Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that prevent an increase in current consumption in a vehicle by operating a UWB module at more appropriate timing.SOLUTION: An ECU 12 can correct the RSSI of BLE received by a BLE communication unit 24 based on ranging between a vehicle and a mobile information terminal 30 calculated from a communication result of a UWB communication unit 20 that is temporarily turned on, start ranging by UWB when the corrected RSSI of BLE is equal to or more than a second threshold, and control the vehicle so as to lock and unlock a vehicle 200 and start an engine in accordance with an operation signal obtained from the mobile information terminal 30 via the BLE communication unit 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program for communication between a mobile information terminal and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art So-called digital key technology has been developed that enables vehicles to be locked and unlocked, and even the engine of the vehicle to be started, by operating a portable information terminal such as a smartphone.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention in which, when a communication connection is established between a mobile information terminal and a vehicle using Bluetooth low energy (BLE), which performs low-power communication, BLE is used to unlock the vehicle doors or trunk, start the vehicle's engine, and other operations based on the position of the mobile information terminal from the vehicle identified using ultra-wide band (UWB), which enables ultra-wideband communication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-063428 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, UWB consumes a lot of power, and if it is left on for a long period of time to identify the positional relationship between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, there is a risk that the power consumption of the vehicle will increase.

[0006] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that prevent an increase in current consumption in a vehicle by operating a UWB module at a more appropriate timing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device described in claim 1 includes a power-saving communication unit that performs power-saving communication with a mobile information terminal, an ultra-wideband communication unit that performs ultra-wideband communication with the mobile information terminal, and a control unit that corrects the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal calculated from the communication result by the ultra-wideband communication unit that is temporarily turned on, and when the corrected signal strength is equal to or greater than an operation allowable threshold, turns on the ultra-wideband communication unit to start measuring the distance between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, and controls the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with an operation signal obtained from the mobile information terminal via the power-saving communication unit.

[0008] According to the information processing device of claim 1, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication unit temporarily turned on is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the ultra-wideband communication unit, which is a UWB module, can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication unit, and an increase in current consumption in the vehicle can be prevented. Also, when the signal strength of the corrected power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the vehicle is locked, unlocked, and the engine is started according to an operation signal obtained from the portable information terminal via the power-saving communication unit, so that when an operation such as unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible through the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted.

[0009] 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to Based on the correspondence relationship between the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication and the signal strength of the power-saving communication, the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is corrected to a signal strength corresponding to the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication.

[0010] According to the information processing device of claim 2, it is possible to correct the signal strength of the power-saving communication based on the correspondence relationship between the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication and the signal strength of the power-saving communication.

[0011] In the information processing device described in claim 3, the control unit sets the number of ranging measurements by the ultra-wideband communication unit to 0 when control starts, and when the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is equal to or greater than a power-saving communication establishment threshold that is smaller than the operation tolerance threshold and the number of ranging measurements does not exceed 1, corrects the signal strength of the power-saving communication based on the ranging by the ultra-wideband communication unit.

[0012] According to the information processing device of claim 3, when a user carrying a portable information terminal approaches the vehicle, the signal strength of the power-saving communication can be corrected based on the distance measured by the ultra-wideband communication unit.

[0013] In the information processing device described in claim 4, the control unit corrects the signal strength of the power-saving communication each time a power-saving communication connection is made between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, and cancels the correction of the signal strength when the power-saving communication connection is disconnected.

[0014] According to the information processing device described in claim 4, by correcting the signal strength of the power-saving communication each time a power-saving communication connection is made, it becomes possible to make corrections corresponding to the signal strength of the power-saving communication that changes depending on how the user holds the mobile information terminal.

[0015] In the information processing device described in claim 5, after it becomes possible to control the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle using the power-saving communication, the control unit measures the distance between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal based on the signal strength of the power-saving communication.

[0016] According to the information processing device of claim 5, after it becomes possible to operate the vehicle through power-saving communication, the positional relationship between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal can be identified through power-saving communication that consumes less power.

