Vehicular electronic key system and vehicular authentication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024257590-A1
Application number	US-202418631272-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2024
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A smart key and a mobile terminal store therein key information to be used for authentication with a vehicle to function as a key (key device) of a vehicle. Each of the smart key and the mobile terminal performs communication for authentication with an in-vehicle system or the like by BLE communication. For power saving, the smart key basically operates in a sleep mode in which the BLE communication is not possible. On receiving a wake signal periodically transmitted from the vehicle, the smart key transitions to a state where the BLE communication is possible. When sensing the presence of the mobile terminal within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the in-vehicle system stops the periodic transmission of the wake signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicular electronic key system, in which an in-vehicle-system is configured to perform predetermined vehicle control by performing short-range communication, which is wireless communication in compliance with a predetermined communication standard using a radio wave in a first frequency band, with a key device, which is a device to be used as a key of a vehicle, the in-vehicle system including:
a key information storage unit configured to store information on the key device; a plurality of first communication units that are communication modules configured to perform the short-range communication; at least one second communication unit that is a communication module configured to
transmit a predetermined wake signal, which is a wireless signal in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and
temporarily transition a vehicular mobile device, which is a dedicated device to operate the vehicle, to a state where the short-range communication is possible;
a communication control unit configured to control an operation of each of the first communication units and the second communication unit; a position estimation unit configured to determine a position of the key device with respect to the vehicle, based on statuses of signal reception from the key device by the plurality of first communication units; and an authentication processing unit configured to authenticate a user based on data received from the key device by the first communication units, the key information storage unit is configured to register, as the key device, each of the vehicular mobile device and a mobile terminal, which is a versatile information processing device capable of performing the short-range communication, the communication control unit is configured to change, when the mobile terminal is registered as the key device, the operation of the second communication unit, according to the position of the mobile terminal determined by the position estimation unit, the position estimation unit is configured to determine, based on statuses of signal reception from the mobile terminal by the plurality of first communication units, whether the mobile terminal is present in a distant area, which is distant from the vehicle by a predetermined distance or more, or in an area, which is distant from the vehicle by a distance less than the predetermined distance, and the communication control unit is configured to when the position estimation unit determines that the mobile terminal is present in the distant area, cause the second communication unit to periodically transmit the wake signal at predetermined polling intervals, and when the position estimation unit determines that the mobile terminal is present in the area, which is distant from the vehicle by the distance less than the predetermined distance, set the polling intervals of the wake signal to be longer than the polling intervals when the position estimation unit determines that the mobile terminal is present in the distant area.

2 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1 , wherein
the position estimation unit is configured determine, based on the statuses of signal reception from the mobile terminal by the plurality of first communication units, whether the mobile terminal is present in a predetermined operation area, which is outside a vehicle interior or in the vehicle interior, and the communication control unit is configured to
cause the second communication unit to periodically transmit the wake signal based on determination that the mobile terminal is present neither in the vehicle interior nor in the operation area,
cause the second communication unit to stop the periodic transmission of the wake signal based on determination that the mobile terminal is present in the vehicle interior or in the operation area.

3 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1 , wherein
the position estimation unit is configured to determine whether the user carrying the mobile terminal is approaching the vehicle based on a history of the position of the mobile terminal, and the communication control unit is configured to stop the second communication unit based on the determination that the user carrying the mobile terminal is approaching.

4 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second communication unit includes a plurality of second communication units located at different positions in the vehicle and having different transmission ranges for the wake signal, the position estimation unit is configured to specify position coordinates of the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle based on the statuses of signal reception from the mobile terminal by the plurality of first communication units, and the communication control unit is configured to cause the second communication unit, which has the transmission range not including the position coordinates of the mobile terminal specified by the position estimation unit, to periodically transmit the wake signal.

5 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication control unit is configured to
specify, based on an input signal from a member that is to be operated by the user, an operation member position, which is a position of a member operated by the user, and
cause the second communication unit to transmit the wake signal based on a mismatch between the operation member position and the position of the mobile terminal.

6 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1 , wherein
the in-vehicle system further includes:
a device management unit configured to manage information on a device registered as the key device, and
the device management unit is configured to
display, on a predetermined display, a device registration screen, which is a screen for newly registering the key device, based on an operation signal of the user output from an input device,
newly register, as the key device, the mobile terminal or the vehicular mobile device based on the operation signal of the user from the input device during the display of the device registration screen,
acquire, as device type information, whether a registration target device, which is a device to be newly registered as the key device, is the vehicular mobile device, based on the signal from the input device, and
store, in the key information storage unit, a device ID, which is an identifier of the registration target device together with the device type information.

7 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 6 , wherein
the device management unit is configured to delete the vehicular mobile device from a list of the key devices based on the signal from the input device.

8 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 6 , wherein
the communication control unit is configured to change the operation of the second communication unit based on whether the vehicular mobile device is registered as the key device in the key information storage unit.

9 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 6 , wherein
the communication control unit is configured not to operate the second communication unit when the vehicular mobile device is not registered as the key device in the key information storage unit.

10 . The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 6 , wherein
the device management unit is configured to display, on the display, a screen proposing to delete the vehicular mobile device from a list of the key devices,
when the short-range communication has not been performed with the vehicular mobile device for a predetermined period or long

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Sanji Kenichiro
• Nakakura Yohei
• Saiki Takashi
• Tanaka Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• G07C9/00309 Primary

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• E05B49/00

  Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor {; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor (arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)} · CPC title