Electronic key authentication device, electronic key authentication system, and electronic key authentication method

Abstract

To enhance security property against theft of a vehicle without impairing convenience of a user.SOLUTION: An electronic key authentication system 100 comprises an on-vehicle machine 1 which is installed on a vehicle 50, a first electronic key A (smartphone) and a second electronic key B (FOB) which perform communication with the on-vehicle machine 1. The on-vehicle machine 1 constitutes an electronic key authentication device and performs authentication of the electronic keys on the basis of communication with the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B. The second electronic key B includes an answer-back switch 32a for transmitting answer-back command. The on-vehicle machine 1 performs processing such as lamp blink according to the command by the switch 32a being operated when receiving the answer-back command from the second electronic key B. In addition, the on-vehicle machine 1 performs bidirectional communication required for the authentication with the second electronic key B, which transmits the answer-back command and then performs only the authentication of the second electronic key B, but does not perform the authentication of the first electronic key A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for authenticating an electronic key used in a vehicle such as a motorcycle. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an authentication system that performs key authentication via wireless communication between an onboard device installed in a vehicle and an electronic key carried by a user, and permits a predetermined operation of the vehicle if the authentication result is normal. Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe such electronic key authentication systems. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that improves the convenience of communication settings between the electronic key and the onboard device when a single vehicle is shared by multiple users. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that prevents an electronic key belonging to someone other than the user from being authenticated and wirelessly connected to the onboard device.

[0003] Generally, in electronic key authentication systems, a key FOB (hereinafter simply referred to as "FOB") is widely used as the electronic key, but it is also possible to use a smartphone as the electronic key, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Furthermore, user convenience is improved by allowing multiple electronic keys, such as a smartphone and an FOB, to be used for one vehicle in case the electronic key is lost or the vehicle user changes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-141199 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-144794 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors have found that if the above-mentioned authentication system using multiple electronic keys is to be adopted in a motorcycle, the following problems are likely to occur.

[0006] When a user carrying a smartphone and FOB used as an electronic key approaches a motorcycle to unlock the handlebars or start the engine, the in-vehicle device performs authentication processing for the electronic key. In this case, the in-vehicle device performs authentication processing for the electronic key with which communication is established and wirelessly connected first. Therefore, for example, if a smartphone wirelessly connects to the in-vehicle device before the FOB, the in-vehicle device communicates with the smartphone and performs authentication processing. If smartphone authentication is successful, the in-vehicle device permits unlocking the handlebars and starting the engine, and subsequently controls the vehicle based on communication with the smartphone.

[0007] Meanwhile, recent motorcycles are equipped with a charging terminal (such as a USB terminal) inside the console box for user convenience, allowing smartphones to be charged inside the box. Suppose the user dismounts the motorcycle, leaves the charging smartphone inside the console box, and stops by a convenience store or other location. In this case, if the smartphone is authenticated through communication with the in-vehicle device, a third party without the key could unlock the handlebars or start the engine, potentially resulting in the theft of the motorcycle along with the smartphone. Therefore, a solution is needed to prevent such a situation from occurring without imposing a burden on the user.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and has as its object to improve security against vehicle theft without impairing user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention utilizes an existing answerback function for electronic key authentication, which notifies the user of the vehicle's location by flashing a lamp or sounding a buzzer in response to a switch operation on the electronic key.

[0010] The electronic key authentication device of the present invention is composed of an onboard device mounted on a vehicle and includes a communication unit that communicates with a first electronic key and a second electronic key carried by a vehicle user, an authentication unit that authenticates each electronic key based on communication with the electronic key, and a vehicle control unit that outputs a control signal to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined operation. When the communication unit receives an answerback command from the first electronic key or the second electronic key, the vehicle control unit executes processing according to the answerback command, and the authentication unit authenticates only the electronic key that sent the answerback command, but not the other electronic key.

[0011] In this way, even if the first electronic key wirelessly connects to the in-vehicle device before the second electronic key, if the answerback operation is subsequently performed using the second electronic key, the in-vehicle device communicates with the second electronic key and authenticates the second electronic key. Meanwhile, the in-vehicle device does not authenticate the first electronic key that wirelessly connected first. Therefore, even if the vehicle user gets out of the vehicle and leaves the first electronic key in the vehicle, the first electronic key is not authenticated, and the vehicle will not be able to be driven. As a result, security against vehicle theft is improved. Furthermore, the second electronic key is authenticated first simply by the user performing the answerback operation using the second electronic key. This allows the second electronic key, which the user operates at will, to be authenticated easily and reliably without having to go through complicated procedures.

[0012] In the present invention, the communication unit may perform two-way communication necessary for authentication with one of the electronic keys that sent the answerback command, and the authentication unit may perform authentication of the one of the electronic keys based on this two-way communication.

