Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system with improved anti-theft functionality and high convenience.SOLUTION: An electronic key system 100 of the present invention includes a smartphone 110 capable of causing a vehicle door to lock / unlock, a key fob 140 equipped with a locking button 142 and an unlocking button 144 of the vehicle door, a communication unit 120 that outputs a drive signal based on a signal related to an operation from the smartphone 110, a FOB control unit 130 that is located inside the vehicle, houses the key fob 140, and can physically press the locking button 142 and the unlocking button 144 of the key fob 140 based on the driving signal from the communication unit 120. The communication unit 120 causes the key fob 140 to enter a power-saving mode by pressing the locking button 142 and the unlocking button 144.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system used for unlocking vehicle doors and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Key fobs that enable actions such as keyless entry and ignition start are known. Some key fobs can automate the operation of unlocking vehicle doors when the user is nearby. A vehicle control system is known that uses a smartphone as an electronic key to unlock, lock, and start the engine of a vehicle door (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The configuration of a conventional smart key system using a smartphone (hereinafter referred to as an electronic key system) is shown in FIG. 1. The electronic key system 10 includes a smartphone 20 used as an electronic key or a digital key, a communication unit 30 that receives a locking / unlocking command from the smartphone 20, a key fob (hereinafter referred to as a FOB) 40 having a locking button 42 and an unlocking button 44 for locking / unlocking the door of the vehicle M, and a FOB control unit 50 including drive mechanisms (for example, a rack and pinion gear) 52 and 54 that physically press the locking button 42 or the unlocking button 44 of the FOB 40 in response to a signal from the communication unit 30.

[0005] After the user mutually authenticates the smartphone 20 and the communication unit 30, when the user operates the screen of the smartphone 20 to send a locking command to the communication unit 30, the communication unit 30 outputs a driving signal corresponding to the locking command to the FOB control unit 50. The communication unit 30 and the FOB control unit 50 are arranged inside the vehicle M, and the FOB 40 is accommodated in the FOB control unit 50. The drive circuit 56 presses the locking button 42 of the FOB 40 via the drive mechanism 52 based on the driving signal from the communication unit 30, whereby the door of the vehicle M is locked. When the user operates an unlocking command, the communication unit 30 outputs a driving signal corresponding to the unlocking command to the FOB control unit 50, and the drive circuit 56 presses the unlocking button 44 of the FOB 40 via the drive mechanism 54, whereby the door of the vehicle M is unlocked.

[0006] Recently, the convenience has been improved due to the increasing number of vehicles equipped with smart key systems. On the other hand, vehicle thefts using a method called relay attack have been increasing. The FOB 40 (smart key) and the vehicle body each include a transceiver that senses radio waves emitted by both, and the key is recognized by identifying unique encrypted radio waves for each unit, and the locking and unlocking signals from the recognized FOB 40 are made valid. A weak radio wave is constantly output from the FOB 40. When the FOB 40 approaches the vehicle, the radio wave from the FOB 40 is authenticated on the vehicle body side, and the user can immediately lock or unlock the vehicle after authentication. A relay attack means that a third party approaches a user holding the FOB 40, amplifies and relays the weak radio wave emitted by the FOB 40, and transmits it to the vehicle body side to enable the unlocking of the vehicle door.

[0007] Such a relay attack is also a risk that can occur in an electronic key system that uses a smartphone as an electronic key because the FOB 40 is placed inside the vehicle.

[0008] Also, in the case of Japanese cars, pressing the unlock button of the FOB40 once unlocks all the doors. However, in the case of foreign cars, in many models, pressing the unlock button of the FOB40 only once unlocks only the driver's side door. This is not a problem when traveling alone on a business trip, but when traveling with multiple people, after the driver gets into the vehicle, it is necessary to perform the unlocking operation for all the doors again, which is inconvenient.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control system that improves the anti-theft function and has high convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The vehicle control system according to the present invention includes a portable terminal capable of performing operations related to locking and unlocking the doors of a vehicle, a key fob provided with a door locking button and an unlocking button of the vehicle, and a control unit mounted in the vehicle and holding the key fob, and enabling the pressing of the locking button and the unlocking button of the key fob based on a signal related to an operation from the portable terminal. The control unit shifts the key fob to a power saving mode by pressing the locking button and the unlocking button.

