Vehicle locking / unlocking device

Abstract

This invention improves the anti-theft capabilities of a vehicle locking / unlocking device that allows doors to be unlocked via wireless communication with a portable device. [Solution] The vehicle locking / unlocking device 30 comprises a plurality of first communication units 34 that communicate wirelessly with the portable device 20, a position determination unit 40 that measures the distance between each of the plurality of first communication units 34 and the portable device 20 and determines the position of the portable device 20 relative to the vehicle 1, and a control device 38 that individually locks and unlocks a plurality of doors 3 of the vehicle 1. When the position determination unit 40 determines that the portable device 20 is within the unlocking area 45, the control device 38 unlocks all of the plurality of doors 3 except for the door 3 located in the area 45A or 45B where the surrounding detection unit 34A has detected an object 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle locking and unlocking device.

Background Art

[0002] The position estimation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs wireless communication with a portable device carried by a user via a plurality of communication units, and estimates the position of the portable device relative to the vehicle from a plurality of distance measurement values obtained through these wireless communications. Further, the position estimation system unlocks the doors when determining that the portable device has approached the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the position estimation system of Patent Document 1, all doors are unlocked when the portable device approaches the vehicle, so a third party with theft intent lurking around the vehicle can get into the vehicle. Therefore, the position estimation system of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in the anti-theft performance of the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention aims to improve the anti-theft performance of a vehicle in a vehicle locking and unlocking device capable of unlocking doors via wireless communication with a portable device.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle locking and unlocking device comprising: a plurality of first communication units, each positioned at a plurality of locations on the vehicle, which communicate wirelessly with a portable device located around the vehicle; a position determination unit, which measures the distance between the plurality of first communication units and the portable device based on the propagation time of radio waves in the wireless communication and determines the position of the portable device relative to the vehicle; and a control device, which individually locks and unlocks a plurality of doors of the vehicle, and is provided with an ambient detection unit for detecting objects around the vehicle, wherein when the position determination unit determines that the portable device is located within an unlocking area around the vehicle, the control device unlocks all of the plurality of doors except those located in the area where the ambient detection unit has detected the object.

[0007] The vehicle locking / unlocking device comprises multiple first communication units that communicate wirelessly with a portable device, a position determination unit that determines the location of the portable device, and a control device that individually locks and unlocks multiple doors. The control device also unlocks all doors except those located in areas where an object has been detected by the surrounding detection unit. In other words, if an object is present around the vehicle, the control device will not unlock the doors in the area where the object has been detected. Therefore, the doors in the area where a third party lurking with the intention of theft is located will remain locked and will not be unlocked. As a result, the third party will not be able to enter the vehicle, thus improving the vehicle's theft resistance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention improves the anti-theft capabilities of a vehicle in a vehicle locking / unlocking device that can unlock doors via wireless communication with a portable device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A plan view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle locking / unlocking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Block diagram of the vehicle locking / unlocking device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3A] A flowchart illustrating the door unlocking process using the vehicle locking / unlocking device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3B] A flowchart continuing from Figure 3A. [Figure 4] Figure 3A is a flowchart of the object detection process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, the vehicle locking / unlocking device (hereinafter referred to as the locking / unlocking device) 30 according to this embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the vehicle 1 and, together with a portable device 20 carried by the user, constitutes a vehicle locking / unlocking system 10 that individually locks and unlocks (hereinafter sometimes referred to as locking / unlocking) multiple doors 3.

[0012] The portable device 20 and the locking / unlocking device 30 can communicate with each other using ultra-wideband wireless communication (UWB communication) of 3.1 GHz or higher. In addition to UWB communication, the portable device 20 and the locking / unlocking device 30 can also use wireless communication compliant with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® Low Energy, which has a narrower communication bandwidth than UWB communication (hereinafter referred to as BLE communication). While the distance measurement accuracy using BLE communication is lower than that using UWB communication, the power consumption using BLE communication is lower than that of UWB communication.

[0013] (Handheld device) The portable device 20 consists of a smartphone (mobile terminal) carried by the user. However, the portable device 20 may also be an electronic key with an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a tablet terminal other than a smartphone, or a wearable terminal (such as a smartwatch).

