Lock control method and lock control device

A contactless power supply system authenticates and charges the mobile terminal to ensure it can unlock vehicle doors, addressing the issue of inoperable terminals and enhancing security.

JP2025162712APending Publication Date: 2025-10-28NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024066089
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-04-16
Publication Date
2025-10-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional vehicle door unlocking systems fail when the mobile terminal used for unlocking becomes inoperable due to insufficient battery power.

Method used

A contactless power supply device charges the mobile terminal when it is held over the vehicle's contactless power supply device, authenticated as a registered user, and then unlocks the door when conditions are met.

Benefits of technology

Ensures the mobile terminal can be appropriately charged and used to unlock the vehicle, enhancing security and reliability by user authentication and condition verification.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a lock control method and a lock control device which are capable of appropriately charging a mobile terminal used to unlock a vehicle.SOLUTION: When a mobile terminal 20 to be used to unlock doors of a vehicle 10 is in an inoperative state and is held over a wireless power supply device 12 of the vehicle 10 in a locked state from outside the vehicle 10, and when a sensor mounted on the vehicle 10 determines that a terminal holder who holds the mobile terminal 20 outside the vehicle 10 is a pre-registered user of the vehicle 10, the wireless power supply device 12 charges the mobile terminal 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lock control method and a vehicle lock control device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A vehicle control system is known that unlocks and locks vehicle doors by executing an electronic key app installed in the vehicle and a mobile terminal (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-96145 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-described conventional technology has a problem in that when the mobile terminal used to unlock the vehicle doors becomes inactivatable due to insufficient battery power, the doors cannot be unlocked.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a lock control method and a lock control device that can appropriately charge a mobile terminal used to unlock a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by charging the mobile terminal using the contactless power supply device when a mobile terminal in an inactive state used to unlock a vehicle door is held over a contactless power supply device of a locked vehicle from outside the vehicle, and if a sensor in the vehicle determines that the terminal holder outside the vehicle holding the mobile terminal is a pre-registered user of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately charge a mobile terminal used to unlock a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a key system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a part of the door of the vehicle of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the key system of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Key system configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a key system according to the present invention. The key system refers to a group of devices that manage the locking and unlocking of vehicle doors. The key system of this embodiment is a so-called virtual key that locks and unlocks doors using software (application software) stored on a mobile device. The mobile device refers to a relatively small, lightweight, and portable information terminal, and includes laptop computers, smartphones, tablet devices, etc.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the key system 1 of this embodiment is composed of a vehicle 10 and a mobile terminal 20. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a camera 11, a wireless power supply device 12, a communication device 13, and a lock control device 14. These devices are connected via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other. Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 20 is equipped with a power receiving device 21 and a communication device 22.

[0012] The camera 11 is equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD, and captures images including objects around the vehicle 10. The camera 11 may be an infrared camera, and may be equipped with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, or the like. In order to reduce blind spots where objects cannot be captured, multiple cameras 11 are provided on the front grille, side mirrors, rear bumper, etc. of the vehicle 10.

[0013] The objects captured by camera 11 are objects that exist on the road and its surroundings, including lane boundaries, center lines, road markings, medians, guardrails, curbs, road signs, traffic lights, etc. The objects also include obstacles that exist around vehicle 10 and may affect the travel of vehicle 10, such as other automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians, and also objects (e.g., mobile terminals 20) carried by pedestrians around the vehicle.

[0014] Image information of images captured by the camera 11 is acquired by the lock control device 14 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 0.1 to 1 millisecond) as needed. The lock control device 14 recognizes objects around the vehicle 10 and the surrounding environment from the acquired image information by pattern matching or the like. The surrounding environment is information for identifying the range in which the vehicle can travel, including the positions of objects around the vehicle, the relative positions and relative speeds of objects to the vehicle, and the conditions of the roads around the vehicle.

