Electronic key storage device

Abstract

To effectively interfere with authentication of an electronic key by an interference wave of low output.SOLUTION: The electronic key storage device 1 has a two substrate configuration divided into a main substrate 20 on which a main electronic circuit is mounted, and a small antenna substrate 30 on which an antenna peripheral circuit for vehicle LF reception and disturbance wave transmission and a disturbance wave antenna 31 are mounted, and the main substrate 20 is disposed on an upper surface of a partition plate 12 that partitions the electronic key storage device 1 in a vertical direction, and the antenna substrate 30 is disposed on a lower surface of the partition plate 12. An electronic key 90 is fixed to a key storage tray 14 below a partition plate 12. Since the disturbance wave LFjam can be applied in a spot manner by arranging the disturbance wave antenna 31 in the vicinity of the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90 so as to face the key antenna 91, a high disturbance wave effect can be obtained even with a low output.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic key storage device, and more particularly to an electronic key storage device having a function of preventing unauthorized use by outputting interference waves in, for example, car sharing services or rental car services that use electronic keys. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic keys that allow you to lock and unlock vehicle doors and start the engine without inserting a key are now widely used. On the other hand, car sharing, in which multiple registered members share a vehicle, is also becoming popular. In this car sharing system, since not all users can own an electronic key, the electronic key is stored in an electronic key box that contains an actuator (motor and pusher) that physically presses the lock / unlock button.The actuator is then driven by an operation from a user terminal outside the vehicle to lock / unlock the vehicle and start the engine after getting in. A similar method may also be adopted in a service in which a vehicle is used jointly by multiple users, such as a rental car service in which any applicant uses the vehicle.

[0003] When an electronic key is stored in an electronic key box inside such a vehicle, various technologies have been proposed to prevent the vehicle's doors from being unlocked illegally and items inside the vehicle being stolen, or the engine from being started illegally and the vehicle being stolen. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that takes advantage of the fact that authentication processing is performed via communication between the vehicle-mounted device (vehicle side) and the electronic key when locking / unlocking or starting the engine by operating the electronic key, and outputs jamming waves to disrupt the authentication when a signal from the vehicle-mounted device is detected.

[0004] When interfering with authentication by outputting an interfering wave to the electronic key, it is desirable to keep the output of the interfering wave as low as possible, but Patent Document 1 does not describe any measures to address this. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-167151 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to effectively disrupt authentication of an electronic key with a low-power jamming wave. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an electronic key storage device that stores a vehicle-specific electronic key, which has an open button and a close button for contactlessly unlocking and locking the vehicle doors and performs authentication between the device on the vehicle and devices on the vehicle for opening and closing the doors and starting the engine, and is characterized by comprising: electronic key installation means for installing the electronic key; an actuator for pressing the open button and close button on the electronic key; a partition plate installed above the electronic key; an antenna board fixed to the underside of the partition plate and including an antenna for detecting authentication signal waves transmitted from the vehicle to the electronic key and transmitting interference waves toward the key antenna of the electronic key; and a main board installed above the partition plate and equipped with electronic circuits for controlling the electronic key, including driving and controlling the actuator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the main board and the antenna board are separated and arranged on different sides of the partition plate, so that authentication of the electronic key can be effectively disrupted with low-power interference waves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the external configuration of an electronic key storage device; [Figure 2] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of each component in the electronic key storage device. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of an antenna board. [Figure 4] 3 is an XY cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of an antenna board and an electronic key in an electronic key storage device. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the position of a key antenna and the position of an antenna board in a stored electronic key. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic key storage device in which antenna boards are arranged to correspond to electronic keys with different key antenna positions. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic key storage device in which an antenna board is arranged to correspond to an electronic key having a different key antenna position. FIG. [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of opening and closing a vehicle door and starting the engine using the electronic key storage device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A preferred embodiment of an electronic key storage device 1 of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. (1) Overview of the embodiment The electronic key storage device 1 of this embodiment has a two-board configuration divided into a main board 20 on which the main electronic circuits are mounted, and a small antenna board 30 on which antenna peripheral circuits for vehicle LF reception and jamming wave transmission and a jamming wave antenna 31 (equipped with a receiving antenna 31a for receiving LF waves from the vehicle-side device 16 and a transmitting antenna 31b for transmitting jamming waves LFjam) are mounted, and the main board 20 is disposed on the upper surface of a partition plate 12 that separates the electronic key storage device 1 in the vertical direction, and the antenna board 30 is disposed on the lower surface. A key storage tray 14 is disposed below the partition plate 12, and an electronic key 90 is fixed to this key storage tray 14. The electronic key 90 is equipped with a key antenna 91 that receives LF signals for authentication and a transmitting key antenna (not shown) that transmits UHF signals, as antennas for transmitting and receiving signals for authentication between the electronic key 90 and the vehicle-side device 160. The key antenna 91 is located in a different position depending on the type of electronic key 90. Therefore, the antenna board 30 is provided with a plurality of screw holes for mounting in different positions and directions on the partition plate 12 according to the type of electronic key 90, and is screwed to the partition plate 12 at a position according to the position of the key antenna 91 provided on the electronic key 90.

