Vehicle-mounted apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559972-B2
Application number	US-202218283452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	May 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted apparatus for accommodating an electronic key of a vehicle, the apparatus comprises a speaker; a light emitting unit; an audio control unit configured to control the speaker to emit given audio guidance related to a handling procedure of the vehicle-mounted apparatus when the vehicle is used; and a lighting control unit configured to control lighting of the light emitting unit in conjunction with audio emission control of the audio guidance by the audio control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle-mounted apparatus for accommodating an electronic key of a vehicle, the vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising:
a speaker; a light emitter; and a controller configured to control the speaker and the light emitter, wherein the controller performs:
an audio emission control to make the speaker to emit given audio guidance related to a handling procedure of the vehicle-mounted apparatus when the vehicle is used; and
a lighting control of the light emitter,
wherein the controller repeatedly performs the audio emission control and continues the lighting control until a completion of a predetermined operation of a user based on the handling procedure is detected.

2 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an accommodating portion configured to accommodate the electronic key; and an opening and closing device for opening and closing the accommodating portion, wherein the audio guidance includes take-out guidance for taking out the electronic key from the accommodating portion and accommodating guidance for placing the electronic key into the accommodating portion.

3 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light emitter includes an illumination configured to illuminate the accommodating portion, and the controller performs the lighting control of the illumination with the audio emission control of the take-out guidance and the accommodating guidance.

4 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light emitter includes a guide light configured to indicate the opening and closing device, the audio guidance includes opening and closing operation guidance for prompting an operation on the opening and closing device, and the controller performs the lighting control of the guide light with the audio emission control of the opening and closing operation guidance.

5 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light emitter includes an illumination configured to illuminate the accommodating portion, and a guide light configured to indicate the opening and closing device, the audio guidance includes, as service-in guidance for taking out the electronic key from the accommodating portion, opening and closing operation guidance for prompting an operation on the opening and closing device and take-out guidance for taking out the electronic key from the accommodating portion, and as service-out guidance for placing the electronic key into the accommodating portion, the opening and closing operation guidance and accommodating guidance for placing the electronic key into the accommodating portion, and the controller performs:
the lighting control of the guide light with the audio emission control of the service-in guidance, and then performs the lighting control of the illumination, and
the lighting of the guide light with the audio emission control of the service-out guidance, and then performs the lighting control of the illumination.

6 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication circuit configured to communicate with a user terminal of the user who uses the vehicle, wherein the controller makes the user terminal to display given guidance display via the communication circuit with the audio emission control of the audio guidance.

7 . The vehicle-mounted apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an actuator configured to perform a push button operation on the accommodated electronic key, wherein the controller operates the actuator when an instruction to open or close a door of the vehicle is received from the user terminal via the communication circuit.

Assignees

• Yokowo Seisakusho Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Tsugio

Classifications

• B60R25/20 Primary

  Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off · CPC title

• G06Q50/43

  Business processes related to the sharing of vehicles, e.g. car sharing · CPC title

• B60R25/24

  using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user · CPC title

• E05B19/0005 Primary

  Key safes (E05B35/086 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05B19/00

  Keys; Accessories therefor ({key modifications or attachments preventing removal from the lock E05B11/005; key rings A44B15/00; key cases A45C11/32; key holders A47G29/10;} making keys, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D53/42; milling grooves in keys B23C3/35) · CPC title