JP6079532B2 - Vehicle authentication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular authentication apparatus that performs electronic authentication with a portable device that is provided in a vehicle and carried by a user.

  For example, as can be seen in Patent Document 1, a transmission device for an in-vehicle telephone device that restricts a driver from making a call using a mobile phone in a traveling vehicle has been proposed. This device restricts calls made by the driver using the mobile phone while the vehicle is running by communicating with the mobile phone held by the driver. In this case, there is a description that ultrasonic waves may be used as a communication method between the transmitting device for the in-vehicle telephone device and the mobile phone (paragraph “0126”).

  On the other hand, as seen in, for example, Patent Document 2, a vehicle authentication device (electronic key) that authenticates a user (actually a portable device) through communication with a portable device owned by a user of the vehicle, such as a driver. System) has been proposed and put into practical use.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-200961 JP 2013-14935 A

  The inventor considered adopting ultrasonic waves as a communication technique between the vehicle authentication device and the portable device. And when the output level of the appropriate ultrasonic wave fluctuates depending on the state of the vehicle and it is desired to enable communication with the portable device only when the portable device is in the passenger compartment, the portable device is outside the passenger compartment. I found out that communication might be possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is for a vehicle capable of appropriately performing electronic authentication even when communicating with a portable device carried by a user using ultrasonic waves. It is to provide an authentication device.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described. The correspondence relationship between the invention according to each claim in the claims and the following technical idea is as follows. Claim 1 corresponds to technical idea 1 + 6, and claims 2 to 4 are dependent claims having matters relating to technical ideas 2, 3 and 5.
Technical thought In a vehicular authentication apparatus that is electronically authenticated with a portable device that is provided in a vehicle and carried by a user, the vehicle has a sealing degree changing unit that changes a sealing degree that is a degree of closing the vehicle interior with respect to the outside of the vehicle interior. A transmission / reception unit that is provided in a vehicle interior and performs communication for electronic authentication with the portable device using a sound wave signal; and a sound wave signal transmitted from the portable device is used as an input. A determination unit that determines whether or not an execution condition for a predetermined process for the device is satisfied; an execution unit that executes the predetermined process when the execution determination unit determines that the execution condition is satisfied; and An expansion control unit that performs control for expanding the space in which the execution condition can be determined to be satisfied by the establishment determination unit as compared with a low case when the sealing degree is high, The sound wave signal as an input of the establishment determination unit is a sound wave signal transmitted from the portable device when the sound wave signal transmitted from the transmission / reception unit is received by the portable device, and the portable device is A vehicular authentication device including identification information for identification.

  In the above apparatus, electronic authentication is performed by communication using a sound wave signal between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device, and as a result, an execution condition is satisfied, and a predetermined process for the in-vehicle electronic device is performed. The At this time, if the degree of sealing is high, the enlargement control unit enlarges a region where it can be determined that the execution condition is satisfied. For this reason, when the execution condition is satisfied, the place where the portable device can be arranged in the vehicle interior can be expanded, and the convenience of the user can be improved. On the other hand, when the degree of sealing is low, there is a high possibility that a sound wave signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device propagates outside the passenger compartment. In this respect, when the degree of sealing is low, the area that can be determined by the enlargement control unit to be satisfied by the execution condition is reduced, so that a sound wave signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device propagates outside the passenger compartment. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the possibility that it is determined that the execution condition is satisfied even though the portable device is outside the passenger compartment. For this reason, electronic authentication can be performed appropriately.

  Technical thought The vehicle includes a door and a window, and the enlargement control unit does not perform control for enlarging the possible space when the door is closed and the window is open. apparatus.

  Since the sound wave signal is different from the electromagnetic wave and uses air as a transmission medium, when the window is closed, the intensity tends to be remarkably reduced when the window is transmitted and propagates outside the passenger compartment. For this reason, independent of whether the door is open or not, whether or not the window is open greatly affects the intensity of the sound wave signal propagating outside the passenger compartment. In view of this point, in the above apparatus, even if the window is open, even if the door is closed, the control can be received by the portable device by not performing the control for expanding the possible space. It can be suitably suppressed that the execution condition is determined to be satisfied even though the portable device is outside the passenger compartment due to the propagation of the sound wave signal having the intensity outside the passenger compartment.

