JP2012112196A - Electronic key system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic key system capable of locking/unlocking a vehicle door even if user's hands are occupied with baggage and the like.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle device of an electronic key system includes a pneumatic pressure information acquisition part that acquires pneumatic pressure information which contains information with respect to each pneumatic pressure of the respective tires of the vehicle, a pneumatic pressure fluctuation detection part that detects whether or not the detected pneumatic pressure for each tire has been fluctuated, and a fluctuation pattern determination part that determines whether or not the detected pneumatic pressure fluctuation is coincident with a predetermined fluctuation pattern. An operation permission part permits lock/unlock of the vehicle door when the collation is correctly done and it is determined that the pneumatic pressure fluctuation is coincident with the fluctuation pattern.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle electronic key system.

  In the field of automobile-related technology, various systems that are mounted on vehicles and execute various controls have been put into practical use. A composite system in which two different systems are integrated has already been proposed.

  For example, the cooperative operation of the remote keyless entry system portable device and the TPMS allows the driver to warn of abnormal tire pressure when getting into the vehicle from outside the vehicle or leaving the vehicle from inside the vehicle. A tire pressure abnormality warning device has been devised that can effectively detect a tire pressure abnormality warning and check for tire abnormality by taking the opportunity to get off (see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, it has a function as an electronic key system (also referred to as a smart entry system) and a function as a tire pressure monitoring system, and also shares a part of the configuration of each system to efficiently control the operation of both systems. A vehicle composite control system that can reduce the cost of the system has been devised (see Patent Document 2).

  In addition, the electronic key system cooperates with the airbag system to open the slide door based on the impact detection state of the G sensor of the airbag system, so that the door can be opened even when both hands are closed. An automatic door opener system for vehicles has been devised (see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent No. 3964664 Japanese Patent No. 4552959 JP 2004-316231 A

  The configurations of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are not configured to lock / unlock a door, which is an original function of a remote keyless entry system or an electronic key system, in cooperation with other systems. There is also a problem that the key operation switch cannot be operated in a state where both hands are closed with luggage or the like.

  Since the configuration of Patent Document 3 is a method in which the user applies an impact to the side sill of the vehicle, there is a problem that the vehicle is damaged by accidentally applying an impact to a portion other than the side sill.

  Against the background of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic key system that can lock / unlock a vehicle door even when both hands are closed with baggage or the like.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

An electronic key system for solving the above problems is as follows.
Communication is performed between a portable device-side communication unit included in a portable device possessed by a user and a vehicle-side communication unit included in an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle. An electronic key including a collation unit that collates received data with collation data stored in advance in the in-vehicle device, and an operation permission unit that permits a predetermined operation in the vehicle based on a collation result in the collation unit. A system,
The in-vehicle device detects an air pressure information acquisition unit that acquires air pressure information including information about the air pressure of each tire of the vehicle, and an air pressure fluctuation detection unit that detects whether or not the detected air pressure fluctuates for each tire. A fluctuation pattern determination unit that determines whether or not the fluctuation of the air pressure matches a predetermined fluctuation pattern, and the operation permission unit is configured to check whether the air pressure fluctuation occurs when the collation is correctly performed. When it is determined that the variation pattern matches, the vehicle door is allowed to be locked or unlocked.

  The tire pressure can be varied by, for example, stepping on the tire or kicking the tire. With the above configuration, the door of the vehicle can be locked / unlocked even when the hand is closed with baggage or the like. Moreover, compared with the structure which applies an impact to the side sill which is a metal member of the prior art (that is, the side sill is kicked), it is possible to reduce the burden on the user's foot when the impact is applied to the rubber tire. Furthermore, since collation is performed between the portable device (that is, the electronic key) and the in-vehicle device, it is possible to prevent a third party from entering the vehicle and stealing the vehicle.

  The air pressure information acquisition unit in the electronic key system of the present invention starts acquiring air pressure information when a predetermined acquisition start condition is satisfied.

