JP4116941B2 - Automotive door lock control system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable transmitter that transmits a signal at a predetermined interval and a reception that outputs an operation command signal to a door lock mechanism of an automobile based on the reception status of the signal transmitted from the portable transmitter. The present invention relates to a door lock control system for an automobile provided with a unit.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Controls the locking and unlocking of the door of a car (vehicle) depending on whether or not the receiving unit connected to the door lock mechanism of the car can receive a signal periodically output by a portable transmitter at hand of the user. There is a door lock control system (sometimes called "keyless entry").
[0003]
In general, a portable transmitter used in such a system transmits a weak radio wave modulated by an ID code at regular intervals. In the receiving unit, the ID code received by the receiving circuit is detected and collated by the decoder, and the door lock mechanism of the vehicle is controlled (locking / unlocking the door) by the controller based on the output of the decoder. Therefore, even if the user does not directly lock / unlock the door by inserting a manual lock into the keyhole of the door, the portable transmitter can be carried around, and the door is automatically unlocked when approaching the vehicle. It is convenient because it is automatically locked when you leave the car.
[0004]
However, if the battery of the portable transmitter runs out or malfunctions while away from the vehicle, no signal is sent from the portable transmitter, so even if the user approaches the car afterwards, it will be received Since the unit does not receive a signal, the door is not automatically unlocked. The same thing occurs when the user is not carrying the portable transmitter, for example.
[0005]
Similarly, when the user is in an abnormal state such as when the battery of the portable transmitter has run out or has failed, the receiving unit will continue to receive no signal from the portable transmitter. Even if the person is away from the car, the door is not automatically locked. The same thing occurs when the user is not carrying the portable transmitter, for example.
[0006]
And in the case of the above-mentioned problem of unlocking that occurs when getting on, the user is unaware of the abnormality of the portable transmitter and remains locked while trying to open the door. It is noticed at the latest at the latest and can be unlocked using a normal key (manual key), so there is little influence.
[0007]
However, in the case of the problem of not being locked that occurs when getting off the vehicle, there is a problem that the user is not aware of the abnormality of the portable transmitter, and the user automatically assumes that the key is locked and leaves the car. Then, an automobile whose door is not locked is left undesired for crime prevention.
[0008]
Therefore, conventionally, as disclosed in JP-A-6-108720, information on the battery voltage of the portable transmitter is included in the ID code output from the portable transmitter to the receiving unit. There is something. With this configuration, when the battery (battery) of the portable transmitter is low or when the battery actually runs out, an alarm is issued on the receiving unit side to encourage battery replacement. Can be made.
[0009]
Therefore, when leaving the vehicle, it is easy to be careful of the battery running out of the portable transmitter, so even if the battery runs out of the portable transmitter, it will leave the vehicle without being manually locked. It becomes easy to prevent. In addition, it becomes easier for the user to replace the battery of the portable transmitter at a suitable timing, and it is less likely that the user will be forced to use the manual lock when getting on and off the vehicle.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional invention, a voltage detector for measuring the voltage of the internal battery is provided inside the portable transmitter, and a signal indicating the magnitude of the voltage or an alarm signal indicating that the voltage is low is transmitted. The battery status is notified to the receiving unit. Therefore, the circuit configuration of the entire system, particularly the portable transmitter, is complicated, the number of parts increases, and the cost increases. In addition, since the amount of data output from the portable transmitter increases, battery consumption is accelerated.
[0011]
Also, if the user gets into the vehicle without carrying the portable transmitter or if the transmitter breaks down, the door will not be locked because the user does not notice it while riding The problem of leaving the user away from the vehicle remains unresolved.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background, and the object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to reduce the power consumption with a simple configuration and the state or failure of the internal battery of the portable transmitter. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile door lock control system capable of recognizing the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the occurrence of the failure or the non-portability of the portable transmitter on the receiving unit side.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, in the door lock control system for an automobile according to the present invention, a portable transmitter for transmitting a signal at a predetermined interval, and the reception status of the signal transmitted from the portable transmitter. A receiving unit for outputting an operation command signal to the door lock mechanism of the vehicle, and the operation command command locks the door of the vehicle when the signal is not received after receiving the signal. In the vehicle door lock control system, the portable transmitter is operated by a battery, and the receiving unit determines whether or not the vehicle engine is operating, and determining means is determined in the operation, and the portable transmitter when the reception of the signal is not verified period longer than at least the predetermined distance Was configured with an alarm means for outputting an alarm status Tteri.