[0011] According to the electronic key storage device 1 of this embodiment, by arranging the jamming wave antenna 31 opposite the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90 in the vicinity thereof, the jamming wave LFjam can be applied in a spot manner, thereby achieving a high jamming wave effect even with a low output. In addition, there is a degree of freedom in the location of the antenna board 30, i.e., the antenna board 30 can be arranged to correspond to the position of the key antenna 91, so the jamming wave LFjam can be applied in a spot manner at the optimal position for the electronic key structures of various vehicles. Furthermore, by separating and isolating the antenna board 30 equipped with a highly sensitive receiver from the main board 20, which is a noise source, the influence of noise from the main board 20 can be reduced.

[0012] (2) Details of the embodiment FIG. 1 shows the external configuration of an electronic key storage device 1 to which this embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic key storage device 1 includes an upper case 11, a partition plate 12, a bottom case 13, and a key storage tray 14 as a housing for storing a main board 20, an antenna board 30, an electronic key 90, etc. The upper case 11, the partition plate 12, the bottom case 13, and the key storage tray 14 that constitute the housing are all made of resin. The electronic key storage device 1 is disposed, for example, inside or below the dashboard, or under the passenger seat.

[0013] The partition plate 12 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the main board 20 described later in Figure 2 is arranged on its upper surface (the surface facing the +Z direction in the drawing), and the antenna board 30 is arranged on its lower surface (the surface facing the -Z direction). Upper case 11 is formed in a cubic shape with five sides, one of which is open, and is fixed to the upper surface of partition plate 12. In this embodiment, upper case 11 and partition plate 12 are fixed with screws, but they may also be fixed with an adhesive or using a snap fit (engagement claws).

[0014] On the other hand, a bottom case 13 is fixed to the lower surface of the partition plate 12 . The bottom case 13 is formed in a cubic shape with four sides, two of which are open, and is fixed with one side of the partition plate 12 open. Like the upper case 11, the fixing method is by screws, but adhesive or fitting claws can also be used. A bottom case 13 fixed to the partition plate 12 has one side open, and a key storage tray 14 can be inserted and pulled out through this opening. The key storage tray 14 is formed in a cubic shape with an open top, and an electronic key 90 is disposed inside the tray at a predetermined position. Although not shown in Figure 1, multiple key holding ribs 15 that function as electronic key placement means are erected on the inside of the key storage tray 14, and these key holding ribs 15 secure the electronic key 90 (details will be described later).