[0017] The information processing device described in claim 6 includes a power-saving communication unit that performs power-saving communication with a mobile information terminal, an ultra-wideband communication unit that performs ultra-wideband communication with the mobile information terminal, and a control unit that corrects an operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal calculated from the communication result by the ultra-wideband communication unit that is temporarily turned on, and when the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, turns on the ultra-wideband communication unit to start measuring the distance between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, and controls the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with the operation signal obtained from the mobile information terminal via the power-saving communication unit.

[0018] According to the information processing device of claim 6, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication unit that is temporarily turned on, the ultra-wideband communication unit, which is a UWB module, can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication unit, and an increase in current consumption in the vehicle can be prevented. Also, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, the vehicle can be locked, unlocked, and started in accordance with the operation signal obtained from the portable information terminal via the power-saving communication unit, and when the operation of unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible through the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted.

[0019] In the information processing device described in claim 7, the control unit corrects the operation allowable threshold in accordance with the difference between the signal strength corresponding to the distance measurement by ultra-wideband communication calculated based on a correspondence relationship between the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication and the signal strength of the power-saving communication that is known in advance, and the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit.

[0020] According to the information processing device of claim 7, the operation allowable threshold can be corrected based on the correspondence relationship between the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication and the signal strength of the power-saving communication.

[0021] In the information processing device described in claim 8, the control unit sets the number of distance measurements by the ultra-wideband communication unit to 0 when control starts, and when the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is equal to or greater than a power-saving communication establishment threshold which is smaller than the operation allowable threshold and the number of distance measurements does not exceed 1, corrects the operation allowable threshold in accordance with the difference.

[0022] According to the information processing device of claim 8, when a user carrying a portable information terminal approaches the vehicle, the energy-saving operation allowable threshold can be corrected based on distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication unit.

[0023] In the information processing device described in claim 9, the control unit corrects the operation tolerance threshold each time a power-saving communication connection is made between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, and cancels the correction of the operation tolerance threshold when the power-saving communication connection is disconnected.

[0024] According to the information processing device of claim 9, by correcting the operation allowable threshold each time a power-saving communication connection is made, it becomes possible to make a correction corresponding to the signal strength of the power-saving communication, which changes depending on how the user holds the mobile information terminal.

[0025] In the information processing device described in claim 10, the control unit clarifies the positional relationship between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal by measuring distance using the ultra-wideband communication when enabling the control unit to control the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle using the power-saving communication.

[0026] According to the information processing device of claim 10, when performing operations such as locking / unlocking the vehicle and starting the engine, the positional relationship between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal is clarified, enabling reliable operations.

[0027] The information processing method described in claim 11 includes the steps of: correcting the signal strength of the power-saving communication based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the portable information terminal calculated from the communication results of the ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on; and, when the corrected signal strength is equal to or greater than an operation allowable threshold, starting distance measurement between the vehicle and the portable information terminal using the ultra-wideband communication, and controlling the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with an operation signal transmitted from the portable information terminal via the power-saving communication.

[0028] According to the information processing method of claim 11, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication temporarily turned on is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the ultra-wideband communication can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication, and an increase in current consumption in the vehicle can be prevented. Also, when the signal strength of the corrected power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the vehicle is locked, unlocked, and the engine is started according to the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power-saving communication, so that when the operation of unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible by the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted.

[0029] The information processing method according to claim 12 further comprises: and when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, starting distance measurement between the vehicle and the portable information terminal by the ultra-wideband communication, and controlling the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with the operation signal transmitted from the portable information terminal by the power-saving communication.

[0030] According to the information processing method of claim 12, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication temporarily turned on, the ultra-wideband communication can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication, and an increase in current consumption in the vehicle can be prevented. Also, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold corrected, the vehicle can be locked, unlocked, and the engine started according to the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power-saving communication, and when the operation of unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible by the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted.