  2. Technical thought A measurement unit that measures a distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device based on a transmission timing of the acoustic wave signal by the transmission / reception unit and a reception timing of the acoustic wave signal by the transmission / reception unit; 3. The vehicular authentication apparatus according to the technical idea 1 or 2, wherein a condition that the distance measured by the measurement unit is equal to or less than a threshold value is included in the condition for authenticating that the data is valid .

In the above apparatus, since the control for changing the above-described possible space is performed at the time when the sealing degree changes, it is possible to quickly respond according to the operation of the user.
Technical thought4. A measurement unit that measures a distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device based on a propagation time of a sound wave signal between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device; and the execution condition is measured by the measurement unit 4. The vehicle authentication device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 3, including a condition that the distance is equal to or less than a threshold value.

  In the above apparatus, since the propagation speed of the sound wave signal is smaller than that of the electromagnetic wave, the propagation time can be set to a relatively large value. Therefore, the propagation time can be used as a parameter expressing the distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device. In view of this point, the measurement unit measures the distance based on the propagation time. And by including the condition that the distance thus grasped is equal to or less than the threshold value in the execution condition, it is suppressed that the execution condition is determined to be satisfied when the portable device is outside the passenger compartment. be able to.

  Technical thought 5. 5. The technical idea according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 4, wherein the expansion control unit executes control for increasing the intensity of a sound wave signal transmitted from the transmission / reception unit as control for expanding the possible space. Vehicle authentication device.

  In the above apparatus, by increasing the intensity of the sound wave, the propagation area of the sound wave signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device can be expanded, and as a result, control for expanding the possible space can be appropriately performed. . Incidentally, when the area where the portable device can sense a sound wave signal is not uniquely determined according to the sound wave signal, it is desirable to have the items of the device described in the technical idea 4.

  Technical thought A measurement unit that measures a distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device based on a propagation time of a sound wave signal between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device; and the execution condition is measured by the measurement unit A condition that the distance is less than or equal to a threshold value is included, and the expansion control unit executes technical control 1 to 5 for executing control to increase the threshold value as control for expanding the possible space. The vehicle authentication device according to any one of the above.

  In the above apparatus, since the propagation speed of the sound wave signal is smaller than that of the electromagnetic wave, the propagation time can be set to a relatively large value. Therefore, the propagation time can be used as a parameter expressing the distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device. In view of this point, the measurement unit measures the distance based on the propagation time. And by including the condition that the distance thus grasped is equal to or less than the threshold value in the execution condition, it is suppressed that the execution condition is determined to be satisfied when the portable device is outside the passenger compartment. be able to.

  Further, in the above apparatus, when the degree of sealing is high, by increasing the threshold value, it is possible to appropriately expand the area where the execution condition is determined to be satisfied.

1 is a system configuration diagram according to a first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of electronic authentication processing in the embodiment. (A)-(c) is a figure which shows the electronic authentication method in the embodiment. The figure which shows the propagation area | region of the ultrasonic wave in the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of ultrasonic output setting processing according to the embodiment. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of ultrasonic output setting processing according to the second embodiment. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure of threshold value setting processing according to the third embodiment. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the setting process of the threshold value concerning 4th Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a system configuration according to the present embodiment. The illustrated vehicle 10 includes a door 12 and a window 14, and the vehicle interior can be blocked from the vehicle interior by closing them.

  The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle authentication device 20. The vehicular authentication device 20 includes a control unit 22 and a transmission / reception unit 24. Here, the control part 22 is equipped with the function to perform the calculation for electronic authentication. This can be realized, for example, by including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory and executing a program stored in the memory. However, it is not limited to software processing by the CPU, but may be dedicated hardware means such as an ASIC for performing calculations for electronic authentication. On the other hand, the transmission / reception unit 24 is a hardware unit that includes a piezoelectric element and the like and has a function of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal. Here, the ultrasonic signal is a sound wave signal having a higher frequency than the audible frequency band (20 Hz or more and less than 20 kHz). The transmitter / receiver 24 is provided in the vehicle interior as shown in the plan view of the vehicle 10 at the upper left in FIG.

  The vehicle authentication device 20 includes an engine ECU 30 that operates various actuators of an engine as an in-vehicle main machine, a power window system 32 that automatically controls opening and closing of the window 14, and a door lock system 34 that automatically controls locking and unlocking of the door 12. Is communicably connected.

