JP4932631B2 - Sensor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sensor, it has become possible to realize the locking and unlocking of the vehicle door in a small and simple structure, about the sensor.

  Vehicle passive entry systems are widely known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a passive entry system is equipped with a sensor that recognizes the approach of a human hand that opens and closes the door of the vehicle in order to unlock / lock the door of the vehicle.

  Conventionally, there are so-called capacitance sensors, piezos, and the like as such sensors.

  A capacitance sensor uses the change in capacitance that accompanies a change in the distance between the detection target object and the detection target object (in this case, a hand approaching the vehicle). A sensor having such a capacitance-to-voltage conversion circuit, that is, a circuit that outputs a voltage proportional to a distance as a detection signal.

  Piezo is a sensor that generates a voltage according to the magnitude of applied pressure (converts mechanical energy due to vibration during opening and closing into electrical energy) and outputs the voltage as a detection signal.

  However, it is not desirable from the viewpoint of crime prevention that the doors are unlocked immediately when these sensors detect a human hand. This is because the person may not have the proper authority to get on the vehicle.

  Therefore, from the viewpoint of crime prevention, a vehicle anti-theft system has been conventionally constructed. That is, a conventional antitheft system for a vehicle includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted inside the vehicle and a portable electronic key carried by a user who drives the vehicle (for example, a patent). Reference 1 and 2).

That is, triggered by the detection of the hand by the sensor described above, the ECU performs an authentication process by communicating with the portable electronic key. It was.
JP 2003-20835 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-279917

  However, in order to construct a vehicle door unlocking / locking system that also considers crime prevention in this way, an authentication device such as an ECU is required separately from a sensor that detects a human hand. There was a problem that the system was enlarged.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and enables unlocking of a door of a vehicle and the like with a small and simple configuration.

A sensor according to an aspect of the present invention is a sensor that is provided inside or near a door of an outer handle of a vehicle door and detects the approach of a person's hand to the door, and enters a detection area. a detecting unit for detecting a hand that has been using radio waves of the pulse method for detecting the same as a radio wave pulse method for the detection and portable radio communication device based on said hand by the detection unit is detected A communication unit that performs radio communication with radio waves; and a control unit that controls authentication processing of the object based on the content of wireless communication between the communication unit and the portable wireless communication device.

  The sensor is configured by a radio wave sensor that performs communication by pulse communication, for example.

  Thereby, unlocking of the door of a vehicle, etc. can be realized with a small and simple configuration.

  For example, by doing the following, unlocking of a vehicle door and the like can be realized with a small and simple configuration.

Before SL control unit, after the person has the authentication processing for the portable radio communication device possessed Further, when the authentication succeeds, performs the control of unlocking of the door.

  As described above, according to the present invention, unlocking and locking of a vehicle door can be realized with a small and simple configuration.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a passive entry system as an embodiment of a control system to which the present invention is applied.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the passive entry system is configured to include a portable electronic key 11 to a motor 13.

  The portable electronic key 11 is carried mainly by a user who drives the vehicle, and is used for locking / unlocking the door of the vehicle, starting the engine of the vehicle, and the like.

  On the other hand, the doorknob sensor 12 and the motor 13 are mounted on the vehicle.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the door knob sensor 12 is configured as a radio wave sensor, and is installed inside the outer handle 111 of the door 112 or in the door. Therefore, the door knob sensor 12 serving as a radio wave sensor is configured to allow the user to open / close the door 112 based on the distance information between the outer handle 111 and the user's (driver's) hand 101 before touching the door 112. Can be detected. Such a functional block having a function of detecting the hand 101 corresponds to the detection unit 22 in FIG.

  Further, the door knob sensor 12 as a radio wave sensor has a function of performing wireless communication with the portable electronic key 11. A functional block having such a function corresponds to the communication unit 23 in FIG. The communication method in this case is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, it is assumed that a so-called pulse communication method is adopted due to the nature of the radio wave sensor.

  The portable electronic key 11 is placed on the hand 101 in order to facilitate understanding in the example of FIG. 2, but is present anywhere within the communication range of the radio wave sensor 111. Also good. That is, the user does not need to hold the portable electronic key 11 with the hand 101 as in the example of FIG. 2 when opening and closing the door, and the portable electronic key 11 may be kept in the pocket.

  The door knob sensor 12 is provided with a control unit 21 that controls the detection unit 22 and the communication unit 23.