  With the above configuration, since air pressure information is acquired only when necessary, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of air pressure fluctuations and malfunction of the door lock actuator. The tire air pressure is detected by a tire air pressure sensor unit including a well-known tire air pressure sensor. If the tire pressure sensor is activated only when the acquisition start condition is satisfied, it is possible to reduce the burden on the battery of a tire pressure sensor unit that is generally driven by a battery.

  In the electronic key system of the present invention, the acquisition start condition is that the vehicle-side communication unit transmits a signal to the portable device.

  The vehicle-side communication unit often transmits a signal to a portable device at a predetermined cycle or timing. With the above configuration, the acquisition start condition can be set using the existing configuration, and the acquisition of air pressure information can be started.

  In the electronic key system of the present invention, the acquisition start condition is that the vehicle-side communication unit receives a signal from the portable device.

  In many cases, transmission of signals from the vehicle-side communication unit to the portable device is always performed regardless of the presence or absence of the portable device. For this reason, in the configuration using signal transmission as a trigger, the tire pressure sensor unit is activated even if the user (that is, the portable device) is not near the vehicle and is not efficient. There are not a few burdens. On the other hand, in the above configuration, the number of activations of the tire air pressure sensor unit is reduced as compared with the case where the signal transmission is set as the acquisition start condition, and the burden on the battery can be further reduced.

  In addition, the air pressure information acquisition unit in the electronic key system of the present invention ends the acquisition of air pressure information when a predetermined acquisition end condition is satisfied.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of air pressure fluctuations and malfunction of the door lock actuator, and further reduce the burden on the battery of the tire pressure sensor unit.

  Further, the electronic key system of the present invention has an acquisition end condition that a predetermined time has passed since the air pressure information acquisition unit has started detecting whether or not there is a change in air pressure. To do.

  With the configuration described above, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the in-vehicle device by making the acquisition end condition not to detect a change in air pressure. Moreover, the burden on the battery of the tire pressure sensor unit can be further reduced.

  In addition, the electronic key system of the present invention includes a door opening / closing detection unit that detects opening / closing of the door of the vehicle, and acquires that the air pressure information acquisition unit has detected the opening / closing of the door while detecting whether there is a change in air pressure. End condition.

  Opening and closing the door means that the user is getting on and off or loading and unloading baggage, and it is not necessary to continue detecting whether there is a change in air pressure. With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the in-vehicle device. Moreover, the burden on the battery of the tire pressure sensor unit can be further reduced.

  Further, in the electronic key system of the present invention, when the air pressure fluctuation detection unit detects that the amount of change in air pressure per unit time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the fluctuation pattern determination unit detects that the air pressure fluctuation has occurred. It is determined that it matches the fluctuation pattern.

  With the above-described configuration, it is possible to determine whether the air pressure fluctuation is simply caused by the user touching the tire, or whether the air pressure fluctuation is desired to lock / unlock the door, and erroneous determination of air pressure fluctuation can be prevented.

  Further, in the electronic key system of the present invention, the air pressure fluctuation detecting unit causes the air pressure change amount per unit time to exceed a predetermined threshold value and then fall below the threshold value within a predetermined period. When detecting that it has been repeated a predetermined number of times, the fluctuation pattern determination unit determines that the fluctuation of the air pressure matches the fluctuation pattern.

  With the above configuration, for example, if the above number of times is set to a plurality of times, the air pressure fluctuation when the stone kicked by the user approaching the vehicle hits the tire is not regarded as a fluctuation pattern. It is possible to prevent erroneous determination of fluctuation.

  The operation permission unit in the electronic key system of the present invention selects at least one of the vehicle doors based on the variation pattern, and permits the selected door to be locked or unlocked.

  With the above configuration, the user can select a door to be locked or unlocked. Moreover, since the door is not unlocked which is not necessary, the crime prevention performance is not lowered.

  In the in-vehicle device in the electronic key system of the present invention, the in-vehicle device has sensor mounting position information in which the sensor ID for identifying the air pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure of each tire of the vehicle is associated with the mounting position of the tire. It has a sensor attachment position information acquisition part to acquire, and an operation permission part determines a door which permits locking or unlocking according to the attachment position of a tire in which a change in air pressure has occurred.