  The vehicular authentication device 20 can communicate with the portable device 40 using an ultrasonic signal. The portable device 40 has a function for authenticating whether or not the user who owns the portable device 40 is a valid user of the vehicle 10. That is, the portable device 40 stores information possessed by a legitimate user, an identification signal including this information is transmitted from the portable device 40, and the identification signal is valid by the vehicle authentication device 20. As a result of the authentication, it is considered that the user possessing this is authenticated that the user is an authorized user of the vehicle 10.

  In the present embodiment, the portable device 40 is not a dedicated device for authentication, but a device having other uses. In particular, in this embodiment, what has a telephone function, such as a smart phone, is assumed. Specifically, the portable device 40 includes a transmission / reception unit 42, a telephone line communication unit 44, a central processing unit (CPU) 46, and a nonvolatile memory 48, which communicate with each other via an input / output port 50. Connected as possible. Here, the transmission / reception unit 42 has a function of transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 42 may include a speaker as a device that transmits an ultrasonic signal and a microphone as a device that receives the ultrasonic signal as separate members. The telephone line communication unit 44 has a function for performing communication via a mobile telephone line. The CPU 46 is a hardware means having a function of executing various programs provided in the nonvolatile memory 48. The nonvolatile memory 48 is a rewritable memory that holds data regardless of whether power is supplied. In particular, in the present embodiment, an authentication program 48 a is stored in the nonvolatile memory 48. The authentication program 48 a is an application program that defines processing executed on the portable device 40 side when electronic authentication is performed by communication between the portable device 40 and the vehicle 10.

In FIG. 2, the procedure of the process performed by the control part 22 of the authentication apparatus 20 for vehicles is shown. This process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle, for example.
In this series of processes, the control unit 22 first determines whether or not the conditions for executing the authentication process in the passenger compartment are satisfied (S10). This execution condition is, for example, a condition that the engine is not started, a condition that the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 is zero, and the fact that the portable device 40 is outside the passenger compartment using a known technique. It may be set as a condition that there is no such thing. When it is determined that the execution condition is satisfied (S10: YES), the control unit 22 uses the transmission / reception unit 24 to output an ultrasonic signal having an output intensity P. As shown in FIG. 3A, the ultrasonic signal is data in which a synchronization code, an ID code, a challenge code, and a distance measurement code are connected in time series. Here, the synchronization code is a preamble. The ID code is for identifying the vehicle 10. The challenge code is a signal that requests the portable device 40 to transmit identification information for identifying the portable device 40, and is used to generate an identification signal that includes the identification information. The distance measurement code is a code used for measuring the distance between the transmission / reception unit 24 and the portable device 40.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, the portable device 40 transmits signals as an ultrasonic signal in the order of a distance measurement code and a response code. Here, the distance measurement code is a code obtained by logically inverting each bit of the distance measurement code transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 24 of the vehicular authentication device 20. On the other hand, the response code is generated by logically synthesizing a code (encryption key) having identification information for identifying the portable device 40 into the challenge code, as shown in FIG. This response code includes information for identifying the portable device 40, and serves as an input signal when the vehicular authentication apparatus 20 performs authentication to the effect that the portable device 40 is valid.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the process of step S12 is completed, the control unit 22 receives a distance measurement code and a response code transmitted from the portable device 40 (S14). Subsequently, the control unit 22 calculates the distance between the transmission / reception unit 24 and the portable device 40 (S16). This can be calculated based on the time difference T from the transmission timing of the distance measurement code by the transmission / reception unit 24 to the reception timing of the distance measurement code by the transmission / reception unit 24. Specifically, using the processing time Δ and the sound speed Vs in the portable device 40 from the reception of the distance measurement code to the transmission on the portable device 40 side and the sound speed Vs, “L = Vs · (T−Δ) / 2”. Can be calculated. Note that the sound speed Vs may be a fixed value, but is preferably variable according to the temperature.