Further, a period longer than at least the predetermined interval is set to n times or more of the predetermined interval, and even if the signal is not received n times continuously, the alarm output is not immediately performed. The alarm may be output when the signal is not received for a long period of time.
[0014]
Here, “the engine is in operation” may mean that the engine is actually started, and may also include a case where the engine is ready to start, such as when ACC is ON. . Further, “no reception is confirmed” may be determined not to be confirmed if it is not received at least once, or may be determined not to be confirmed for the first time when reception is not possible continuously for a plurality of times. .
[0015]
According to the present invention, if the engine is in operation, the driver (user of the portable transmitter) is assumed to be in the car or at least around it. If the machine is operating normally, the receiving unit can receive a legitimate signal from the portable transmitter. Therefore, the engine despite operating, if it can not receive a signal, the battery of the portable transmitter can be expected to be able to send a signal from the reasons such switching is. Therefore, the user (driver) is cautioned by determining that there is an abnormality and outputting an alarm. Then, since the user knows that the door lock is not automatically locked when getting off the vehicle, it can be locked by a key operation or the like.
[0016]
Based on the above invention, the operation command command includes a command for unlocking the automobile door when the signal is received, and the portable transmitter has a constant voltage of a built-in battery. In the following cases, a signal automatic transmission stop function for stopping transmission of signals performed at the predetermined interval, and a signal forced transmission function for transmitting the signal according to a command from a manual operation unit, the constant voltage is It can also be configured to be set to a level at which signal transmission by the signal forced transmission function can be performed at least once.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an automobile door lock control system according to the invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, this system is installed at a predetermined position in a vehicle and a portable transmitter 10 that transmits a predetermined signal, and is used as an electric lock of a door lock device of the vehicle based on the reception status of the signal. The receiving unit 20 sends a control command for unlocking / locking.
[0020]
The portable transmitter 10 receives a signal transmitted from the transmission control unit 11 that transmits an ID code and an operation signal at a predetermined timing, and transmits a signal (radio wave) to the outside. A transmission unit 12 and a transmission antenna 13, an intermittent operation control unit 14 for controlling the transmission timing (transmission interval) of the ID code, a manual operation switch 15 for transmitting the operation signal, and a battery 16 are provided.
[0021]
That is, the transmission control unit 11 that has received the timing signal from the intermittent operation control unit 14 gives the ID code to the transmission unit 12. Thereby, from the portable transmitter 10, a signal including an ID code is intermittently transmitted at a predetermined interval. Since the signal including the transmitted ID code reaches within a certain transmission range determined by the performance of the transmitting unit 12 and the transmitting antenna 13, the user having the portable transmitter 10 receives the receiving unit 20 When the reception unit 20 enters the transmission range, the reception unit 20 receives the signal, and it can be seen that the portable transmitter 10 is close (within a certain distance). In this way, the battery 16 is prevented from being consumed by intermittently sending signals.
[0022]
Further, the intermittent operation control unit 14 is configured by, for example, a timer, a counter, or the like, and can be configured to output a timing signal at regular intervals. In the present invention, the sending intervals are not necessarily the same, and may be different.
[0023]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the voltage value of the battery 16 is monitored, and a signal is not transmitted when the voltage is below a certain voltage. In order to realize this function, for example, a comparator is connected to the output terminal of the battery 16 or the power supply line and compared with a reference voltage. Then, the AND of the output of the comparator and the output of the intermittent operation control unit 14 is taken, and when the input to the comparator is equal to or lower than the reference voltage, the timing signal can be prevented from being given to the transmission control unit 11. Alternatively, the output of the comparator may be used as a control signal to the intermittent operation control unit 14 so that the intermittent operation control unit 14 itself does not operate (no timing signal is output in the first place) when it is lower than the reference voltage. . Of course, other configurations are possible.