[0015] The contactless power supply device 12 transmits and supplies power from a power source without using cables, metal contacts, connectors, etc. The contactless power supply device 12 may use an electromagnetic induction method using two coils, a magnetic field resonance method using a resonant circuit of a coil and a capacitor, or a radio wave reception method that converts radio waves into electric power. The contactless power supply device 12 of this embodiment includes a power source (e.g., an in-vehicle battery) not shown, and a mechanism that transmits power supplied from the power source to the mobile terminal 20, thereby charging the battery of the mobile terminal 20. The mechanism that transmits power to the mobile terminal 20 is, for example, a power transmission coil used for power transmission using the electromagnetic induction method.

[0016] The communication device 13 communicably connects the vehicle 10 (lock control device 14) and the mobile terminal 20. The communication method of the communication device 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is wireless communication that allows appropriate exchange of information between the vehicle 10 (lock control device 14) and the mobile terminal 20, and examples of such methods include cellular methods (4G, LTE, etc.) that use base stations, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) that are used for connecting (pairing) the vehicle 10 and the mobile terminal 20, and ultra-wideband (UWB) that is used for detecting the position of the mobile terminal 20.

[0017] The lock control device 14 controls the devices that make up the key system 1 to cooperate with each other and manages the locking and unlocking of the vehicle. The lock control device 14 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as an accessible storage device. The CPU is an operating circuit that executes the programs stored in the ROM and realizes the functions of the lock control device 14.

[0018] The power receiving device 21 is a device corresponding to the contactless power feeding device 12, and includes a mechanism for receiving power supplied from a power source (not shown) of the vehicle 10 and transmitted by the contactless power feeding device 12, and wiring for supplying the received power to a battery (not shown) of the mobile terminal 20. The power receiving method of the power receiving device 21 is a method corresponding to the method of the contactless power feeding device 12. For example, if the contactless power feeding device 12 includes a power transmitting coil used for power transmission by electromagnetic induction, the power receiving device 21 includes a power receiving coil as a mechanism for receiving power.

[0019] Like the communication device 13, the communication device 22 communicatively connects the vehicle 10 (lock control device 14) and the mobile terminal 20. Like the communication device 13, the communication method of the communication device 22 is not particularly limited as long as it is wireless communication that allows appropriate exchange of information between the vehicle 10 (lock control device 14) and the mobile terminal 20, and may be the same communication method as the communication device 13, for example.

[0020] [Lock control device function] A management program (application software) for managing the locking and unlocking of the vehicle is stored in the ROM of the lock control device 14, and the locking and unlocking of the vehicle is managed by the CPU of the lock control device 14 executing the management program. For convenience, Fig. 1 shows the determination unit 15, charging unit 16, and unlocking unit 17 as functional blocks for managing the management.

[0021] When the mobile terminal 20 used to unlock the door of the vehicle 10 is in an inactivatable state and the inactivatable mobile terminal 20 is held over the contactless power supply device 12 of the locked vehicle 10 from outside the vehicle 10, the judgment unit 15 uses a sensor in the vehicle 10 to judge whether the person carrying the mobile terminal 20 and located outside the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the terminal holder) is a pre-registered user of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the user).

[0022] The sensors of vehicle 10 include ranging devices such as laser radar, millimeter wave radar, and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) units in addition to camera 11. The inactivation-disabled state refers to a state in which at least the management program cannot be activated (or does not operate), and may refer to, for example, a power-off state in which the terminal owner cannot use mobile terminal 20. The inactivation-disabled state may also refer to a state in which only functions necessary for minimum communication such as emergency communication in an emergency are available, and other functions of mobile terminal 20 are unavailable.

[0023] Holding the mobile terminal 20 over the contactless power supply device 12 from outside the vehicle 10 means placing the mobile terminal 20 in a portion of the power transmission range of the contactless power supply device 12 that is outside the vehicle 10. For example, if the contactless power supply device 12 is mounted inside the door of the vehicle 10, a recess for placing the mobile terminal 20 may be provided on the outer surface of the door on which the contactless power supply device 12 is mounted (specifically, on the outer surface of the door panel). This recess is included in the power transmission range of the contactless power supply device 12, and is formed so that (the power receiving device 21 of) the mobile terminal 20 placed in the recess faces the contactless power supply device 12.