[0011] In one aspect, the control unit shifts the key fob to a power saving mode after a lapse of a certain time from when an operation related to locking is performed on the portable terminal. In one aspect, the control unit shifts the key fob to a power saving mode in response to an operation related to the end of use being performed on the portable terminal. In one aspect, the control unit releases the power saving mode of the key fob in response to any operation being performed on the portable terminal. In one aspect, the control unit includes a first actuator capable of pressing the locking button and a second actuator capable of pressing the unlocking button, and the control unit controls the first and second actuators according to the operation of the portable terminal.

[0012] The vehicle control system according to the present invention includes a mobile terminal capable of performing operations related to locking and unlocking the doors of a vehicle, a key fob provided with a door locking button and an unlocking button for the vehicle, and a control unit mounted inside the vehicle, holding the key fob, and enabling the pressing of the locking button and the unlocking button of the key fob based on a signal related to an operation from the mobile terminal. The control unit enables the unlocking of the vehicle doors according to the number of passengers in the vehicle.

[0013] In one aspect, when there is one passenger, the control unit unlocks only the driver's door, and when there are multiple passengers, the control unit unlocks all the doors of the vehicle. In one aspect, the control unit identifies the number of passengers based on the reservation information of the vehicle. In one aspect, when there is one passenger, the control unit causes the unlocking button to be pressed once, and when there are multiple passengers, the control unit causes the unlocking button to be pressed twice.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, since the key fob is shifted to the power-saving mode, even if the key fob is placed inside the vehicle, theft such as relay attack can be prevented. Further, according to the present invention, since the vehicle doors are unlocked according to the number of passengers, the user does not need to perform an unlocking operation, and the convenience can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The vehicle control system according to the present invention relates to an electronic key system that electronically locks or unlocks the doors of a vehicle. The electronic key system of the present invention uses a mobile terminal such as a smartphone to physically press a lock button or an unlock button of an FOB arranged inside the vehicle, enabling the locking or unlocking of the vehicle doors.

Example

[0017] Next, the configuration of the electronic key system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the electronic key system 100 of this embodiment includes a smartphone 110, a communication unit 120, an FOB control unit 130, and an FOB 140.

[0018] The smartphone 110 is a so-called multifunctional mobile terminal, including a call function using a public telephone line network, a data communication function using a mobile communication system such as 4G and 5G, and short-range wireless communication functions such as Bluetooth, wireless LAN, WiFi, and infrared communication. It is further equipped with various application software and can execute the functions of the application software.

[0019] Here, the smartphone 110 is equipped with an electronic key application for use as an electronic key for locking or unlocking the vehicle doors. When the electronic key application is launched, an application screen for operating to lock or unlock the vehicle doors, as shown in FIG. 3 for example, is displayed on the screen of the smartphone 110. On the application screen, a start use button 112, a lock button 114, an unlock button 116, an end use button 118, etc. are displayed, and the user gives instructions or commands regarding locking or unlocking to the communication unit 120 by touching these input buttons.

[0020] The user who holds the smartphone 110 is not necessarily limited to the owner of the vehicle. For example, when the electronic key system 100 is used for a car-sharing service or a rental car service, the smartphone 110 is held by the user who shares the vehicle or the user who rents the vehicle.

[0021] The communication unit 120 is arranged inside the vehicle. The communication unit 120 includes an authentication unit 200, a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, and a transmission unit 230. The authentication unit 200 mutually authenticates the communication unit 120 and the smartphone 110. The authentication method is not particularly limited. For example, the Bluetooth module of the smartphone 110 and the Bluetooth module of the communication unit 120 are paired in advance, and the authentication unit 200 authenticates the paired-registered smartphone 110. Alternatively, the authentication information (user ID, password, etc.) of the smartphone 110 is registered in advance in the authentication unit 200, and when the authentication information transmitted from the smartphone 110 matches the registered authentication information, the authentication unit 200 authenticates the smartphone 110.

[0022] The communication unit 210 includes short-range wireless communication functions such as Bluetooth, wireless LAN, WiFi, and infrared communication, enabling two-way data communication with the authenticated smartphone 110. The communication unit 210 further has a data communication function using a mobile communication system such as 4G or 5G and can also have a function of connecting to a server on a network such as the Internet. When the communication unit 210 receives a signal regarding the locking or unlocking operation of the vehicle from the smartphone 110, it provides the signal to the control unit 220.