[0015] The electronic key 90 has a lock button (close button) 92a and an unlock button (open button) 92b arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction, and further has a key antenna 91 arranged inside. The lock button 92a and the unlock button 92b are buttons that, when pressed, request a vehicle-side device 160 (see FIG. 8) disposed inside the vehicle to lock or unlock the doors. The key antenna 91 is equipped with a transmitting antenna for transmitting signals in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band (hereinafter referred to as UHF waves) between the vehicle-side device 160 and the key antenna 91, and a receiving antenna for receiving signals in the LF (Low Frequency) band (hereinafter referred to as LF waves). Both LF waves and UHF waves are used for authentication, with LF waves functioning as an authentication signal wave sent from the vehicle to the electronic key, and UHF waves functioning as an authentication signal wave sent from the electronic key to the vehicle. The operation of opening and closing the doors and starting the engine using the electronic key 90 will be described later.

[0016] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic key storage device 1, showing the internal layout of the electronic key storage device 1. Fig. 2(a) shows a YZ cross section at approximately the center in the X direction, and Fig. 2(b) shows an XZ cross section at approximately the center in the Y direction. As shown in Figure 2, a main board 20, a locking motor 21a, and an unlocking motor 21b are arranged on the upper surface of the partition plate 12, and an antenna board 30 is arranged on the lower surface, with the main board 20 and the antenna board 30 being connected by a flexible board connection cable 40. In this way, the electronic key storage device 1 of this embodiment is configured with a main board 20 on which the main electronic circuitry is mounted and a small antenna board 30 on which peripheral antenna circuits are mounted, which are separate and configured, with the main board 20 located on the upper surface of the divider plate 12 and the antenna board 30 located on the lower surface. This reduces the effects of noise from the main board 20 on the antenna board 30 and electronic key 90 located on the lower surface of the divider plate 12.

[0017] The main board 20 has a control unit (computer system) as its main electronic circuit, which includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, memory unit, etc. (not shown), and by executing the opening / closing control PG, it drives the actuators, locking motor 21a and locking pusher 22a, and unlocking motor 21b and unlocking pusher 22b, to control the locking / unlocking of the door. In a vehicle that is equipped with an electronic key storage device 1 and is a target for car sharing, an external device 50 (see Figure 8) is installed that receives locking and unlocking signals transmitted from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. The main board 20 of the electronic key storage device 1 is connected to an external device 50 by wire, and receives lock and unlock signals from the external device 50.

[0018] Two through holes are formed in the partition plate 12 at predetermined positions, and a rod-shaped locking pusher 22a and an unlocking pusher 22b pass through the through holes. The locking pusher 22 a and the unlocking pusher 22 b are open at one end and connected at the other end to a locking motor 21 a and an unlocking motor 21 b disposed on the upper surface of the partition plate 12 . The locking motor 21a and the unlocking motor 21b are driven to move the locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b up and down in the Z-axis direction. The locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b are configured to press the locking button 92a and the unlocking button 92b of the electronic key 90 arranged in the key storage tray 14 by moving downward.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows the circuit configuration of the antenna substrate 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the antenna board 30 of this embodiment includes an antenna 31, a status flag (not shown), an amplifier circuit 321, a detector circuit 322, a one-shot circuit 323, and an oscillator circuit 324. As a modification of the antenna board 30, it is also possible to provide only the antenna 31, with the status flag and other circuits 321 to 324 being disposed on the main board 20.

[0020] The antenna board 30 has a receiving antenna 31a and a transmitting antenna 31b. The receiving antenna 31 a is an antenna for detecting LF oscillation from the vehicle-side device 160 toward the electronic key 90 . The transmitting antenna 31b is an antenna for transmitting jamming waves LFjam, which are transmitted toward the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90 to prevent the electronic key 90 from properly receiving the LF waves emitted from the vehicle-side device 160. Therefore, the antenna board 30 is disposed on the partition plate 12 so that the jamming wave antenna 31 faces the key antenna 91 , that is, so that the jamming wave antenna 31 is located directly above the key antenna 91 .