[0024] Since the power transmission range of the contactless power supply device 12 varies depending on the position of the contactless power supply device 12, the locking control device 14 may notify the user in advance of the area over which to hold the mobile terminal 20 (a predetermined area set for each vehicle 10), for example, via a display device (not shown) of the vehicle or a display unit (not shown) of the mobile terminal 20.

[0025] For example, the determination unit 15 acquires image information from the camera 11, detects the position of the mobile terminal 20 by image analysis, and determines whether or not the mobile terminal 20 is held over the contactless power supply device 12 from outside the vehicle 10. For example, if the detected position of the mobile terminal 20 is included in the above-mentioned predetermined area, the determination unit 15 determines that the mobile terminal 20 is held over the contactless power supply device 12. On the other hand, if the position of the mobile terminal 20 is detected using, for example, a UBW, and the detected position of the mobile terminal 20 is not included in the predetermined area, the determination unit 15 determines that the mobile terminal 20 is not held over the contactless power supply device 12.

[0026] The determination unit 15 acquires image information from the camera 11 and identifies the terminal owner by pattern matching or the like. That is, the determination unit 15 identifies (authenticates) whether or not the terminal owner is the user by using image information of the user of the vehicle 10 that is registered in advance and stored in a storage medium (memory) (not shown) of the vehicle 10. For example, the determination unit 15 compares an image of the face of the terminal owner detected from the image information acquired from the camera 11 with an image of the face of the user stored in the memory of the vehicle 10, and identifies (authenticates) whether or not the terminal owner is the user.

[0027] When the determination unit 15 determines that the terminal holder is a user, the charging unit 16 transmits power to the mobile terminal 20 via the contactless power supply device 12 and charges the battery of the mobile terminal 20. That is, the charging unit 16 outputs a power supply permission to the contactless power supply device 12, power is transmitted from the contactless power supply device 12 to the power receiving device 21, the transmitted power is received by the power receiving device 21, and the battery of the mobile terminal 20 is charged with the power.

[0028] On the other hand, when the determination unit 15 determines that the terminal holder is not the user, the charging unit 16 does not supply power by the contactless power supply device 12. That is, the charging unit 16 does not output a power supply permission to the contactless power supply device 12. In this way, by charging the mobile terminal 20 by the contactless power supply device 12 only when it is determined that the terminal holder is the user, it is possible to prevent users who are not registered in advance from using the mobile terminal 20.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, when the mobile terminal 20 is capable of using only the functions necessary for minimum communication, the minimum communication can reduce the risk of the vehicle 10 being unlocked without user authentication of the terminal owner by the unlocking unit 17. In other words, even if the mobile terminal 20 is in an inactivatable state, the unlocking unit 17 can reliably perform user authentication of the terminal owner.

[0030] The mobile terminal 20 becomes unable to start when the battery charging rate (hereinafter also simply referred to as charging rate) drops or when the user turns off the power of the mobile terminal 20. Of these, if the mobile terminal 20 becomes unable to start due to a drop in charging rate, charging the mobile terminal 20 for a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 5 minutes) or more will cause the mobile terminal 20 to change from the unable to start state to the startable state. On the other hand, if the user turns off the power of the mobile terminal 20, charging the mobile terminal 20 for a predetermined time or more will not cause the mobile terminal 20 to change from the unable to start state to the startable state.

[0031] In this embodiment, charging unit 16 acquires the elapsed time since the start of power transmission by contactless power supply device 12, and determines whether mobile terminal 20 has become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches or exceeds a predetermined time. If it is determined that mobile terminal 20 has become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the predetermined time (before the predetermined time has elapsed), charging unit 16 determines that mobile terminal 20 has become incapable of starting due to a decrease in the charging rate, and proceeds to processing by unlocking unit 17. On the other hand, if it is determined that mobile terminal 20 has not become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the predetermined time (before the predetermined time has elapsed), charging unit 16 determines that mobile terminal 20 has become incapable of starting because the user has turned off the power of mobile terminal 20, and stops charging.

