Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of preventing unlocking and theft of a vehicle by a malicious third party.SOLUTION: The vehicle control device is constituted of a portable device 2, a radio communication device 3, an abnormality detection device 7, a locking / unlocking invalidation device 10, and an engine operation invalidation device 13, and when the intensity of the electric field of the portable device 2 and the radio communication device 3 is weaker than a preset electric field intensity threshold, the power supply of a door lock control device 4 is cut off by the locking / unlocking invalidation device 10 so as to disable locking / unlocking. When the abnormality detection device 7 detects the abnormality while the locking / unlocking invalidation device 10 invalidates the locking / unlocking, the engine operation invalidation device 13 cuts off the power supply to the engine operation device 5 to invalidate the operation of the engine, thereby preventing the vehicle from being unlocked or stolen by a malicious third party.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device that is connected to a vehicle locking / unlocking device and an engine (in the case of an electric vehicle, a traction motor) operating device, and that enables / disables the vehicle locking / unlocking and engine operation. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a smart key system for wireless communication in vehicles that allows the vehicle to be locked and unlocked and the engine to be started without inserting the key into the vehicle cylinder. The smart key constantly emits weak encrypted radio waves, and when the smart key approaches the vehicle within a certain distance, it automatically recognizes the vehicle and the driver, and the vehicle unlocks when the driver touches the door handle or the like. Also, with regard to starting the engine of a vehicle, there is known a system that detects the presence of a smart key inside the vehicle when the start switch of the vehicle is pressed, and starts the engine accordingly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] Patent Publication No. 2018-053489 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in recent years, a new method of crime known as a relay attack has emerged, in which a vehicle is remotely unlocked or the engine is started even when the smart key is located more than a predetermined distance away from the vehicle.

[0005] A relay attack is a method in which a malicious third party approaches a vehicle's smart key located at a distance from the vehicle, receives the weak radio waves emitted from the smart key using a special transceiver, amplifies the signal, and transmits it to a vehicle that the radio waves would not normally reach, thereby unlocking the vehicle and starting the engine. Using methods like the relay attack described above, a malicious third party could unlock the vehicle and steal it.

[0006] There is also a method of crime known as CAN invaders, in which criminals infiltrate the CAN network, which serves as a means of communication between multiple computers inside a vehicle, to unlock the vehicle or start the engine. CAN Invaders are a method used by malicious third parties to remove a part of the bumper or other part and connect to the CAN network from outside, unlocking the vehicle and starting the engine. Using methods like the CAN Invaders described above, malicious third parties could potentially unlock and steal the vehicle.

[0007] One aspect of the embodiment has been made in view of the above, and provides a vehicle control device that can prevent a malicious third party from unlocking a vehicle or starting an engine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle control device according to the invention of claim 1 is a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a mobile device in a vehicle in which the vehicle is locked and unlocked wirelessly. a lock / unlock disabling device that disables locking / unlocking of the vehicle when the wireless communication device determines that the electric field strength between the portable device and the wireless communication device is weaker than a set threshold for disabling locking / unlocking, and that enables locking / unlocking of the vehicle when the wireless communication device determines that the electric field strength between the portable device and the wireless communication device is stronger than a set threshold for enabling locking / unlocking;

[0009] An engine operation disable device that can enable or disable the operation of the engine (in the case of an electric vehicle, the traction motor) Equipped with an abnormality detection device that detects abnormalities in the vehicle while locking / unlocking is disabled, The locking / unlocking disabling device is characterized in that when the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality while the locking / unlocking is disabled, the engine operation disabling device disables the operation of the engine.

[0010] The vehicle control device according to the invention of claim 2 is a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a mobile device in a vehicle in which the vehicle is locked and unlocked wirelessly. a lock / unlock disable device that can enable or disable the lock / unlock of the vehicle by operating the portable device;

[0011] An engine operation disable device that can enable or disable the operation of the engine (in the case of an electric vehicle, the traction motor) Equipped with an abnormality detection device that detects abnormalities in the vehicle while locking / unlocking is disabled, The locking / unlocking disabling device is characterized in that when the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality while the locking / unlocking is disabled, the engine operation disabling device disables the operation of the engine.

[0012] A typical example of a mobile device is a smartphone. Nowadays, smartphones are always carried with us, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are an indispensable part of our lives. Smartphones can function as a control unit by running applications, and they generally include a communication unit that is capable of BLE-compliant communication, making them ideal as mobile devices.