[0031] The information processing program described in claim 13 causes a computer to function as a control unit that corrects the signal strength of power-saving communication based on the distance measurement between the vehicle and the portable information terminal calculated from the communication results of ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on, and when the corrected signal strength is equal to or greater than an operation allowable threshold, starts measuring the distance between the vehicle and the portable information terminal using the ultra-wideband communication, and controls the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with the operation signal transmitted from the portable information terminal via the power-saving communication.

[0032] According to the information processing program of claim 13, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication temporarily turned on is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the ultra-wideband communication can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication, thereby preventing an increase in current consumption in the vehicle. Also, when the signal strength of the corrected power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold, the vehicle can be locked, unlocked, and the engine started according to the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power-saving communication, so that when the operation of unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible by the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted.

[0033] The information processing program described in claim 14 causes a computer to function as a control unit that corrects an operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between a vehicle and a mobile information terminal calculated from the communication results of ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on, and when the signal strength of power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, starts measuring the distance between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal using the ultra-wideband communication, and controls the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal via the power-saving communication.

[0034] According to the information processing program of claim 14, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold corrected based on the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication temporarily turned on, the ultra-wideband communication can be operated at a more appropriate timing by starting the distance measurement by the ultra-wideband communication, and an increase in current consumption in the vehicle can be prevented. Also, when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the operation allowable threshold corrected, the vehicle can be locked, unlocked, and the engine started according to the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power-saving communication, and when the operation of unlocking the vehicle is reliably possible by the power-saving communication, the operation can be permitted. Effect of the Invention

[0035] As described above, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program of the present invention make it possible to prevent an increase in current consumption in a vehicle by operating the UWB module at a more appropriate timing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of an ECU. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a communication range from a position centered on a UWB antenna and a BLE antenna provided on a vehicle. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an ECU included in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a case where a portable information terminal is located at a point outside the UWB ranging execution area. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram showing the results of BLE RSSI and UWB ranging measured when a mobile information terminal is located at the location shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing RSSI of BLE versus UWB ranging. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 10 mounted on a vehicle 200. The information processing device 10 is composed of a storage device 14 that stores data required for calculations by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12, which is a calculation device, and the calculation results by the ECU 12, a UWB communication unit 20 that is a UWB module that communicates with a mobile information terminal 30 via a UWB antenna 18, a BLE communication unit 24 that communicates with the mobile information terminal 30 via a BLE antenna 22, and an actuator 16 that locks and unlocks the vehicle 200 and starts the engine of the vehicle 200 according to a control signal input from the ECU 12. The ECU 12 is a type of computer, and measures the distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30 based on the results of communication processing by the UWB communication unit 20, and based on the results of communication processing by the BLE communication unit 24, measures the BLE RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), and generates and outputs a control signal for the actuator 16 to enable the user to perform operations such as unlocking the vehicle 200 in accordance with instructions from the mobile information terminal 30.

[0038] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the ECU 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the ECU 12 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 12B, a read only memory (ROM) 12A, a random access memory (RAM) 12C, and an input / output port 12D. do.

[0039] In the ECU 12, the CPU 12B, the ROM 12A, the RAM 12C, and the input / output port 12D are connected to one another via various buses such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus. The input / output port 12D is connected to various input / output devices such as a storage device 14, which is a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk (HDD), an actuator 16, a UWB communication unit 20, and a BLE communication unit 24.

[0040] An information processing program is installed in the storage device 14 to perform distance measurement between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30 by UWB (hereinafter, abbreviated as "UWB distance measurement"), as well as to perform BLE RSSI measurement and to enable operations such as unlocking the vehicle 200 according to communication from the mobile information terminal 30 by BLE. In this embodiment, the CPU 12B executes the information processing program to execute the above-mentioned processing. There are several methods for installing the information processing program of this embodiment in the information processing device 10. For example, the information processing program is stored on a CD-ROM or DVD together with a setup program, and the disk is inserted in a disk drive or the like, which is an input / output device, and the setup program is executed by the CPU 12B to install the information processing program in the storage device 14. Alternatively, the information processing program may be installed in the storage device 14 by communicating with another information processing device connected to the ECU 12 via a public telephone line or a network.