  As a result, the door knob sensor 12 can execute the following processing for unlocking and locking the door 112 (hereinafter, referred to as unlocking processing and locking processing, respectively). . That is, when realizing the unlocking process or the like, an authentication communication device (ECU or the like), which has been essential in the past, becomes unnecessary. That is, the door 112 can be unlocked and locked with a simple and small-scale configuration.

  For example, as the unlocking process, as shown in FIG. 2, the door knob sensor 12 as a radio wave sensor detects the hand 101 approaching the door 112 in the detection area 121. In this way, the hand 101 is detected before contacting the door 112.

  Next, the doorknob sensor 12 performs an authentication process for a person having the detected hand 101 with the detection of the hand 101 as a trigger. That is, a “request” for authenticating the portable electronic key 11 is transmitted in the form of LF (Low Frequency).

  Then, the portable electronic key 11 transmits, for example, “answer” to the “request” described above in the form of UHF (Ultra High Frequency). Therefore, the doorknob sensor 12 receives “answer” and determines whether or not the authentication is successful based on the “answer”.

  Note that the phrase “request” used in this specification is a wireless signal transmitted from a fixed wireless communication device (doorknob sensor 12 in this embodiment), and is a portable wireless communication device ( In this embodiment, the portable electronic key 11) is a wireless signal having a function of causing the portable wireless communication device to transmit a signal based on the reception of this “request”.

  Further, the phrase “answer” used in the present specification is a radio signal transmitted from the portable radio communication device based on the reception of the “request”. The “answer” function may be a function that simply indicates that it has been received, or may be a function that requests or performs some operation on the fixed wireless communication apparatus. In addition, the “answer” may include an ID of each wireless communication device, position information of the portable wireless communication device, a code for requesting an operation on the vehicle or the fixed wireless communication device, and the like. In the present embodiment, for example, it is assumed that “answer” includes an ID code used for authentication processing.

  That is, in the present embodiment, for example, the doorknob sensor 12 determines whether or not the authentication has succeeded based on whether or not the ID code included in the “answer” matches a code given to a person having a valid driving authority. Make a decision.

  When the door knob sensor 12 succeeds in the authentication, the door knob sensor 12 controls to unlock the door 112. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a motor 13 is connected to the control unit 21 of the doorknob sensor 12. The motor 13 is a motor that is a drive source of a lock device for the door 112 of the vehicle, that is, a door lock actuator. Therefore, the door knob sensor 12 drives the motor 13 to unlock the door 112.

  The locking process can also be realized basically in the same flow as such an unlocking process.

  A specific example of the unlocking process will be described later with reference to FIG.

  For such a doorknob sensor 12, the portable electronic key 11 is configured to include an antenna 71 to a control unit 75.

  The LF receiver 72 converts the LF received by the antenna 71 into information in an appropriate form and provides the information to the controller 75. Here, as information received in the antenna 71 in the form of LF, for example, there is a “request” from the door knob sensor 12 described above.

  The UHF transmitter 73 transmits the information provided from the controller 75 from the antenna 74 in the form of UHF. Here, as the information provided from the control unit 75, for example, “answer” for the doorknob sensor 12 exists.

  Although not shown, the control unit 75 is configured to include, for example, a storage unit that stores various types of information, a microcomputer that controls the entire portable electronic key 11 and performs necessary information processing, and the like. Here, the storage unit (not shown) is composed of, for example, a erasable nonvolatile memory, more specifically, for example, an EEPROM.

  In response to the “request” from the doorknob sensor 12, the control unit 75 generates an “answer” including its own ID code and provides it to the UHF transmission unit 73.

  Next, an example of the unlocking process among the processes executed by the door knob sensor 12 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In order to clearly distinguish the unlocking process to which the present invention is applied from the conventional unlocking process, that is, the unlocking process performed mainly by the ECU, hereinafter, the unlocking process to which the present invention is applied will be described. The lock process is referred to as an unlocking process by the door knob sensor, and the conventional unlocking process is referred to as an unlocking process by the ECU.

  In step S1, the door knob sensor 12 determines whether or not the door 112 is in a locked state.

  When the door 112 is in the unlocked state, it is not necessary to unlock again, so that it is determined NO in the process of step S1, and the unlocking process by the door knob sensor is ended. However, even if the process ends, the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor is started again. The same applies to the case where the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor is completed after the processing of the other steps.

