Terminal, terminal control method, and terminal control program

Abstract

To provide a terminal that enables the activation of a vehicle with a digital key even when it is not possible to confirm whether the digital key is present inside the vehicle.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a terminal equipped with a digital key function for activating a vehicle. The terminal includes a controller. When a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal is determined to have malfunctioned, the controller causes a display to show a screen prompting the user of the vehicle for an authentication process. If the authentication process succeeds, the controller causes the display to present a screen indicating that the activation of the vehicle is possible to the user of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal, a method for controlling a terminal, and a program for controlling a terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] In a digital key system that can start a vehicle by authenticating with a portable device in the vehicle when the engine switch is operated, a technology is disclosed that starts the vehicle by confirming that a digital key is present in the vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a system that detects whether or not a portable device is present in the vehicle based on the presence or absence of a transmission signal from the portable device that responds to an output signal from a vehicle interior detection means provided in the vehicle, and permits the operation of a predetermined control device when it is detected that the portable device is present in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-262915 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the communication means, such as an antenna, used to confirm the presence of a digital key in the vehicle malfunctions, it becomes impossible to confirm whether a digital key is present in the vehicle, and the vehicle cannot be started using the digital key.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a terminal, a control method for a terminal, and a control program for a terminal that enable starting a vehicle using a digital key even when it is no longer possible to confirm whether the digital key is present in the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A terminal according to a first aspect of the present invention is a terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, and includes a control unit that, when it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, causes a display unit to display a screen prompting the user of the vehicle to undergo authentication processing, and, when the authentication processing is successful, causes the display unit to display a screen indicating to the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be started.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if it becomes impossible to confirm whether or not a digital key is present in a vehicle, it is possible to start the vehicle using the digital key by using the authentication result of the device that holds the digital key.

[0008] A terminal according to a second aspect of the present invention is a terminal according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit accepts a request to re-execute the authentication process for the user of the vehicle if the user of the vehicle does not start the vehicle within a predetermined time after the authentication process is successful, and causes the display unit to display a screen for executing the authentication process in response to the request.

[0009] A terminal according to a third aspect of the present invention is a terminal according to the second aspect, wherein the control unit causes a display unit to display, as a screen for executing the authentication process, a first selection section that, when selected by a user, causes the authentication process to be executed again, and a second selection section that, when selected by the user, does not execute the authentication process.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, and when it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, a computer executes a process of displaying on a display unit a screen prompting the user of the vehicle to undergo authentication processing, and when the authentication processing is successful, a process of displaying on the display unit a screen indicating to the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be started.

[0011] A control program for a terminal according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a control program for a terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, and causes a computer to execute a process in which, if it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, a screen is displayed on a display unit prompting the user of the vehicle to undergo authentication processing, and, if the authentication processing is successful, a screen is displayed on the display unit indicating to the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be started. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal, a control method for a terminal, and a control program for a terminal that enable startup using a digital key even when it is no longer possible to confirm whether the digital key is present in the vehicle by using the results of authentication for a device that functions as a digital key. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 5] 4 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a vehicle engine start process performed by an information processing device and a vehicle. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0015] (System Configuration) 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control system 1 shown in FIG.

[0016] The information processing device 10 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, and is a device that can function as a digital key for unlocking the doors of the vehicle 20 and starting the engine. The information processing device 10 can be used as a digital key for the vehicle 20 by downloading and installing an application for functioning as a digital key. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 being able to be used as a digital key for the vehicle 20 means that the information processing device 10 is in a state in which it holds key information for the vehicle 20.

[0017] The vehicle 20 according to this embodiment performs short-range wireless communication with the information processing device 10 that functions as a digital key for the vehicle 20, and executes processing related to the digital key. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 perform wireless communication based on the BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) standard as a short-range wireless communication standard. The vehicle 20 executes processing related to the digital key, which is to start the engine based on an engine start request from the information processing device 10 that operates as the digital key for the vehicle 20.

[0018] When the vehicle 20 receives a request to start the engine from the information processing device 10, it determines whether or not the information processing device 10 is present within the cabin of the vehicle 20. The reason for determining whether or not the information processing device 10 is present within the cabin of the vehicle 20 is to prevent the engine from starting while the information processing device 10 is outside the cabin. The vehicle 20 determines whether or not the information processing device 10 is present within the cabin of the vehicle 20 by referring to the intensity of radio waves emitted from the information processing device 10 and received by an antenna provided within the cabin.

[0019] However, if there is only one antenna provided in the vehicle cabin and the strength of the radio waves cannot be referenced due to a malfunction of that antenna or other reasons, the vehicle 20 cannot determine whether the information processing device 10 is present in the vehicle cabin, and even if the information processing device 10 is present in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 20, the engine cannot be started in response to an engine start request from the information processing device 10. If multiple antennas are provided for determining whether the information processing device 10 is present in the vehicle cabin, even if one antenna malfunctions and another antenna can be used to make the determination, this leads to increased costs.