[0021] The status flag is a flag that stores and updates the valid / invalid signal as a status signal output from an external device 50 (see FIG. 8) that is wired to the antenna board 30. For example, in the case of a vehicle eligible for car sharing, a valid signal is output during a reserved period, and an invalid signal is output during a non-reserved period. The amplifier circuit 321 is an amplifier such as a low noise amplifier that amplifies the LF wave received by the interference wave antenna 31 from the vehicle-side device 160 . The detection circuit 322 is a circuit that detects the LF wave amplified by the amplifier circuit 321, and functions as a target wave detection means. The detection circuit 322 performs edge detection of the LF wave so that it can immediately detect the emission of the LF wave and output the jamming wave LFjam. The one-shot circuit 323 is a circuit for outputting an interference wave LFjam for a predetermined time T only when the detection circuit 322 detects an LF wave, in order to reduce power consumption. The operation of the interference wave antenna 31, which is made up of the receiving antenna 31a and the transmitting antenna 31b, will be described in detail later.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of the antenna board 30 and the electronic key 90, and is an XY cross-sectional view between the antenna board 30 and the electronic key 90. 4(a) is a diagram of the XY cross section viewed in the +Z direction, showing the positional relationship between the lock button 92a, the unlock button 92b and the antenna board 30 on the partition plate 12. FIG. FIG. 4(b) is a view of the XY cross section viewed in the -Z direction, showing the relative positions of the key holding rib 15 and the electronic key 90 in the key storage tray 14. As shown in Figure 4(b), seven key retaining ribs 15a to 15g are formed inside the key storage tray 14, standing from the side walls of the key storage tray 14 toward the center so that the electronic key 90 is positioned approximately in the center. The key holding rib 15 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the electronic key 90 coincides with the Y-axis direction, and so that the lock button 92a is directly below the lock pusher 22a and the unlock button 92b is directly below the unlock pusher 22b. The key retaining rib 15 in this embodiment is integrally formed from the same material as the key storage tray 14, but it may also be formed from an elastic material such as silicon.

[0023] An electronic key 90 is disposed and fixed inside each of the key retaining ribs 15a to 15g. The electronic key 90 can be held down by an elastic member such as rubber at an upper position avoiding the areas of the lock button 92a and the unlock button 92b. In addition, a hook portion may be formed on the key holding rib 15, and an annular rubber may be hooked onto the key holding rib 15d and the key holding rib 15f, and the key holding rib 15e and the key holding rib 15g, so as to hold down the electronic key 90 from above.

[0024] The position of the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90 varies depending on the automobile manufacturer. Therefore, in the electronic key storage device 1, the antenna board 30 is fixed to the partition plate 12 so as to avoid the positions of the locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b and to position the jamming wave antenna 31 directly above the key antenna 91. Note that "directly above" the key antenna 91 refers to the upper area including the area of ​​the key antenna 91, and refers to the case where at least a part of the area of ​​the key antenna 91 is projected onto the interference wave antenna 31, but it is preferable that more than half the area of ​​the key antenna 91 is projected, and it is most preferable that the entire area of ​​the key antenna 91 is projected onto the area of ​​the interference wave antenna 31 (completely directly above). In the case of the electronic key 90 shown in Figure 4, the jamming wave antenna 31 is disposed at the end of the electronic key 90 on the unlock button 92b side in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, the antenna board 30 has the jamming wave antenna 31 disposed at one longitudinal end. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4(a), the jamming wave antenna 31 is disposed directly above the key antenna 91, and the antenna board 30 is disposed in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the electronic key 90. As shown in Figure 4(a), screw holes 33 are formed in two diagonal corners of the antenna substrate 30, and screw holes are also formed in the partition plate 12 at positions corresponding to the positions of the screw holes 33, so that the antenna substrate 30 is fixed by screws. The antenna board 30 has two positioning holes 34 formed side by side at the end on the jamming wave antenna 31 side. The partition plate 12 has a positioning protrusion (not shown) formed thereon for fixing the antenna board 30 in the position shown in Fig. 4(a), and the antenna board 30 can be easily fixed in the correct position by inserting this protrusion into the positioning hole 34 of the antenna board 30 and then screwing it in.