[0023] The control unit 220 controls the operation of the FOB control unit 130 based on the signal received from the smartphone 110. The control unit 220 includes, for example, a microcomputer or a microprocessor including ROM / RAM, and can control the FOB control unit 130 by executing a pre-prepared program.

[0024] In this embodiment, in addition to the normal mode that enables locking or unlocking of the vehicle door, the FOB 140 has a power-saving mode. In the normal mode, a transceiver driven by a battery constantly outputs weak radio waves, and a vehicle body within a certain distance from the FOB 140 identifies the radio waves and authenticates the key. On the other hand, in the power-saving mode, substantially the standby state of the transceiver is stopped, and thus, almost no weak radio waves are output from the transceiver, and the power consumption of the battery is saved.

[0025] The FOB 140 includes a lock button 142 and an unlock button 144. When the lock button 142 is pressed, the vehicle body locks the vehicle door, and when the unlock button 144 is pressed, the vehicle body unlocks the vehicle door. The method for setting the power-saving mode can be arbitrarily determined by the vehicle manufacturer. Here, it is assumed that when the unlock button 144 is pressed twice while pressing the lock button 142 of the FOB 140, the FOB 140 shifts to the power-saving mode. Also, the FOB 140 may, for example, cause the indicator of the FOB 140 to emit light in order to notify the user that it is set to the power-saving mode. Also, the setting of the power-saving mode is released by pressing any button of the FOB 140.

[0026] The control unit 220 controls the FOB control unit 130 so that the FOB 140 can be shifted to the power-saving mode based on a signal regarding a locking or unlocking operation from the smartphone 110. The specific control method will be described later. The transmission unit 230 transmits a drive signal for driving the actuator of the FOB control unit 130 to the FOB control unit 130 under the control of the control unit 220.

[0027] The FOB control unit 130 includes an interface (I / F) unit 300, a drive circuit 310, first and second actuators 320, 330, and an FOB housing unit 340. The FOB control unit 130 has a housing or casing for housing the FOB 140, and here it is configured separately from the communication unit 120, but the functions of the communication unit 120 and the FOB control unit 130 may be implemented within the same housing.

[0028] The I / F unit 300 receives the drive signal transmitted from the transmission unit 230 by wire or wirelessly, and provides the received drive signal to the drive circuit 310. The drive circuit 130 drives the first actuator 320 and the second actuator 330 based on the received drive signal. The first actuator 320 can physically press the lock button 142 of the FOB 140 housed in the FOB housing unit 340, and the second actuator 330 can physically press the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140.

[0029] The configurations of the first and second actuators 320, 330 are not particularly limited, but for example, they are configured using a rack and pinion as shown in FIG. 1. The drive circuit 310 rotates the pinion gear based on the drive signal to linearly move the rack meshing with it, brings the end of the rack into contact with the lock button 142, and presses it. The same applies to the unlock button 144. Also, the drive circuit 310 reverses the pinion gear to retract the rack to its original position. Note that the first and second actuators 320, 330 may be configured by other drive mechanisms such as cams and links in addition to the rack and pinion.

[0030] Next, the operation of the electronic key system of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4(A) is a table showing the relationship between the operation of the smartphone and the operation of the FOB control unit when driving an FOB that does not support the power-saving mode. The user can perform a locking or unlocking operation on the app screen of the smartphone 110 (see FIG. 3).

[0031] When the user touches and operates the lock button 114 on the app screen, a signal related to the operation is transmitted to the communication unit 120. The control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 recognizes that the lock button 114 has been touched and operates, and transmits a drive signal corresponding to this touch operation to the FOB control unit 130 via the transmission unit 230. The drive signal is received by the drive circuit 310 via the I / F unit 300, and the drive circuit 310 physically presses the lock button 142 of the FOB 140 for a specific time via the first actuator 320. When the lock button 142 is pressed, all the doors of the vehicle are locked.

