Start-up control device, start-up control program, and start-up control method

Abstract

To provide a startup control apparatus, method, and program, and an electronic control system that prevent an apparatus that is capable of being remotely started from being erroneously started by a third party other than a legitimate remote startup person.SOLUTION: An electronic control system comprises a startup control apparatus, a wireless communication apparatus, and an in-vehicle communication control apparatus. In the electronic control system, the startup control apparatus 10 comprises: a receiving unit 101 for receiving an internal signal from a wireless communication unit if the wireless communication unit receives a wireless signal; a storage unit 102 for storing a startup pattern that is a combination of time and frequency of reference internal signals and is a reference for starting a control unit; a determination unit 103 for determining whether or not to start the control unit by comparing the startup pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of the time and frequency of the internal signals received by the receiving unit; and an output unit 104 for outputting a startup signal instructing starting up of the control unit if the determination unit determines to start the control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a startup control device that controls the startup of another device, and a method and a program executed by the startup control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been progress in the development of autonomous driving technology that provides driving assistance and control automatically. Driving automation levels, defined according to the driver and driving location, are known as indicators of autonomous driving technology. As stated in the "Public-Private ITS Initiative Roadmap 2020" (July 15, 2020), autonomous driving refers to driving automation levels equivalent to level 3 or higher, while manual driving refers to driving automation levels equivalent to level 2 or lower. In particular, driving automation levels 4 and above are known as autonomous driving technologies in which all driving operations are automated and the vehicle can run even without a driver.

[0003] In autonomous vehicles that do not require a driver, it is assumed that the vehicle will be started and started to run by remote instructions from a management system located in a different location from the vehicle. One method for the management system to start the vehicle is to send a wireless signal to command the vehicle to start.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that in a device for remotely controlling a vehicle, a voice signal, SMS (Short Message Service), etc. is sent to the vehicle as an activation signal to activate a data communication module (DCM) installed in the vehicle, and the activated DCM is used to communicate with a command management center, thereby remotely controlling the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] WO2013 / 111282 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Here, the present inventors have found the following problems through detailed investigation. In the case of remote activation using SMS, there is a risk of accidental activation if the SMS number used is identified, or if an SMS is sent to the same number as the SMS used for remote activation due to a brute force attack or mistake. Therefore, it is necessary to implement activation control that allows activation only by a legitimate remote activator, and does not allow accidental remote activation when an SMS is sent by a third party who is not a legitimate remote activator.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an activation control device that can be controlled so that remote activation can be performed only by a legitimate remote activation person, and that cannot be performed by mistaken remote activation by a third party.

[0008] The present invention further aims to reduce power consumption by the device to be started by providing an activation control device independent of the device to be started, and to prevent unauthorized access by a malicious third party to the device to be started and devices connected to that device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An activation control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an activation control device connected to a wireless communication unit that receives a wireless signal and a control unit, and includes: a receiving unit (101) that receives an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; a storage unit (102) that stores an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit and is a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of a time and a number of times of the internal signal received by the receiving unit to determine whether or not to activate the control unit; and an output unit (104) that outputs an activation signal instructing the activation of the control unit when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be activated.The activation control device is an in-vehicle activation control device mounted on a vehicle, the in-vehicle activation control device is supplied with electricity from a first power source, and the control unit is supplied with electricity from a second power source, which is a power source of the vehicle. .

[0010] In addition, the claims and the numbers in parentheses attached to the constituent elements of the invention described in this section indicate the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0011] With the above-described configuration, the activation control device and the like of the present disclosure can prevent the device from being erroneously activated by a third party who is not a legitimate remote activation person. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of each embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic control system common to each embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a start-up control device common to each embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the start-up control device according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern by a determination unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the start-up control device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the start-up control device according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] The present invention means the invention described in the claims or in the Summary of the Invention section, and is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, at least the words in quotation marks mean the words described in the claims or in the Summary of the Invention section, and are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0015] The configurations and methods described in the dependent claims are optional configurations and methods in the invention described in the independent claims. The configurations and methods of the embodiments corresponding to the configurations and methods described in the dependent claims, and the configurations and methods described only in the embodiments without being described in the claims, are optional configurations and methods in the present invention. The configurations and methods described in the embodiments when the description of the claims is broader than the description of the embodiments are also optional configurations and methods in the present invention in the sense that they are examples of the configurations and methods of the present invention. In either case, by being described in the independent claims, they become essential configurations and methods of the present invention.

[0016] The effects described in the embodiments are effects obtained when the configurations of the embodiments are provided as examples of the present invention, and are not necessarily effects that the present invention possesses.

[0017] When there are multiple embodiments, the configurations disclosed in each embodiment are not limited to each embodiment, but can be combined across the embodiments. For example, a configuration disclosed in one embodiment may be combined with another embodiment. Also, configurations disclosed in each of the multiple embodiments may be collected and combined.

[0018] The problem described in the section on problems that the invention is intended to solve is not a publicly known problem, but was discovered independently by the inventor, and this, together with the configuration and method of the present invention, is a fact that affirms the inventive step of the invention.

[0019] 1. Configuration common to each embodiment (1) Electronic control system S With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, an electronic control system S having a start control device 10 will be described as a configuration common to each embodiment. Note that in the embodiments described below, an example will be described in which the electronic control system S is an in-vehicle system mounted on a vehicle. However, the electronic control system S is not limited to an in-vehicle system, and can be applied to any system. Note that although it is assumed that the vehicle equipped with the electronic control system S of each embodiment is an autonomous vehicle, the electronic control system S may also be equipped in a vehicle that is manually driven by a driver.

[0020] The electronic control system S has a start-up control device 10, a wireless communication device 20, and an in-vehicle communication control device 30. The management system is, for example, a server that manages a vehicle equipped with the electronic control system S. The management system transmits, to the electronic control system S, wireless signals required for starting the in-vehicle communication control device 30 and wireless signals that control the running of the vehicle after the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started, via a wireless communication network.

[0021] The start-up control device 10 is a device that controls the start-up of the in-vehicle communication control device 30, and is connected to the wireless communication device 20 and the in-vehicle communication control device 30. The detailed configuration of the start-up control device 10 will be described later.

[0022] The wireless communication device 20 includes a wireless communication unit that receives a wireless signal transmitted from the management system. The wireless signal is, for example, a Short Message Service (SMS).

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an example in which the wireless communication device 20 has three wireless communication units 201 to 203, but the wireless communication device 20 may have as many wireless communication units as necessary to realize each embodiment described later. In the first embodiment, a configuration in which the wireless communication device 20 uses one wireless communication unit 201 is described, and in the second and fourth embodiments, a configuration in which the wireless communication device 20 uses multiple wireless communication units is described. A different destination (e.g., IP address, identifier, etc.) is set for each wireless communication unit, and only wireless signals transmitted to the corresponding destination are received. For example, when SMS is used as the wireless signal, a different identification number (e.g., telephone number) is assigned to each wireless communication unit, and each wireless communication unit can only receive SMS transmitted to the corresponding identification number.