[0014] Referring to Figure 2, the portable device 20 has a communication device 21 for wireless communication with the locking / unlocking device 30, and a control device 25 for controlling the operation of the communication device 21. The portable device 20, carried by the user, is registered (stored) with the locking / unlocking device 30.

[0015] The communication device 21 includes a UWB communication unit 22 for performing UWB communication, and a BLE communication unit 24 for performing BLE communication. The UWB communication unit 22 is a communication module that includes an antenna 23, as well as a modulator, a demodulator, and an amplifier, none of which are illustrated. Like the UWB communication unit 22, the BLE communication unit 24 is a communication module that includes an antenna, a modulator, a demodulator, and an amplifier, none of which are illustrated.

[0016] The control device 25 is configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The control device 25 includes memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The control device 25 is connected to each unit of the portable device 20 so as to be capable of exchanging data via communication. The control device 25 performs, for example, generation of signals transmitted by the communication device 21, analysis of signals received by the communication device 21, and control of communication timing of the communication device 21.

[0017] (Lock / Unlock Device) Referring to Figure 1, the lock / unlock device 30 determines the position of the registered portable device 20, and locks or unlocks the door 3 based on the determined position information of the portable device 20. The position of the portable device 20 refers to a coordinate position with the origin at the center in the vehicle length direction and the center in the vehicle width direction when the vehicle 1 is viewed from above.

[0018] Referring to Figure 2, the lock / unlock device 30 includes a door lock device 31, a communication device 33, and a control device 38.

[0019] (Door Lock Device) Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the door lock devices 31 are respectively attached to a plurality of doors (four doors in the present embodiment) 3. Each individual door lock device 31 can be switched between a locked state in which the door 3 cannot be opened and an unlocked state in which the door 3 can be opened by operating the door handle 4 when the door 3 is fully closed relative to the vehicle body 2. The locked state of the door lock device 31 corresponds to the locked state of the door 3, and the unlocked state of the door lock device 31 corresponds to the unlocked state of the door 3. In the following description, among the plurality of door lock devices 31, the two disposed on the left door 3 in FIG. 1 may be referred to as left door lock devices 31L, and the two disposed on the right door 3 in FIG. 1 may be referred to as right door lock devices 31R.

[0020] Each individual door lock device 31 has a door state detection unit 32 for detecting whether the door lock device 31 is in a locked state or an unlocked state. That is, the door state detection unit 32 is configured to detect the locked / unlocked state of the door 3. The door state detection unit 32 is configured by, for example, a switch that detects the posture of a lever constituting a lock mechanism (not shown).

[0021] (Communication Device of Lock / Unlock Apparatus) Referring to FIG. 2, the communication device 33 includes a UWB communication unit (first communication unit) 34 for performing UWB communication, and a BLE communication unit (second communication unit) 37 for performing BLE communication. Among them, the BLE communication unit 37, similarly to the BLE communication unit 24 of the portable device 20, is a communication module, and each includes an antenna, a modulator, a demodulator, and an amplifier which are not illustrated.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, the UWB communication units 34 are respectively disposed at a plurality of different positions on the vehicle 1, and perform UWB communication with the portable device 20 present around the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, among the vehicle 1, two UWB communication units 34 are disposed inside the vehicle cabin, and four UWB communication units 34 are disposed outside the vehicle cabin. However, the number and arrangement of the UWB communication units 34 can be changed as needed. In the following description, among the plurality of UWB communication units 34, the two disposed inside the vehicle cabin may be referred to as in-cabin UWB communication units 34A, and the four disposed outside the vehicle cabin may be referred to as out-of-cabin UWB communication units 34B.

[0023] The in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A is located in the center of the ceiling in the vehicle width direction. Two in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A are spaced apart in the vehicle length direction. Four out-of-vehicle UWB communication units 34B are located at the front, rear, left, and right corners of the vehicle body 2, which is outside the vehicle.

[0024] Referring to Figure 2, the UWB communication unit 34, like the UWB communication unit 22 of the portable device 20, is a communication module comprising a transmitting antenna 35 that transmits radio waves and a receiving antenna 36 that receives radio waves. The transmitting antenna 35 and the receiving antenna 36 may be composed of a single component transmitting and receiving antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves. The UWB communication unit 34 also includes a modulator, demodulator, and amplifier, respectively (not shown). These UWB communication units 34 are switchable between ranging mode and radar mode.