[0041] Next, various functions realized by the CPU 12B of the ECU 12 executing the information processing program will be described. The information processing program causes the CPU 12B to function as a BLE connection determination function for determining the connection state with the mobile information terminal 30 by BLE, an RSSI measurement function for measuring the RSSI of BLE with the mobile information terminal 30, a UWB ranging mechanism for performing UWB ranging, and an actuator control function for enabling operations such as unlocking the vehicle 200 according to communication from the mobile information terminal 30 by BLE. The CPU 12B executes the information processing program to function as a BLE connection determination unit 40, an RSSI measurement unit 42, a UWB ranging unit 44, and an actuator control unit 46. There are various methods for UWB ranging, but as an example, in this embodiment, a TOA (Time of Arrival) method is adopted in which the pulse propagation time of a UWB signal transmitted by the information processing device 10 of the vehicle 200 to the mobile information terminal 30 via the UWB antenna 18 or transmitted from the mobile information terminal 30 to the vehicle 200 is measured, and the measured pulse propagation time is multiplied by the speed of light to calculate the distance.

[0042] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a communication range from a position centered on the UWB antenna 18 and the BLE antenna 22 provided on the vehicle 200. A BLE connection area 100 indicates a range in which BLE connection between the information processing device 10 and the mobile information terminal 30 is possible, a UWB ranging available area 102 indicates a range in which UWB ranging is possible, a first threshold application area 104 indicates a range in which a first threshold described later is applied to determine the BLE RSSI, a second threshold application area 106 indicates a range in which a second threshold described later is applied to determine the BLE RSSI, and a UWB ranging execution area 108 indicates a range in which UWB ranging is desired to be executed.

[0043] As an example, when priority is given to power saving in BLE, the communication reach is about 5 m, so the radius of the BLE connection area 100 shown in FIG. 3 is also assumed to be about 5 m.

[0044] As described above, the BLE RSSI is prone to differences (variations) depending on how the user holds the portable information terminal 30 used for communication, the characteristics of each model of the portable information terminal 30, and individual differences between individual products of the portable information terminal 30. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, when the BLE RSSI is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold, the initial UWB ranging is performed, and the RSSI detected by BLE is corrected based on the result of the UWB ranging, so that the vehicle 200 can be reliably locked and unlocked by BLE.

[0045] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the ECU 12 included in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 4 is started when the mobile information terminal 30 having a digital key function approaches the vehicle 200.

[0046] In step S100, it is determined whether or not there is a BLE connection between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30. Specifically, if the mobile information terminal 30 is constantly transmitting a BLE signal, the information processing device 10 receives the signal and determines whether or not there is a BLE connection. In step S100, if the mobile information terminal 30 is present within the BLE connection area 100 shown in Fig. 3, it is determined that there is a BLE connection. If it is determined that there is a BLE connection in step S100, the procedure proceeds to step S104, and if it is determined that there is no BLE connection because a BLE signal has been received but the BLE RSSI is weak or for some other reason, the procedure proceeds to step S102.

[0047] In step S102, the number of UWB distance measurements is changed to 0, and the number of UWB distance measurements is reset.

[0048] In step S104, the BLE RSSI is measured, and in step S106, it is determined whether the RSSI measured in step S104 is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first threshold is determined based on the RSSI measured when the mobile information terminal 30 is present in a first threshold application area 104 shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the first threshold application area 104 is closer to the vehicle 200 than a UWB ranging available area 102, which is a range in which UWB ranging is available, and is farther from the vehicle 200 than a second threshold application area 106, which is a range in which the second threshold is applied. Therefore, the second threshold is a value greater than the first threshold.

[0049] If it is determined in step S106 that the RSSI is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the procedure proceeds to step S108, and if it is determined that the RSSI is not equal to or greater than the first threshold, the procedure proceeds to step S100.