[0024] The in-vehicle communication control device 30 (corresponding to a "control unit") is connected to various in-vehicle devices such as an electronic control device (ECU (Electric Control Unit), hereinafter abbreviated as ECU) that controls the vehicle's driving, a camera, and sensors, and controls the communication network within the vehicle. Note that, since it is assumed that the electronic control system S is an in-vehicle system, each embodiment is described taking as an example a case where the object whose activation is controlled by the start-up control device 10 is the in-vehicle communication control device 30. However, the object whose activation is controlled by the start-up control device 10 is not limited to the in-vehicle communication control device 30, and can be a device having any function.

[0025] Each device constituting the electronic control system S is connected to a power source E and receives electricity from the power source E. In Fig. 2, an example is described in which the power source E supplies power to all of the start-up control device 10, the wireless communication device 20, and the in-vehicle communication control device 30, but the power source E1 (corresponding to a "first power source") that supplies power to the start-up control device 10 and the wireless communication device 20, and the power source E2 (corresponding to a "second power source") that supplies power to the in-vehicle communication control device 30 may each be provided separately. In this case, for example, a battery may be used as the power source E1, and a vehicle power source (e.g., an ignition power source) may be used as the power source E2.

[0026] As described below, the activation control device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 are devices used when starting up the in-vehicle communication control device 30 upon receiving a wireless signal from the management system, and therefore need to be in an activated state, i.e., in an operable state, all the time. In contrast, the in-vehicle communication control device 30 and the in-vehicle device connected to the in-vehicle communication control device 30 are devices having functions necessary for the vehicle to operate (for example, traveling, etc.), and only need to be activated when the vehicle is operating. Thus, the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is not activated when the vehicle is in a standby state, and is activated upon receiving an activation instruction from the activation control device 10 when the vehicle is operated. As a result, power is not supplied to the in-vehicle communication control device 30 and the in-vehicle device while the vehicle is in standby, and thus power consumption can be reduced. Then, the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is activated based on an activation signal transmitted from the activation control device 10, which will be described later. Note that the activation of the in-vehicle communication control device 30 only needs to be in an operable state, and may mean, for example, starting the supply of power from the power source E or connecting an oscillator circuit to the in-vehicle communication control device 30 to start supplying a clock.

[0027] As described above, the wireless communication device 20 must always be in an operable state together with the start-up control device 10, but only some of the functions may be in an operable state. For example, in the below-described embodiments 1 to 3, each wireless communication unit of the wireless communication device 20 only needs to be in a state in which it can receive SMS, and an SMS transmission function and a data communication function are not necessarily required. Thus, in the embodiments 1 to 3, each wireless communication unit may be in a state in which only the SMS reception function is operable, and the transmission function is stopped, thereby reducing power consumption while the vehicle is waiting.

[0028] The start-up control device 10 in each embodiment is assumed to be in the form of a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) as a component, but is not limited to this. For example, the component may be in the form of a semiconductor circuit or a semiconductor module, the semi-finished product may be in the form of an electronic control device, an electronic control unit, or a system board, and the finished product may be in the form of a server, a workstation, a personal computer (PC), a tablet, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a navigation system.

[0029] In addition, in FIG. 2, the start control device 10, the wireless communication device 20, and the in-vehicle communication control device 30 are described as separate devices. By configuring the start control device 10 independent of the in-vehicle communication control device 30, a malicious third party cannot illegally access the in-vehicle device unless the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the risk of information theft and software tampering of the in-vehicle device. However, the functions corresponding to the start control device 10, the wireless communication device 20, and the in-vehicle communication control device 30 may be integrated into one device. For example, the start control device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 may be integrated into one ECU or part, or the start control device 10, the wireless communication device 20, and the in-vehicle communication control device 30 may be integrated into one communication device.

[0030] (2) Configuration of the start-up control device 10 The configuration of the activation control device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The activation control device 10 controls the activation of the in-vehicle communication control device 30 in order to safely activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30 based on a wireless signal transmitted from the management system. The activation control device 10 includes a receiving unit 101, a storage unit 102, a determination unit 103, and an output unit 104.

[0031] When each wireless communication unit of the wireless communication device 20 receives a wireless signal, the receiving unit 101 receives an "internal signal" from the wireless communication unit. The internal signal may include the content of the wireless signal received by the wireless communication unit, or may be a signal notifying that the wireless communication unit has received a wireless signal.

[0032] Here, the "internal signal" refers to a signal that is transmitted and received when a wireless signal is received, and the content of the signal does not matter. For example, the wireless signal may be transferred as it is as an internal signal, or the signal may be generated with the reception of the wireless signal as a trigger.

[0033] The storage unit 102 stores an activation pattern that is a criterion for "activating" the in-vehicle communication control device 30. Specific examples of the activation pattern will be described in the embodiment described later.

[0034] Here, "starting up" refers to the control unit becoming operable, and includes, for example, starting the supply of power to the control unit as well as starting the supply of clocks and other necessary for the control unit to operate.

[0035] The determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern stored in the storage unit 102 with a reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of internal signals received by the reception unit 101, to determine whether to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30. Specifically, the determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with the reception pattern, and if these patterns "match", determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30. On the other hand, if the patterns do not "match", determines not to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30. The determination method by the determination unit 103 using the activation pattern and reception pattern will be described in each embodiment.

[0036] Here, "match" includes not only a perfect match between two patterns, but also a case where the two patterns do not match perfectly but are similar enough to be considered a match.

[0037] In each embodiment, an example is described in which the determination unit 103 determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30 only when the activation pattern and the reception pattern are completely identical. However, the wireless signal received by the wireless communication unit may be affected by the communication line and delayed. Therefore, a determination criterion tolerance may be set, and even if the activation pattern and the reception pattern do not completely match, if the degree of match between the activation pattern and the reception pattern is within the determination criterion tolerance, the activation pattern and the reception pattern may be determined to match. For example, if 90% or more of the signals included in each pattern of the activation pattern and the reception pattern match, the activation pattern and the reception pattern may be determined to match.

[0038] When the determination unit 103 determines that the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is to be started, the output unit 104 outputs a start-up signal that instructs the in-vehicle communication control device 30 to be started.

[0039] Functions and operations of the start-up control device 10 that are specific to each embodiment will be described in each embodiment.

[0040] 2. Embodiment 1 In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started using a wireless signal received by the wireless communication unit 201 of the wireless communication device 10. Therefore, the wireless communication device 10 of this embodiment only needs to include one wireless communication unit 201, and may not include the wireless communication units 202 and 203.