[0032] On the other hand, when the user touches and operates the unlock button 116 on the app screen, the control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 recognizes that the unlock button 116 has been touched and operates, and transmits a drive signal corresponding to this touch operation to the FOB control unit 130 via the transmission unit 230. The drive circuit 310 presses the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 for a specific time via the second actuator 330 (unlock side rack control) based on this drive signal. When the unlock button 144 is pressed, the doors of the vehicle are unlocked.

[0033] Figure 4(B) is a table showing the relationship between the operations of the smartphone and the operations of the FOB control unit when using the FOB corresponding to the power-saving mode according to this embodiment. When the user touches and operates the start button 112 on the application screen of the smartphone 110, the control unit 220 recognizes that the user has touched and operated the start button, and transmits a drive signal corresponding to this touch operation to the FOB control unit 130 via the transmitter 230. Based on this drive signal, the drive circuit 310 presses the lock button 142 or the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 via the first actuator 320 (lock-side rack control) or the second actuator 330 (unlock-side rack control). The start button 112 is an operation for reversing the current state of the vehicle door. For example, if the door is in a locked state, it is unlocked, and conversely, if the door is in an unlocked state, it is locked. In this case, the control unit 220 holds a flag for identifying the state when the vehicle door was last locked or unlocked, and recognizes the current open / closed state of the door based on this flag.

[0034] When the user touches and operates the lock button 114 or the unlock button 116 on the application screen, similar to the case of FIG. 4(A), the FOB control unit 130 presses the lock button 142 or the unlock button 144 via the first or second actuator 320, 330.

[0035] When the user touches and operates the lock button 114 on the application screen, the control unit 220 recognizes that the user has touched and operated the lock button 114, counts the passage of time from the point when this touch operation is recognized, and when a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 220 transmits a drive signal corresponding to the power-saving mode to the FOB control unit 130 via the transmitter 230. The predetermined time approximately matches the time required for the first actuator 320 to press the lock button 142 of the FOB 140. The drive signal corresponding to the power-saving mode is an operation for shifting the FOB 140 to the power-saving mode, that is, a signal for pressing the unlock button 144 twice while pressing the lock button 142.

[0036] When the drive circuit 310 receives a drive signal corresponding to the power-saving mode, it causes the locking button 142 to be long-pressed via the first actuator 320 until the unlocking button 144 is pressed twice, and causes the unlocking button 144 to be pressed twice during the long-press of the locking button 142 via the second actuator 330. As a result, the area 400 indicated by the hatching in FIG. 4(B) where the FOB 140 shifts to the power-saving mode represents the power-saving mode.

[0037] Also, when the user touches and operates the end-usage button 118 on the app screen, the control unit 220 recognizes that the user has touched and operated the end-usage button 118, and transmits a drive signal corresponding to the power-saving mode to the FOB control unit 130 via the transmitter 230. Similar to the above, the drive signal corresponding to the power-saving mode causes the locking button 142 to be long-pressed via the first and second actuators 320 and 330 until the unlocking button 144 is pressed twice. This power-saving mode is represented by the area 410 indicated by the hatching in FIG. 4(B).

[0038] When the user touches and operates any input button on the app screen, the control unit 220 transmits a drive signal corresponding to the touch operation to the FOB control unit 130, and physically presses the locking button 142 and the unlocking button 144 via the first and second actuators 320 and 330, thereby virtually canceling the power-saving mode.

[0039] Thus, according to this embodiment, since the control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 is configured to correspond to the power-saving mode of the FOB 140, theft due to relay attack can be prevented even when the FOB 140 is placed inside the vehicle.

[0040] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electronic key system according to the second embodiment. The electronic key system 100A of this embodiment is an integration of the electronic key system of the first embodiment with a reservation system for the vehicle M.

[0041] A user who uses vehicle M accesses the reservation system 500 on the network using the smartphone 110 or the personal computer 112 that they possess, and registers the reservation information of vehicle M there. The reservation information is, for example, the date and time of using vehicle M, the number of passengers, etc.

[0042] Vehicle M is equipped with the communication unit 120 and the FOB control unit 130 described in the first embodiment. The FOB control unit 130 houses the FOB 140. Here, it is assumed that when the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 is pressed once, only the driver's side door of the vehicle is unlocked, and when the unlock button 144 is pressed twice, all the doors of the vehicle are unlocked.