[0032] The unlocking unit 17 communicates with the mobile terminal 20 charged by the charging unit 16 to unlock the door. Specifically, when the mobile terminal 20 charged by the contactless power supply device 12 changes from an inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to an activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the unlocking unit 17 connects the mobile terminal 20 to the vehicle 10 so as to be able to communicate, and determines whether or not a predetermined unlocking condition for unlocking the door of the vehicle 10 is satisfied in a state in which the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are communicatively connected (paired).

[0033] The startable state refers to a state in which at least the management program can be started (or operates), and refers to, for example, a power-on state in which the terminal owner can use the mobile terminal 20. The startable state may also be a state in which functions necessary for communication other than minimum communication such as emergency communication in an emergency are available.

[0034] If the unlocking unit 17 determines that the unlocking conditions are met when the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are communicatively connected, the unlocking unit 17 unlocks the doors of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the unlocking conditions are not met when the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are communicatively connected, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors of the vehicle 10 and keeps them locked. Furthermore, if the connection between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 is disconnected, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors of the vehicle 10 and keeps them locked.

[0035] The contactless power supply device 12 may be arranged inside the driver's door of the vehicle 10. In this case, holding the mobile terminal 20 over the contactless power supply device 12 includes arranging the mobile terminal 20 so as to face the contactless power supply device 12 within the power transmission range of the contactless power supply device 12.

[0036] Fig. 2 is a side view showing a part of the door 10a of the vehicle 10 of Fig. 1, and inside the door 10a shown in Fig. 2, a contactless power supply device 12 is provided at a position corresponding to the door handle 10b. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, when the mobile terminal 20 is a smartphone, the determination unit 15 determines whether or not the terminal holder holding the smartphone is the user, and when it is determined that the terminal holder is the user, the charging unit 16 charges the smartphone held over the door handle 10b (contactless power supply device 12) by the contactless power supply device 12.

[0037] When connecting (pairing) the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 so that they can communicate with each other, the unlocking unit 17 may notify the terminal owner of the execution of pairing using a display unit (not shown) of the mobile terminal 20 or the like. Furthermore, before executing pairing, the unlocking unit 17 may request the terminal owner to consent to the execution of pairing using a display unit of the mobile terminal 20 or the like. If it is detected that the terminal owner has performed an operation to consent to the execution of pairing (for example, an operation to input consent into the mobile terminal 20), the unlocking unit 17 executes pairing. On the other hand, if it is not detected that the terminal owner has performed an operation to consent to the execution of pairing, the unlocking unit 17 does not execute pairing.

[0038] The unlocking conditions may include a condition in which a pre-registered action by the user is detected by the camera 11 mounted on the vehicle 10. Alternatively or in addition, the unlocking conditions may include a condition in which a predetermined action by the user is detected by the camera 11 mounted on the vehicle 10. Examples of the user's action include raising a hand, raising one hand and one leg, and leaning the upper body to the right or left. It is preferable that the user's action is an action that the user can perform even if both hands are occupied.

[0039] The determination unit 15 may determine whether the charging rate of the battery of the mobile terminal 20 is equal to or lower than a predetermined charging rate. For example, the determination unit 15 attempts wireless communication with the mobile terminal 20 using UWB or the like, and if no response is detected from the mobile terminal 20, the determination unit 15 determines that the charging rate of the battery of the mobile terminal 20 is equal to or lower than the predetermined charging rate.

[0040] If it is determined that the charging rate is equal to or lower than the predetermined charging rate, the determination unit 15 determines whether the terminal holder is a user by using a sensor. On the other hand, if it is determined that the charging rate is higher than the predetermined charging rate, the unlocking unit 17 performs pairing between the vehicle 10 and the mobile terminal 20. The predetermined charging rate can be set to an appropriate value within a range that can appropriately determine whether the mobile terminal 20 is in an inactivatable state or an activateable state, for example, 3 to 5%.