[0020] Therefore, when the vehicle 20 according to this embodiment cannot refer to the strength of the radio waves emitted by the information processing device 10 because an antenna installed in the vehicle cabin is broken or for other reasons, the vehicle 20 according to this embodiment requests user authentication from the information processing device 10. After completing user authentication for the information processing device 10, the vehicle 20 according to this embodiment accepts a request to start the engine from the information processing device 10 again, and starts the engine in response to the request to start the engine.

[0021] In this embodiment, the vehicle 20 can be started using the digital key even if it is no longer possible to confirm whether the digital key is present in the vehicle, by using the results of authentication of a device that functions as a digital key.

[0022] (composition) (Information processing device) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0023] 2, the information processing device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0024] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 11 reads a computer program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and executes the program using the RAM 13 as a working area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing according to the computer program recorded in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores a computer program for functioning as a digital key for the vehicle 20.

[0025] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured with a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory, and stores various programs including an operating system, and various data.

[0026] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse, and a keyboard, and is used to perform various input operations.

[0027] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 16 may function as the input unit 15 by adopting a touch panel system.

[0028] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as the vehicle 20, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and BLE, for example.

[0029] (vehicle) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the vehicle 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle 20 according to this embodiment is configured to include an ECU 21. The vehicle 20 further includes a door lock 25, an ignition switch (SW) 26, a monitor 27, a speaker 28, and antennas 29A and 29B.

[0030] The ECU 21 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 21A, a read only memory (ROM) 21B, a random access memory (RAM) 21C, a wireless communication interface (I / F) 21E, an input / output I / F 21F, and an antenna 21G. The CPU 21A, the ROM 21B, the RAM 21C, the wireless communication I / F 21E, and the input / output I / F 21F are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an internal bus 21H.

[0031] The CPU 21A is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 21A reads out a program from the ROM 21B and executes the program using the RAM 21C as a working area.

[0032] The ROM 21B stores various programs and various data. In the present embodiment, the ROM 21B stores a computer program for controlling the ECU 21.

[0033] The RAM 21C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area.

[0034] The wireless communication I / F 21E is a wireless communication module for communicating with the information processing device 10. The wireless communication module uses the BLE communication standard. The wireless communication I / F 21E is connected to an antenna 21G.

[0035] The input / output I / F 21F is an interface for communicating with a door lock 25, an ignition switch 26, a monitor 27, a speaker 28, and antennas 29A and 29B mounted on the vehicle 20.

[0036] The antenna 21G is an antenna for transmitting and receiving packets of wireless communication by BLE to and from the information processing device 10.

[0037] The door lock 25 is a key for the door of the vehicle 20, and is opened and closed by a user who gets into the vehicle 20, and the opening and closing of the door lock 25 is controlled by the CPU 21A.

[0038] The ignition switch 26 is a switch that starts the engine of the vehicle 20, and is turned on and off by a user who is in the vehicle 20, and is also controlled to be turned on and off by the CPU 21A.

[0039] The monitor 27 is a liquid crystal monitor provided on an instrument panel, a meter panel, or the like, for displaying images relating to the current location, the driving route, and warning information. The monitor 27 may be provided with a touch panel that also serves as a switch for inputting operations performed by the driver's fingers.

[0040] The speaker 28 is a device that is provided on the instrument panel, the center console, the front pillar, the dashboard, etc., and outputs sound.

[0041] The antenna 29A is an example of a communication unit of the present invention, and is an antenna for measuring the radio wave intensity of a BLE packet transmitted by the information processing device 10. The antenna 21G of the ECU 21 is used for wireless communication with the information processing device 10, whereas the antennas 29A and 29B are used for measuring the radio wave intensity of a BLE packet transmitted by the information processing device 10. One antenna 29A is provided in the cabin of the vehicle 20. The CPU 21A determines whether the information processing device 10 is in the cabin of the vehicle 20 using the intensity of the radio wave received by the antenna 29A. In addition, a plurality of antennas 29B are provided in the vehicle 20. The CPU 21A calculates the distance between the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 using the intensity of the radio wave received by the antenna 29B. The antenna 29B may be provided, for example, in the front, left side, or right side of the vehicle 20.

[0042] 3, one ECU 21 controls each device of the vehicle 20, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, an ECU that controls the door lock 25 and an ECU that controls the ignition switch 26 may be different ECUs.

[0043] Next, the functional configuration realized by the vehicle 20 will be described.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle 20.

[0045] 4, the vehicle 20 has, as functional components, a determination unit 201 and a start-up processing unit 202. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 21A reading and executing a computer program stored in the ROM 21B.