  Here, in calculating the distance L more accurately, the processing time Δ is preferably a fixed value. For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to suppress the variation of the processing time Δ, first, the portable device 40 transmits the distance measurement code prior to the generation of the response code. This is because if the distance measurement code is transmitted after waiting for the generation of the response code having a large calculation load for the CPU 46, the time required for the response code generation process varies, and as a result, the processing time Δ until the distance measurement code is transmitted. This is because there is a possibility of fluctuation. Secondly, in order to minimize the calculation load of the process for generating the distance measurement code in the portable device 40, it is generated by the bit inversion process of the received distance measurement code. By performing the bit inversion process, the calculation load of the process for generating the ranging code is sufficiently smaller than the calculation load of the response code generation process.

  Subsequently, the control unit 22 determines whether or not the distance L is equal to or less than the threshold value S (S18). This process is for determining whether or not the portable device 40 is in the passenger compartment based on the measurement result of the distance L. If the control unit 22 determines that the value is equal to or less than the threshold value S (S18: YES), the control unit 22 determines whether the response code is valid (S20). When the control unit 22 determines that the response code is valid (S20: YES), the control unit 22 executes a process of permitting the engine to be started (S22). In other words, a signal permitting engine start-up is transmitted from the vehicle authentication device 20 to the engine ECU 30. Thus, the engine is started when the user operates a start command switch (not shown).

Note that when the process of step S22 is completed or when a negative determination is made in steps S10, S18, and S20, the control unit 22 temporarily ends this series of processes.
When executing the process for permitting the start of the engine by the above process, the portable device 40 needs to be surely present in the passenger compartment. This is because, if the start of the engine is permitted when the portable device 40 is outside the vehicle compartment, the engine may be started by a person who does not have the portable device 40. However, when it is ensured only by the process of step S18 that the portable device 40 is in the vehicle interior, an area that is allowed as an arrangement location of the portable device 40 for allowing the engine to start is a partial region in the vehicle interior. It will be limited to. This is a particularly remarkable phenomenon because the directivity of the ultrasonic signal is weak. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to FIG.

  The illustrated region A1 schematically shows a space in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 10. As illustrated, the region A1 is a rectangular region. On the other hand, since the directivity of the ultrasonic signal is weak, a region where the ultrasonic signal propagates while maintaining the intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 (hereinafter referred to as the propagation region of the ultrasonic signal) It is considered to be a spherical region having a predetermined radius at the center. For this reason, as shown in the lower right of the figure, when the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is a weak output Pw, a region A3 narrower than the region A1 is a propagation region. In this case, when the portable device 40 exists in the area A4 that is not included in the area A3 in the area A1, electronic authentication cannot be performed. On the other hand, as shown in the upper right of the figure, when the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is a strong output Ps larger than the weak output Pw, a region A2 wider than the region A1 can be a propagation region. However, when the door 12 and the window 14 are closed, the propagation region is the region A1. This is because when the ultrasonic signal is to propagate outside the space partitioned by the door 12 and the window 14, the output is significantly reduced.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the door 12 and the window 14 are closed, the output intensity P is increased as compared with the case where the door 12 and the window 14 are not closed, thereby executing a process for permitting engine start-up. Enlarge the space that can be.

FIG. 5 shows a processing procedure for realizing this. This process is repeatedly executed by the control unit 22 at a predetermined cycle, for example.
In this series of processes, the control unit 22 first determines whether or not the door 12 is open (S30). This process can be performed, for example, by communicating with the door lock system 34 and acquiring information on whether or not the door 12 is open.

  When determining that the door 12 is not open (S30: NO), the control unit 22 determines whether the window 14 is open (S32). This process can be performed, for example, by communicating with the power window system 32 and acquiring information on whether or not the window 14 is open. Here, the window 14 being open is not in a fully closed state. Incidentally, this process is particularly necessary because an ultrasonic signal is used for communication between the vehicular authentication device 20 and the portable device 40. That is, in the case of electromagnetic waves, since the vacuum can propagate, the propagation region hardly changes depending on the opening / closing of the window 14. On the other hand, in the case of an ultrasonic signal, since the transmission medium is air, whether or not the vehicle interior is blocked from the vehicle interior by the window 14 is an ultrasonic wave that can be received by the portable device 40. This is important in determining whether the signal propagates outside the passenger compartment.