[0041] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 101 receives an internal signal when the wireless communication unit 201 receives a wireless signal. The storage unit 102 stores an activation pattern, which is a combination of the "time" and "number of times" of a reference internal signal, as an activation pattern. The determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern, which is a combination of the "time" and "number of times" of an internal signal received by the receiving unit 101, and determines whether to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0042] Here, the "time" of the reference internal signal includes not only the absolute time, but also relative times such as the transmission interval between two signals and the time elapsed since a specific signal was transmitted. The "number of times" may indicate a specific value, or may indicate a range with an upper or lower limit.

[0043] (1) How to determine whether the device is running A method of judging activation using an activation pattern and a reception pattern by the judging unit 103 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0044] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between an activation pattern and a reception pattern. Fig. 4a shows an example of an activation pattern stored in the storage unit 102. This example shows an activation pattern that is a combination of four standby times (T1 to T4) that are set from the start of judgment by the judgment unit 103 and the number of times of a reference internal signal (S in the figure) in each standby time being one.

[0045] The timing at which the determination unit 103 starts the determination is, for example, the timing at which the receiving unit 101 first receives an internal signal. When the receiving unit 101 receives the first internal signal, the determination unit 103 compares the reception pattern of the internal signal received thereafter with the startup pattern.

[0046] FIG. 4b illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives the first internal signal S0, and then receives the internal signals S1 to S4. In this example, when the receiving unit 101 receives the internal signal S0, the determining unit 103 starts comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern. In the example of FIG. 4b, the internal signal S1 is received within the standby time T1, the internal signal S2 within the standby time T2, the internal signal S3 within the standby time T3, and the internal signal S4 within the standby time T4. Therefore, the activation pattern shown in FIG. 4a matches the reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of internal signals shown in FIG. 4b. Therefore, the determining unit 103 determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0047] Fig. 4c illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives multiple internal signals different from those in Fig. 4b. In the example of Fig. 4c, two internal signals S1 and S2 are received within the standby time T1. That is, the number of times (one time) of the reference internal signal within the standby time T1 in the startup pattern of Fig. 4a is different from the number of times (two times) of the internal signal received within the standby time T1 in the reception pattern of Fig. 4c, and the startup pattern of Fig. 4a and the reception pattern of Fig. 4c do not match. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0048] Fig. 4d illustrates a case where a plurality of internal signals different from those in Fig. 4b and Fig. 4c are received. In the example of Fig. 4d, the internal signals S1, S2, and S3 are received during standby times T1, T3, and T4, respectively, but no internal signal is received during standby time T2. In other words, the number of times (1) of the reference internal signal during standby time T2 in the startup pattern of Fig. 4a is different from the number of times (0) of the internal signal received during standby time T2 in the reception pattern of Fig. 4d, and the startup pattern of Fig. 4a and the reception pattern of Fig. 4d do not match. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0049] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between a wake-up pattern and a reception pattern different from that of Figure 4. Figure 5a shows an example of a wake-up pattern, which, unlike the wake-up pattern of Figure 4a, includes a standby time (T2) without a reference internal signal. As shown in Figure 5a, the wake-up pattern may include a combination of the time of the reference internal signal and the number of times of 0, that is, a time when the reference internal signal is not present.

[0050] Fig. 5b illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives the internal signals S1 to S3 after the first internal signal S0. In the example of Fig. 5b, the internal signal S1 is received within the standby time T1, no internal signal is received within the standby time T2, and the internal signals S2 and S3 are received within the standby times T3 and T4, respectively. Therefore, the reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of internal signals shown in Fig. 5b, matches the activation pattern shown in Fig. 5a. Therefore, the determining unit 103 determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0051] Fig. 5c illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives a plurality of internal signals different from those in Fig. 5b. In the example of Fig. 5c, the internal signal S1 is received within the standby time T1, the internal signal S2 is received within the standby time T2, no internal signal is received within the standby time T3, and the internal signal S3 is received within the standby time T4. That is, the number of reference internal signals (0 times, 1 time) in the standby times T2 and T3 in the start-up pattern of Fig. 5a is different from the number of internal signals (1 time, 0 time) received within the standby times T2 and T3 in the reception pattern of Fig. 5c, and the start-up pattern of Fig. 5a and the reception pattern of Fig. 5c do not match. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0052] 4 and 5 illustrate an example in which the number of times of the reference internal signal during the standby time is 0 or 1, the number of times of the reference internal signal during the standby time may be multiple. Furthermore, the number of times of the reference internal signal in the activation pattern may be specified by an upper or lower limit of the number of times.

[0053] The wake-up patterns shown in Figures 4 and 5 are merely examples, and are not limited to these examples. For example, in Figure 4, four standby times are set after the start of the judgment, but the number and length of the standby times are arbitrary. Also, the time of the wake-up pattern may be defined by the interval between two consecutive reference internal signals, instead of the time from the start of the judgment.

[0054] 4 and 5 have both described examples in which the determination unit 103 starts the determination using the reception of the first internal signal S0 by the receiving unit 101 as a trigger, but the timing at which the determination unit 103 starts the determination is not limited to this example. For example, the determination may be started using all internal signals received by the receiving unit 101 as a trigger, and the reception pattern of the internal signal received after the internal signal that became the trigger may be compared with the startup pattern.

[0055] Fig. 6 shows an example in which the determination is made using as a trigger all internal signals received by the receiving unit 101. In the example of Fig. 6, the wake-up pattern shown in Fig. 4a is adopted as the wake-up pattern.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 6, the receiving unit 101 receives the internal signals S0 to S7. FIG. 6a shows a case where the internal signal S0 is used as a trigger to start the determination. In the case of FIG. 6a, the internal signals (S2, S3) are received twice within the standby time T2, so the reception pattern of the internal signals S1 to S5 shown in FIG. 6a does not match the wake-up pattern of FIG. 4a. FIG. 6b shows a case where the internal signal S1 is used as a trigger to start the determination. In FIG. 6b, the internal signals (S3, S4) are received twice within the standby time T2, so the reception pattern of the internal signals S2 to S6 shown in FIG. 6b does not match the wake-up pattern. FIG. 6c shows a case where the internal signal S2 is used as a trigger to start the determination. In FIG. 6c, the internal signals (S4, S5) are received twice within the standby time T2, so the reception pattern of the internal signals S3 to S6 shown in FIG. 6c does not match the wake-up pattern. FIG. 6d shows a case where the internal signal S3 is used as a trigger to start the determination. Here, in Fig. 6d, the number of times that an internal signal is received during each standby time (T1 to T4) is one, and the reception pattern of the internal signals S4 to S7 matches the startup pattern in Fig. 4a. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines that the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is to be started.

[0057] For example, in a situation where a malicious third party is performing a brute force attack, the wireless communication unit 201 may receive an unauthorized wireless signal transmitted from the third party and a legitimate wireless signal transmitted from a legitimate management system, but in such a case, the possibility that the activation pattern and the reception pattern match each other is extremely low. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, if a reception pattern matching the activation pattern exists even once, it is highly likely that a wireless signal was transmitted from the legitimate management system, and the determination unit 103 may determine to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0058] (2) Operation of the start control device The operation of the start-up control device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that the following operation not only indicates a method executed by the start-up control device 10, but also indicates the processing procedure of a program that can be executed by the device. The order of these processes is not limited to the order shown in Fig. 7. In other words, the order may be changed as long as there are no constraints, such as a relationship in which a certain step utilizes the result of the previous step.

