Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle control method, recording medium with program for control recorded, and vehicle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214237-B2
Application number	US-202017117515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes a vehicle communication control unit performing communication with a mobile terminal, a distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance, a distance measurement control unit executing distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring unit to repeatedly measure the vehicle-terminal distance when communication between the mobile terminal and the vehicle communication control unit is established, and a distance measurement continuation determining unit, if a predetermined condition based on the vehicle-terminal distance is satisfied while the distance measurement repeat processing is being executed, finishing execution of the distance measurement repeat processing or increasing intervals of measurements of the vehicle-terminal distance in the distance measurement repeat processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a vehicle communication control unit performing communication with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle when the mobile terminal positions within an out-of-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
a distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
a distance measurement control unit executing distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring unit to repeatedly measure the vehicle-terminal distance when communication between the mobile terminal and the vehicle communication control unit is established; and
a distance measurement continuation determining unit, wherein, if a predetermined condition based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the distance measuring unit is satisfied while the distance measurement repeat processing is being executed, execution of the distance measurement repeat processing by the distance measuring unit is finished or intervals of measurements of the vehicle-terminal distance in the distance measurement repeat processing are increased.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the distance measurement control unit starts the distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance at predetermined time intervals when communication is established between the mobile terminal and the vehicle communication control unit.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, as the predetermined condition, a first predetermined condition is set, the first predetermined condition being that an increase in distance in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured by the distance measuring unit at different points in time is equal to or higher than a first predetermined value.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, as the predetermined condition, a second predetermined condition is set, the second predetermined condition being that a change in distance in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured by the distance measuring unit at different points in time is equal to or lower than a second predetermined value.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery remaining-amount recognizing unit recognizing a remaining amount of a battery provided in the vehicle,
wherein, as the predetermined condition, a third predetermined condition is set, the third predetermined condition being that the remaining amount of the battery recognized by the battery remaining-amount recognizing unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined amount.

6. A vehicle control method to be executed by a vehicle control apparatus performing communication with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle, the method comprising:
a vehicle communication control step of performing communication with the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal positions within an out-of-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
a distance measuring step of measuring a vehicle-terminal distance, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
a distance measurement control step of executing distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring step to repeatedly measure the vehicle-terminal distance when communication between the mobile terminal and the vehicle is established by the vehicle communication control step; and
a distance measurement continuation determining step of, if a predetermined condition based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured in the distance measuring step is satisfied while the distance measurement repeat processing is being executed, finishing execution of the distance measurement repeat processing by the distance measuring step or increasing intervals of measurements of the vehicle-terminal distance in the distance measurement repeat processing.

7. A non-transitory recording medium with a program for control recorded, the program being executed by a vehicle control apparatus performing communication with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle and causing the vehicle control apparatus to function as:
a vehicle communication control unit performing communication with the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal positions within an out-of-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
a distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
a distance measurement control unit executing distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring unit to repeatedly measure the vehicle-terminal distance when communication between the mobile terminal and the vehicle communication control unit is established; and
a distance measurement continuation determining unit, wherein, if a predetermined condition based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the distance measuring unit is satisfied while the distance measurement repeat processing is being executed, execution of the distance measurement repeat processing by the distance measuring unit is finished or intervals of measurements of the vehicle-terminal distance in the distance measurement repeat processing are increased.

8. A vehicle control system comprising a vehicle control apparatus having a vehicle communication control unit and a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle,
wherein the vehicle communication control unit and the mobile terminal perform communication by establishing communication with each other when the mobile terminal positions within an out-of-vehicle communication area of the vehicle communication control unit, and
the vehicle control apparatus includes:
a distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
a distance measurement control unit executing distance measurement repeat processing causing the distance measuring unit to repeatedly measure the vehicle-terminal distance while communication between the mobile terminal and the vehicle communication control unit is established; and
a distance measurement continuation determining unit, wherein, if a predetermined condition based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the distance measuring unit is satisfied while the distance measurement repeat processing is being executed, execution of the distance measurement repeat processing by the distance measuring unit is finished or intervals of measurements of the vehicle-terminal distance in the distance measurement repeat processing are increased.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hasegawa Satoshi
• Lee Seonghun
• Yamane Katsuyasu
• Yamaguchi Fumiaki

Classifications

• H04M1/724098

  Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle (for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075) · CPC title

• B60R25/31 Primary

  of human presence inside or outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R25/2036 Primary

  by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means · CPC title

• G01S5/0284

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• B60R25/209

  Remote starting of engine · CPC title