna 35, two relay cables 4, one on the hot side and one on the cool side, are sufficient, so originally both the first connector 2 and the second connector 3 accommodate terminals. There should be only two areas (through holes 8, 28) for this purpose. However, the first connector 2 and the second connector 3 have three and five terminal attachment areas (through holes 8 and 28), respectively. The reason for doing this is that the first and second connectors 2 and 3 do not need to be the same as the antenna 35 side as long as the distance matches the two terminals 45 on the antenna 35 side as a reference. By making it possible to use a connector provided with two or more terminal attachment areas in this way, it is possible to diversify the types of general-purpose connectors that can be used in the relay cable device 1.
(5) When connecting the cable side connector 46 to the antenna side connector 37, the side rail 14 of the housing 6 of the cable side connector 46 is used to be guided by the guide groove 41 as a guide means in the left and right direction. When connecting to the second connector 3, the second connector 3 does not have the guide groove 41. However, since the second connector 3 has a guide rail 24, the interval between the guide rails 24 serves as a means for guiding the housing 6, so even if the fitting portions of the second connector 3 and the antenna side connector 37 have different shapes, The cable-side connector 46 is definitely guided into the second connector 3.
(6) The shape of the second connector 3 for holding the cable side connector 46 is different from that of the antenna side connector 37, but even if the shape is different, the second connector 3 also has the claw 12 of the cable side connector 46. It is the same as the antenna side connector 37 in that it is engaged and held. Therefore, even if the cable side connector 46 is replaced with the second connector 3 from the antenna side connector 37, the fitted state is maintained.
(7) Although the shape of the second connector 3 is different from that of the antenna side connector 37, when inserting the cable side connector 46 of both connectors, it is said that the shape cannot be inserted in any other direction than the vertical direction, so it is difficult to insert it in the wrong direction. This prevents problems such as the male terminals 31 and 45 breaking due to insertion in the wrong direction.