[0013] In this invention, when a driver carrying a smartphone that has been mutually authenticated with a wireless communication device approaches a vehicle, the locking / unlocking disablement device is enabled, allowing the driver to lock and unlock the vehicle, but when the driver moves far away from the vehicle, the locking / unlocking disablement device is disabled, making it impossible to lock or unlock the vehicle.

[0014] In the vehicle control device, by making it possible to arbitrarily set the electric field strength thresholds for enabling and disabling the lock / unlock disablement device on a portable device, the driver of the vehicle carrying the portable device can set how close to the vehicle the device needs to be to enable lock / unlock, and how far away from the vehicle the device needs to be to disable it after getting out of the vehicle, thereby improving usability for the driver. For example, it is possible to enable the device when the driver is about 2 meters away from the vehicle and disable it when the driver is about 5 meters away.

[0015] When the portable device is sufficiently far away from the vehicle and the locking / unlocking disabling device has disabled locking / unlocking, if the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality in the vehicle such as a door opening, the engine operation disabling device can cut off the power supply to the engine operating device to prevent the engine from being started improperly or to stop the engine if it is running.

[0016] In addition, when the locking / unlocking disabling device disables locking / unlocking by operating a portable device, if the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality in the vehicle, such as a door opening, the engine operation disabling device can cut off the power supply to the engine operating device to prevent the engine from being started improperly or to stop the engine if it is running.

[0017] In addition to detecting door opening, the abnormality detection device can also be equipped with an impact detection sensor that detects impacts to the vehicle and a human presence sensor that detects people.The abnormality detection device can also detect brake signal output or ignition power (IG power) on during monitoring and send an abnormality signal.

[0018] In addition, the engine operation disabling device can control the power supply to the engine operating device by operating the portable device, so that the operation of the engine can be enabled or disabled. Depending on the situation, by disabling the engine operation disabling device by operating the portable device, it is possible to prevent the engine from being started improperly or to stop the engine that is running. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, when the portable device is located far enough away from the vehicle, the vehicle's locking and unlocking is disabled, thereby preventing malicious third parties from unlocking the vehicle using relay attacks or CAN invaders.

[0020] Furthermore, even if the door is forcibly opened in the above state, the abnormality detection device will detect this and disable the engine operation disable device, thereby preventing the engine from being started improperly or stopping the engine if it is running.

[0021] A typical example of a mobile device is a smartphone. Nowadays, smartphones are always carried with us. By using a smartphone as a mobile device, drivers do not need to carry anything other than the smartphone and the original remote control key, which improves convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a specific configuration example of a vehicle control device for locking / unlocking and engine operation according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific configuration example of an anomaly detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] [Figure 3] 1 is an example of a screen of a mobile device in which a threshold value of electric field strength for enabling and a threshold value for disabling a lock / unlock disablement device are separately set on the mobile device in a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric field strength here refers to the electric field strength between the mobile device and the wireless communication device of the vehicle control device. [Figure 4] This is an example of a screen of a mobile device in a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, whereby a lock / unlock disablement device is enabled or disabled by tapping the screen of the mobile device, or an engine operation disablement device is enabled or disabled.

[0024] [Figure 5]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a locking / unlocking disablement device based on the electric field strength between a mobile device and a wireless communication device of the vehicle control device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method for an engine operation disabling device in a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention when an abnormality detection device detects an abnormality while the locking / unlocking disabling device is disabling locking / unlocking. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, when the number, quantity, amount, range, etc. of each element is mentioned, the present invention is not limited to the mentioned number unless otherwise specified or clearly specified in principle. Furthermore, the structures and the like described in the following embodiments are not necessarily essential to the present invention unless specifically stated otherwise or clearly specified in principle.

[0027] 1. Specific configuration examples of vehicle control devices for locking / unlocking and engine operation Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the configuration of a vehicle control device for locking / unlocking and engine operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. The configuration example of the vehicle control device shown in Fig. 1 includes, for example, a portable device 2, a wireless communication device 3 that is installed in the vehicle (within the dotted line box) and has a wireless communication function and controls the vehicle control device, a door lock actuator 1 that performs the locking / unlocking operation of the vehicle, a door lock control device 4 that controls the door lock actuator 1, and a lock / unlock disable device 10 that controls the power supply to the door lock control device 4.