[0025] In distance measuring mode, the UWB communication unit 34 can transmit radio waves containing a request signal to the portable device 20 using the transmitting antenna 35, and receive radio waves containing a response signal from the portable device 20 using the receiving antenna 36. The signal (information) contained in the radio waves is sent to the control device 38 and used to measure the distance between the UWB communication unit 34 and the portable device 20, and to determine the coordinate position of the portable device 20 relative to the vehicle 1. In the following description, the transmission and reception of radio waves containing signals may be simply referred to as the transmission and reception of signals.

[0026] The UWB communication unit 34 in radar mode can detect whether or not an object 50 exists around the vehicle 1. In other words, the UWB communication unit 34 also functions as a vehicle 1 surroundings detection unit. The UWB communication unit 34 in radar mode transmits radio waves as radar (UWB radar) using the transmitting antenna 35 and receives the reflected radio waves (reflected waves) using the receiving antenna 36. Information regarding the transmission of radio waves and the reception of reflected waves is sent to the control device 38 and used to determine the presence or absence of object 50 and to determine the coordinate position of object 50.

[0027] (Control device for locking and unlocking) Referring to Figure 1, the control device 38 is comprised of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle 1. The control device 38 may also be comprised of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The control device 38 is connected to each part of the locking / unlocking device 30 via communication for data exchange.

[0028] Referring to Figure 2, the control device 38 includes a storage unit 39 composed of memory such as ROM and RAM. The storage unit 39 stores a program for the control device 38 to execute, a program for determining the location of the portable device 20, and information necessary for the program. In addition to the coordinate positions of individual doors 3, the storage unit 39 also stores historical information of the portable devices 20 owned by the user and the determined coordinate positions of the portable devices 20. The number of portable devices 20 that can be stored (registered) in the storage unit 39 may be only one, or it may be two or more.

[0029] The control device 38 works in cooperation with software to perform predetermined functions and control the operation of the door lock device 31 and the communication device 33. The control device 38 locks and unlocks each of the multiple door lock devices 31 individually. The control device 38 also generates the signals transmitted by the communication device 33, analyzes the signals received by the communication device 33, controls the timing of communication by the communication device 33, and controls the timing of radar transmission.

[0030] The control device 38 includes a position determination unit 40 that determines the coordinate position of the portable device 20 and the coordinate position of the object 50 relative to the vehicle 1. The position determination unit 40 determines the coordinate position of the portable device 20 based on the communication results of all UWB communication units 34 that have been switched to distance measurement mode. The position determination unit 40 determines the coordinate position of the object 50 based on the detection results of the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A that has been switched to radar mode.

[0031] (Determining the coordinate position of the handheld device) The position determination unit 40 measures the distance between each UWB communication unit 34 and the portable device 20 through UWB communication between the UWB communication unit 34 in distance measurement mode and the portable device 20, and obtains multiple distance measurement values. Subsequently, the position determination unit 40 determines the coordinate position of the portable device 20 relative to the vehicle 1 based on the multiple distance measurement values ​​obtained. This coordinate position determination is performed after BLE communication with the portable device 20 by the BLE communication unit 37 is established. Specifically, it is as follows.

[0032] First, the control device 25 of the portable device 20 outputs a BLE signal from the BLE communication unit 24 at predetermined intervals (for example, 30ms). The strength of the BLE signal received by the BLE communication unit 37 of the locking / unlocking device 30 increases as the portable device 20 approaches the vehicle 1 (see Figure 1). When the strength of the received BLE signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 transmits a trigger signal from the BLE communication unit 37.

[0033] When the control device 25 of the portable device 20 receives a trigger signal via the BLE communication unit 24, it sends a request signal from the UWB communication unit 22. Meanwhile, when the control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 receives the request signal, it determines whether or not it is a request signal from a registered portable device 20. If it is a request signal from a registered portable device 20, the control device 38 sends a response signal from the UWB communication unit 34 (authentication successful). If it is a request signal from an unregistered portable device 20, the control device 38 does not send a response signal from the UWB communication unit 34 (authentication unsuccessful).

[0034] When the control device 25 of the portable device 20 receives a response signal from the UWB communication unit 22, it calculates the first time interval Δt1 from the time the request signal was transmitted to the time the response signal was received. Subsequently, the control device 25 transmits a signal including the calculated first time interval Δt1 from the UWB communication unit 22.