  On the other hand, when the door 112 is in the locked state, it is determined as YES in the process of step S1, and the process proceeds to step S2.

  In step S <b> 2, the door knob sensor 12 determines whether or not the hand 101 has been detected.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the door knob sensor 12 does not detect the hand 101 unless the hand 101 enters the detection area 121. Therefore, in such a case, it is determined as NO in the process of step S2, and the unlocking process by the door knob sensor is ended.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when the user tries to open the door 112 and brings his / her hand 101 close to the outer handle 111 of the door 112, the hand 101 enters the detection area 121. At this stage, the door knob sensor 12 detects the hand 101. Therefore, in such a case, it is determined as YES in the process of step S2, and the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the door knob sensor 12 determines whether or not the normal mode is set.

  Here, the normal mode refers to a mode in which the prohibit mode is not set in the present embodiment. The prohibit mode is a mode in which the frequency of presence / absence of detection in a short time that cannot be the approach of the human hand 101 has reached a prescribed level, and in such a case, the detection is invalidated. . That is, when the hand 101 is detected, the normal mode and the prohibit mode are provided to ensure the correctness of the detection.

  Therefore, when it is determined that the detection of the hand 101 in the process of step S2 (YES) is inappropriate, the prohibit mode is set, and it is determined as NO in the process of step S3, and the unlocking process by the door knob sensor is ended. It becomes.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the detection of the hand 101 in step S2 (YES) is valid, the normal mode is set. Therefore, the doorknob sensor 12 determines YES in the process of step S3, and transmits a “request” to the portable electronic key 11 in step S4.

  In step S5, the doorknob sensor 12 receives "answer" from the portable electronic key 11, and determines whether or not the ID code matches.

  When “answer” itself is not transmitted from the portable electronic key 11, or “answer” itself is transmitted and received by the doorknob sensor 12, but it does not include or includes an ID code. If the ID code is different from the code given to the person having the right driving authority, it is determined NO in the process of step S5, and the unlocking process by the door knob sensor is ended.

  On the other hand, when the “answer” transmitted from the portable electronic key 11 is received by the doorknob sensor 12 and the ID code matches the code given to a person having a valid driving authority, If it is determined as YES in the process of step S5, the process proceeds to step S6.

  That is, if the authentication process is performed in the processes of steps S4 and S5 and the authentication process fails, it is determined NO in the process of step S5, and the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor ends. On the other hand, if the authentication process is successful, it is determined as YES in the process of step S5, and the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S <b> 6, the door knob sensor 12 controls the motor 13 to unlock the door 112. Thereby, the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor is completed.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for explaining the unlocking process (conventional unlocking process) by the ECU, in comparison with the unlocking process by the door knob sensor (an example of the unlocking process to which the present invention is applied). Has been.

  Comparing FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the processing up to steps S21 to S23 in FIG. 4 is basically the same as the processing from steps S1 to S3 in FIG.

  However, with regard to the subsequent processing, that is, the authentication processing, the unlocking processing by the doorknob sensor in FIG. 3 is completed by the two-step processing of steps S4 and S5, whereas the unlocking processing by the ECU in FIG. Then, the following three steps of steps S24 to S26 are required.

  That is, as a conventional authentication process, an activation signal is output from the doorknob sensor to the ECU in step S24, and a “request” is transmitted from the ECU to the portable electronic key in step S25. In step S26, the ECU has received “answer” from the portable electronic key, and it has been determined whether or not the ID code matches.

  That is, all the conventional authentication processing itself including the communication processing is performed by the ECU. Then, an activation signal is output from the doorknob sensor to the ECU to give a trigger for starting the authentication process. Thus, conventionally, in order to perform the unlocking process, it is necessary to go through an ECU as a control circuit, and therefore a system for realizing the unlocking process has become large-scale. .

  On the other hand, by adopting the door knob sensor 12 to which the present invention is applied, there is no need to go through such an ECU, and a system for realizing the unlocking process is realized with a small and simple configuration. It can be done.

  In the unlocking process (conventional unlocking process) by the ECU, the door unlocking control itself is also executed by the ECU as shown in step S27 of FIG.

  Incidentally, although not shown in FIG. 1, the ECU may be mounted on the vehicle for other uses, for example, for use such as engine start control.