[0025] As described above, the location of the key antenna 91 varies depending on the type of electronic key 90. In the partition plate 12 of this embodiment, even if different types of electronic keys 90 are used, the antenna board 30 can be attached so that the interference wave antenna 31 is located directly above the position of the key antenna 91. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the position of the key antenna 91 and the position of the antenna board 30 in the stored electronic key 90. As shown in FIG. 5(b), electronic keys 90 are classified into three types depending on the position of the key antenna 91: type A with key antenna 91A, type B with key antenna 91B, and type C with key antenna 91C, as shown by the dotted lines. The A-type electronic key 90 is arranged on the unlock button 92b side in the longitudinal direction, and the C-type electronic key 90 is arranged on the lock button 92a side in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the B-type electronic key 90 is disposed between the locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b, closer to the side than the center in the width direction (X-axis direction).

[0026] The partition plate 12 is formed with sets of screw holes for the antenna board 30 and alignment protrusions in multiple locations to accommodate these A-type to C-type key antennas 91A to 91C and to enable the antenna board 30 to be attached directly above them. That is, the antenna substrates 30A to 30C can be attached at the positions indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 5(a) by positioning them using positioning holes 34A to 34C and fastening them with screws using screw holes 33A to 33C.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows the attachment state of the antenna board 30B when a B-type electronic key 90 is installed (XY cross section). In this case, to avoid interference with the locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b, the antenna board 30B is not positioned directly above the key antenna 91B, but is positioned directly above the jamming wave antenna 31B so that approximately half of the area of ​​the key antenna 91B is projected onto the jamming wave antenna 31B. For this reason, it is preferable to position the transmitting antenna 31b of the jamming wave antenna 31B in a position that overlaps with the projection area of ​​the key antenna 91B, out of the receiving antenna 31a and the transmitting antenna 31b. On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows the mounting state of the antenna board 30 when a C-type electronic key 90 is installed (XY cross section). In this case, the antenna board 30C is fixed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electronic key 90, as in Type A, and since there is no interference with the locking pusher 22a and the unlocking pusher 22b, the interference wave antenna 31C is positioned directly above the key antenna 91C. When a type A electronic key 90 is installed, the antenna board 30 is attached in the state described with reference to FIG.

[0028] Next, the external device 50 and the vehicle-side device 160, which are arranged in the same vehicle as the electronic key storage device 1 of this embodiment and which communicate with the electronic key storage device 1, will be described. FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the external device 50 and the vehicle-side device 160, and an overview of the operations for opening and closing the vehicle door and starting the engine. The external device 50 sequentially receives and stores reservation information such as reservation date and time from a reservation server that manages reservations for use of the electronic key storage device 1 and the vehicle in which the external device 50 is placed, and based on the reservation information, outputs a valid signal a preparation time Z1 before the vehicle use start date and time, outputs an invalid signal a grace time Z2 after the vehicle use end date and time, and supplies the valid / invalid signal to the antenna board 30. The external device 50 also receives key operations on the electronic key 90 and the authentication information required for authentication from the mobile terminal, compares these with stored reservation information, and determines whether the vehicle use reservation has been completed, whether the operation was performed within the reserved time, whether the user is authenticated, etc. If all conditions are met, the external device 50 accepts the key operation and sends a locking or unlocking signal to the main board 20.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle-side device 160 includes a communication unit 161, an engine control mechanism 163, and an EG (engine) button 162. The communication unit 161 includes a transmitting antenna for transmitting LF waves to the electronic key 90 and a receiving antenna for receiving UHF waves transmitted from the electronic key 90 (not shown). The EG button 162 is a button for starting and stopping the vehicle engine when the electronic key 90 is inside the vehicle. The engine control mechanism 163 is an operating mechanism that starts and stops the engine in the vehicle, and includes an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid. The vehicle-side device 160 also includes, as other devices not shown, a door control mechanism (actuators such as motors and solenoids) that locks and unlocks the doors of the vehicle.