[0059] When the wireless communication unit 201 receives a wireless signal, the receiving unit 101 receives an internal signal from the wireless communication unit 201 (S101). The determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with the reception pattern of the internal signal received by the reception unit 101 (S102). If the activation pattern and the reception pattern match as a result of comparing the activation pattern and the reception pattern in S102 (S103: Y), it is determined that the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is activated, and the output unit 104 transmits an activation signal to the in-vehicle communication control device 30 (S104). On the other hand, if the activation pattern and the reception pattern do not match as a result of comparing the activation pattern and the reception pattern in S102, the process ends without transmitting an activation signal to the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0060] (3) Summary In the case where activation is determined by comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern as in this embodiment, even if a third party other than the management system transmits a wireless signal to the wireless communication unit, the in-vehicle communication control device 30 will not be activated as long as the combination of the time and number of times is different from the preset activation pattern. Therefore, for example, even if a third party obtains the address of the wireless communication unit or transmits a wireless signal to the wireless communication unit by performing a brute force attack, it is possible to prevent the in-vehicle communication control device 30 from being activated illegally.

[0061] 3. Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started up using a wireless signal received by one wireless communication unit 201. In the second embodiment, an example in which the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started up using two wireless signals received by two wireless communication units, respectively, will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. Therefore, the wireless communication device 10 of the present embodiment needs to include at least two wireless communication units 201, 202.

[0062] In this embodiment, when wireless communication unit 201 (corresponding to "first wireless communication unit") receives a wireless signal (corresponding to "first wireless signal"), receiving unit 101 receives a first internal signal from wireless communication unit 201. Also, when wireless communication unit 202 (corresponding to "second wireless communication unit") receives a wireless signal (corresponding to "second wireless signal"), receiving unit 101 receives a second internal signal from wireless communication unit 202. As described above, different identification numbers are assigned to wireless communication units 201 and 202, and each receives a wireless signal (e.g., SMS) sent to its respective identification number.

[0063] The storage unit 102 stores, as the activation pattern, an activation pattern that is a combination of two or more of the order, the "time," and the "number of times" of the first and second reference internal signals. Then, the determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of the order, the time, and the number of times of the first and second internal signals received by the reception unit 101, and determines whether to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0064] (1) How to determine whether the device is running A method of judging activation using an activation pattern and a reception pattern by the judging unit 103 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0065] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between a wake-up pattern and a reception pattern. FIG. 8a shows an example of a wake-up pattern stored in the storage unit 102. The wake-up pattern in FIG. 8a is a wake-up pattern of three combinations of the order, time, and number of times of the first reference internal signal and the second reference internal signal, and S1 in FIG. 8a indicates the first reference internal signal, and S2 indicates the second reference internal signal. The wake-up pattern shown in FIG. 8a indicates that the combination of the order of the first reference internal signal, the second reference internal signal, the second reference internal signal, and the first reference internal signal is repeated twice within the standby time T1. Note that the first reference internal signal corresponds to the first internal signal, and the second reference internal signal corresponds to the second internal signal.

[0066] FIG. 8b illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives the internal signals S1 to S8 after receiving the first internal signal S0. In the example of FIG. 8b, the internal signals S1 to S8 are received within the standby time T1, and among them, the internal signals S1 to S4 and S5 to S8 are all received in the order of the first internal signal, the second internal signal, the second internal signal, and the first internal signal. That is, in FIG. 8b, the above-mentioned order of the internal signals is repeated twice. Therefore, the reception pattern, which is a combination of the order, time, and number of times of the internal signals shown in FIG. 8b, matches the start-up pattern shown in FIG. 8a. Therefore, the determining unit 103 determines to start up the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0067] FIG. 8c illustrates a case where the receiving unit 101 receives a plurality of internal signals different from those in FIG. 8b. In the example of FIG. 8c, the order of the internal signals S1 to S4 is the same as that in FIG. 8b, but the order of the internal signals S5 to S8 is different from that in FIG. 8b. That is, the number of times (2 times) that the order of the first and second reference internal signals (S1, S2, S2, S1) is repeated in the start-up pattern of FIG. 8a is different from the number of times (1 time) that the order of the first and second internal signals (S1, S2, S2, S1) is repeated in the reception pattern of FIG. 8c, and the start-up pattern of FIG. 8a and the reception pattern of FIG. 8c do not match. Therefore, the determining unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0068] Fig. 8d illustrates a case where a plurality of internal signals different from those in Fig. 8b and Fig. 8c are received. In the example of Fig. 8d, internal signals S1 to S8 are received, among which internal signals S1 to S4 and S5 to S8 are received in the order of the first internal signal, the second internal signal, the second internal signal, and the first internal signal. However, internal signal S8 is not a signal received within standby time T1, and the above-mentioned combination of internal signal orders is received only once within standby time T1. That is, the number of times (2 times) that the sequence (S1, S2, S2, S1) of the first and second reference internal signals is repeated in the startup pattern of Fig. 8a is different from the number of times (1 time) that the sequence (S1, S2, S2, S1) of the first and second internal signals is repeated in the reception pattern of Fig. 8b, or the standby time (T1) that satisfies the sequence and number of times of the first and second reference internal signals in the startup pattern of Fig. 8a is different from the time that satisfies the sequence and number of times of the first and second internal signals in the reception pattern of Fig. 8d, and the startup pattern of Fig. 8a and the reception pattern of Fig. 8d do not match. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0069] In FIG. 8a, an example was described in which the wake-up pattern of the present embodiment is a combination of three elements, namely, the order, time, and number of times of the first and second reference internal signals. However, as described above, the wake-up pattern may be a combination of two or more elements of the order, time, and number of times. For example, the time of the reference internal signal may not be specified, and the order and number of times of the first and second reference internal signals may be combined to form the wake-up pattern. For example, the wake-up pattern shown in FIG. 8a may be a wake-up pattern in which the standby time T1 is not taken into consideration, and the order combination of the first reference internal signal, the second reference internal signal, the second reference internal signal, and the first reference internal signal is repeated twice. In this case, the reception pattern, which is a combination of the order and number of times of the internal signals S1 to S8 shown in FIG. 8d, matches the wake-up pattern. In this way, when the wake-up pattern is a combination of the order and number of times of the reference internal signals and time is not taken into consideration, if it is not determined that the reception pattern matches the wake-up pattern before a predetermined number of internal signals are received, the determination unit 103 may end the process.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between a wake-up pattern different from FIG. 8 and a reception pattern. The wake-up pattern in FIG. 9a is a combination of the time and number of times of the first reference internal signal and the second reference internal signal, unlike FIG. 8a. The wake-up pattern in FIG. 9a shows that the first reference internal signal occurs once each in the standby times T1 and T3, and the second reference internal signal occurs once each in the standby times T2 and T4. In FIG. 9a, the number of times of the second reference internal signal occurs in the standby times T1 and T3, and the number of times of the first reference internal signal occurs in the standby times T2 and T4 are arbitrary.