[0035] The position determination unit 40 calculates the second time Δt2, which is the time from the time of receiving the request signal to the time of transmitting the response signal. Then, the position determination unit 40 calculates the propagation time based on the first time Δt1 received by the UWB communication unit 34 and the calculated second time Δt2. Subsequently, the position determination unit 40 measures the distance between the UWB communication unit 34 of the locking / unlocking device 30 and the portable device 20 by multiplying the calculated propagation time by the speed of radio waves (signals), and obtains a distance measurement value.

[0036] When the position determination unit 40 obtains distance measurement values ​​from all or more than the number of UWB communication units 34 required for determination, it determines the coordinate position of the portable device 20 relative to the vehicle 1 based on the multiple (e.g., three) distance measurement values, according to the principle of trilateration or triangulation. The method for determining the coordinate position of the portable device 20 by the UWB communication unit 34 can be changed as needed.

[0037] (Determining the coordinate position of an object) The position determination unit 40 determines that an object 50 exists around the vehicle 1 if it receives a reflected wave from either of the two in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A, which are set to radar mode. On the other hand, if neither of the two in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A receives a reflected wave, the position determination unit 40 determines that an object 50 does not exist around the vehicle 1. However, if both of the two in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A receive a reflected wave, the position determination unit 40 may determine that an object 50 exists around the vehicle 1.

[0038] The position determination unit 40 measures the distance from the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A to the object 50 by transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected waves from the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A in radar mode, and obtains a distance measurement value. Specifically, if there is no object 50 around the vehicle 1, the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A cannot receive reflected waves. If there is an object 50 around the vehicle 1, the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A receives reflected waves. The time Δt3 from the transmission of radio waves to the reception of reflected waves varies depending on the distance from the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A to the object 50, and becomes longer as the distance increases. Therefore, the position determination unit 40 can measure the distance to the object 50, including the case where the object 50 does not exist, by the time Δt3 required for transmitting and receiving radio waves.

[0039] The position determination unit 40, after obtaining distance values ​​for all (2) in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A, determines the coordinate position of object 50 relative to vehicle 1 based on these two distance values. Specifically, the position estimation unit 40 estimates the coordinate position of object 50 as the closer of the intersection points of two circles, centered on the mounting position of each in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A and with the distance value from each in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A as the radius. However, if three or more in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A are provided, the position determination unit 40 can determine the coordinate position of object 50 if at least two distance values ​​are obtained. The position determination unit 40 can also obtain the incidence angle of the reflected wave to the receiving antenna 36 of the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A. Therefore, even if only one distance value is obtained, it can determine whether object 50 is located in the left or right region relative to vehicle 1.

[0040] (Controlled by the locking / unlocking device's control unit) Referring to Figure 1, the control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 sets an unlocking area 45 around the vehicle 1 that allows the unlocking of the door lock device 31. When the vehicle 1 is viewed from above, the unlocking area 45 is wider than the passenger compartment and narrower than the permitted communication area in which the UWB communication unit 34 can communicate with the portable device 20. The unlocking area 45 is divided into a left area 45A and a right area 45B by a boundary line 45a that passes through the center in the width direction of the vehicle and extends in the length direction of the vehicle.

[0041] The control device 38 switches the door lock device 31 to the unlocked state and unlocks the door 3 if the position determination unit 40 determines that the determined coordinate position of the portable device 20 is within the unlocking area 45, that is, if the registered portable device 20 is within the unlocking area 45. However, the control device 38 changes which door 3 to unlock depending on whether or not the object 50 to be detected is within the unlocking area 45.

[0042] Here, the control device 38 determines whether the portable device 20 has stopped by comparing the current determination coordinate position of the portable device 20 with the previous determination coordinate position of the portable device 20. Specifically, if the difference between the current determination coordinate position and the previous determination coordinate position is less than or equal to a predetermined movement determination value (for example, 10 cm), the control device 38 determines that the user carrying the portable device 20 has stopped. On the other hand, if the difference between the current determination coordinate position and the previous determination coordinate position exceeds the movement determination value, the control device 38 determines that the user carrying the portable device 20 is moving without stopping.

[0043] The following will specifically explain, in this order, how the control device 38 determines which door 3 to unlock and how it determines which object 50 to be detected.