[0050] In step S108, it is determined whether or not the number of UWB ranging operations exceeds 1. If it is determined in step S108 that the number of UWB ranging operations exceeds 1, the procedure proceeds to step S110, and if it is determined that the number of UWB ranging operations does not exceed 1, the procedure proceeds to step S116.

[0051] In step S110, it is determined whether the BLE RSSI measured in step S104 is equal to or greater than a second threshold. The second threshold is determined based on the RSSI measured when the mobile information terminal 30 is present within the second threshold application area 106 shown in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the second threshold application area 106 includes the outer edge of the UWB ranging execution area 108, which is the range in which UWB ranging is desired to be performed, so the second threshold may be determined based on the RSSI measured when the mobile information terminal 30 is present near the outer edge of the UWB ranging execution area 108.

[0052] If it is determined in step S110 that the RSSI is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the procedure proceeds to step S112, and if it is determined that the RSSI is not equal to or greater than the second threshold, the procedure proceeds to step S100.

[0053] In step S112, the UWB communication unit 20 is turned on to perform UWB ranging. UWB does not support power saving communication like BLE, so it consumes a lot of power. On the other hand, it has high ranging accuracy. In this embodiment, when the BLE RSSI is equal to or greater than the second threshold and it is possible to reliably operate the digital key, such as locking and unlocking the vehicle 200, UWB ranging is performed to clarify the positional relationship between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30. The result of the UWB ranging in step S112 may be recorded as a log in the storage device 14, for example.

[0054] In step S114, the digital key function is made operable, and the series of processes shown in Fig. 4 is terminated. After making the digital key function operable in step S114, the ECU 12 controls the actuator 16 to lock and unlock the vehicle 200, start the engine, and the like, in accordance with the user's operation of the mobile information terminal 30. The history of the user's operations to lock and unlock the vehicle 200, start the engine, and the like may be recorded as a log in the storage device 14.

[0055] If it is determined in step S108 that the number of UWB ranging operations does not exceed 1, in step S116, the UWB communication unit 20 is turned on to perform UWB ranging operations and the number of UWB ranging operations is incremented by 1. After the UWB ranging operations in step S116, the UWB communication unit 20 is turned off to reduce power consumption.

[0056] In step S118, the variation in the BLE RSSI is corrected based on the UWB ranging result in step S116. When correcting the variation in the BLE RSSI, for example, a situation as shown in Fig. 5 is assumed. Fig. 5 shows a case where the mobile information terminal 30 is present at a point X at a distance B from the UWB antenna 18, which is outside the UWB ranging execution area 108. The BLE RSSI and UWB ranging measured when the mobile information terminal 30 is present at the point X shown in Fig. 5 are as follows: Theoretical value (ideal value) of BLE RSSI measurement: A (dBm) Theoretical value (ideal value) of UWB distance measurement: B(mm) BLE RSSI measurement variation: ±a(dBm) UWB ranging variation: ±b(mm)

[0057] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the results of BLE RSSI and UWB ranging measured when the mobile information terminal 30 is located at point X shown in FIG. 5. The theoretical value of the BLE RSSI measurement is A, and the theoretical value of the UWB ranging is B, but the actual measured value 120 of the UWB ranging has an error in the range of ±b, and the actual measured value 122 of the BLE RSSI has an error in the range of ±a. As described above, the BLE RSSI is prone to variation due to how the user holds the mobile information terminal 30 used for communication, the characteristics of each model of the mobile information terminal 30, and individual differences between individual products of the mobile information terminal 30. However, the range of variation in ranging for UWB is relatively narrow, and a relatively reliable ranging result can be obtained even when the mobile information terminal 30 is located at point X shown in FIG. 5.

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing BLE RSSI versus UWB ranging. In Figure 7, the BLE RSSI shows a variation of ±a 130, and the UWB ranging shows a variation of ±b 132. Although RSSI does not vary linearly with distance, the horizontal axis in Figure 7 is scaled so that the BLE RSSI follows a straight line 136 versus the UWB ranging distance.