[0041] The unlocking condition may include a condition that the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model. When the mobile terminal 20 charged by the contactless power supply device 12 changes from an inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to an activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the determination unit 15 determines whether the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model. For example, the determination unit 15 determines whether the model number of the mobile terminal 20 matches a model number pre-registered in a memory (not shown) of the vehicle 10.

[0042] When the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other, and it is determined that the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model, the unlocking unit 17 unlocks the doors of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when it is determined that the model of the mobile terminal 20 is not a pre-registered model, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors of the vehicle 10 and keeps them locked. Furthermore, when the connection between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 is cut off, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors of the vehicle 10 and keeps them locked.

[0043] The unlocking condition may include a condition that the terminal holder is the terminal owner who owns the mobile terminal 20. When the mobile terminal 20 charged by the contactless power supply device 12 changes from an inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to an activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the determination unit 15 determines whether the terminal holder is the terminal owner. For example, the determination unit 15 compares the facial image of the terminal holder with the facial image of the terminal owner registered in advance in a memory (not shown) of the vehicle 10.

[0044] When the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other and it is determined that the terminal holder is the terminal owner, the unlocking unit 17 unlocks the doors. On the other hand, when the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other and it is determined that the terminal holder is not the terminal owner, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors and keeps them locked. Furthermore, when the connection between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 is cut off, the unlocking unit 17 does not unlock the doors of the vehicle 10 and keeps them locked.

[0045] [Key system processing] The procedure for processing information by the lock control device 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The process described below is executed at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 0.1 to 1 millisecond) by a processor (CPU) provided in the lock control device 14. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure executed in the key system 1.

[0046] First, in step S1, the locking control device 14 determines whether or not the terminal owner is approaching the vehicle 10 based on an image acquired from the camera 11. For example, the locking control device 14 detects an object approaching the vehicle 10 based on the detection result of the distance measuring device, and determines whether or not the object approaching the vehicle 10 is the person carrying the mobile terminal 20 (i.e., the terminal owner) based on the image captured by the camera 11. If it is determined that the terminal owner is not approaching the vehicle, step S1 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the terminal owner is approaching the vehicle, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0047] In step S2, the lock control device 14 determines whether the mobile terminal 20 is in an inactivatable state. If it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is not in an inactivatable state, the process proceeds to step S3, where the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is in an inactivatable state, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0048] In step S4, the lock control device 14 determines whether or not the mobile terminal 20 is placed in a predetermined area of ​​the vehicle 10. If it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is not placed in the predetermined area of ​​the vehicle 10, the execution of the routine ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is placed in the predetermined area of ​​the vehicle 10, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0049] In step S5, the lock control device 14 determines whether the detected terminal holder is the user. If it is determined that the detected terminal holder is not the user, the execution of the routine ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the detected terminal holder is the user, the process proceeds to step S6, where the mobile terminal 20 is charged contactlessly.

[0050] In the next step S7, the lock control device 14 determines whether the mobile terminal 20 is in an activatable state. If it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is not in an activatable state, the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 is in an activatable state, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0051] Furthermore, in step S7, it may also be determined whether or not the mobile terminal 20 has become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time or more. If it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 has become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time or more, the lock control device 14 determines that the mobile terminal 20 has become incapable of starting due to a decrease in the charging rate, and proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 20 has not become capable of starting before the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time or more, the lock control device 14 determines that the mobile terminal 20 has become incapable of starting because the user has turned off the power of the mobile terminal 20, stops charging, and ends execution of the routine.