  A tire pressure monitoring system including a pneumatic sensor unit associates a sensor ID for identifying a pneumatic sensor with a tire mounting position in order to identify a wheel (configured by a tire and a wheel) in which an abnormality has occurred in the pneumatic pressure. I remember it. By acquiring this stored information (sensor mounting position information) in cooperation with the tire pressure monitoring system, if the user kicks the tire at least twice in a predetermined pattern, the desired door It can be locked or unlocked.

The block diagram which shows the structure of an electronic key system. The block diagram which shows the structure of a tire pressure monitoring system. The flowchart explaining a door locking state control process. The flowchart explaining another example of a door locking state control process. The timing chart explaining a door locking state control process.

  The electronic key system of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the electronic key system 100. The electronic key system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 101 mounted on a vehicle 10 and a portable device 102 possessed by a user.

  The in-vehicle device 101 includes an ECU 110, an LF transmission unit 111, a UHF reception unit 112, a memory 113 that is a nonvolatile storage medium such as a flash memory, an engine switch 115, a door antenna 116 (a general term for 116FR, 116FL, 116RR, and 116RL), a room An antenna 117, an antenna 118 inside the trunk, an antenna 119 outside the trunk, and the like are provided.

  ECU 110 is configured as a computer that includes a well-known CPU, a ROM and RAM in which various programs (collectively referred to as “vehicle-mounted device control program”) are stored, a signal input / output circuit (not shown), and the like. And various functions as the vehicle-mounted device 101 are realized by the CPU executing the vehicle-mounted device control program. The ECU 110 corresponds to a verification unit, an operation permission unit, an air pressure information acquisition unit, an air pressure fluctuation detection unit, a fluctuation pattern determination unit, and a sensor attachment position information acquisition unit according to the present invention.

  The LF transmission unit 111 transmits a radio signal to the portable device 102 using radio waves in the LF band. The radio signal transmitted from the LF transmission unit 111 includes, for example, a door antenna 116 in four hinge doors 140 (generally referred to as 140FR, 140FL, 140RR, and 140RL, the same shall apply hereinafter), an indoor antenna 117, Via the antenna 118 and the antenna outside the trunk 119, it reaches only within a limited communication area in the vicinity of the door (outside the cabin), in the cabin, inside the trunk, and outside the trunk. The LF transmission unit 111 corresponds to the vehicle side communication unit of the present invention.

  The UHF reception unit 112 receives a radio signal transmitted from the portable device 102 using a UHF band radio wave. Thereby, even if the output level of the portable device 102 is relatively weak, a communication distance can be obtained correspondingly, and the response signal can be more reliably transmitted to the in-vehicle device 101 side. The UHF receiver 112 corresponds to the vehicle-side communication unit, the air pressure information acquisition unit, and the sensor attachment position information acquisition unit of the present invention.

  The engine switch 115 is a switch operated by the user when starting the engine. When it is detected that the user has operated the engine switch 115, the ECU 110 determines whether the engine is permitted to start. If the engine start is permitted, an engine start signal is transmitted from the ECU 110 to the engine control system.

  The portable device 102 includes a control unit 120, an LF reception unit 121, a UHF transmission unit 122, an operation unit 124, a display device 127, a buzzer 128, a vibrator 129, a memory 130 including a nonvolatile storage medium such as a flash memory, and the like. ing.

  The control unit 120 is, for example, a microcomputer including a well-known CPU, a ROM or RAM in which various programs (collectively referred to as “portable device control program”) are stored, a signal input / output circuit (all not shown), and the like. Composed. Then, the CPU executes the portable device control program, thereby realizing various functions as the portable device 102.

  The LF receiving unit 121 receives a radio signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 101 using an LF band radio wave. The UHF transmission unit 122 transmits a radio signal to the in-vehicle device 101 using a UHF band radio wave. Note that the LF reception unit 121 and the UHF transmission unit 122 correspond to the portable device side communication unit of the present invention.

  For example, the operation unit 124 is mainly configured as a push switch group serving as a trigger for using the remote keyless entry function. When a one-push operation is performed, the door is locked, unlocked, or trunked according to the operated switch. Only unlocking is performed.