(8) In the vehicle remote control system including the above-mentioned relay system, transmission and reception using an antenna have conventionally been performed wirelessly. Therefore, conventional vehicle repeaters had to be installed in a position and direction that would optimize reception performance. For this reason, it was necessary to place the vehicle repeater in a position and direction with the best reception performance while checking the indicator using a reception measuring device.
However, in the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device 50 and the vehicle relay device 51 acquire the antenna 35 from the antenna 35 and use a wired connection. Since the vehicle repeater 51 is fixed without being moved inside the vehicle, it is possible to use a wired connection from such an antenna, thereby making it possible to obtain a signal at a position closer to the antenna and using a wired method. It is possible to obtain signals without deterioration. Further, the troublesome setting work required when receiving data wirelessly is eliminated, and the work time is shortened. Further, since the antenna 35 is arranged at an easily accessible position within the vehicle, such wiring work is also easy.
On the other hand, other antennas other than the antenna 35, such as the antenna 61, are not attached to the vehicle but are difficult to work with due to their location and are difficult to wire. Furthermore, it is rather advantageous for the other antennas, such as the antennas 71, 71 to 75, to be wireless.
(9) The first and second connectors 2 and 3 of the relay cable device 1 are connected to the base position of the antenna 35A, but other connectors and cables are not concentrated in the area where the antenna 35A is located. Because of the location, it is easy to connect the first and second connectors 2 and 3.
(10) In this embodiment, a connector 48 other than the antenna-side connector 37 is provided from the antenna 35 to the vehicle control device 50. In addition to the cable 47 led to the antenna 35, cables led to other devices are also connected to this connector 48. Therefore, when it is considered to connect a relay cable device between the connectors 48 to establish a wired connection with the antenna 35, a connector for the relay cable device for relaying these cables is required. In the relay cable device 1 like the present embodiment, a simple connector connected only to the antenna 35 can be used as a relay connector, but there is a high possibility that a general-purpose connector cannot be found for such a multi-cable connector. Further, although the antenna 35 is used as a common specification in most vehicles even if the vehicle models and manufacturers are different, the shape of the connector 48 is likely to be different depending on the vehicle model. Therefore, it is necessary to newly manufacture a mold for the relay connector of the connector 48 (the connector corresponding to the first and second connectors 2 and 3), which increases costs. Further, manufacturing a relay cable device itself in which a plurality of cables are concentrated is laborious and expensive. Furthermore, when manufacturing with a mold, multiple cables are concentrated, resulting in an increase in size and material costs.
However, in this embodiment, the relay cable device 1 is not connected to the connector 48 where a plurality of cables are concentrated, but is connected alone to the antenna side connector 37 directly exposed at the base of the antenna 35. Therefore, the first and second connectors 2 and 3 do not need to be enlarged, and it becomes possible to use general-purpose connectors.
(11) Since other connectors without cables connected to the antenna 35 are also arranged adjacent to the position where the connector 48 is stored, it takes time and effort to search for the desired connector 48, which is disadvantageous in terms of work. However, in this embodiment, the relay cable device 1 is not connected to the connector 48 where a plurality of cables are concentrated, but is connected alone to the antenna side connector 37 directly exposed at the base of the antenna 35. Therefore, such problems will not occur and the work will be more efficient.
(12) As shown in FIG. 6, the antenna 35A for connecting the relay cable device 1 is located right next to the front seat, and the other locations A to E for connecting to the vehicle relay device 51 are on the dash in front of the front seat. It's in the direction along the board. Therefore, the operator can perform work for connecting the other relay cable devices 63 to 66 including the relay cable device 1 of the vehicle relay device 51 in the front seat side space, which is advantageous in terms of work.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified at the implementation stage without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the following aspects are possible.
- The above shape of the first and second connectors 2 and 3 of the relay cable device 1 is an example. The second connector 3 may have any other shape other than the above as long as it can be connected to the cable side connector 46.
- It is also possible to hold the first connector 2 and the antenna side connector 37 and the second connector 3 and the cable side connector 46 by means other than the above-mentioned claws 12. Means for quickly guiding the first connector 2 into the antenna-side connector 37 (side rail 14 and guide groove 41), means for quickly guiding the cable-side connector 46 into the second connector 3 (the housing 6 and guide rail 24) may also have a configuration other than the above.
- In the above, the first connector 2 of the relay cable device 1 is fitted so as to be inserted into the antenna side connector 37, and the cable side connector 46 is fitted so as to be inserted into the second connector 3. ing. Since this fitting relationship is such that the cable-side connector 46 is inserted into the antenna-side connector 37, the second connector 3 has a different shape from the antenna-side connector 37. This is because it needs to be engaged. However, the fitting relationship in which the antenna side connector 37 is inserted into the cable side connector 46 in the antenna 35 can also be reversed, and in that case, the second connector 3 is inserted into the antenna side connector 37. It is preferable to have a shape like this. In that case, the fitting relationship is such that the antenna side connector 37 is inserted into the first connector 2.
- The male and female relationships between the female terminal 15 and the male terminals 31 and 45 may be reversed.
- The above shape of the antenna 35 is an example, and other shapes may be used. In addition, although the antenna 35 was placed in three places in the vehicle C in the above example, it may be placed in one place, two places, or four or more places.Also, although the antenna 35 was placed in an easily accessible position in the above example, May be in a location that is difficult to access.
- The above shape of the antenna side connector 37 of the antenna 35 is an example. In the above, the antenna-side connector 37 is configured to be a part of the antenna unit 40 and protrude from the base position of the antenna 35, but for example, it is arranged near the antenna 35 so that it can be handled as a unit with the antenna 35. The antenna side connector may be provided at a position where a short cable is extended from the antenna housing 36.
- Furthermore, the shape of the cable side connector 46 is also an example. The cable side connector 46 may have a different shape from the first connector 2. The cable side connector 46 may have a different shape from the first connector 2 as long as it can be connected to both the antenna side connector 37 and the second connector 3.
- In the above embodiment, an intermediate connector 48 was interposed between the antenna 35 and the vehicle control device 50, but as shown in FIG. 12(b), the cable side connector 46 is connected to the antenna side connector 37 of the antenna 35. However, the cable 47 extending from the cable-side connector 46 may be directly connected to the vehicle control device 50. Alternatively, three or more pairs of connectors may be arranged between the antenna 35 and the vehicle control device 50.
Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modified examples, these embodiments and explanations are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. I would like to add that this is provided for the benefit of the public. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Of the present invention, the structure for which a patent is sought has been specified in the attached claims, but at present, even if the structure is not specified in the claims, it is not disclosed in this specification. I would like to state this just to be sure that there is a possibility that I may file a patent claim for this configuration in the future.
The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments described above. The components of each of the embodiments and modifications described above may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Also, any component of each embodiment or modification, any component described in the means for solving the invention, or a component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. It may be configured in any combination. The applicant intends to obtain rights to these matters through amendments to the application or divisional applications.
In addition, the applicant intends to obtain rights to the entire design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. Although the drawing depicts the entire device using solid lines, the drawing includes not only the overall design but also the partial design claimed for some parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that not only includes some members of the device as a partial design, but also includes some parts of the device as a partial design regardless of the members. The part of the device may be a part of the device or a part of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Relay cable device, 2... First connector, 3... Second connector, 4... Relay cable as a relay line, 5... Branch cable as a branch line, 53... Portable device, 35A to 35C... Antenna, C …vehicle.

Claims (4)

a first connector configured to be able to be fitted into an antenna-side connector of an antenna provided in a vehicle;
a second connector configured to be able to fit a cable-side connector provided on a cable electrically connected to a vehicle control device disposed in the vehicle;
a relay line that relays signals between the first connector and the second connector;
has
The second connector is
A device configured to be able to fit a cable-side connector having a shape different from the antenna-side connector and the same shape as the first connector. The number of terminals and the pitch between the terminals of the second connector are the same as the antenna side connector,
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a shape of a guide part of the second connector that guides the cable side connector to enable fitting is different from a shape of a guide part of the antenna side connector. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second connector has a connection portion having the same shape as the antenna-side connector. The vehicle control device performs control to remotely start the engine of the vehicle,
A branch line for acquiring the signal, the branch line being electrically connected to a vehicle relay device that relays the signal related to the remote start between the vehicle control device and a predetermined portable device. 4. The device according to any one of 1 to 3.

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