[0046] The determination unit 201 determines whether the antenna 29A, which communicates with the information processing device 10 that holds the activation key to check the vehicle interior, is broken. More specifically, the determination unit 201 periodically communicates with the antenna 29A. The determination unit 201 determines that the antenna 29A is broken when a reply from the antenna 29A is interrupted. Note that a single interruption cannot be distinguished from a simple error, so the determination unit 201 may determine that the antenna 29A is broken when a predetermined number of interruptions have occurred.

[0047] The start processing unit 202 performs control to start the engine of the vehicle 20 by controlling the ignition SW 26. In this embodiment, whether to control the ignition SW 26 is determined according to the determination result by the determination unit 201. When the determination unit 201 determines that the antenna 29A is broken, the start processing unit 202 performs a process to enable start based on the result of authentication for the information processing device 10. Examples of authentication for the information processing device 10 include passcode authentication, pattern authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, and other biometric authentication. By using biometric authentication for authentication for the information processing device 10, it is possible to start the vehicle 20 using the digital key after ensuring that the person who issued the start request from the information processing device 10 holding the digital key is the user of the information processing device 10. Note that when the determination unit 201 does not determine that the antenna 29A is broken, the start processing unit 202 performs a process to enable start without using the result of authentication for the information processing device 10.

[0048] When the determination unit 201 determines that the antenna 29A is broken, the start-up processing unit 202 may perform processing to enable start-up only for a predetermined time based on the result of authentication of the information processing device 10. The predetermined time is, for example, about 30 seconds. When the start-up processing unit 202 enables start-up only for a predetermined time based on the result of authentication of the information processing device 10, the start-up processing unit 202 may change the predetermined time according to the authentication method used. For example, the start-up processing unit 202 may change the predetermined time according to the strength of the authentication method. Specifically, the start-up processing unit 202 may make the time longer when biometric authentication is used as the authentication method than when passcode authentication or pattern authentication is used as the authentication method. The start-up processing unit 202 can provide security according to the authentication method used for the information processing device 10 by enabling start-up only for a time determined according to the authentication method.

[0049] The authentication method used for authenticating the information processing device 10 may be selected by the user. Also, the authentication method used for authenticating the information processing device 10 may be designated by the startup processing unit 202. Also, the authentication method may be the same as or different from the authentication method used for unlocking the information processing device 10.

[0050] By having such a configuration, the vehicle 20 can use the results of authentication for the information processing device 10 that functions as a digital key to start the vehicle using the digital key even when it is no longer possible to confirm whether the digital key is present in the vehicle.

[0051] (action) Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 will be described.

[0052] Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of engine start processing of the vehicle 20 by the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20. Information processing is performed by the CPU 11 reading a computer program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, expanding it in the RAM 13 and executing it, and by the CPU 21A reading a computer program stored in the ROM 21B, expanding it in the RAM 21C and executing it. The sequence diagram shown in Fig. 5 shows the flow of engine start processing of the vehicle 20 by the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 when the vehicle 20 receives a start request from the information processing device 10 functioning as a digital key. In the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 5, communication between the information processing device 10 and the vehicle 20 is wireless communication by BLE.

[0053] First, an engine start instruction is given by a user in the vehicle cabin operating an engine switch of the vehicle 20. In response to the engine start instruction, in step S101, communication is performed between the information processing device 10 of the user and the vehicle 20 by BLE.

[0054] In step S102, the vehicle 20, which has received an engine start command from the user, determines whether the antenna 29A is malfunctioning. Specifically, the vehicle 20 determines that the antenna 29A is malfunctioning because replies from the antenna 29A to the ECU 21 have been interrupted a predetermined number of times.

[0055] If it is determined in step S102 that the antenna 29A is malfunctioning (step S102; Yes), the vehicle 20 then transitions to an emergency start mode in step S103. The emergency start mode is a mode in which the vehicle 20 is started without using the strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 29A.

[0056] After transitioning to the emergency start mode, the vehicle 20 then determines in step S104 whether the strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 29B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the result of the determination in step S104 is that the strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 29B is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S104; Yes), the vehicle 20 then instructs the information processing device 10 to make an emergency start request in step S105. The emergency start request to the information processing device 10 is made by requesting user authentication from the information processing device 10. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S104 is that the strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 29B is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S104; No), the vehicle 20 then determines that the information processing device 10 is not present in the vicinity of the vehicle 20 and ends the series of processes.

[0057] The information processing device 10, which has received an emergency start request instruction from the vehicle 20, requests user authentication by a predetermined authentication method in step S106. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface that the information processing device 10 displays on the display unit 16. Fig. 6 shows an example of a user interface that the information processing device 10 displays on the display unit 16 in a state in which the user is performing user authentication for the information processing device 10.