[0052] In step S8, the lock control device 14 detects the user's movement from the image captured by the camera 11, and in the subsequent step S9, determines whether or not the unlocking conditions based on the user's movement are met. If it is determined that the unlocking conditions based on the user's movement are met, the process proceeds to step S10, where the doors of the vehicle 10 are unlocked. On the other hand, if it is determined that the unlocking conditions based on the user's movement are not met, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0053] In step S11, the lock control device 14 notifies the user through a display unit (not shown) of the mobile terminal 20 that the user's action is not a predetermined action, and in the following step S12, notifies the user whether or not to end the unlocking process. In the following step S13, the lock control device 14 determines whether or not the user has selected to end the unlocking process. If it is determined that the user has selected to end the unlocking process, execution of the routine ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user has not selected to end the unlocking process and will, for example, execute the unlocking process again, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0054] [Embodiments of the present invention] According to the present embodiment, in a lock control method executed by a lock control device 14 of a vehicle 10, when an inactivatable mobile terminal 20 used to unlock a door 10a of the vehicle 10 is held over a wireless power supply device 12 of the locked vehicle 10 from outside the vehicle 10, the lock control device 14 determines, using a sensor of the vehicle 10, whether a terminal holder who is holding the mobile terminal 20 and is outside the vehicle 10 is a pre-registered user of the vehicle 10, and if it is determined that the terminal holder is the user, the lock control device 14 charges the mobile terminal 20 using the wireless power supply device 12 and communicates with the charged mobile terminal 20 to unlock the door 10a. This allows the mobile terminal 20 used to unlock the vehicle 10 to be appropriately charged.

[0055] In the lock control method of this embodiment, when the mobile terminal 20 charged by the wireless power supply device 12 changes from the inactivatable state due to a decrease in the battery charging rate to the activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the lock control device 14 connects the mobile terminal 20 to the vehicle 10 so as to be able to communicate, determines whether or not a predetermined unlocking condition for unlocking the door 10a is met while the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are communicatively connected, and unlocks the door 10a when it is determined that the unlocking condition is met while the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are communicatively connected. This allows the door 10a of the vehicle 10 to be unlocked.

[0056] In the lock control method of the present embodiment, the contactless power supply device 12 is disposed inside the door 10a of the driver's seat of the vehicle 10, and holding the mobile terminal 20 over the contactless power supply device 12 includes disposing the mobile terminal 20 so as to face the contactless power supply device 12 within a power transmission range of the contactless power supply device 12. This makes it possible to more reliably charge the mobile terminal 20 used to unlock the vehicle 10.

[0057] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the unlocking conditions include a condition that an action pre-registered by the user is detected by the camera 11 mounted on the vehicle 10. This allows the user to set the action required for unlocking.

[0058] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the unlocking conditions include a condition that a predetermined action of the user is detected by the camera 11 mounted on the vehicle 10. This makes it possible to easily determine the action related to the unlocking condition.

[0059] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the lock control device 14 determines whether the charging rate of the battery of the mobile terminal 20 is equal to or lower than a predetermined charging rate, and if it determines that the charging rate is equal to or lower than the predetermined charging rate, determines by the sensor whether the holder of the terminal is the user. As a result, when the mobile terminal 20 is in the inactivatable state due to a drop in charging rate, it determines whether the holder of the terminal is the user, and unnecessary determination processing in the lock control device 14 can be reduced.

[0060] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the unlocking conditions include a condition that the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model, and when the mobile terminal 20 charged by the contactless power supply device 12 changes from the inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to the activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the lock control device 14 determines whether the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model, and unlocks the door 10a when it is determined that the model of the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered model while the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. This increases the security of the vehicle 10.

[0061] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the unlocking condition includes a condition that the terminal holder is the terminal owner who owns the mobile terminal 20, and when the mobile terminal 20 charged by the contactless power supply device 12 changes from the inactivatable state due to the decrease in the charging rate to the activateable state due to the increase in the charging rate, the lock control device 14 determines whether the terminal holder is the terminal owner, and unlocks the door 10a if it is determined that the terminal holder is the terminal owner in a state where the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. This increases the security of the vehicle 10.

