Vehicle control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304053-A1
Application number	US-201615066010-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes: a vehicle-mounted transmitter which transmits a first response request signal; a vehicle-mounted receiver which receives, from a portable device, a response signal to the first response request signal; and a controller which allows an operation for welcoming a user carrying the portable device to a vehicle according to a reception state of the response signal. When intermittently transmitting the first response request signal at predetermined intervals via the vehicle-mounted transmitter, the controller determines whether condition set in advance is established. When the condition is established, the controller transmits a second response request signal different from the first response request signal. When the vehicle-mounted receiver receives a response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as a response to the second response request signal, the controller continues to transmit the second response request signal via the vehicle-mounted transmitter.

First claim

1 . A vehicle control apparatus comprising:
a vehicle-mounted transmitter which transmits a first response request signal; a vehicle-mounted receiver which receives a response signal which is transmitted from a portable device as a response to the first response request signal; and a controller which controls the vehicle-mounted transmitter and the vehicle-mounted receiver, and which allows an operation of a vehicle-mounted apparatus for welcoming a user carrying the portable device to a vehicle according to a reception state of the response signal received via the vehicle-mounted receiver, wherein when the controller intermittently transmits the first response request signal at predetermined intervals via the vehicle-mounted transmitter, the controller determines whether or not condition set in advance is established, wherein when the condition is established, the controller transmits a second response request signal, which is different from the first response request signal, via the vehicle-mounted transmitter instead of transmitting the first response request signal, and wherein when the vehicle-mounted receiver receives a response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as a response to the second response request signal, the controller continues to transmit the second response request signal via the vehicle-mounted transmitter.

2 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a case where the vehicle-mounted receiver receives the response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as the response to the second response request signal, and verification of an ID code included in the response signal is established, the controller continues to transmit the second response request signal via the vehicle-mounted transmitter.

3 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein in a case where the vehicle-mounted receiver receives the response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as the response to the second response request signal, and the verification of the ID code included in the response signal is established, the controller allows the operation of the vehicle-mounted apparatus.

4 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the portable device detects received signal strength of the received second response request signal, and transmits the response signal including the received signal strength, and wherein in a case where the vehicle-mounted receiver receives the response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as the response to the second response request signal, and the received signal strength included in the response signal is less than a predetermined value, the controller continues to transmit the second response request signal via the vehicle-mounted transmitter.

5 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second response request signal is a signal which is received by the portable device more easily than the first response request signal.

6 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second response request signal is a signal having a transmission pattern, a data format, or signal strength different from that of the first response request signal.

7 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second response request signal is a signal having a shorter transmission interval, a longer data length, or stronger signal strength compared to that of the first response request signal.

8 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the condition includes a condition that voltage of a battery, which is a power supply of the vehicle, is a threshold value or less.

9 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the condition includes a condition that communication with the portable device or verification of an ID code with the portable device is not established for a predetermined amount of time.

10 . The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a case where the condition is not established, in a case where the vehicle-mounted receiver does not receive the response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as the response to the second response request signal, or in a case where the vehicle-mounted receiver receives the response signal which is transmitted from the portable device as the response to the second response request signal, but verification of an ID code included in the response signal is not established, the controller transmits the first response request signal again via the vehicle-mounted transmitter.

Assignees

• Tomita Yosuke
• Ishihara Naoyuki
• Nishidai Tetsuo
• Inaguma Takahiro
• Hamada Kazuya
• Omron Automotive Electronics

Inventors

• Tomita Yosuke
• Ishihara Naoyuki
• Nishidai Tetsuo
• Inaguma Takahiro
• Hamada Kazuya

Classifications

• B60R25/241 Primary

  whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers · CPC title

• B60R25/2081

  combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels · CPC title