  The display device 127 is composed of, for example, an LCD, an LED, or electronic paper that does not require or minimize power consumption during display, and displays the operation state of the portable device 102. The buzzer 128 notifies the operation state of the portable device 102 with sound. The vibrator 129 notifies the operation state of the portable device 102 by vibration.

  With the above-described configuration, the electronic key system 100 sends a signal (for example, a response request signal) to the portable device 102 at a predetermined timing or cycle via the LF transmission unit 111 of the in-vehicle device 101. Transmission is sequentially performed from the door antenna 116, the indoor antenna 117, the trunk antenna 118, and the trunk antenna 119 to the portable device 102. Then, the UHF receiver 112 receives a response signal from the portable device 102.

  When a signal from the portable device 102 (for example, a response signal to the response request signal) is correctly received, the response signal (ID code) is collated with the master code stored in the memory 113, and the door is based on the collation result. The engine is allowed to be unlocked based on an instruction to turn on the engine switch 115, and the collation process is retried. Since these are not directly related to the present invention, details are omitted.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the door 140 of the vehicle 10 is a generic name of the door lock control unit 141 (141FR, 141FL, 141RR, 141RL) that controls the door to a locked / unlocked state in accordance with a control signal from the ECU 110. , Hereinafter the same), and a door switch 142 (a general term for 142FR, 142FL, 142RR, 142RL, hereinafter the same) for detecting the open / closed state of the door. The door switch 142 corresponds to the door opening / closing detection unit of the present invention.

  The trunk hatch 150 also includes a lock control unit 151 that controls the trunk hatch 150 in a locked / unlocked state in accordance with a control signal from the ECU 110, and a switch 152 that detects the open / closed state of the trunk hatch 150.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the tire pressure monitoring system 200. The tire pressure monitoring system 200 includes tires and wheels, and is provided on four wheels 260a (right front wheel), 260b (left front wheel), 260c (right rear wheel), and 260d (left rear wheel) of the vehicle 10. The air pressure sensor units 250 a to 250 d and a control unit 270 mounted on the vehicle 10 are configured.

  The tire pressure sensor unit 250 (generic name for 250a to 250d, hereinafter the same) is configured as, for example, a TPMS valve integrated with a valve for injecting air into the tire, and each detects a tire pressure to be monitored. 230a to 230d (may be abbreviated as “air pressure sensor”), memories 231a to 231d, communication devices 240a to 240d, and control units 232a to 232d to which these are connected are provided.

  The tire pressure sensor 230 (generic name for 230a to 230d, hereinafter the same) is configured to detect the pressure of the tire air chamber, and for example, a strain gauge type, a diaphragm type, or a semiconductor type pressure sensor can be used. . The detected tire pressure is sent to the communication device 240 (generic name for 240a to 240d, hereinafter the same).

  The communication device 240 transmits tire air pressure information to the vehicle-side communication device 271 (described later) using radio waves in the UHF band. In addition, various command signals are received from the vehicle-side communication device 271 using UHF band radio waves. The air pressure sensor 230 and the communication device 240 are driven using a battery (not shown) as a power source.

  The memory 231 (generic name for 231a to 231d, hereinafter the same) is configured by a nonvolatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example, and stores a sensor ID for identifying the air pressure sensor. Data necessary for the operation of the tire pressure sensor unit 250 is also stored.

  The control unit 232 (generic name of 232a to 232d, hereinafter the same) includes a well-known CPU, ROM, RAM, and peripheral circuits such as an input / output circuit (not shown), and the CPU executes a pneumatic sensor control program stored in the ROM. This realizes the function as a tire pressure sensor unit. For example, the tire pressure is acquired by the air pressure sensor 230 and the acquired tire pressure information is periodically sent from the communication device 240 to the control unit 270 together with the sensor ID. Note that the air pressure detection by the air pressure sensor 230 may be performed constantly or at a predetermined timing such as when an instruction is given.

  The control unit 270 is attached to the vehicle body, and includes a vehicle side communication device 271, a memory 274, a LAN I / F 276, and a control unit 273 to which these are connected. The control unit 270 is connected to a display 278 including an operation unit 275, a speaker 277, and an LCD.