[0028] an engine operating device 5 that controls the operation of an engine (a traction motor in the case of an electric vehicle) 6, and an engine operation disabling device 13 that controls the power supply to the engine operating device 5; The device is composed of a battery 12, a fuse 11 provided between the power line that supplies power from the battery 12 to the door lock control device 4, a fuse 14 provided between the power line that supplies power from the battery 12 to the engine operating device 5, and an abnormality detection device 7 that detects abnormalities in the vehicle while the lock / unlock disable device 10 is disabling lock / unlock.

[0029] The contacts of the relay inside the lock / unlock disabler 10 are connected in series between the power line of the door lock control device 4 and the fuse 11 . The contacts of the relay inside the engine operation disable device 13 are connected in series between the power line of the engine operation device 5 and the fuse 14 .

[0030] The means for locking and unlocking the vehicle with the above configuration will now be described. The mobile device 2 and the wireless communication device 3 capable of wireless communication must register mutual authentication information with each other in advance.

[0031] The distance between the mobile device 2 and the vehicle can be measured from the electric field strength between the mobile device 2 and the wireless communication device 3. By comparing this electric field strength with a preset threshold, it is possible to determine whether the driver carrying the mobile device 2 is approaching or moving away from the vehicle.

[0032] The communication device of the wireless communication device 3 capable of wirelessly communicating with the mobile device 2 may use, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology, which is one of the short-range wireless communication standards. The door lock actuator 1 is a device that locks and unlocks the doors of a vehicle, and is operated by a door lock control device 4.

[0033] When the vehicle is locked and the driver approaches the vehicle carrying the mobile device 2 and the genuine smart key that comes with the vehicle, if the electric field strength of the wireless communication device 3 exceeds a preset threshold value for activating the door lock control device 4, the wireless communication device 3 activates the lock / unlock disabler 10, thereby supplying power to the door lock control device 4. One method for controlling the power supply can be to turn on and off a relay inside the lock / unlock disabler 10, for example.

[0034] When the driver approaches the vehicle further and touches the door handle or presses a request switch attached to the door handle, the door lock control device 4 activates the door lock actuator 1 to unlock the door.

[0035] When the vehicle is unlocked and the driver carrying the mobile device 2 and the genuine smart key closes the door and touches the door handle or presses the request switch attached to the door handle, the distance between the mobile device 2 and the wireless communication device 3 is sufficiently close so that the lock / unlock disabler 10 is enabled, and the powered door lock control device 4 activates the door lock actuator 1 to lock the door.

[0036] When the driver leaves the vehicle, if the electric field strength of the wireless communication device 3 becomes weaker than a preset threshold value for disabling the door lock control device 4, the wireless communication device 3 disables the lock / unlock disablement device 10 and cuts off the power supply to the door lock control device 4.

[0037] When the portable device 2 is far enough away from the vehicle, even if a malicious third party touches the door handle or presses the request switch attached to the door handle while emitting radio waves equivalent to those of the genuine smart key through a relay attack or the like, the lock / unlock disabler 10 is disabled and no power is supplied to the door lock control device 4, so the door lock actuator 1 does not operate and the door cannot be unlocked.

[0038] 2. Specific configuration example of an anomaly detection device FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the abnormality detection means of the abnormality detection device 7 in the components of the vehicle control device for locking / unlocking and engine operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] 2 include, for example, an output signal from an impact detection sensor 21 that detects an impact to the vehicle, an output signal from a human presence sensor 22 that detects a person, a signal line from a brake switch 23 that shorts out when the brake is applied, an ignition power supply that becomes 12 V when an ignition switch 24 is in the ignition position, and a signal line from a door open switch 25 that shorts out when the door is opened. It is not necessary to provide all of these components, and the device may be configured with only some of them as needed.

[0040] In the above configuration, when the abnormality detection device 7 detects an abnormality in any of the input signals while the lock / unlock disabling device 10 is disabling lock / unlock, it sends an abnormality detection signal to the wireless communication device 3. Upon receiving the abnormality detection signal, the wireless communication device 3 sends a disabling signal to the engine operation disabling device 13.

[0041] Upon receiving the disabling signal, the engine operation disabling device 13 disables the engine from starting by cutting off the power supply to the engine operating device 5. If the engine is running at this time, the engine can be stopped. The power supply can be controlled by, for example, turning on and off a relay inside the engine operation disabler 13 . 3. Example of distance setting between a mobile device and a wireless communication device to enable or disable the lock / unlock disablement device

[0042] Figure 3 shows an example of a screen for individually setting the thresholds for enabling or disabling the door lock control device 4. The vehicle locking and unlocking can be enabled or disabled at an optimal distance. The distance for enabling locking and unlocking must be set closer than the distance for disabling locking and unlocking.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen on which the door lock control device 4 is enabled or disabled, or the engine operating device 5 is enabled or disabled by tapping the screen of the mobile device 2. You can enable or disable locking and unlocking by tapping the respective button in the dotted square at the top of the screen. You can enable or disable engine operation by tapping the respective button in the dotted square at the bottom of the screen.

