In-vehicle device, recording medium, and keyless entry system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875501-B2
Application number	US-201916460097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 10, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

An in-vehicle device includes a plurality of transmitting antennas, an in-vehicle device transmitter configured to transmit measurement signals via the plurality of respective transmitting antennas, an in-vehicle device receiver configured to receive, from a portable device, a measurement result signal that includes measurement data of received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals that have been transmitted from the plurality of respective transmitting antennas, and an in-vehicle device controller configured to determine whether to identify a location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal, and, in a case where the in-vehicle device controller has determined that the location of the portable device is to be identified, identify the location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An in-vehicle device comprising:
a plurality of transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device transmitter configured to transmit measurement signals via the plurality of respective transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device receiver configured to receive, from a portable device, a measurement result signal that includes measurement data of received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals that have been transmitted from the plurality of respective transmitting antennas; and
an in-vehicle device controller configured to determine whether to identify a location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal, and, in a case where the in-vehicle device controller has determined that the location of the portable device is to be identified, identify the location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal, wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where the measurement result signal lacks at least one received signal strength among the received signal strengths.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where a given received signal strength of a measurement signal that has been transmitted from a transmitting antenna installed inside a vehicle is below a first threshold, the given received signal strength being from among the received signal strengths.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where two or more received signal strengths of measurement signals that have been transmitted from respective transmitting antennas are not included in the measurement result signal, the two or more received signal strengths being from among the received signal strengths.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal are all below a threshold.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal is below a threshold.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the case where the in-vehicle device controller has determined that the location of the portable device is to be identified, the in-vehicle device controller calculates a distance from the portable device to each of a plurality of preset areas based on the received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals included in the measurement result signal, and identifies an area to which the portable device belongs from the plurality of preset areas based on the distance.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 6 , wherein the distance is a Mahalanobis distance or an Euclidean distance.

8. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device transmitter includes one in-vehicle device transmitter connected to the plurality of transmitting antennas.

9. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device transmitter includes a plurality of in-vehicle device transmitters each connected to a corresponding transmitting antenna of the plurality of transmitting antennas.

10. An in-vehicle device comprising:
a plurality of transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device transmitter configured to transmit measurement signals via the plurality of respective transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device receiver configured to receive, from a portable device, a measurement result signal that includes measurement data of received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals that have been transmitted from the plurality of respective transmitting antennas; and
an in-vehicle device controller configured to determine whether to identify a location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal, and, in a case where the in-vehicle device controller has determined that the location of the portable device is to be identified, identify the location of the portable device based on the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal, wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where a given received signal strength of a measurement signal that has been transmitted from a transmitting antenna installed inside a vehicle is below a first threshold, the given received signal strength being from among the received signal strengths.

11. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where two or more received signal strengths of measurement signals that have been transmitted from respective transmitting antennas are not included in the measurement result signal, the two or more received signal strengths being from among the received signal strengths.

12. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal are all below a second threshold.

13. The in-vehicle device according to claim 12 , wherein the in-vehicle device controller determines not to identify the location of the portable device in a case where a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the received signal strengths included in the measurement result signal is below a third threshold.

14. The in-vehicle device according to claim 12 , wherein the distance is a Mahalanobis distance or an Euclidean distance.

15. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10 , wherein, in the case where the in-vehicle device controller has determined that the location of the portable device is to be identified, the in-vehicle device controller calculates a distance from the portable device to each of a plurality of preset areas based on the received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals included in the measurement result signal, and identifies an area to which the portable device belongs from the plurality of preset areas based on the distance.

16. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10 , wherein the in-vehicle device transmitter includes one in-vehicle device transmitter connected to the plurality of transmitting antennas.

17. The in-vehicle device according to claim 10 , wherein the in-vehicle device transmitter includes a plurality of in-vehicle device transmitters each connected to a corresponding transmitting antenna of the plurality of transmitting antennas.

18. An in-vehicle device comprising:
a plurality of transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device transmitter configured to transmit measurement signals via the plurality of respective transmitting antennas;
an in-vehicle device receiver configured to receive, from a portable device, a measurement result signal that includes measurement data of received signal strengths of the respective measurement signals that have b

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakajima Satoshi
• Hayasaka Satoshi
• Hashimoto Akira
• Yamana Itaru
• Suzuki Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B60R25/10

  actuating a signalling device · CPC title

• H04B1/005

  adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges · CPC title

• H04B1/034

  Portable transmitters · CPC title

• B60R25/245 Primary

  where the antenna reception area plays a role · CPC title

• G08C2201/91

  Remote control based on location and proximity · CPC title