  When the control unit 22 determines that the window 14 is not open (S32: NO), the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is set to the strong output Ps, and the threshold value S is set to the first value Smax. Here, the strong output Ps is set to an output value that is assumed that the ultrasonic signal output from the transmission / reception unit 24 propagates throughout the vehicle interior while having the intensity received by the portable device 40. The first value Smax is set to the maximum value of the distance between the transmission / reception unit 24 and an arbitrary point in the vehicle compartment.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 22 determines that the door 12 and the window 14 are open (S30, S32: YES), the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is set to the weak output Pw, and the threshold value S is set. Is the second value Smin (S36). Here, the weak output Pw is a value in which the propagation region of the ultrasonic signal output from the transmission / reception unit 24 is a region in a circle centered on the transmission / reception unit 24 and inscribed in the boundary of the vehicle interior. The second value Smin is a radius of a circle centered on the transmission / reception unit 24 and inscribed in the boundary of the vehicle interior.

In addition, the control part 22 once complete | finishes this series of processes, when the process of step S34, S36 is completed.
According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) When the door 12 of the vehicle 10 is open (S30 in FIG. 5: YES), the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is set to the weak output Pw. Thereby, although the portable device 40 is outside the passenger compartment, electronic authentication based on the assumption that the portable device 40 is inside the passenger compartment can be suitably suppressed.

  (2) When the door 12 of the vehicle 10 is open (S30 in FIG. 5: YES), the threshold value S is set to the second value Smin. Thereby, although the portable device 40 is outside the vehicle compartment, electronic authentication based on the assumption that the portable device 40 is inside the vehicle compartment can be suitably suppressed.

  (3) When the window 14 of the vehicle 10 is open (S32 in FIG. 5: YES), the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is set to the weak output Pw. Thereby, although the portable device 40 is outside the vehicle compartment, it is possible to suitably suppress a situation in which electronic authentication is performed on the assumption that the portable device 40 is inside the vehicle compartment. In particular, even when the door 12 is closed, when the window 14 is open, the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is set to the weak output Pw, thereby using ultrasonic waves as the communication means. Problem can be dealt with appropriately.

  (4) When the window 14 of the vehicle 10 is open (S32 in FIG. 5: YES), the threshold value S is set to the second value Smin. Thereby, although the portable device 40 is outside the vehicle compartment, it is possible to suitably suppress a situation in which electronic authentication is performed on the assumption that the portable device 40 is inside the vehicle compartment. In particular, even when the door 12 is closed, when the window 14 is open, the threshold value S is set to the second value Smin, resulting in the use of ultrasonic waves as the communication means. The problem can be dealt with appropriately.

  (5) The condition that the distance L between the portable device 40 and the transmission / reception unit 24 is equal to or less than the threshold value S is included in the execution condition of the process for permitting the start of the engine. Thereby, even if the propagation region of the ultrasonic signal output from the transmission / reception unit 24 varies depending on the individual difference of the portable device 40, the layout variation in the vehicle interior, etc., the portable device 40 is Only when it is in the room, the certainty of determining that the execution condition is satisfied can be enhanced. In particular, when the portable device 40 is not a specialized device for authentication but the authentication program 48a is installed in a multipurpose device as in this embodiment, reception of an ultrasonic signal is performed. There is also a possibility that the variation of ability will become large. For this reason, it is considered that the concern that an unexpected situation may occur cannot be eliminated simply by variably setting the output intensity P to the strong output Ps and the weak output Pw. For this reason, the value of including the above conditions is particularly great.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the output intensity P and the threshold value S are changed with the door 12 being closed, the door 12 being opened, the window 14 being opened, and the window 14 being closed as triggers. . Here, regarding the change in the state of the door 12, for example, the door lock system 34 includes a door switch that is turned on when the door 12 is closed. Is output to the vehicular authentication device 20. Regarding the state change of the window 14, when the door 12 is fully closed or is not fully closed, the power window system 32 immediately outputs that fact to the vehicle authentication device 20. Can be realized.

  FIG. 6 shows the procedure for setting the output intensity P and the threshold value S according to the present embodiment. This process is executed by the control unit 22 using the event as a trigger. Note that, in FIG. 6, the same step numbers are assigned for convenience to those corresponding to the processing shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects (1) to (5) of the first embodiment.
(6) By changing the output intensity P and the threshold value S using the opening and closing of the door 12 and the window 14 as a trigger, it is possible to respond quickly according to the user's operation.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is not changed, and only the threshold value S is variably set. FIG. 7 shows the procedure for setting the output intensity P and the threshold S according to this embodiment. This process is repeatedly executed by the control unit 22 at a predetermined cycle, for example. Note that, in FIG. 7, the same step numbers are assigned for convenience to those corresponding to the processing shown in FIG.