  The vehicle-side communication device 271 receives tire pressure information from the communication device 240 using radio waves in the UHF band, and sends the received tire pressure information to the control unit 273. In addition, various command signals from the control unit 273 are transmitted to the communication device 240 by radio waves in the UHF band.

  The control unit 273 includes a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM (all not shown), and peripheral circuits. Then, the function of the tire pressure monitoring system 200 is realized by the CPU executing a tire pressure monitoring control program stored in its own ROM.

  The memory 274 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, and stores information necessary for the operation of the tire pressure monitoring system 200.

  The operation unit 275 is for the user to make settings related to the function of the tire pressure monitoring system 200, such as how to perform a warning notification regarding the tire pressure. The operation unit 275 may be configured as a mechanical switch group, or may be configured as a touch panel provided on the surface of the display 278. Further, the operation unit 275 may not be included.

  The LAN I / F 276 is an interface circuit for performing data communication with other in-vehicle devices such as the ECU 110 of the electronic key system 100 via the in-vehicle LAN 279.

  The speaker 277 is connected to a voice synthesis circuit (not shown) included in the control unit 270, and sends out, for example, voice message data stored in the memory 274 converted into voice data by the voice synthesis circuit.

  With the above-described configuration, the tire pressure monitoring system 200 associates the tire pressure information and sensor ID transmitted from the wheels 260 (generally referred to as 260a to 260d, hereinafter the same) with the mounting position of the wheels 260 by the control unit 273. The tire pressure is periodically monitored, and the state of the wheel 260 is determined based on the tire pressure information. If the tire air pressure is below a predetermined lower limit, the display 278 or the speaker 277 is used to give a warning notification that the tire air pressure has decreased. A warning display may also be displayed when the tire pressure exceeds a predetermined upper limit.

  The door locking state control process performed in the ECU 110 of the electronic key system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. This process is included in the above-described in-vehicle device control program, and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing together with other processes included in the program. First, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 10 is parked. For example, when the engine switch 115 is in an off state, it is determined that the vehicle 10 is parked. When the vehicle speed is zero, or when the position of a shift lever (not shown) is in the “parking” position, it may be determined that the vehicle 10 is parked.

When it is determined that the vehicle 10 is parked (S10: Yes), it is determined whether the air pressure information acquisition start condition is satisfied using at least one of the following (S11).
When the LF transmission unit 111 transmits a signal to the portable device 102, it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition start condition is satisfied.
When the portable device 102 is detected, that is, when the UHF receiving unit 112 receives a signal from the portable device, it is determined that an acquisition start condition for air pressure information is satisfied.
-When a predetermined acquisition start timing has arrived, such as every 500 msec, it is determined that an acquisition start condition for air pressure information has been satisfied.

When it is determined that an acquisition start condition for the air pressure information is satisfied (S12: Yes), the tire air pressure fluctuation detection mode is started. First, the air pressure sensor 230 of the air pressure sensor unit 250 is activated (that is, the air pressure can be detected) using any one of the following methods (S13).
A command signal is sent to the control unit 270 of the tire pressure monitoring system 200 via the in-vehicle LAN 279 and the command signal for starting the air pressure sensor 230 (that is, starting the tire pressure fluctuation detection mode) is sent from the vehicle side communication device 271 The data is transmitted to the sensor unit 250.
When the communicator 240 of the air pressure sensor unit 250 is configured to receive LF band radio waves, a command signal for starting the air pressure sensor 230 is transmitted from the LF transmitter 111 to the air pressure sensor unit 250.
When the air pressure sensor unit 250 receives the command signal, the control unit 232 activates the air pressure sensor 230.

Next, air pressure information is acquired using any of the following methods (S14).
The latest air pressure information of each wheel 260 stored in the memory 274 of the control unit 270 of the tire air pressure monitoring system 200 is acquired via the in-vehicle LAN 279.
The UHF receiving unit 112 receives the detected value of the tire air pressure transmitted from the communication device 240 of the air pressure sensor unit 250 to the control unit 270 as air pressure information.