[0062] In the lock control method of this embodiment, the mobile terminal 20 is a smartphone, and the lock control device 14 charges the smartphone held over the contactless power supply device 12 using the contactless power supply device 12. This allows the smartphone used to unlock the vehicle 10 to be appropriately charged.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, there is provided a lock control device 14 including: a determination unit 15 that, when an inactivatable mobile terminal 20 used to unlock a door 10a of a vehicle 10 is held over a wireless power supply device 12 of the locked vehicle 10 from outside the vehicle 10, determines, using a sensor of the vehicle 10, whether a terminal holder who is outside the vehicle and carrying the mobile terminal 20 is a pre-registered user of the vehicle 10; a charging unit 16 that charges the mobile terminal 20 using the wireless power supply device 12 when the determination unit 15 determines that the terminal holder is the user; and an unlocking unit 17 that communicates with the mobile terminal 20 charged by the charging unit 16 to unlock the door 10a. This allows the mobile terminal 20 used to unlock the vehicle 10 to be appropriately charged. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...Key system 10...Vehicle 10a...door 10b...Door handle 11...Camera 12...Non-contact power supply device 13...Communication equipment 14... Lock control device 15…Judgment section 16...Charging part 17...Unlocking section 20...Mobile device 21...Power receiving device 22...Communication equipment

Claims

1. A lock control method executed by a vehicle lock control device, The lock control device includes: When a mobile terminal in an inactivatable state used to unlock a vehicle door is held over a wireless power supply device of a locked vehicle from outside the vehicle, a sensor of the vehicle determines whether or not a terminal holder who is holding the mobile terminal and is outside the vehicle is a pre-registered user of the vehicle; When it is determined that the terminal holder is the user, the wireless power supply device charges the mobile terminal; A lock control method for unlocking the door by communicating with the charged mobile terminal.

2. The lock control device includes: When the portable terminal charged by the wireless power supply device changes from the inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate of the battery to the activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the portable terminal is connected to the vehicle so as to be able to communicate with the vehicle; determining whether a predetermined unlocking condition for unlocking the door is satisfied while the mobile terminal and the vehicle are communicably connected; The lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein the door is unlocked when it is determined that the unlocking condition is satisfied in a state in which the mobile terminal and the vehicle are communicably connected.

3. the wireless power supply device is disposed inside the door of the driver's seat of the vehicle, 3. The lock control method according to claim 1, wherein holding the mobile terminal over the contactless power supply device includes placing the mobile terminal so as to face the contactless power supply device within a power transmission range of the contactless power supply device.

4. The lock control method according to claim 2 , wherein the unlocking condition includes a condition in which a pre-registered action by the user is detected by a camera mounted on the vehicle.

5. The lock control method according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the unlocking condition includes a condition that a predetermined action of the user is detected by a camera mounted on the vehicle.

6. The lock control device includes: determining whether the charging rate of the battery of the mobile terminal is equal to or lower than a predetermined charging rate; 3. The lock control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: determining, by the sensor, whether or not the person carrying the terminal is the user when it is determined that the charging rate is equal to or lower than the predetermined charging rate.

7. The unlocking condition includes a condition that the model of the mobile terminal is a pre-registered model, When the portable terminal charged by the contactless power supply device changes from the inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to the activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the lock control device determines whether the model is the pre-registered model, 3. The lock control method according to claim 2, wherein when the mobile terminal and the vehicle are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, it is determined that the vehicle model is one of the pre-registered models, and the door is unlocked.

8. the unlocking condition includes a condition that the terminal holder is a terminal owner who owns the mobile terminal, When the portable terminal charged by the contactless power supply device changes from the inactivatable state due to a decrease in the charging rate to the activateable state due to an increase in the charging rate, the lock control device determines whether or not the terminal holder is the terminal owner; 8. The lock control method according to claim 2, wherein the door is unlocked when it is determined that the terminal holder is the terminal owner while the mobile terminal and the vehicle are communicably connected.

9. the mobile terminal is a smartphone, The lock control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lock control device charges the smartphone held over the contactless power supply device by the contactless power supply device.

10. a determination unit that, when a mobile terminal in an inactivatable state used to unlock a vehicle door is held over a contactless power supply device of a locked vehicle from outside the vehicle, determines, using a sensor of the vehicle, whether or not a terminal owner who is holding the mobile terminal and is outside the vehicle is a pre-registered user of the vehicle; a charging unit that charges the mobile terminal using the contactless power supply device when the determination unit determines that the terminal holder is the user; a locking unit that communicates with the mobile terminal charged by the charging unit to unlock the door.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, control program, and vehicle control system

    JP2021096145A