[0071] Fig. 9b illustrates a case where the receiver 101 receives the internal signals S1 to S4 after the first internal signal S0. In the example of Fig. 9b, the first internal signals S1 and S3 are received within the standby times T1 and T3, respectively, and the second internal signals S2 and S4 are received within the standby times T2 and T4, respectively. Therefore, the reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of times of the first and second internal signals shown in Fig. 9b, matches the activation pattern shown in Fig. 9a. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0072] 9c and 9d each explain a case where the receiving unit 101 receives a plurality of internal signals different from those in FIG. 9b. In the example of FIG. 9c, the second internal signals S2 and S3 are received in the standby time T2. In the case of FIG. 9d, the first internal signal S2 is received in the standby time T2. That is, the number of times of the second reference internal signal received in the standby time T2 in the start-up pattern of FIG. 9a is different from the number of times of the second internal signal received in the standby time T2 in the reception patterns of FIG. 9c and FIG. 9d, and the start-up pattern of FIG. 9a does not match the reception patterns of FIG. 9c and FIG. 9d. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines not to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0073] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining a comparison between a wake-up pattern and a reception pattern different from those in Figures 8 and 9. The wake-up pattern in Figure 10a includes standby times T2 and T4 during which the first and second reference internal signals are not present. As shown in Figure 10a, the wake-up pattern may include a combination of the time of the first and second reference internal signals and the number of times that the signals are zero, i.e., a time during which the reference internal signals are not present.

[0074] In the case of the wake-up pattern shown in FIG. 10a, the order of the first and second reference internal signals in the standby times T1 and T3 does not matter. In other words, the first and second reference internal signals only need to be sent once each in the standby times T1 and T3. Therefore, by setting the standby times T1 and T3 to be short, it is possible to obtain a wake-up pattern that indicates that the timing of the first and second reference internal signals is substantially simultaneous. However, since the wireless signals transmitted to the wireless communication units 201 and 202 are transmitted and received via different communication paths, there is a high possibility that the wireless communication units 201 and 202 will receive the signals at different times, and therefore the receiving unit 101 will also receive the internal signals at different times. Therefore, even in the wake-up pattern that indicates that the first and second reference internal signals are sent simultaneously, it is preferable to set a standby time having a certain time width.

[0075] Fig. 10b illustrates a case where the receiver 101 receives the internal signals S1 to S4 after the first internal signal S0. In the example of Fig. 10b, the receiver 101 receives the second internal signal S1 and the first internal signal S2 within the standby time T1, and receives the first internal signal S3 and the second internal signal S4 within the standby time T3. Therefore, the reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of times of the first internal signal and the second internal signal shown in Fig. 10b, matches the startup pattern shown in Fig. 10a. Therefore, the judgement unit 103 judges to start up the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0076] 8 to 10 are described by taking as an example a case where the first internal signal is received as the first internal signal S0, but the determination may be started by being triggered by the reception of the second internal signal, or by being triggered by all internal signals received by the receiving unit 101 as described in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment. Alternatively, the determination may be started by being triggered by the reception of both the first internal signal and the second internal signal. By using the reception of both the first internal signal and the second internal signal as a trigger for starting the determination, for example, even if the SNS of one wireless signal is leaked to a third party, the determination unit 103 will not make a determination unless the other SNS is transmitted, and therefore it is possible to prevent the determination unit 103 from making an unnecessary determination.

[0077] (2) Operation of the start-up control device 10 The operation of the start-up control device 10 of this embodiment is the same as the processes shown in Fig. 7. However, in this embodiment, the first internal signal and the second internal signal are received in S101.

[0078] (3) Summary In this embodiment, the reception patterns of two internal signals based on two different wireless signals are compared with the activation pattern to determine whether to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30. According to this embodiment, even if an identification number corresponding to one wireless communication unit is leaked to a malicious third party or one wireless communication unit receives a wireless signal through a brute force attack, the reception pattern including the internal signal transmitted from the other wireless communication unit is compared with the activation pattern, thereby making it possible to reliably prevent the in-vehicle communication control device 30 from being activated illegally.

[0079] 4. Embodiment 3 In the first and second embodiments, the determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with the reception pattern, and if it determines that these patterns do not match, it determines that the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is not to be activated and ends the process. However, if these patterns do not match, there is a possibility that a third party other than the management system is attempting to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30. Therefore, in such a situation, it is desirable to temporarily stop the activation of the in-vehicle communication control device 30 to reliably prevent access by a third party. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration for temporarily stopping the activation of the in-vehicle communication control device 30 will be described.

[0080] In this embodiment, when the determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with the reception pattern and determines that the patterns do not match and not to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30, the determination unit 103 does not determine to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30 until a predetermined condition is satisfied. Specifically, the determination unit 103 stops comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern until the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0081] The determination unit 103 may immediately stop the comparison when it is determined that the activation pattern and the reception pattern do not match. However, the time when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal may be affected by the communication conditions. Therefore, even if the legitimate management system transmits a wireless signal, the time when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal may be delayed, and the time when the reception unit 101 receives the internal signal may be delayed. In that case, the determination unit 103 determines that the activation pattern and the reception pattern do not match and stops comparing the activation pattern and the reception pattern, so that the management system may not be able to remotely start the in-vehicle communication control device 30 even if it wants to start it. Therefore, the determination unit 103 may set a condition for stopping the determination between the activation pattern and the reception pattern in advance, and may stop the execution of the comparison only when the condition is satisfied. The condition for stopping the determination between the activation pattern and the reception pattern may be, for example, when the number of consecutive determinations that there is a mismatch exceeds a predetermined number, or when the cumulative number of determinations that there is a mismatch exceeds a predetermined number.

[0082] As a condition for lifting the suspension of comparison, for example, the time elapsed since the comparison was stopped may be used to determine whether or not to lift the suspension of the comparison between the reception pattern and the activation pattern. Specifically, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the determination unit 103 stopped comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern, the determination unit 103 resumes the comparison between the reception pattern and the activation pattern.

[0083] As another example of a condition for canceling the stop of comparison, the determination unit 103 may compare the reception pattern of the internal signal with a preset cancellation pattern to determine whether or not to cancel the stop of comparison between the reception pattern and the activation pattern. Specifically, as a result of comparing the reception pattern of the internal signal with the preset cancellation pattern, if these patterns match, it is determined that the stop of comparison should be canceled.