[0044] (Determining which door to unlock) First, the objects 50 detectable by the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A in radar mode include animals, including the user and third parties, and stationary objects such as obstacles. Of these, animals, including third parties, are the objects 50 to be detected. The user and stationary objects are not included in the objects 50 to be detected.

[0045] If a registered portable device 20 is present in the unlocking area 45 and no object 50 to be detected is present, the control device 38 switches all door lock devices 31 to the unlocked state and unlocks all doors 3.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, if the user carrying the portable device 20 is in the right-side area 45B of the unlocking region 45 and the object to be detected 50 is in the left-side area 45A, the control device 38 will unlock only the right-side door lock device 31R and keep the left-side door lock device 31L locked. On the other hand, if the user carrying the portable device 20 is in the left-side area 45A of the unlocking region 45 and the object to be detected 50 is in the right-side area 45B, the control device 38 will unlock only the left-side door lock device 31L and keep the right-side door lock device 31R locked. In other words, if the portable device 20 and the object to be detected 50 are both within the unlocking region 45, the control device 38 will unlock all doors except the one located in the area 45A or 45B where the object 50 was detected.

[0047] The door lock device 31 is unlocked by the user entering the unlocking area 45 and operating an unlocking switch or the like. This is effective in terms of theft prevention because the door 3 will not be automatically unlocked when the user (portable device 20) enters the same area 45A or 45B as a third party. However, the door lock device 31 may also be unlocked automatically when the user carrying the portable device 20 enters the unlocking area 45.

[0048] (Detection of the object to be detected) The control device 38 determines whether the detected object 50 is the object 50 to be detected based on whether all three conditions described below are met. If all three conditions are met, the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is the object 50 to be detected. If even one of the three conditions is not met, the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is not the object 50 to be detected and excludes it from the detection results.

[0049] The first condition is that the coordinate position of the object 50 determined by the position determination unit 40 is located within the unlocking area 45. If the determined coordinate position of the object 50 is within the unlocking area 45, the control device 38 does not exclude the object 50 from the detection results. On the other hand, if the determined coordinate position of the object 50 is outside the unlocking area 45, the control device 38 excludes the object 50 from the detection results.

[0050] The second condition is that the detected object 50 is not a user. If the determination coordinate position of the object 50 is different from the determination coordinate position of the portable device 20, the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is not a user and does not exclude the object 50 from the detection results. On the other hand, if the determination coordinate position of the object 50 determined by the position determination unit 40 is the same as the determination coordinate position of the portable device 20, the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is a user and excludes the object 50 from the detection results.

[0051] The third condition is that the detected object 50 is not a stationary object. If the displacement of the object 50 is greater than or equal to a predetermined judgment amount (for example, 1 cm), the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is an animal and not a stationary object, and does not exclude the object 50 from the detection results. On the other hand, if the displacement of the object 50 is less than the judgment amount, the control device 38 determines that the detected object 50 is a stationary object and excludes the object 50 from the detection results.

[0052] As described above, the control device 38 determines that the object 50 detected by the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A in radar mode is the object 50 to be detected if the determination coordinate position of the detected object 50 is located within the unlocking area 45 (first condition), the object 50 is not a user (second condition), and the object 50 is not a stationary object (third condition).

[0053] Furthermore, the control device 38 activates the alarm unit 41 to sound an alarm when the portable device 20 and the object to be detected 50 are within the unlocking area 45. The alarm unit 41 uses an alarm device already installed in the vehicle 1 for sounding the horn. However, the alarm unit 41 is not limited to sound output; it may also flash or illuminate the interior lamp or hazard lamp, or it may send a notification to the portable device 20.

[0054] Next, with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, the door unlocking process by the control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 will be explained.

[0055] Referring to Figure 3A, in the door unlocking process, the control device 38 waits in step S1 until BLE communication is established between the BLE communication unit 37 and the portable device 20 (receives a request signal). Once BLE communication is established, the control device 38 switches the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A to radar mode in step S2, and then performs the object detection process, which will be described in detail later, in step S3.

[0056] Next, in step S4, the control device 38 switches all UWB communication units 34 to distance measurement mode, and then in step S5, it performs UWB communication between the UWB communication units 34 and the portable device 20 and waits until the position determination unit 40 obtains the distance measurement value. Once the position determination unit 40 obtains the distance measurement value, the process proceeds to step S6. Here, the acquisition of distance measurement values ​​by the position determination unit 40 is sufficient if it is done by more than the number of UWB communication units 34 required for determination.