[0058] Following step S106, in step S107, the information processing device 10 determines whether or not the user authentication has been successful. If it is determined in step S107 that the user authentication has not been successful (step S107; No), the information processing device 10 ends the series of processes. If it is determined that the user authentication has not been successful, the information processing device 10 may display a message to the effect that the user authentication has not been successful on the display unit 16. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the user authentication has been successful (step S107; Yes), the information processing device 10 then transmits to the vehicle 20 in step S108 that the user authentication has been successful.

[0059] The vehicle 20, having received from the information processing device 10 the notification that the user authentication has been successful, then confirms in step S109 that the user authentication has been successful in the information processing device 10. When the information processing device 10 confirms that the user authentication has been successful, the vehicle 20 then permits the engine to start for a predetermined time in step S110. The predetermined time is, for example, about 30 seconds. The vehicle 20 may also change the above-mentioned predetermined time in accordance with the authentication method used in the information processing device 10. For example, the vehicle 20 may make the time longer when biometric authentication is used as the authentication method in the information processing device 10 than when passcode authentication or pattern authentication is used as the authentication method in the information processing device 10.

[0060] When the engine start is permitted for a predetermined time in the vehicle 20 and the engine switch of the vehicle 20 is operated by a user in the vehicle cabin, an engine start instruction is issued again. In step S111, in response to the engine start instruction, communication is performed by BLE between the information processing device 10 of the user and the vehicle 20. In step S112, the vehicle 20 determines whether the engine start instruction from the user is issued within the predetermined time. If it is determined that the engine start instruction is issued within the predetermined time (step S112; Yes), then the vehicle 20 starts the engine based on the start instruction in step S113. On the other hand, if it is determined that the engine start instruction is not issued within the predetermined time (step S112; No), then the vehicle 20 ends the series of processes without starting the engine.

[0061] When the vehicle 20 determines that the engine start instruction has not been issued within the above-mentioned predetermined time, the vehicle 20 may transmit to the information processing device 10 a message indicating that the engine could not be started. Then, when the engine of the vehicle 20 cannot be started, the information processing device 10 may request the user to perform user authentication again. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface displayed on the display unit 16 by the information processing device 10. FIG. 7 shows an example of a user interface displayed on the display unit 16 to request the user to perform user authentication again when the engine of the vehicle 20 cannot be started. When the user selects the button 161, the information processing device 10 executes the user authentication process again. When the user selects the button 162, the information processing device 10 does not request user authentication.

[0062] If it is determined in step S102 that the antenna 29A is not malfunctioning (step S102; No), the vehicle 20 then determines in step S114 whether the information processing device 10 is within an engine start area. The engine start area is, for example, the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20.

[0063] If the information processing device 10 determines in step S114 that it is within the engine start area (step S114; Yes), the vehicle 20 starts the engine based on the start instruction in step S113. On the other hand, if the information processing device 10 determines in step S114 that it is not within the engine start area (step S114; No), the vehicle 20 ends the series of processes without starting the engine.

[0064] By executing a series of processes, the vehicle 20 can start the engine based on the results of user authentication for the information processing device 10, even if it cannot determine whether the information processing device 10 is within the engine start area due to reasons such as a malfunction of the antenna 29A.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 20 is described as a vehicle that is driven by operating an engine powered by gasoline, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The vehicle 20 may be an electric vehicle such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), or a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

[0066] In each of the above embodiments, the startup process executed by the CPU after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, examples of the processor include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing a specific process. Information processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0067] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the startup process program is prestored (installed) in a ROM or storage, but the present invention is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Vehicle Control System 10. Information processing device 20 Vehicles 29A Antenna (Communication section)

Claims

1. A terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, When it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, a screen is displayed on a display unit to prompt an authentication process for a user of the vehicle; If the authentication process is successful, the vehicle is allowed to be started by the user of the vehicle. a control unit that causes the display unit to display a screen indicating A terminal comprising:

2. The control unit is if the user of the vehicle does not start the vehicle within a predetermined time after the authentication process is successful, a request to perform the authentication process again for the user of the vehicle is accepted, and a screen for performing the authentication process in response to the request is displayed on a display unit. The terminal according to claim 1.

3. The control unit is displaying, on a display unit, as a screen for executing the authentication process, a first selection section which, when selected by a user, causes the authentication process to be executed again, and a second selection section which, when selected by a user, causes the authentication process not to be executed; The terminal according to claim 2.

4. A method for controlling a terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, comprising: When it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, a screen is displayed on a display unit to prompt an authentication process for a user of the vehicle; If the authentication process is successful, a screen is displayed on the display unit to inform the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be started. A method of controlling a terminal in which processing is carried out by a computer.

5. A control program for a terminal equipped with a digital key function for starting a vehicle, When it is determined that a communication unit of the vehicle for communicating with the terminal has failed, a screen is displayed on a display unit to prompt an authentication process for a user of the vehicle; If the authentication process is successful, a screen is displayed on the display unit to inform the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be started. A terminal control program that causes a computer to execute processing.

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