  In this case, it is possible to cause the doorknob sensor 12 to execute only the communication process in the authentication process in the unlocking process, and to cause the ECU to execute the process for determining whether authentication is successful. An example of the unlocking process by the door knob sensor in such a case is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  Steps S41 to S43 in FIG. 5 are basically the same as steps S1 to S3 in FIG.

  In step S <b> 44, the doorknob sensor 12 transmits a “request” to the portable electronic key 11.

  In step S <b> 45, the door knob sensor 12 determines whether “answer” has been transmitted from the portable electronic key 11.

  If “answer” is not transmitted from the portable electronic key 11, it is determined NO in the process of step S45, and the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor ends.

  On the other hand, if “answer” is transmitted from the portable electronic key 11, it is determined as YES in the process of step S45, and the process proceeds to step S46.

  In step S46, the doorknob sensor 12 receives the “answer” from the portable electronic key 11 and provides it to the ECU.

  In step S47, the ECU determines whether or not the ID codes in “answer” match.

  If the “answer” does not include an ID code, or if the included ID code is different from the code given to a person with a legitimate driving authority, NO is determined in step S47. As a result, the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor is completed.

  On the other hand, when the ID code included in the “answer” matches the code given to the person having the right driving authority, the ECU notifies the door knob sensor 12 that the authentication has been successful. The Thereby, it determines with it being YES by the process of step S47, and a process progresses to step S48.

  In step S <b> 48, the door knob sensor 12 controls the motor 13 to unlock the door 112. Thereby, the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor is completed.

  The example in which the present invention is applied to the unlocking / locking control of the door 112 using the door knob sensor 12 as a radio wave sensor has been described above. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to the above-described example, and various embodiments can be taken.

  For example, in the present embodiment, only one detection area 121 (see FIG. 2) is set as the detection area of the doorknob sensor 12, but if the detection area can be variably set, for example, the detection area 121 is closer to the detection area 121. A detection area can be set, and detection by the detection area 121 can be used during the unlocking process, and detection by a nearby detection area can be used during the locking process.

  For example, the doorknob sensor 12 can also be configured as a radio wave sensor that can always communicate.

  In addition, for example, the doorknob sensor 12 is used not only for the above-described owner authentication confirmation as a communication with the portable electronic key 11 but also for the purpose of grasping the distance to the portable electronic key 11 and the portable electronic key 11 in advance. Set the vehicle seat position and information about the door that you want to open, acquire such setting information via communication, and use it to automatically adjust the vehicle seat position and the door to open based on the setting information. It can also be used.

  Further, for example, the door knob sensor 12 is not limited to the portable electronic key 11 for communication.

  In the present specification, the step of describing the program recorded on the recording medium is not limited to the processing performed in chronological order according to the order, but is not necessarily performed in chronological order, either in parallel or individually. The process to be executed is also included.

  The system to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the system mounted on the vehicle described above, but may be a system that controls the operation based on the approach of an object. In addition, a system represents the whole apparatus comprised by a some processing apparatus and a process part here.

  For example, in the above-described example, the door knob sensor 12 is mounted on a vehicle (four-wheeled vehicle or two-wheeled vehicle) driven by the user, but for example, a vehicle such as a small airplane, a machine, a device, a building, or a facility. It can be installed.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the passive entry system as a control system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure explaining an example of the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor of the control system of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor of the control system of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the unlocking process by ECU as the conventional unlocking process. It is a flowchart explaining an example different from FIG. 3 which is an example of the unlocking process by the doorknob sensor of the control system of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Portable electronic key 12 Doorknob sensor 21 Control part 22 Detection part 23 Communication part 71 Antenna 72 LF reception part 73 UHF transmission part 74 Antenna 75 Control part 111 Upper handle 112 Door 121 Detection area

Claims (2)

In a sensor for detecting the approach of a person's hand to the inside of the outer handle of the vehicle door or in the door near the outer handle,
A detection unit for detecting the hand that has entered the detection region using a pulsed radio wave for detection;
A communication unit that performs wireless communication with the portable radio communication device based on the detection of the hand by the same radio wave as the pulse radio wave for detection based on the detection of the hand,
A sensor comprising: a control unit that controls authentication processing of the object based on content of wireless communication between the communication unit and the portable wireless communication device. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the unlocking of the door when the authentication is successful after the authentication processing is performed on the portable wireless communication device possessed by the person.

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