[0024]
The manual operation switch 15 includes a lock switch 15a and an unlock switch 15b. These locking and unlocking switches 15a and 15b are not shown in the figure, but are installed on the surface of the portable transmitter 10, and can be operated by a user such as a push button or a slide switch. When any one of the switches is turned on, the transmission control unit 11 that detects the switch sends a predetermined operation signal. That is, when the lock switch 15a is turned on (closed), a lock command signal is output together with the ID code. When the unlock switch 15b is turned on (closed), an unlock command signal is output together with the ID code. In this embodiment, since one end of each switch 15a, 15b is grounded, the transmission control unit 11 can determine whether the connection terminal of each switch 15a, 15b is Low or High (Open).
[0025]
Thus, the user can automatically unlock / lock the door lock based on the approach / separation of the vehicle by carrying the portable transmitter 10 as described later, and the manual operation switch 15 can be set. By operating, the door lock can be unlocked and locked at any timing.
[0026]
The voltage value for stopping the automatic transmission of the ID code (signal) described above is set at a predetermined interval by setting a voltage value higher than a voltage value at which transmission is impossible (the circuit becomes inoperable) with a certain margin. Even when the door cannot be automatically unlocked or locked, the door lock can be unlocked / locked by operating the manual operation switch 15.
[0027]
As a voltage value for stopping the automatic signal transmission described above, by turning on either the locking switch 15a or the unlocking switch 15b, the transmitting unit 12 outputs an appropriate signal level to the receiving unit 20. The power is set to such an extent that the power corresponding to the power consumption for a plurality of times that can be transmitted remains in the battery 16. In other words, the battery voltage drops below a certain voltage, automatic transmission of signals (ID code, etc.) stops, and the door lock is automatically released by simply approaching / leaving the vehicle while carrying the portable transmitter 10. Even when locking / locking is no longer performed, unlocking / locking of the door lock can be obtained at any timing by pressing the manual operation switch 15 without operating the key.
[0028]
As a result, when the user can unlock / lock the door lock only by pressing the manual operation switch 15 when the user approaches / separates the vehicle, the battery 16 can be replaced. You can know that the time has come. Moreover, even after knowing that the replacement time has come, the door lock can be released / locked by pressing the manual operation switch a predetermined number of times.
[0029]
In addition, since it is possible to know the appropriate replacement time, there is no possibility that the battery 16 will be replaced early despite the remaining capacity of the battery 16, and the battery (battery) is effectively used to the end. It is preferable because it is possible.
[0030]
On the other hand, when the receiving unit 20 starts receiving a signal (identified by an ID code) from the paired portable transmitter 10 at a predetermined interval, the receiving unit 20 unlocks the electric lock of the automobile and receives the received signal. When the (ID code) is no longer confirmed, the electric lock is locked (locked). Specifically, the configuration is as follows.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving unit 20 receives a signal transmitted from the portable transmitter 10 by a receiving antenna 21, converts the signal into a predetermined electric signal by a receiving unit 22, and then performs signal determination in the CPU 23. Given to part 24. The signal determination unit 24 detects the ID code of the received signal, determines whether it is from the corresponding portable transmitter 10 (whether it matches the registered regular ID code), and The presence / absence and type of an operation signal that is a forced command is determined.
[0032]
The output of the signal determination unit 24 is given to the vehicle control unit 25. The vehicle control unit 25 determines whether or not the door lock of the automobile is unlocked / locked based on the signal presence / absence information given from the signal determination unit 24, and sends a necessary command signal based on the determination result to the door lock mechanism. It outputs to 31.
[0033]
Specifically, the vehicle control unit 25 determines that when the signal determination unit 24 determines that reception of a regular ID code has started, that is, from the state where no regular ID code has been received for a certain period of time or longer. When the ID code is received, the receiving unit 20, that is, the automobile exists within the transmittable range of the portable transmitter 10, so it can be determined that the user has approached the automobile, so the unlocking command is issued. Output.