[0030] Next, the door opening / closing and engine starting operations when a valid signal is output from the external device 50 will be described. (a) Locking / Unlocking Operation When a user performs a locking / unlocking operation from a mobile terminal, the external device 50 receives the authentication information sent from the mobile terminal, and the external device 50 determines that the vehicle reservation has been completed, that the operation was performed within the reserved time, and that the user is authenticated by comparing it with the vehicle reservation information.If all conditions are met, the external device 50 outputs a locking / unlocking instruction corresponding to the key operation received from the mobile terminal to the main board 20. When the control unit of the main board 20 receives a lock / unlock command from the external device 50, it drives the corresponding lock motor 21a / unlock motor 21b to lower the lock pusher 22a / unlock pusher 22b, and presses the lock button / lock button on the electronic key 90. As a result, the electronic key 90 transmits an encrypted authentication signal and a locking / unlocking signal by UHF waves, and authentication processing is carried out. Once the authentication is complete, a door control mechanism (not shown) of the vehicle-side device 160 locks / unlocks the doors.

[0031] (b) Engine starting operation When a legitimate user operates a mobile terminal within the validity period (reservation period) to unlock the vehicle door and get in, and then presses the EG button 162 while stepping on the brake pedal, the vehicle-side device 160 outputs an LF wave for authentication to the electronic key 90. In response to the transmission of this LF wave, an encrypted authentication signal is transmitted and received by UHF wave from the electronic key 90 and LF wave from the vehicle-side device 160, and authentication processing is performed. When the vehicle-side device 160 completes authentication of the electronic key 90, the engine control mechanism 163 starts the engine.

[0032] Next, the operation when an invalid signal is output from the external device 50 will be described. As described above, during authentication between the vehicle-side device 160 and the electronic key 90, the vehicle-side device 160 outputs an LF wave. When the antenna board 30 detects the reception of LF waves by the jamming wave antenna 31 (receiving antenna 31a), since an invalid signal has been output from the external device 50, it immediately outputs LF band jamming waves LFjam from the transmitting antenna 31b of the jamming wave antenna 31 to disrupt the authentication process. This prevents the electronic key 90 from deciphering signals from the vehicle-side device 160 that have been encrypted using the jamming wave LFjam, thereby disrupting the authentication process and preventing unauthorized locking / unlocking and engine starting. In this way, the electronic key storage device 1 receives LF waves from the vehicle-side device 160 as target waves using the receiving antenna 31a, and then oscillates and outputs jamming waves LFjam in the same frequency band as the LF waves from the transmitting antenna 31b, thereby preventing unauthorized opening and closing of doors and unauthorized starting of the engine.

[0033] As described above, in the electronic key storage device 1 of this embodiment, the configuration for controlling the opening and closing of doors and the starting of the engine using the electronic key 90 is divided into the main board 20 and the antenna board 30, with the main board 20 being arranged on the upper surface of the partition plate 12 and the antenna board 30 being arranged separately on the lower surface. This reduces the effect of noise from the main board 20 on the antenna board 30 and electronic key 90 arranged on the lower surface of the partition plate 12. Furthermore, if the electronic key storage device 1 is disposed near the external device 50 or the vehicle-side device 160, the nearby external device 50 or vehicle-side device 160 can also reduce the effects of noise from the main board 20. As a result, a highly sensitive receiver (external device 50) can be realized, and the receiving area can be expanded.