[0084] In this case, the storage unit 102 stores in advance, in addition to the activation pattern, a release pattern that is a reference for releasing the stop of comparison. When remote activation is performed using a wireless signal received by one wireless communication unit as in the first embodiment, the release pattern indicates a combination of the number of times and time of one reference release signal, similar to the activation pattern of the first embodiment. When remote activation is performed using two wireless signals received by two wireless communication units as in the second embodiment, the release pattern indicates a combination of two or more of the order, time, and number of times of the first reference release signal and the second reference release signal, similar to the activation pattern of the second embodiment.

[0085] Here, it is desirable that the combination of the time, number of times, etc. of the deactivation pattern is more complicated than the combination of the time, number of times, etc. of the activation pattern. In this embodiment, when the comparison is stopped, there is a high possibility that unauthorized access has been received from a third party, and therefore, in order to perform remote activation in such a situation, it is desirable that the deactivation cannot be easily performed by a third party and that the deactivation is surely performed by the management system.

[0086] As described above, while the vehicle is in standby, it is desirable that only the activation control device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 necessary for remote activation are in operation. Therefore, it is assumed that the communication device that notifies the management system that the comparison of the reception pattern with the activation pattern by the determination unit 103 has stopped is not activated. Therefore, if the in-vehicle communication control device 30 does not start even though a wireless signal is transmitted in a activation pattern that is a combination of the "time" and "count" of the reference internal signal stored in the storage unit 102, the management system determines that the determination unit 103 of the activation control device 10 is locked and comparison of the activation pattern with the reception pattern has stopped, and transmits a wireless signal according to the release pattern.

[0087] 11 shows the operation of the start-up control device 10 of this embodiment. The processes in S101 to S104 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and therefore will not be described.

[0088] In this embodiment, if it is determined in S103 that the patterns do not match (S103: N), the comparison between the activation pattern and the received pattern is stopped (S201). Then, the comparison between the activation pattern and the received pattern is not performed until it is determined that a predetermined condition for canceling the stop of the comparison is satisfied. Then, when it is determined in S202 that the predetermined condition is satisfied (S202: Y), the comparison between the activation pattern and the reception pattern is resumed (S203). Here, the predetermined condition in S202 is, as described above, the passage of a predetermined time or a match between the release pattern and the reception pattern.

[0089] In the above example, the configuration has been described in which the stop of the comparison between the activation pattern and the reception pattern is released when the release pattern matches the reception pattern. However, the determination unit 103 may determine that the comparison between the activation pattern and the reception pattern is released and the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is started when the release pattern matches the reception pattern. That is, in this example, the release pattern also corresponds to the activation pattern. In this example, when it is determined in S202 of FIG. 11 that the release pattern matches the reception pattern as a predetermined condition, the processes of S203, S102, and S103 are not performed, and an activation signal is output in S104. In this case, it is preferable that the activation pattern that also functions as the release pattern is a pattern different from the activation pattern that is first compared with the reception pattern.

[0090] According to this embodiment, if a third party other than the management system attempts to start the in-vehicle communication control device 30, the comparison between the start-up pattern and the reception pattern is stopped, thereby preventing the in-vehicle communication control device 30 from being started erroneously.

[0091] Furthermore, by stopping the comparison between the activation pattern and the reception pattern until a preset release pattern matches the reception pattern, the management system can start the comparison between the activation pattern and the reception pattern by the judgment unit 103 at the desired timing, thereby making it possible to safely activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30.

[0092] 5. Embodiment 4 In the first to third embodiments, a highly secure remote start is realized by comparing the start pattern with the received pattern. In the present embodiment, a method for realizing remote start while reliably preventing remote start by a third party other than the management system will be described.

[0093] In this embodiment, a wireless communication unit different from the wireless communication unit that transmits the internal signal used for comparison with the activation pattern is used to request or receive authentication information required for remote activation. This embodiment can be applied to any of the first to third embodiments, but the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the configuration of this embodiment is applied to the second embodiment.

[0094] When the configuration of this embodiment is applied to the second embodiment, a wireless communication unit 203 is used in addition to the wireless communication units 201 and 202. In the second embodiment, when the determination unit 103 compares the activation pattern with the reception pattern and determines that these patterns match, the determination unit 103 instructs the wireless communication unit 203 (corresponding to the "third wireless communication unit") to transmit a wireless signal requesting "authentication information" from the management system.

[0095] Here, the "authentication information" may be any information that can verify the authenticity of the sender, and the content of the information is not important.

[0096] When the management system receives a wireless signal requesting authentication information, the management system transmits the authentication information in response to the request. At this time, the management system may transmit the wireless signal including the authentication information to any of the wireless communication units 201, 202, and 203.

[0097] When any of the wireless communication units 201, 202, and 203 receives a wireless signal including authentication information (corresponding to a "third wireless signal"), the receiving unit 101 receives the authentication information from the wireless communication unit that received the wireless signal including the authentication information. Then, the determining unit 103 determines whether or not the authentication information received by the receiving unit 101 is valid. The authentication information may be, for example, identification information of the management system, information encrypted using a key previously shared between the management system and the activation control device 10, a hash value, or transmission domain authentication, and the method is not limited as long as the information can confirm that the received wireless signal is a legitimate management system. Then, when the determining unit 103 determines that the authentication information is valid, it determines to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30, and the output unit 104 outputs an activation signal.

[0098] In this embodiment, when the reception pattern of the wireless signal transmitted by the third party is compared with the activation pattern, the management system receives a wireless signal requesting authentication information from the wireless communication unit, even though the management system has not transmitted a wireless signal for activating the in-vehicle communication control device 30. Therefore, the management system can detect that the electronic control system S has been unintentionally accessed by a third party. In this case, the management system does not transmit authentication information to the wireless communication unit. Therefore, the determination unit 203 does not determine the validity of the authentication information, and therefore does not output an activation signal for activating the in-vehicle communication control device 30. As a result, the in-vehicle communication control device 30 can be prevented from being illegally activated by a third party, and further, the management system can detect that there has been unintentional access by a third party.

[0099] 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the start-up control device 10 according to this embodiment. The same reference numerals as in FIG. 7 indicate the same processes, and therefore the explanation will be omitted. If it is determined in S103 that the activation pattern and the received pattern match, the determination unit 103 instructs the wireless communication unit 203 to transmit a wireless signal requesting authentication information (S301). When any of the wireless communication units 201 to 203 receives a wireless signal including authentication information (corresponding to a "third wireless signal"), the receiving unit 101 receives the authentication information from the wireless communication unit that received the wireless signal including the authentication information (S302). The determination unit 103 determines whether the authentication information received by the receiving unit 101 is valid or not (S303). When the determination unit 103 determines that the authentication information is valid (S303: Y), it determines to start up the in-vehicle communication control device 30. Then, the output unit 104 outputs a start-up signal (S104).