  As shown in the figure, when the control unit 22 determines that the door 12 is open (S30: YES) or determines that the window 14 is open (S32: YES), the threshold value S is used. Is the second value Smin (S36a). In contrast, when the control unit 22 determines that both the door 12 and the window 14 are not open (S30, S32: NO), the control unit 22 sets the threshold value S to the first value Smax (S34a).

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect according to the effects (2), (4), and (5) of the first embodiment.
<Fourth Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the third embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the door 12 is closed, the door 12 is opened, the window 14 is opened, and the window 14 is closed. The threshold value S is changed.

  FIG. 8 shows a procedure for setting the output intensity P and the threshold S according to the present embodiment. This process is executed by the control unit 22 using the event as a trigger. In FIG. 8, the same step numbers are assigned to the processes corresponding to the process shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment, the effect according to the effects (2), (4), (5) of the previous first embodiment and the effect (6) of the second embodiment. An effect can be obtained.
<Correspondence between technical idea and embodiment>
Hereinafter, a representative correspondence relationship between the technical idea described in the above “Means for Solving the Problems” and the embodiment will be described .

Technical idea 1: Sealing degree changing unit ... 12, 14, transmitting / receiving unit ... 24, establishment determining unit ... S18, S20, expansion control unit ... S34, S34a, execution unit ... S22
Technical Thought 2: Processing of “S30: NO and S32: YES” in FIGS. 5 to 8 Technical Thought 3: Refer to FIGS. 6 and 8 Technical Thought 4: Refer to S18 in FIG. 2, Propagation Time (T− Δ) / 2
Technical idea 5: Refer to the process of S34 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 Technical idea 6: Refer to the process of S34 of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, and the process of S34a of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, propagation time (T−Δ) / 2
<Other embodiments>
Each of the above embodiments may be modified as follows.

・ "Sealing degree change part"
In the said embodiment, although the door 12 and the window 14 which are arrange | positioned at the right and left of the vehicle 10 were illustrated as a sealing degree change part, it is not restricted to this. For example, when a so-called back door is provided behind the vehicle, this may be included. In this case, when the back door is open, the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal may be set to the weak output Pw. However, it is not limited to the weak output Pw. For example, if the space between the rear seat and the back door is wide and the third row seat is not provided here, and there is a low probability that the portable device will be placed, transmission / reception is performed between the windshield and the rear seat. By arranging the portion 24, it is possible to make it difficult for ultrasonic waves to leak to the rear portion of the vehicle 10 beyond the back door. In this case, even when the back door is open, the strong output Ps can be obtained.

・ About the expansion control unit
In the first and second embodiments (FIGS. 5 and 6), the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal is changed between the strong output Ps and the weak output Pw depending on whether the window 14 is completely closed or not. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when the window 14 is slightly opened, the ultrasonic diffraction phenomenon does not become remarkable, and it is considered that an ultrasonic signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 does not propagate outside the passenger compartment. May maintain a strong output Ps. In addition, for example, when the window 14 is completely closed, when the window 14 is slightly opened (when the opening is equal to or less than a specified value), and when the opening exceeds a specified value, ultrasonic waves are used. The signal output strengths P may be different from each other.

  In the first and second embodiments (FIGS. 5 and 6), the threshold value S is changed in accordance with the change in the output intensity P of the ultrasonic signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the threshold value S may be a fixed value. In this case, the threshold value S is preferably set to the first value Smax.

  In the third and fourth embodiments (FIGS. 7 and 8), the threshold value S is set to the first value Smax and the second value depending on whether the window 14 is completely closed or not. Although the binary change is made to any one of Smin, it is not limited to this. For example, even when the window 14 is slightly opened, the ultrasonic diffraction phenomenon does not become remarkable, and it is considered that an ultrasonic signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 does not propagate outside the passenger compartment. May be maintained at the first value Smax. Further, for example, when the window 14 is completely closed, when the window 14 is slightly opened (when the opening is less than a specified value), and when the opening exceeds the specified value, the threshold value is set. S may be different from each other.