Next, from the history of the acquired air pressure information (that is, the detected value of the air pressure), it is determined whether or not the air pressure fluctuation matches a predetermined fluctuation pattern using any of the following methods. (S15).
When the fluctuation range of the air pressure detection value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that it matches the fluctuation pattern.
When the change amount of the detected value of the air pressure per unit time exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that it matches the fluctuation pattern.
・ When the fluctuation range of the detected value of air pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold value and then falls below that threshold value, when it is detected a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period, it matches the fluctuation pattern judge.
・ When the state in which the amount of change in the detected value of air pressure per unit time exceeds a predetermined threshold and then falls below that threshold is detected a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period, the fluctuation pattern Is determined to match.

  When it is determined that the fluctuation pattern matches (S16: Yes), the ID code (data) received by the UHF receiving unit 112 from the portable device 102 is collated with the master code (data for collation) stored in the memory 113. Then, it is determined whether or not the collation is correctly performed.

When the collation is correctly performed (S17: Yes), the fluctuation state of the detected value of the air pressure is analyzed (S18). Based on the result and the door lock / unlock state, for example, the door Lock / unlock control is performed (S19).
・ Lock / unlock based on the number of fluctuations, such as lock all doors when the air pressure changes once and lock all doors when the air pressure changes twice.
・ When the air pressure changes once, only the door of the driver's seat (front right seat) is locked, when it is twice, only the driver's door is unlocked, and when it is three times, the passenger seat (front left) The target door and action are designated based on the number of fluctuations, such as locking only the door of the seat) and unlocking only the door of the passenger seat when four times.

  Further, when the sensor attachment position information that associates the sensor ID for identifying the air pressure sensor and the tire attachment position is stored in the memory 274 of the control unit 270 or the memory 231 of the air pressure sensor unit 250, As in the case of air pressure information acquisition, sensor mounting position information is acquired via the in-vehicle LAN 279 or the UHF receiving unit 212, and the door (140) closest to the wheel (260) in which the air pressure fluctuation has occurred is locked / Unlocking may be performed. For example, when a change in the tire air pressure of the right rear wheel 260c is detected, the right rear door 140RR is set as a control target, and locking / unlocking is performed based on the number of changes.

Next, it is determined using at least one of the following whether the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied (S20).
-Based on the above-mentioned fluctuation pattern analysis, when the door lock / unlock control is performed, it is determined that the acquisition end condition of the air pressure information is satisfied.
When the tire air pressure fluctuation detection mode is not detected even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the tire air pressure fluctuation detection mode, it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied.
When any one of the door switches 142 of each door 140 of the vehicle 10 changes from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state, it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied.
When the engine switch 115 (or the ignition switch) transitions from the off state to the on state, it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied.
When the UHF receiving unit 112 stops receiving a response signal from the portable device 102, it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied.

When it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is not satisfied (S21: No), the process returns to step S14 and the tire air pressure fluctuation detection mode is continued. On the other hand, when it is determined that the air pressure information acquisition end condition is satisfied (S21: Yes), the tire air pressure fluctuation detection mode is ended using any of the following methods (S22).
A command signal is sent to the control unit 270 of the tire pressure monitoring system 200 via the in-vehicle LAN 279, and the command signal from the vehicle-side communication device 271 is stopped (that is, the tire pressure variation detection mode is terminated). The data is transmitted to the sensor unit 250.
When the communicator 240 of the air pressure sensor unit 250 is configured to receive LF band radio waves, a command signal for stopping the air pressure sensor 230 is transmitted from the LF transmitter 111 to the air pressure sensor unit 250.
When the air pressure sensor unit 250 receives the command signal, the control unit 232 stops the air pressure sensor 230. Alternatively, the operation mode is changed to an original operation mode of the tire pressure monitoring system 200 such as an intermittent operation by a command from the control unit 270.

  Another example of the door locking state control process will be described with reference to FIG. Since this process is a modification of FIG. 3 and only step S19 is different, and other process steps are the same as those of FIG. 3, only the modification of step S19 is shown and described here, and other steps are described. The illustration and explanation are omitted.