[0057] In step S6, the coordinate position of the portable device 20 is determined from the multiple distance measurement values ​​obtained. Then, in step S7, it is determined whether the portable device 20 is stopped or not by comparing it with the previously determined coordinate position of the portable device 20 stored in the memory unit 39. If the portable device 20 is not stopped, the process returns to step S2; if the portable device 20 is stopped, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0058] Referring to Figure 3B, if the portable device 20 is stopped, the control device 38 determines in step S8 whether or not it has detected the object 50 to be detected in the object detection process (step S3). If the object 50 to be detected is detected, the process proceeds to step S9, where the alarm unit 41 outputs a buzzer sound. Then, in step S10, the door lock device 31 in the area 45B or 45A opposite to the area 45A or 45B where the object 50 was detected is switched to the unlocked state, the door 3 (see Figure 1) is unlocked, and the door unlocking process ends. On the other hand, if the object 50 to be detected is not detected in step S8, in step S11, all door lock devices 31 are switched to the unlocked state, the door 3 (see Figure 1) is unlocked, and the door unlocking process ends.

[0059] Next, with reference to Figure 4, the object detection process in step S3 (see Figure 3A) will be explained in detail.

[0060] In the object detection process, the control device 38 transmits radio waves from the transmitting antenna 35 of the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A in step S20. Then, in step S21, it determines whether or not a reflected wave has been received by the receiving antenna 36 of the same in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A. If no reflected wave is received, the process proceeds to step S22; if a reflected wave is received, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0061] In step S22, it is determined whether a predetermined waiting time (e.g., 2 ms) has elapsed. If the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S21. On the other hand, if the waiting time has elapsed, it is determined that the reflected wave cannot be received, meaning that there is no object 50 around vehicle 1, and the process proceeds to step S23.

[0062] In step S23, it is determined whether or not the presence or absence of object 50 has been detected by all in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A. Here, "all in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A" means two in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A in this embodiment. If three or more in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A are provided, the detection of the presence or absence of object 50 only needs to be completed if two or more detections necessary for the determination have been completed. If object detection has not been performed by all in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A in step S23, the process proceeds to step S24, switches to the next in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A, and returns to step S20. On the other hand, if object detection has been performed by all UWB communication units 34, the process proceeds to step S25, determines whether or not there is an object 50 to be detected that satisfies the three conditions mentioned above, and returns.

[0063] The locking / unlocking device 30 configured as described above has the following features.

[0064] The locking / unlocking device 30 includes multiple UWB communication units 34 that communicate wirelessly with the portable device 20, a position determination unit 40 that determines the position of the portable device 20, and a control device 38 that individually locks and unlocks multiple doors 3. The control device 38 unlocks all doors 3 except those located in the area 45A or 45B where the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A has detected an object 50. In other words, if an object 50 is present around the vehicle 1, the control device 38 will not unlock the doors 3 in the area 45A or 45B where the object 50 was detected. Therefore, the doors 3 in the area 45A or 45B where a third party (object 50) lurking with the intent to steal is located will remain locked. As a result, a third party cannot enter the vehicle 1, thus improving the vehicle's theft resistance.

[0065] The control device 38 unlocks all of the doors 3 when the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A does not detect an object 50. Therefore, in normal circumstances where there are no third parties around the vehicle 1, the inconvenience that may arise from having doors 3 that remain unlocked can be suppressed.

[0066] The UWB communication unit 34 can be switched between range measurement mode and radar mode. Of the multiple UWB communication units 34, the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A, which is switched to radar mode, detects objects 50 around the vehicle 1. This eliminates the need to add detection means such as sensors to detect objects 50. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the locking / unlocking device 30 can be kept down.

[0067] When the control device 38 detects object 50 via the in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A, it activates the alarm unit 41. This allows the user to recognize the possibility that a third party (object 50) may be lurking around the vehicle 1. Therefore, countermeasures against third parties become possible, improving user convenience.