[0034]
Note that the timing (condition) for issuing the unlocking command may be output immediately when a new regular ID code is received, or a regular ID code is received for a certain period after the start of reception. If this is continued, an unlock command may be output. An unlocking command is also output when an operation code (release) is received. Upon receiving this release command, the door lock mechanism 31 operates the electric lock to release the door lock.
[0035]
On the other hand, when the reception of the regular ID code is interrupted, it is determined that the receiving unit 20 is located outside the transmittable range of the portable transmitter 10, that is, the distance between the automobile and the portable transmitter 10 is more than a certain distance. , Output a locking command. The timing for generating this locking command can also be issued as soon as it becomes impossible to receive (first time) in the state of continuous reception, or if the state where it is not received continues for a certain period of time A locking command may be output. A lock command is also output when an operation code (lock) is received. Upon receiving this locking command, the door lock mechanism 31 operates the electric lock to lock (lock) the door lock.
[0036]
When the portable transmitter 10 and the receiving unit 20 are configured as described above, the receiving unit 20 automatically locks the door of the vehicle when the user approaches the vehicle (vehicle) while carrying the portable transmitter 10. It is unlocked and the door can be opened without manual key operation. Further, after getting off the vehicle, if the portable transmitter 10 is carried away and the vehicle is moved away from the vehicle, the door lock will be activated when a certain distance (the distance that can be transmitted from the portable transmitter 10) has passed. Automatically locked. Furthermore, the door lock can be unlocked / locked without any key operation at a desired timing based on the depression of the manual operation switch 15. This is the basic function of this embodiment.
[0037]
Here, in the present invention, it is connected to the ignition key switch (ACC line or ignition line) 32 of the mounted vehicle, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle is ready for starting (ignition line ON) or ready for starting (ACC line ON). An IG key detection unit 26 (in the CPU 23) for determination is provided.
[0038]
And the output of the signal determination part 24 and the IG key detection part 26 is given to the transmitter state determination part 27. The transmitter state determination unit 27 receives information on presence / absence of reception of a signal provided from the signal determination unit 24 and information on presence / absence of engine start / start preparation provided from the IG key detection unit 26. It is determined whether the type transmitter 10 is in an inoperable state such as a battery exhaustion or failure, and the operation of the state notification unit 28 is controlled based on the determination result.
[0039]
That is, for example, when a signal including a regular ID code is not transmitted from the portable transmitter 10 due to, for example, running out of a battery or a failure during riding, the reception unit 20 cannot receive the regular ID code. . In this case, according to the above-described determination criteria, when the user gets off the vehicle, the receiving unit 20 (vehicle control unit 25) has not received the legitimate ID code. Even if it is done, there is no point of switching the reception state such as “no longer receiving after receiving the regular ID code”, so the door lock cannot be unlocked automatically as it is.
[0040]
Therefore, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the portable transmitter 10 is in an abnormal state such as a failure or a battery exhaustion based on the two pieces of information, and the determination result is sent to the user using the state notification unit 28. By informing the user, a warning is given that the portable transmitter 10 is in an abnormal state and is not automatically locked even if it is separated from the automobile. And the determination algorithm in the transmitter state determination part 27 is as follows.
[0041]
In other words, from the output of the IG key detection unit 26, if “a start / preparation for engine start” is detected and a signal including a regular ID code is not received for a predetermined period or longer, it is determined that there is an abnormality. .
[0042]
When the engine is started, the driver, that is, the person who has the portable transmitter 10 is usually in the vehicle or at least around it (the radio waves transmitted from the portable transmitter 10 are received). It can be said that it exists in the range that reaches the unit 20. Therefore, if the normal ID code (signal from the paired portable transmitter 10) cannot be received in spite of the state of “engine start / preparation for start”, the battery is dead, broken, not carrying, etc. It can be estimated that the abnormal state has occurred. Therefore, it is determined as abnormal as described above, and an alarm is output via the state notification unit 28 that the abnormality is present.