  In this configuration example, the left and right doors (140RR, 140RL) on the rear seat of the vehicle 10 are configured as slide doors, and backdoors are provided instead of the trunk hatch. The slide door is provided with a right slide door drive unit 143RR and a left slide door drive unit 143RL each having a motor as a drive source. The slide doors are driven by motors in accordance with an opening / closing signal from the ECU 110. It is possible to open / close 140RR and 140RL.

  Reference numeral 150 represents a back door instead of the trunk hatch, and the back door is also provided with a back door drive unit 153 using a motor as a drive source. The motor is driven in accordance with an open / close signal from the ECU 110. The back door 150 can be opened / closed. Further, the lock control unit 151 controls the back door 150 to the locked / unlocked state in accordance with a control signal from the ECU 110, and the switch 152 detects the open / closed state of the back door 150.

  First, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the door position to be subject to operation control is specified from the fluctuation pattern of the air pressure or the mounting position of the tire where the air pressure fluctuation has occurred (S191).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the identified door is a slide door (140RR, 140RL) or a back door 150, and when it is a slide door or a back door (S192: Yes), the corresponding door is determined according to the variation pattern. Is opened / closed (S193). For example, when there is an unlock instruction, the door lock control unit (141RR, 141RL) or the lock control unit 150 causes the corresponding door to transition to the unlocked state, and the slide door drive unit (143RR, 143RL) or the back door. The motor of the drive unit 153 is driven to open the corresponding door. When there is a lock instruction, the motor of the slide door drive unit (143RR, 143RL) or the back door drive unit 153 is driven to close the corresponding door, and the door lock control unit (141RR, 141RL) or lock The controller 150 makes a transition to the locked state.

  On the other hand, when the specified door is neither the slide door (140RR, 140RL) or the back door 150, that is, when it is a hinged front seat door (140FR, 140FL) (S192: No), the above-described step S19 and Similarly, the corresponding door is shifted to the locked state or the unlocked state according to the variation pattern (S194).

  The details of the relationship between the transmission signal from the LF transmitter 111, the variation in tire air pressure, and the tire air pressure variation detection mode (abbreviated as “variation detection mode” in FIG. 5) will be described with reference to FIG. First, FIG. 5A shows an example in which the air pressure information acquisition start condition is satisfied when the LF transmission unit 111 transmits a signal to the portable device 102. The transmission signal from the LF transmission unit 111 is transmitted, for example, at a transmission time T1 = 150 msec and a transmission cycle T2 = 500 msec. Then, the fluctuation detection mode is started when the transmission signal is transmitted. If no change in tire air pressure is detected even after a predetermined time T3 (eg, 350 msec) has elapsed since the start of the fluctuation detection mode, the fluctuation detection mode is terminated.

  Further, when a change in tire air pressure is detected after the start of the fluctuation detection mode, the fluctuation detection mode is continued even after the time T3 has elapsed, and it is determined whether or not it matches the fluctuation pattern (determination The fluctuation detection mode is ended after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  When the fluctuation detection mode is started when the predetermined acquisition start timing has arrived, in FIG. 5A, a start timer (for example, the control unit 273) is used instead of the transmission signal from the LF transmission unit 111. When the timer value matches the threshold corresponding to the acquisition start timing such as 500 msec, the timer value is set to zero and the fluctuation detection mode is started. To do. Similarly to the above, if no change in tire air pressure is detected even after a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the change detection mode, the change detection mode is terminated. When a change in tire air pressure is detected, the fluctuation detection mode is continued regardless of the timer value, and after determining whether or not the fluctuation pattern matches, the fluctuation detection mode is terminated.