[0068] The control device 38 determines the position of the portable device 20 using the UWB communication unit 34 and the position determination unit 40 after wireless communication between the BLE communication unit 37 and the portable device 20 is established. In other words, the control device 38 operates the BLE communication unit 37 when wireless communication with the portable device 20 is not possible, and operates the UWB communication unit 34 when wireless communication with the portable device 20 by the BLE communication unit 37 becomes possible. As a result, excessive power consumption is suppressed by BLE communication before wireless communication between the control device 38 and the portable device 20 is established, and the position of the portable device 20 can be determined with high accuracy by UWB communication after wireless communication between the control device 38 and the portable device 20 is established.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0070] For example, when the portable device 20 is present in the unlocking area 45, the control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 may unlock only the door 3 closest to the user carrying the portable device 20 (the front right door in Figure 1) out of the multiple doors 3, or it may unlock all doors except the door 3 closest to the detected object 50 (the front left door in Figure 1). Furthermore, even when no object 50 is detected, the control device 38 may unlock only some of the multiple doors 3, including the door 3 closest to the user carrying the portable device 20 (the front right door in Figure 1).

[0071] The surrounding detection unit for detecting objects 50 around the vehicle 1 may consist of one in-vehicle UWB communication unit 34A, three or more in-vehicle UWB communication units 34A, or one or more out-of-vehicle UWB communication units 34B. Furthermore, a dedicated sensor such as an infrared sensor may be used in the surrounding detection unit.

[0072] The control device 38 of the locking / unlocking device 30 may activate the alarm unit 41 even when the user carrying the portable device 20 has not entered the unlocking area 45. Furthermore, the alarm unit 41 is not limited to the alarm device already installed in the vehicle 1, and a dedicated alarm device may be added. In addition, the control device 38 may be configured not to activate the alarm unit 41 when it detects an object 50.

[0073] The first communication unit may be composed of communication modules other than the UWB communication unit 34, and the second communication unit may be composed of communication modules other than the BLE communication unit 37. Furthermore, the locking / unlocking device 30 may be configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the portable device 20 using only multiple UWB communication units 34, without using the BLE communication unit 37. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 1 vehicle 2 car bodies 3-door 4 Door Handles 10. Vehicle locking / unlocking systems 20 Handheld devices 21 Communication equipment 22 UWB Communication Department 23 Antennas 24 BLE Communication Department 25 Control device 30. Vehicle locking / unlocking device 31 Door locking device 31L Left-side door lock device 31R Right-side door lock device 32 Door status detection unit 33 Communication equipment 34 UWB Communications Department (1st Communications Department) 34A In-vehicle UWB communication unit (surround detection unit) 34B Outside vehicle UWB communication department 35 Transmitting antenna 36 Receiving antenna 37 BLE Communications Department (Second Communications Department) 38 Control device 39 Memory section 40 Position determination section 41 Alarm section 45 Unlocking area 45a border 45A Left area 45B Right area 50 objects

Claims

1. Multiple first communication units are positioned at multiple locations on the vehicle and communicate wirelessly with portable devices located around the vehicle, A position determination unit measures the distance between each of the plurality of first communication units and the portable device based on the radio wave propagation time in the aforementioned wireless communication, and determines the position of the portable device relative to the vehicle. A control device for individually locking and unlocking multiple doors of the aforementioned vehicle. Equipped with, The vehicle is provided with an surrounding detection unit that detects objects around it. The control device is a vehicle locking / unlocking device that, when the position determination unit determines that the portable device is located within the unlocking area around the vehicle, unlocks all of the multiple doors except the one located in the area where the object was detected by the surrounding detection unit.

2. The vehicle locking / unlocking device according to claim 1, wherein the control device unlocks all of the plurality of doors when the surrounding detection unit does not detect the object.

3. The first communication unit is switchable between a distance measurement mode capable of transmitting radio waves to and receiving radio waves from the portable device, and a radar mode capable of transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected waves as a radar. The vehicle locking / unlocking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding detection unit is composed of at least one of the plurality of first communication units that has been switched to the radar mode.

4. The vehicle has an alarm unit that alerts to abnormalities around the vehicle, The vehicle locking / unlocking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device activates the alarm unit when the surrounding detection unit detects the object.

5. It is equipped with a second communication unit that can communicate wirelessly with the aforementioned portable device and has a narrower communication bandwidth than the first communication unit, The vehicle locking / unlocking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device determines the position of the portable device using the first communication unit and the position determination unit after wireless communication between the second communication unit and the portable device is established.

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