[0100] Note that the determination unit 103 may instruct the wireless communication unit 201 or the wireless communication unit 201 to transmit a wireless signal requesting authentication information from the management system, instead of the wireless communication unit 203. In this case, the management system transmits a wireless signal including authentication information to the wireless communication unit 203. In this example, when the wireless communication unit 203 receives a wireless signal including authentication information, the receiving unit 101 receives the authentication information from the wireless communication unit 203. Then, the determination unit 103 determines whether the authentication information received by the receiving unit 101 is valid or not.

[0101] Although the present embodiment has been described by taking as an example a case where the present embodiment is applied to the second embodiment, the present embodiment may also be applied to the first embodiment. In this case, as a result of comparing the reception pattern of the internal signal based on the wireless signal received by the wireless communication unit 201 with the startup pattern, if it is determined that these patterns match, the wireless communication unit 202 is instructed to transmit a wireless signal requesting authentication information to the management system, and the wireless communication units 201 and 202 receive the wireless signal including the authentication information. Alternatively, the wireless communication unit 201 may be instructed to transmit a wireless signal requesting authentication information to the management system, and the wireless communication unit 202 may receive the wireless signal including the authentication information.

[0102] That is, in this embodiment, it is necessary to request or receive authentication information using a wireless communication unit different from the wireless communication unit that received the wireless signal in the first and second embodiments.

[0103] According to this embodiment, in addition to comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern, authentication information is also used to determine whether or not to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30, thereby reliably preventing the in-vehicle communication control device 30 from being erroneously activated by a third party other than the authorized management system.

[0104] The configuration of this embodiment can be realized alone without being combined with any of the first to third embodiments. That is, without comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern, when an instruction to activate the in-vehicle communication control device 30 is received from the management system via a specific wireless communication unit, authentication information is transmitted and received via a different wireless communication unit. The inventive parts of the activation control device that realizes only the configuration of this embodiment 4 without being combined with any of the first to third embodiments are as follows.

[0105] (Invention 1) A start-up control device connected to a first wireless communication unit, a second wireless communication unit, and a control unit, receiving an internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives a first wireless signal; When the first wireless communication unit or the second wireless communication unit receives a second wireless signal including authentication information, the authentication information is received from the wireless communication unit that received the authentication information. A receiving unit (101); instructing the second wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless signal requesting the authentication information when the receiving unit receives the internal signal; When the receiving unit receives the authentication information, it determines whether the authentication information is valid. A determination unit (103); an output unit (104) that outputs a start signal for instructing start of the control unit when the determination unit determines that the authentication information is valid; A start-up control device (10) comprising:

[0106] (Invention 2) A start-up control device connected to a first wireless communication unit, a second wireless communication unit, and a control unit, receiving an internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives a first wireless signal; receiving the authentication information from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives a second wireless signal including the authentication information; A receiving unit (101); instructing the first wireless communication unit or the second wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless signal requesting the authentication information when the receiving unit receives the internal signal; When the receiving unit receives the authentication information, it determines whether the authentication information is valid. A determination unit (103); an output unit (104) that outputs a start signal for instructing start of the control unit when the determination unit determines that the authentication information is valid; A start-up control device (10) comprising:

[0107] 6. Summary The features of the start-up control device and the like in each embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0108] The terms used in each embodiment are merely examples and may be replaced with synonymous terms or terms having the same functions.

[0109] The block diagrams used to explain the embodiments classify and organize the configuration of the device by function. The blocks showing the respective functions are realized by any combination of hardware or software. In addition, since the block diagrams show the functions, they can also be understood as disclosures of a method invention and a program invention that realizes the method.

[0110] The order of the functional blocks that can be understood as the processes, flows, and methods described in each embodiment may be changed as long as there are no constraints such as a relationship in which one step utilizes the results of another step prior to it.

[0111] The terms first, second, through Nth (N is an integer) used in each embodiment and in the claims are used to distinguish two or more configurations or methods of the same type, and do not limit the order or superiority or inferiority.

[0112] Each embodiment is based on a start-up control device mounted on a vehicle, but the present invention also includes dedicated or general-purpose devices other than those for vehicles, unless otherwise limited in the claims.

[0113] Moreover, examples of the configuration of the start control device of the present invention include the following. Examples of component forms include PLDs, semiconductor elements, electronic circuits, modules, and microcomputers. Examples of semi-finished products include electronic control units (ECUs (Electric Control Units)) and system boards. Finished product forms include mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, personal computers (PCs), workstations, servers, and data communication modules (DCMs). Other examples include devices with communication functions, such as video cameras, still cameras, and car navigation systems.

[0114] Furthermore, the start-up control device may be provided with additional functions such as an antenna, a communication interface, a display screen, status display LEDs, and switches.

[0115] In addition, the present invention can be realized not only by dedicated hardware having the configuration and functions described in each embodiment, but also as a combination of a program for realizing the present invention recorded on a recording medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and general-purpose hardware having a dedicated or general-purpose CPU and memory capable of executing the program.

[0116] A program stored in a non-transient physical recording medium (for example, an external storage device (hard disk, USB memory, SD card memory, CD / BD, etc.) or an internal storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.)) of dedicated or general-purpose hardware can also be provided to the dedicated or general-purpose hardware via a recording medium, or via a communication line from a server without using a recording medium. This makes it possible to always provide the latest functions through program upgrades. [Industrial Applicability]

[0117] The start-up control device of the present invention is primarily intended for a start-up control device mounted on an automobile, but may also be intended for a start-up control device not mounted on an automobile. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10 Start control device, 101 Receiving unit, 102 Storage unit, 103 Judgment unit, 104 Output unit, 201, 202, 203 Wireless communication unit, 30 In-vehicle communication control device, S Electronic control system

Claims

1. A start-up control device connected to a wireless communication unit (201) that receives a wireless signal and a control unit (30), a receiving unit (101) that receives an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; A storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit, the activation pattern being a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of the time and number of times of the internal signal received by the reception unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; Equipped with The start-up control device is an in-vehicle start-up control device mounted on a vehicle, The vehicle-mounted activation control device is supplied with electricity by a first power source, The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. A start-up control device (10).

2. A start-up control device connected to a first wireless communication unit (201) that receives a first wireless signal, a second wireless communication unit (202) that receives a second wireless signal, and a control unit (30), a receiving unit (101) that receives a first internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives the first wireless signal, and receives a second internal signal from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives the second wireless signal; a storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit, the activation pattern being a combination of two or more of a sequence, a time, and a number of times of a first reference internal signal and a second reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of an order, a number of times, and a time of the first internal signal and the second internal signal received by the receiving unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; A start-up control device (10).

3. the wake-up pattern includes a time when the first reference internal signal and the second reference internal signal are absent. The start control device according to claim 2.

4. When the determination unit determines not to activate the control unit, the determination unit stops comparing the activation pattern with the reception pattern until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The start control device according to claim 2.

5. restarting the comparison between the startup pattern and the reception pattern when a predetermined time has elapsed since the comparison between the startup pattern and the reception pattern was stopped; The start control device according to claim 4.