[0034] In addition, by separating the antenna board 30, the freedom in where to install the antenna board 30 is increased to accommodate various electronic key 90 structures (position of the key antenna 91), and it can be installed in multiple locations. Furthermore, by disposing the separated antenna board 30 on the lower surface of the partition plate 12, the interference wave antenna 31 can be disposed in the vicinity of the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90. Furthermore, since the antenna substrate 30 is fixed so that the jamming wave antenna 31 is located directly above and in the vicinity of the key antenna 91, the jamming wave LFjam can be applied to the key antenna 91 in a spot manner.Furthermore, the effect of the jamming wave LFjam on the LF wave received by the key antenna 91 from the vehicle-side device 160 can be relatively increased, so the output level of the jamming wave LFjam output from the transmitting antenna 31b can be reduced. By reducing the output level of the jamming wave LFjam, it is possible to reduce adverse effects on peripheral electronic devices such as the external device 50 and the vehicle-side device 160, thereby improving EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) performance.

[0035] Furthermore, by placing it directly above the key antenna 91, the receiving antenna 31a of the interference wave antenna 31 can be made into a highly sensitive receiver, and the receiving area can be widened. Furthermore, since the key antenna 91 of the electronic key 90 and the interference wave antenna 31 (receiving antenna 31a) of the antenna board 30 are arranged close to each other, the interference wave antenna 31 can be placed in the same reception environment as the electronic key 90.

[0036] The embodiment of the electronic key storage device 1 has been described above, but the following configurations are also possible as modifications. For example, in the described embodiment, a positioning hole 34 is provided on the antenna board 30 side for positioning when fixing the antenna board 30 at a position corresponding to the three types of electronic keys 90, A type to C type, and a protrusion that fits into the positioning hole 34 is provided on the partition plate 12 side. Alternatively, a protrusion (convex portion) may be formed on the antenna substrate 30 side, and a concave portion may be formed on the partition plate 12 side. In the embodiment, protrusions are formed in three locations on the partition plate 12 to correspond to the three types A to C, but when screwing the antenna board 30, the positioning holes 34 and the corresponding protrusions on the partition plate 12 must be positioned so that the two unused protrusions do not interfere with the antenna board 30. In contrast, if a positioning protrusion (convex portion) is formed on the antenna substrate 30 side, the unused recess on the partition plate 12 side does not interfere with the installation of the antenna substrate 30, thereby increasing the freedom in the placement of the protrusion and recess.

[0037] In the embodiment described above, the key antenna 91 is disposed at three different positions relative to the electronic key 90, A type to C type. In addition, a screw hole and a protrusion (convex portion) for screwing the antenna board 30D may be formed on the partition plate 12 at a position corresponding to the D-type electronic key 90, in which the key antenna 91D is located to the side of the center in the width direction (-X axis direction), on the opposite side of the B-type described in Figure 6, i.e., between the locking push button 22a and the unlocking push button 22b. The antenna substrate 30D is positioned in the same orientation as the B type described in Figure 6, on the -X side of the center, but if the positioning hole 34 and protrusion (on the partition plate 12 side) are in the same position as in the described embodiment, they will interfere with the protrusion for the positioning hole 34C shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the positioning hole 34 formed in the center of the width of the antenna substrate 30D is formed on the side surface (opposite the screw hole 33), and the positions of the positioning protrusions for types A to D formed on the partition plate 12 are also formed at corresponding positions. In the case where a protrusion (convex portion) is formed on the antenna substrate 30 side and a concave portion is formed on the partition plate 12 side as in the above-described modification, they can be formed in the same positions as in the embodiment.

[0038] In the embodiment described above, seven key retaining ribs 15a to 15g are formed on the inside of the key storage tray 14, but as long as they are present in at least four locations (top and bottom (front and back) and left and right), a fewer or greater number may be used. In addition, in the embodiment described above, the external device 50 is described as a device separate from the electronic key storage device 1, but the electronic key storage device 1 may also be provided with an external control unit having the configuration and functions described for the external device 50. In the embodiment described above, the main board 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 12, but the main board 20 does not have to be fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 12, as long as it is positioned above the partition plate 12. For example, the main board 20 can also be fixed to the inner surface of the upper case 11 that faces the partition plate 12.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, the jamming wave antenna 31 of the antenna board 30 includes a receiving antenna 31a for receiving LF waves from the vehicle-side device 16 and a transmitting antenna 31b for transmitting jamming waves LFjam. In contrast to this, the interference wave antenna 31 may be configured as a single antenna for both transmission and reception. In this case, the antenna board 30 is provided with an antenna switch that switches the antenna 1 so that it can be used for transmission or reception. The antenna switch is normally set to the receiving side, and when reception of an LF wave from the vehicle-side device 160 is detected, it is immediately switched to the transmitting side, thereby enabling transmission of the jamming wave LFjam.