[0043] The control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 accesses the reservation system 500 via the communication unit 210, obtains the reservation information of vehicle M from there, and controls the unlocking of the FOB control unit 130 with reference to the obtained reservation information. Specifically, the control unit 220 controls the unlocking of the driver's side door or all the doors of vehicle M according to the number of passengers in vehicle M.

[0044] FIG. 6(A) is a table showing the relationship between the operation of the smartphone and the operation of the FOB control unit when driving an FOB that unlocks only the driver's side door. For example, an FOB (smart key) used for an external vehicle or the like unlocks only the driver's side door when the unlock button is pressed. In such a case, when the user touches the unlock button 116 on the application screen, the communication unit 120 transmits a drive signal corresponding to the unlock operation to the FOB control unit 130, and the drive circuit 310 presses the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 for a specific time via the second actuator 330 (unlock side rack control). Only the driver's side door of the vehicle is unlocked by pressing the unlock button 144.

[0045] FIG. 6(B) is a table showing the relationship between the operations of the smartphone and the operations of the FOB control unit in this embodiment. The control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 acquires reservation information from the reservation system 500 and can know in advance the presence or absence of fellow passengers or the number of passengers.

[0046] When the user touches the unlock button 116 on the app screen, the control unit 220 recognizes that the unlock button 116 has been touched, further recognizes the number of passengers in the reservation information, and based on this recognition result, sends a drive signal for driving the second actuator 330 to the FOB control unit 130. When there is one passenger, the drive circuit 310 presses the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 once via the second actuator 330. When there are multiple passengers, the drive circuit 310 presses the unlock button 144 of the FOB 140 twice via the second actuator 330 to unlock all the doors.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the user operates the unlock on the app screen, the control unit 220 of the communication unit 120 controls the unlock operation of the FOB control unit 130 according to the number of passengers based on the reservation information. Therefore, when multiple passengers board, by unlocking all the doors of the vehicle, it is not necessary for the passengers to perform the unlock operation, and the convenience can be improved. Note that it is also possible to set all doors to unlock by default, but it takes a certain amount of time for a single press due to the mechanical operation of the actuator. Therefore, when only the driver boards, rapid unlocking is possible by pressing the unlock button once.

[0048] As described above, according to the first and second embodiments, by simply adding the control method of the FOB control unit 130, the performance and quality of the electronic key system can be improved without causing additional costs, and the convenience for users is improved.

[0049] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the claims.

Explanation of Signs

[0050] 100, 100A: Electronic key system 110: Smartphone 120: Communication unit 130: FOB control unit 140: FOB 142: Locking button 144: Unlocking button 200: Authentication unit 210: Communication section 220: Control section 300: I / F 310: Drive circuit 320, 330: Actuator 340: FOB housing section

Claims

1. A mobile terminal capable of performing an operation related to locking a vehicle door, A key fob provided with a door lock button and an unlock button of the vehicle, A control unit disposed in the vehicle, holding the key fob, and enabling pressing of the lock button and the unlock button of the key fob based on a signal related to an operation from the mobile terminal, The control unit is a vehicle control system that shifts the key fob to a power-saving mode by a combination of pressing the lock button and the unlock button.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit shifts the key fob to a power-saving mode after a lapse of a certain time from when an operation related to locking is performed on the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal further enables an operation related to starting the use of locking or unlocking. When the operation related to starting the use is performed, the control unit reverses the current state of the vehicle door by pressing the lock button or the unlock button, and in response to an operation related to ending the use, shifts the key fob to a power-saving mode. The vehicle control system according to claim 1.

4. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit releases the power-saving mode of the key fob by pressing the lock button or the unlock button in response to any operation being performed on the mobile terminal.

5. The control unit includes a first actuator capable of pressing the lock button and a second actuator capable of pressing the unlock button. The control unit controls the first and second actuators according to an operation of the mobile terminal. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the number of times of pressing the unlock button according to the number of passengers in the vehicle.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein when there is one passenger, only the driver's door is unlocked, and when there are multiple passengers, all the vehicle doors are unlocked.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control unit identifies the number of passengers based on reservation information of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit causes the unlocking button to be pressed once when there is one passenger, and causes the unlocking button to be pressed twice when there are a plurality of passengers.

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