  Note that the state referred to when changing the output intensity P and the threshold value S is not limited to the doors 12 and the windows 14 provided on the left and right of the vehicle 10. It is described by way of illustration. Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 that can be switched by the user's operation whether or not to open the air vent to ventilate the interior of the vehicle interior and the exterior of the vehicle interior, compared to the case where the air vent is opened, The output intensity P may be reduced or the threshold value S may be reduced.

  Further, instead of changing the output intensity P and the threshold value, for example, when the transmission / reception unit 24 receives an ultrasonic signal transmitted from the portable device 40, the threshold value is set to an intensity that allows the signal to be recognized as a received signal. This may be changed. That is, for example, if the threshold value is increased by opening the door 12 or the window 14, it is possible to prevent the portable device 40 from being authenticated as being in the vehicle compartment even though it is outside the vehicle compartment. it can.

・ "Adaptation of strong output Ps and weak output Pw"
In the above embodiment, the strong output Ps is set to a level at which it is assumed that an ultrasonic signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 is propagated throughout the vehicle interior. For example, a lower level may be used. Even in this case, if the ultrasonic signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 is propagated outside the passenger compartment by opening the door 12 or the window 14, the strong signal is transmitted as described in the above embodiment. It is effective to switch between the output Ps and the weak output Pw. Further, the setting of the weak output Pw is not limited to that exemplified in the above embodiment. However, even when the door 12 and the window 14 are opened, it is desirable that the ultrasonic signal having an intensity that can be received by the portable device 40 is set to a level that does not propagate outside the passenger compartment.

"About the first value Smax and the second value Smin"
In the said embodiment, although 1st value Smax was made into the maximum value of the distance between the transmission / reception part 24 and the arbitrary points in a vehicle interior, it is not restricted to this. For example, a smaller value may be used. Also, the second value Smin is not limited to that exemplified in the above embodiment, and may be a smaller value, for example.

・ About the establishment decision section
In the first and second embodiments, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the response code is valid without providing a condition that the distance L is equal to or less than the threshold value S. Further, a signal transmitted from the portable device 40 and used as an input for authentication processing is not limited to a response code generated by a logical operation between a challenge code and an encryption key. For example, the vehicular authentication device 20 transmits the request signal requesting the portable device 40 to transmit the identification information for identifying the portable device 40, thereby including the identification information without performing logical synthesis with the request signal. If the identification signal is transmitted, the identification signal may be the input signal.

・ About the measurement unit
In FIG. 3, in order to measure the distance L, a synchronization code, an ID code, a challenge code, and a distance measurement code are sequentially transmitted from the vehicle authentication device 20, so that the portable device 40 first transmits the distance measurement code. However, it is not limited to this. For example, a synchronization code, an ID code, and a distance measurement code are transmitted from the vehicle authentication device 20 side, so that the portable device 40 transmits a distance measurement code, and then transmits a challenge code from the vehicle authentication device 20 side. You may make it do.

  Further, for example, after the distance measurement code is transmitted from the portable device 40 and received by the vehicular authentication apparatus 20, the distance measurement code may be transmitted to be received by the portable device 40. In this case, the time difference information from the transmission timing of the distance measurement code to the reception timing may be transmitted from the portable device 40 to the vehicular authentication device 20. In this case, the measurement unit performs a process of receiving time difference information.

  Note that the variation in the length of time required for the response code calculation process from the time difference in the reception timing of the distance measurement code by one with respect to the transmission timing of the distance measurement code from one of the vehicle authentication device 20 and the portable device 40 to the other The fact that the method of the above modification is not indispensable for removing the influence of the above is as described in the “About portable device” column.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the one that calculates the distance from the time difference of the reception timing of the distance measurement code by one with respect to the transmission timing of the distance measurement code from one of the vehicle authentication device 20 and the portable device 40, for example, transmission / reception The distance L may be calculated based on the transmission timing of the ultrasonic signal by the unit 24 and the reception timing by the portable device 40. This can be realized by transmitting reception timing information from the portable device 40 to the vehicular authentication device 20.

・ About the execution part
The permission process for starting the in-vehicle main machine is not limited to the permission process for starting the engine. For example, in the case where an in-vehicle main unit is equipped with an electric motor, a permission process for starting the electric motor may be used.