6. The storage unit further stores a release pattern that is a reference for releasing the stop of the comparison, the release pattern being a combination of two or more of the sequence, time, and number of times of the first reference release signal and the second reference release signal; the determination unit compares the release pattern with the reception pattern to determine whether or not to release the stop of the comparison. The start control device according to claim 4.

7. When determining that the stop of the comparison should be released, the determination unit resumes the comparison between the startup pattern and the reception pattern. The start control device according to claim 6.

8. the determination unit, when comparing the release pattern with the received pattern and determining that they match, determines to release the stop of the comparison and to start the control unit. The start control device according to claim 6.

9. The activation control device is further connected to a third wireless communication unit (203); the receiving unit further receives, when the first wireless communication unit, the second wireless communication unit, or the third wireless communication unit receives a third wireless signal including authentication information, the authentication information from the wireless communication unit that received the third wireless signal; The determination unit is instructing the third wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless signal requesting the authentication information when the activation pattern and the reception pattern are compared and determined to match each other; If the authentication information received by the receiving unit is valid, it is determined that the control unit is to be started. The start control device according to claim 2.

10. The activation control device is further connected to a third wireless communication unit (203); The receiving unit further receives the authentication information from the third wireless communication unit when the third wireless communication unit receives a third wireless signal including authentication information; The determination unit is when it is determined that the activation pattern and the reception pattern match each other, instructing the first wireless communication unit or the second wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless signal requesting the authentication information; If the authentication information received by the receiving unit is valid, it is determined that the control unit is to be started. The start control device according to claim 2.

11. the first wireless signal is a Short Message Service (SMS) sent to a first identification number; the second wireless signal is an SMS sent to a second identification number; The start control device according to claim 2.

12. The start-up control device is an in-vehicle start-up control device mounted on a vehicle, The vehicle-mounted activation control device is supplied with electricity by a first power source, The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. The start control device according to claim 2.

13. An electronic control device connected to a first wireless communication unit (201) that receives a first wireless signal and a second wireless communication unit (202) that receives a second wireless signal, the electronic control device having a control unit (30), a receiving unit (101) that receives a first internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives the first wireless signal, and receives a second internal signal from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives the second wireless signal; a storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit, the activation pattern being a combination of two or more of a sequence, a time, and a number of times of a first reference internal signal and a second reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of an order, a number of times, and a time of the first internal signal and the second internal signal received by the receiving unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; The control unit is activated based on the activation signal; An electronic control device comprising:

14. A first wireless communication unit (201) for receiving a first wireless signal; a second wireless communication unit (202) for receiving a second wireless signal; a receiving unit (101) that receives a first internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives the first wireless signal, and receives a second internal signal from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives the second wireless signal; a storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern serving as a reference for activating the control unit, the activation pattern being a combination of two or more of a sequence, a time, and a number of times of a first reference internal signal and a second reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of an order, a number of times, and a time of the first internal signal and the second internal signal received by the receiving unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; The control unit (30) that starts up based on the start signal; An electronic control system comprising:

15. A start-up control program executable by a start-up control device connected to a first wireless communication unit that receives a first wireless signal, a second wireless communication unit that receives a second wireless signal, and a control unit, The startup control device includes a storage unit that stores a startup pattern that is a reference for starting the control unit, the startup pattern being a combination of two or more of a sequence, a number of times, and a time of a first reference internal signal and a second reference internal signal; receiving a first internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives the first wireless signal; receiving a second internal signal from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives the second wireless signal; comparing the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of an order, a time, and a number of times of the first internal signal and the second internal signal received, to determine whether or not to activate the control unit; When it is determined that the control unit is to be started, a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to be started is output. A startup control program that causes the startup control device to execute a process.

16. A startup control method executed by a startup control device connected to a first wireless communication unit that receives a first wireless signal, a second wireless communication unit that receives a second wireless signal, and a control unit, comprising: The startup control device includes a storage unit that stores a startup pattern that is a reference for starting the control unit, the startup pattern being a combination of two or more of a sequence, a number of times, and a time of a first reference internal signal and a second reference internal signal; receiving a first internal signal from the first wireless communication unit when the first wireless communication unit receives the first wireless signal; receiving a second internal signal from the second wireless communication unit when the second wireless communication unit receives the second wireless signal; comparing the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of two or more of an order, a time, and a number of times of the first internal signal and the second internal signal received, to determine whether or not to activate the control unit; When it is determined that the control unit is to be started, a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to be started is output. Start-up control method.

17. An electronic control device mounted on a vehicle, the electronic control device being connected to a wireless communication unit (201) that receives a wireless signal, and comprising a start-up control unit (10) and a control unit (30), The startup control unit is a receiving unit (101) that receives an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; A storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit, the activation pattern being a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of the time and number of times of the internal signal received by the reception unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; and an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; The control unit is activated based on the activation signal, The activation control unit is supplied with electricity by a first power source, The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. Electronic control unit.

18. An electronic control system mounted on a vehicle, comprising: A wireless communication unit (201) for receiving a wireless signal; A start-up control device, a receiving unit (101) that receives an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; A storage unit (102) for storing an activation pattern that is a reference for activating the control unit and is a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; a determination unit (103) that compares the activation pattern with a reception pattern that is a combination of the time and number of times of the internal signal received by the reception unit, and determines whether or not to activate the control unit; an output unit (104) that outputs a start-up signal for instructing the control unit to start up when the determination unit determines that the control unit should be started up; The start-up control device having the The control unit (30) is activated based on the activation signal, the start-up control device is supplied with electricity by a first power source; The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. Electronic control system.

19. A start-up control program executable by a start-up control device mounted on a vehicle and connected to a wireless communication unit (201) for receiving a wireless signal and a control unit (30), The start-up control device includes a storage unit that stores a start-up pattern that is a reference for starting the control unit, the start-up pattern being a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; receiving an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; comparing the activation pattern with a reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of times the internal signal is received, to determine whether or not to activate the control unit; When it is determined that the control unit is to be started, a start-up signal is outputted to the start-up control unit; and the start-up control device is supplied with electricity by a first power source; The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. Startup control program.

20. A startup control method executed by a startup control device mounted on a vehicle and connected to a wireless communication unit (201) that receives a wireless signal and a control unit (30), comprising: The start-up control device includes a storage unit that stores a start-up pattern that is a reference for starting the control unit, the start-up pattern being a combination of a time and a number of times of a reference internal signal; receiving an internal signal from the wireless communication unit when the wireless communication unit receives the wireless signal; comparing the activation pattern with a reception pattern, which is a combination of the time and number of times the internal signal is received, to determine whether or not to activate the control unit; When it is determined that the control unit is to be started, a start-up signal is output to instruct the control unit to be started; the start-up control device is supplied with electricity by a first power source; The control unit is supplied with electricity by a power source of the vehicle, which is a second power source. Start-up control method.

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