[0040] Based on the above-described embodiments and modifications, the electronic key storage device can be configured as follows. (Configuration 1) An electronic key storage device that stores a vehicle-specific electronic key and has an open button and a close button for contactlessly unlocking and locking the vehicle door, and performs authentication between the device on the vehicle and the device for opening and closing the door and starting the engine, an electronic key placement means for placing the electronic key; an actuator for pressing the open button and the close button of the electronic key; a partition plate disposed above the electronic key; an antenna board fixed to the lower surface of the partition plate, the antenna including at least an antenna that detects an authentication signal wave transmitted from the vehicle to the electronic key and transmits an interference wave toward a key antenna of the electronic key; a main board mounted with electronic circuits for controlling the electronic key, including controlling the actuator, and disposed above the partition plate; An electronic key storage device comprising: (Configuration 2) The antenna board is fixed to the partition plate so that the antenna of the antenna board is located directly above the key antenna of the electronic key. 2. The electronic key storage device according to claim 1, (Configuration 3) The partition plate and the antenna substrate are provided with a protrusion on one side as a positioning means, and a recess that fits into the protrusion on the other side. 3. The electronic key storage device according to claim 1 or 2. (Configuration 4) The partition plate positioning means is formed at a plurality of locations corresponding to the positions of the key antennas provided on the electronic key. 4. The electronic key storage device according to configuration 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Electronic key storage device 11 Upper Case 12 Divider 13 Bottom case 14 Key storage tray 15, 15a~15g Key retaining rib 20 Main board 21a Locking motor 21b Unlocking motor 22a Locking pusher 22b Unlocking push button 30 Antenna board 31 Interference antenna 31a Receiving antenna 31b Transmitting antenna 33, 33A~33C screw holes 34, 34A~34C Positioning holes 40 Board connection cable 50 External device 90 Electronic Key 91 Key Antenna 92a Lock button 92b Unlock button 160 Vehicle side device 161 Communications Department 162 EG button 163 Engine control mechanism 321 Amplifier Circuit 322 Detector circuit 323 One-Shot Circuit 324 Oscillator Circuit

Claims

1. An electronic key storage device that stores a vehicle-specific electronic key and has an open button and a close button for contactlessly unlocking and locking the vehicle doors, and performs authentication between the device on the vehicle and the device for opening and closing the doors and starting the engine. an electronic key placement means for placing the electronic key; an actuator for pressing the open button and the close button of the electronic key; a partition plate disposed above the electronic key; an antenna board fixed to the lower surface of the partition plate, the antenna including at least an antenna that detects an authentication signal wave transmitted from the vehicle to the electronic key and transmits an interference wave toward a key antenna of the electronic key; a main board mounted with electronic circuits for controlling the electronic key, including controlling the actuator, and disposed above the partition plate; An electronic key storage device comprising:

2. The antenna board is fixed to the partition plate so that the antenna of the antenna board is located directly above the key antenna of the electronic key.

2. The electronic key storage device according to claim 1.

3. The partition plate and the antenna substrate are provided with a protrusion on one side as a positioning means, and a recess that fits into the protrusion on the other side.

2. The electronic key storage device according to claim 1.

4. The partition plate positioning means is formed at a plurality of locations corresponding to the positions of the key antennas provided on the electronic key.

4. The electronic key storage device according to claim 3.

Images