[0059] 5, when the BLE RSSI at point X is an actual measurement value 122, if the distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30 is measured using only the BLE RSSI actual measurement value 122, the distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30 will be Y. However, the BLE RSSI measured at point X can have an error within a relatively large range of ±a, and therefore the distance measurement accuracy is not good.

[0060] 5 is an actual measurement value 120, the UWB ranging indicates a distance Z. Since the UWB ranging is more accurate than the ranging based on the BLE RSSI as described above, in step S118, the difference 134 between the BLE RSSI value on the line 136 when the horizontal axis indicates the distance Z and the actual measurement value 122 is set as a correction value for the BLE RSSI, and the BLE RSSI is corrected to a signal strength corresponding to the UWB ranging by correcting the variation in the BLE RSSI, and the procedure proceeds to step S100.

[0061] After the variation in the BLE RSSI is corrected in step S118, the procedure of steps S100 to S114 is executed, and the process ends.

[0062] The correction value set in step S118 is initialized when the BLE connection is cut off, and the correction of the BLE RSSI is canceled. Then, when a user carrying the mobile information terminal 30 approaches the vehicle 200 again, the process shown in Fig. 4 is executed, and a new correction value of the BLE RSSI is set. As described above, the BLE RSSI differs depending on how the user holds the mobile information terminal 30 used for communication, the characteristics of each model of the mobile information terminal 30, and individual differences between individual products of the mobile information terminal 30, so it is reasonable to set a correction value every time a BLE connection is made between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the BLE RSSI is corrected in step S118, but this is not limiting. Instead of the BLE RSSI, the second threshold or each of the first threshold and the second threshold may be corrected. In the case shown in FIG. 7, the BLE RSSI is corrected by subtracting the difference 134 shown in FIG. 7 from the actual measurement value 122 of the BLE RSSI. In the case shown in FIG. 7, if each of the first threshold and the second threshold is to be corrected, each of the first threshold and the second threshold can be corrected according to the difference 134 by processing such as adding the difference 134 to each of the first threshold and the second threshold.

[0064] Whether the BLE RSSI is corrected or the second threshold, or each of the first and second thresholds is corrected, as a result, it becomes possible to perform control that ensures the reliability of the operation of the digital key by BLE, and by operating the UWB communication unit 20 at a more appropriate timing, it is possible to prevent an increase in current consumption in the vehicle 200. Furthermore, whether the second threshold, or each of the first and second thresholds is corrected, the second threshold, or each of the first and second thresholds is newly corrected every time a BLE connection is established between the vehicle 200 and the mobile information terminal 30, and the correction is released when the BLE connection is disconnected.

[0065] As described above, according to this embodiment, by correcting the BLE RSSI or the second threshold value, which have significant variations, based on UWB ranging, it is possible to perform control that ensures the reliability of the operation of the digital key by BLE, and by operating the UWB communication unit 20 at a more appropriate timing, it is possible to prevent an increase in current consumption in the vehicle 200. Furthermore, after correcting the BLE RSSI, the accuracy of ranging based on the BLE RSSI improves, so that it becomes possible to use SSR (Signal Strength Ranging), which is ranging based on the BLE RSSI, instead of UWB ranging, which consumes a lot of power, and it becomes possible to suppress power consumption in the vehicle 200.

[0066] In addition, the "power-saving communication unit" described in the claims corresponds to the "BLE communication unit 24" described in the detailed description of the invention in the specification, the "ultra-wideband communication unit" described in the claims corresponds to the "UWB communication unit 20" described in the claims, the "control unit" described in the claims corresponds to the "ECU 12" described in the claims, the "signal strength" described in the claims corresponds to the "RSSI" described in the claims, the "power-saving communication establishment threshold" described in the claims corresponds to the "first threshold" described in the claims, and the "operation tolerance threshold" described in the claims corresponds to the "second threshold" described in the claims.