  FIG. 5B shows an example when the air pressure information acquisition start condition is satisfied when the portable device 102 is detected. When the portable device 102 is not detected, that is, when the UHF receiver 112 does not receive a signal from the portable device 102, the fluctuation detection mode is not started. On the other hand, when the portable device 102 is detected, that is, when the UHF receiver 112 receives a signal from the portable device 102, the fluctuation detection mode is started. If no change in tire air pressure is detected after a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the change detection mode, the change detection mode is terminated. And when the fluctuation | variation of a tire air pressure is detected, a fluctuation | variation detection mode is continued, and after determining whether it corresponds with a fluctuation | variation pattern, a fluctuation | variation detection mode is complete | finished.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the knowledge of those skilled in the art can be used without departing from the spirit of the claims. Various modifications based on this are possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle 100 Electronic key system 101 In-vehicle apparatus 102 Portable machine 110 ECU (collation part, operation permission part, air pressure information acquisition part, air pressure fluctuation detection part, fluctuation pattern determination part, sensor attachment position information acquisition part)
111 LF transmitter (vehicle communication unit)
112 UHF receiver (vehicle communication unit, air pressure information acquisition unit, sensor mounting position information acquisition unit)
113 Memory 116 (116FR, 116RR, 116FL, 116RL) Door antenna 120 Control unit 121 LF reception unit (portable device side communication unit)
122 UHF transmitter (portable device side communication unit)
142 (142FR, 142FL, 142RR, 142RL) Door switch (door open / close detection unit)
200 Tire pressure monitoring system 230 (230a to 230d) Tire pressure sensor 231 (231a to 231d) Memory 232 (232a to 232d) Controller 240 (240a to 240d) Communication device 250 (250a to 250d) Air pressure sensor unit 260 (260a to 260d) wheel 270 control unit 271 vehicle side communication device 273 control unit 274 memory

Claims (11)

Communication is performed between a portable device-side communication unit included in a portable device possessed by a user and a vehicle-side communication unit included in an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and the in-vehicle device includes the vehicle-side communication unit A collation unit that collates data received from a portable device and collation data stored in advance in the in-vehicle device, and an operation that permits a predetermined operation in the vehicle based on a collation result in the collation unit. An electronic key system including a permission unit,
The in-vehicle device is
An air pressure information acquisition unit for acquiring air pressure information including information on the air pressure of each tire of the vehicle;
For each of the tires, an air pressure fluctuation detector that detects the presence or absence of the detected air pressure fluctuation;
A fluctuation pattern determination unit that determines whether or not the detected fluctuation in the air pressure matches a predetermined fluctuation pattern;
Further comprising
The operation permission unit permits the locking or unlocking of the door of the vehicle when collation is correctly performed and when it is determined that the variation in the air pressure matches the variation pattern. Electronic key system to do.   The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure information acquisition unit starts acquiring the air pressure information when a predetermined acquisition start condition is satisfied.   The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition start condition is that the vehicle-side communication unit transmits a signal to the portable device.   The electronic key system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the acquisition start condition is that the vehicle-side communication unit receives a signal from the portable device.   5. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the air pressure information acquisition unit ends acquisition of the air pressure information when a predetermined acquisition end condition is satisfied. 6.   The acquisition end condition is that the predetermined time elapses after the air pressure information acquisition unit starts detecting whether or not the air pressure has changed, in which the air pressure change is not detected. Electronic key system. A door opening / closing detector for detecting opening / closing of the door of the vehicle;
7. The electronic key system according to claim 5, wherein the acquisition end condition is that the air pressure information acquisition unit detects opening / closing of the door during detection of whether or not the air pressure varies. When the air pressure fluctuation detection unit detects that the amount of change in the air pressure per unit time exceeds a predetermined threshold,
The electronic key system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the variation pattern determination unit determines that the variation in the air pressure coincides with the variation pattern. The air pressure fluctuation detection unit repeats a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period in which the amount of change in the air pressure per unit time exceeds a predetermined threshold and then falls below that threshold. Is detected,
The electronic key system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the variation pattern determination unit determines that the variation in the air pressure coincides with the variation pattern.   The said operation permission part selects at least 1 of the door of the said vehicle based on the said fluctuation pattern, and locks or unlocks the selected door in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 9 Electronic key system as described. The in-vehicle device has a sensor attachment position information acquisition unit that acquires sensor attachment position information that associates a sensor ID for identifying an air pressure sensor that detects an air pressure of each tire of the vehicle and an attachment position of the tire. And
11. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the operation permission unit determines a door that is permitted to be locked or unlocked according to a mounting position of a tire in which the air pressure fluctuation has occurred. .

Images