[0043]
In this way, by outputting an alarm via the state notification unit 28, the user (driver) can know that the user is not automatically locked, so that the user can operate the key (manual key) to lock it. Even if the manual operation switch 15 (locking switch 15a) is pressed and locking is attempted, it can be urged to check carefully that the locking has been ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the possibility of being locked away from the automobile as it is.
[0044]
In this embodiment, a signal is intermittently transmitted from the portable transmitter 10. Therefore, the above-described predetermined period for determining an abnormality is determined in consideration of the transmission interval. That is, the predetermined period needs to be set to a period longer than at least the transmission interval of the portable transmitter 10.
[0045]
Further, for example, although the portable transmitter 10 has transmitted a signal including an ID code, the signal from the portable transmitter 10 is not received due to a surrounding radio wave condition, a signal processing error in the receiving unit 20, or the like. May be determined. In consideration of such cases, the predetermined period for determining the abnormality is set to n times or more of the transmission interval, and even if the regular signal is not received once or continuously, the alarm is not output immediately. Alternatively, an alarm may be output when a regular signal is not received over a longer period.
[0046]
The status notification unit 28 may be a display means such as a lamp, LED, liquid crystal display, a buzzer, a voice, or the like, or may be used in combination. Furthermore, not only an abnormal state is notified, but also when it is not abnormal, that fact may be notified (for example, the color and number of lamps and LEDs are changed). Further, in the case of a display means such as a lamp or LED, the abnormal state may be negatively notified such that the light is emitted when it is normal and the light is turned off when an abnormal state occurs.
[0047]
In the above-described embodiment, the function of stopping the automatic signal transmission to the portable transmitter 10 below a certain voltage value and the operation signal is transmitted by operating the manual operation switch 15 even when the automatic transmission is stopped. A function that can determine the state of the portable transmitter 10 based on the operating state of the engine and the reception status of the signal is provided on the receiving unit 20 side, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient if there is at least one function.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, while reducing power consumption by a simple structure to recognize the status of the internal battery of the portable transmitter in the receiving unit side can inform the user. Therefore, the user can suppress as much as possible that the user is away from the automobile without the door lock being locked.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an automobile door lock control system according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Portable transmitter 11 Transmission control part 12 Transmission part 13 Transmission antenna 14 Intermittent operation control part 15 Manual operation switch 15a Locking switch 15b Unlocking switch 16 Battery 20 Reception unit 21 Reception antenna 22 Reception part 23 CPU
24 signal determination unit 25 vehicle control unit 26 IG key detection unit 27 transmitter state determination unit 28 state notification unit 31 door lock mechanism 32 ACC, IG

Claims (3)

A portable transmitter that transmits signals at predetermined intervals;
Based on the reception status of the signal sent from this portable transmitter, a receiving unit that outputs an operation command signal to the door lock mechanism of the automobile,
In the vehicle door lock control system, the operation command command includes a command for locking the vehicle door when the signal is not received after receiving the signal.
The portable transmitter is operated by a battery;
The receiving unit is configured to determine whether the engine of the automobile is operating;
Alarm means for outputting an alarm of the battery status of the portable transmitter when the determination means is determined to be in operation and reception of the signal is not confirmed for a period longer than at least the predetermined interval; An automotive door lock control system. The period longer than at least the predetermined interval is set to n times or more of the predetermined interval, and even if the signal is not received n times consecutively, the alarm output is not immediately performed and is longer than that. The vehicle door lock control system according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm is output when the signal is not received over a period of time . The operation command command includes a command for unlocking the door of the automobile when the signal is received,
The portable transmitter is
When the voltage of the built-in battery is below a certain voltage, a signal automatic transmission stop function for stopping the signal transmission performed at the predetermined interval;
In accordance with a command from the manual operation unit, with a signal forced transmission function to send the signal,
3. The automobile door lock control system according to claim 1, wherein the constant voltage is set to a level at which a signal can be transmitted at least once by the signal forced transmission function.

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