[0067] In addition, the processing executed by the CPU after reading the software (program) in each of the above embodiments may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, examples of the processor include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing a specific processing. In addition, the processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). In addition, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0068] In each of the above embodiments, the program is pre-stored (installed) in the storage device 14 or the like, but the present invention is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0069] (Additional note 1) Memory, at least one processor coupled to the memory; Including, The processor, correcting the signal strength of the power-saving communication based on the distance between the vehicle and the portable information terminal calculated from the communication result of the ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on; When the corrected signal strength is equal to or greater than an operation allowable threshold, distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal is started by the ultra-wideband communication, and the vehicle is controlled so as to lock and unlock the vehicle and start an engine of the vehicle in accordance with an operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power saving communication. The information processing device is configured as follows.

[0070] (Additional note 2) Memory, at least one processor coupled to the memory; Including, The processor, correcting the operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal calculated from a communication result of the ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on; when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, starting distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal by the ultra-wideband communication, and controlling the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start an engine of the vehicle in accordance with an operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal by the power-saving communication; The information processing device is configured as follows. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10. Information processing device 12 ECU 12A ROM 12B CPU 12C RAM 12D I / O ports 14 Storage device 16 Actuators 18 UWB antenna 20 UWB Communications Department 22 BLE antenna 24 BLE Communication Department 30 Mobile Information Terminals 40 BLE connection determination unit 42 RSSI measurement section 44 UWB ranging section 46 Actuator control section 100 BLE connection area 102 UWB measurement area 104 First threshold application area 106 Second Threshold Application Area 108 UWB ranging area 120, 122 Actual value 134 Difference 136 straight line 200 vehicles

Claims

1. a power-saving communication unit that performs power-saving communication with the portable information terminal; an ultra-wideband communication unit for performing ultra-wideband communication with the portable information terminal; a control unit that corrects an operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the portable information terminal calculated from a communication result by the ultra-wideband communication unit that is temporarily turned on, and when the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, turns on the ultra-wideband communication unit to start measuring the distance between the vehicle and the portable information terminal, and controls the vehicle to lock and unlock the vehicle and start the engine in accordance with an operation signal obtained from the portable information terminal via the power-saving communication unit; An information processing device comprising:

2. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the control unit corrects the operation allowable threshold in accordance with the difference between the signal strength corresponding to the distance measurement by ultra-wideband communication calculated based on a correspondence relationship between the distance measurement by ultra-wideband communication and the signal strength of the power-saving communication that is known in advance, and the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit.

3. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein the control unit sets the number of distance measurements by the ultra-wideband communication unit to 0 when control starts, and corrects the operation allowable threshold in accordance with the difference when the signal strength of the power-saving communication received by the power-saving communication unit is equal to or greater than a power-saving communication establishment threshold which is smaller than the operation allowable threshold and the number of distance measurements does not exceed 1.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit corrects the operation tolerance threshold each time a power-saving communication connection is made between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal, and cancels the correction of the operation tolerance threshold when the power-saving communication connection is disconnected.

5. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit, when enabling control of the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine of the vehicle using the power-saving communication, clarifies the positional relationship between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal by distance measurement using the ultra-wideband communication.

6. a step of correcting an operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal calculated from a communication result of the ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on; a step of controlling the vehicle so as to start measuring the distance between the vehicle and the portable information terminal by the ultra-wideband communication and to lock and unlock the vehicle and start an engine of the vehicle in accordance with an operation signal transmitted from the portable information terminal by the power-saving communication when the signal strength of the power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold value; An information processing method comprising:

7. Computer, An information processing program that functions as a control unit that corrects an operation allowable threshold based on a distance measurement between a vehicle and a mobile information terminal calculated from the communication results of ultra-wideband communication that is temporarily turned on, and when the signal strength of power-saving communication is equal to or greater than the corrected operation allowable threshold, starts measuring the distance between the vehicle and the mobile information terminal using the ultra-wideband communication, and controls the vehicle to lock, unlock, and start the engine in accordance with the operation signal transmitted from the mobile information terminal via the power-saving communication.

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