  The predetermined process for the in-vehicle electronic device performed by the execution unit is not limited to the permission process for starting the in-vehicle main unit. For example, in the case where the in-vehicle main unit is an electric motor connected to an inverter, a process of permitting a switch (main relay) that opens and closes between a pair of input terminals of the inverter and a battery to be closed may be performed.

  However, the predetermined process is not limited to the permission process. For example, it is good also as the process itself which switches the said switch to a closed state. Further, for example, the steering lock may be switched on and off.

  Furthermore, the predetermined process is not limited to permission or execution of a process for preparing a state for enabling the vehicle to travel. For example, the activation of accessories in the vehicle interior or the activation permission may be performed, such as a process of turning on the power of the instrument panel or a process of permitting activation of the air conditioner. However, it is not limited to the activation or permission of the accessory in the vehicle interior. For example, the door 12 has a function of locking the door 12 by displaying an intention to lock the door 12 from the outside of the vehicle 10. Processing that prohibits locking may be used.

・ About mobile devices
It is not limited to a general-purpose multifunctional mobile terminal equipped with various functions, such as a smartphone, in addition to the use of the vehicle. For example, a dedicated device specialized in electronic authentication of a vehicle user may be used. In this case, variations in functions for performing ultrasonic communication such as sensitivity to ultrasonic signals can be suppressed to individual differences. At this time, the processing in the portable device is not limited to that realized by causing the computer to execute the authentication program, and at least a part of the processing in the portable device is realized by dedicated hardware means. Also good. In particular, if the processing for receiving the distance measurement code transmitted from the vehicle authentication device 20 and transmitting the distance measurement code to the vehicle authentication device 20 is realized by dedicated hardware means, for example, FIG. In this case, even if the distance measurement code is transmitted after the response code is transmitted, it is easy to accurately measure the distance L between the transmission / reception unit 24 and the transmission / reception unit 42.

・ About sound waves
Not only ultrasonic waves but also sound wave signals in an audible frequency band may be used. In this case, since the diffraction phenomenon becomes remarkable as compared with the ultrasonic signal, it is easy to communicate with the portable device 40 by bypassing the obstacle around the transmission / reception unit 24.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 12 ... Door, 14 ... Window, 20 ... Vehicle authentication apparatus, 22 ... Control part, 24 ... Transmission / reception part, 30 ... Engine ECU, 32 ... Power window system, 34 ... Door lock system, 40 ... Portable machine , 42 ... transmission / reception unit, 44 ... telephone line communication unit, 46 ... CPU, 48 ... nonvolatile memory, 48a ... authentication program, 50 ... input / output port.

Claims (4)

In a vehicular authentication device that performs electronic authentication with a portable device that is provided in a vehicle and carried by a user,
The vehicle includes a sealing degree changing unit that changes a sealing degree that is a degree of closing the vehicle interior with respect to the outside of the vehicle interior.
A transmission / reception unit which is provided in a vehicle interior and performs communication for the electronic authentication with the portable device by a sound wave signal;
An establishment determination unit that determines whether or not an execution condition of a predetermined process for an in-vehicle electronic device is established, using a sound wave signal transmitted from the portable device as an input,
An execution unit that executes the predetermined process when the execution determination unit determines that the execution condition is satisfied;
An expansion control unit that performs control for expanding a space that can be determined by the establishment determination unit to satisfy the execution condition, as compared with a low case when the sealing degree is high ;
A measurement unit for measuring a distance between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device based on a propagation time of a sound wave signal between the transmission / reception unit and the portable device ;
The sound wave signal as an input of the establishment determination unit is a sound wave signal transmitted from the portable device when the sound wave signal transmitted from the transmission / reception unit is received by the portable device, and the portable device is Including identifying information to identify ,
The execution condition includes a condition that the distance measured by the measurement unit is a threshold value or less,
The expansion control unit executes control for increasing the threshold value as control for expanding the possible space . The vehicle includes a door and a window,
2. The vehicular authentication device according to claim 1, wherein when the door is closed and the window is opened, the expansion control unit does not perform control for expanding the possible space.   The expansion control unit is a time point when the degree of sealing changes from one of a level at which control for expanding the possible space is not performed and a level at which control for expanding the possible space is performed to the other. The vehicle authentication device according to claim 1, wherein control for changing the possible space is performed. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the expansion control unit executes control for increasing the intensity of a sound wave signal transmitted from the transmission / reception unit as control for expanding the possible space. Authentication device.