[0044] 4. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the locking / unlocking disabling device 10 of the vehicle control device. First, in step ST1 (hereinafter, step will be omitted), it is determined whether the locking / unlocking disabling device 10 is in an enabled or disabled state.

[0045] If the lock / unlock disablement device 10 is in the lock / unlock disabled state, the process proceeds to ST2, where the electric field strength of the portable device 2 and the wireless communication device 3 is compared with the activation threshold. If the electric field strength is weaker than the threshold, the process returns. If the electric field strength is stronger than the threshold, the process proceeds to ST3. In ST3, the lock / unlock disablement device 10 is activated, power is supplied to the door lock control device 4, the vehicle lock / unlock function is activated, and the process returns.

[0046] In ST1, if the door lock control device 4 is in lock / unlock mode, the process proceeds to ST4, where the electric field strength of the portable device 2 and the wireless communication device 3 is compared with the threshold for disabling. If the electric field strength is stronger than the threshold, the process returns. If the electric field strength is weaker than the threshold, the process proceeds to ST5. In ST5, the lock / unlock disabling device 10 is disabled, the power to the door lock control device 4 is cut off, the vehicle lock / unlock function is disabled, and the process returns.

[0047] 5. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the engine operation disabling device 13 when the locking / unlocking disabling device 10 of the vehicle control device is in the locking / unlocking disabling state. First, in ST11, the valid / invalid state of the locking / unlocking disabling device 10 is determined.

[0048] If the lock / unlock disable device 10 is in the lock / unlock disabled state, the process proceeds to ST12, where it checks whether or not an abnormality detection signal has been input from the abnormality detection device 7. If no abnormality detection signal has been input, the process returns. If an abnormality detection signal has been input, the process proceeds to ST13. In ST13, the engine operation disable device 13 is disabled, the power supply to the engine operation device 5 is cut off, the engine is prevented from operating, and the process returns.

[0049] In ST11, if the locking / unlocking disabling device 10 is in the locking / unlocking enabled state, the process proceeds to ST14, the engine operation disabling device 13 is enabled, power is supplied to the engine operating device 5, the engine is operated, and the process returns. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Door Lock Actuator 2. Mobile devices 3. Wireless communication devices 4 Door lock control device 5 Engine operating device 6 Engine (Traction motor in the case of electric vehicles) 7. Anomaly detection device 10 Locking / unlocking disable device 11 Door lock control device fuse 12 Battery 13 Engine operation disable device 14 Engine operating system fuse 21 Impact detection sensor 22 Human Sensor 23 Brake switch 23a Brake lights 24 Ignition switch 25 Door open switch

Claims

1. In a vehicle where the vehicle is locked and unlocked wirelessly, a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a mobile device a lock / unlock disabling device that disables locking / unlocking of the vehicle when the wireless communication device determines that the electric field strength between the portable device and the wireless communication device is weaker than a set threshold for disabling locking / unlocking, and that enables locking / unlocking of the vehicle when the wireless communication device determines that the electric field strength between the portable device and the wireless communication device is stronger than a set threshold for enabling locking / unlocking; An engine operation disable device that can enable or disable the operation of the engine (in the case of an electric vehicle, the traction motor) Equipped with an abnormality detection device that detects abnormalities in the vehicle while locking / unlocking is disabled, The vehicle control device is characterized in that the engine operation disabling device disables the operation of the engine when the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality while the locking / unlocking disabling device is in the locked state.

2. In a vehicle where the vehicle is locked and unlocked wirelessly, a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a mobile device a lock / unlock disable device that can enable or disable the lock / unlock of the vehicle by operating the portable device; An engine operation disable device that can enable or disable the operation of the engine (in the case of an electric vehicle, the traction motor) Equipped with an abnormality detection device that detects abnormalities in the vehicle while locking / unlocking is disabled, The vehicle control device is characterized in that the engine operation disabling device disables the operation of the engine when the abnormality detection device detects an abnormality while the locking / unlocking disabling device is in the locked state.

Images