[0013] In the present invention, the authentication unit may perform authentication of the electronic key that sent the answerback command when a main switch provided in the vehicle is operated within a certain period of time after the communication unit receives the answerback command.

[0014] In the present invention, if the authentication unit authenticates the first electronic key when the communication unit has not received an answerback command, and then when the communication unit receives an answerback command from the second electronic key, the authentication unit may perform authentication of the second electronic key, and if the authentication is successful, may discard the authentication of the first electronic key and approve the authentication of the second electronic key.

[0015] In the present invention, one of the first electronic key and the second electronic key may be a smartphone, and the other of the first electronic key and the second electronic key may be a key FOB. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the electronic key on which the answerback operation is performed is authenticated preferentially, so the vehicle will not be able to be driven due to authentication of other electronic keys left in the vehicle, thereby improving security against vehicle theft without imposing a burden on the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view of an electronic key authentication system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle device, a first electronic key, and a second electronic key. FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the third embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of a conventional electronic key authentication system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, a motorcycle driven by an engine will be taken as an example of a vehicle.

[0019] 1 shows an example of an electronic key authentication system according to the present invention. The electronic key authentication system 100 includes an on-board device 1 mounted on a motorcycle 50, and a first electronic key A and a second electronic key B carried by the user of the motorcycle 50. In this embodiment, the first electronic key A is a smartphone, and the second electronic key B is a FOB, both of which are portable devices.

[0020] The on-board device 1 is mounted in a predetermined location on the motorcycle 50 and constitutes an electronic key authentication device of the present invention. The on-board device 1 communicates bidirectionally with the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B. For example, the communication method used may be Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE), a short-range wireless communication technology. Details of the communication between the on-board device 1 and the electronic keys A and B will be described later.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 1, the first electronic key A, and the second electronic key B.

[0022] The in-vehicle device 1 is composed of an ECU (electronic control unit) and includes a communication unit 11, a CPU 12, and a storage unit 13. The communication unit 11 has an antenna and a communication circuit for performing short-range wireless communication (the aforementioned BLE) with the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B. The CPU 12 has an authentication unit 14, a vehicle control unit 15, and a fall detection unit 16. The vehicle control unit 15 is equipped with a steering lock control unit 15a, an engine control unit 15b, and an answerback control unit 15c. The functions of each unit of the CPU 12 are actually realized by software, but are represented here as hardware blocks for convenience. The details of each unit of the CPU 12 will be explained later. The storage unit 13 is composed of a semiconductor memory and has an area in which programs and data necessary for the operation of the CPU 12 are stored.

[0023] Various signals are input to the on-board device 1 from the outside, but only the on / off signal line for the main switch related to the present invention is shown in Figure 2. The main switch is provided at a predetermined location on the motorcycle 50, and is operated to turn the vehicle power on and off when getting on or off the motorcycle.

[0024] The first electronic key A is configured as a smartphone and includes a communication unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a memory unit 24, and a CPU 25. The communication unit 21 has an antenna and a communication circuit for short-range wireless communication with the in-vehicle device 1. The operation unit 22 is configured as various switches, and the display unit 23 is configured as a touch panel, LED lamps, etc. The memory unit 24 is configured as a semiconductor memory. The CPU 25 constitutes a control unit that controls the operation of the first electronic key A. In addition to the above-mentioned units, the first electronic key A, which is a smartphone, also includes a speaker, a microphone, etc., but these are not shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] The second electronic key B is composed of an FOB and includes a communication unit 31, an operation unit 32, a display unit 33, a memory unit 34, and a CPU 35. The communication unit 31 has an antenna and a communication circuit for short-range wireless communication with the in-vehicle device 1. The operation unit 32 includes an answerback switch 32a and an on / off switch 32b. The display unit 33 is composed of an LED lamp or the like, and the memory unit 34 is composed of a semiconductor memory. The CPU 35 constitutes a control unit that controls the operation of the second electronic key B.

[0026] Next, we will explain the details of each part of the CPU 12 in the in-vehicle device 1. The authentication unit 14 is a block that authenticates the electronic keys based on communication with the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B. This authentication is performed by comparing the ID transmitted from each electronic key with the ID stored in the storage unit 13, and if the two IDs match, the authentication is successful.

[0027] The vehicle control unit 15 is a block that outputs control signals to cause the motorcycle 50 to perform predetermined operations. The handlebar lock control unit 15a outputs a lock signal to lock the handlebars of the motorcycle 50 and an unlock signal to unlock a locked handlebar. The engine control unit 15b outputs an engine start signal to start the engine of the motorcycle 50 and an engine stop signal to stop the engine. The answerback control unit 15c outputs a lamp drive signal to flash a lamp provided on the motorcycle 50 and a buzzer drive signal to sound a buzzer provided on the motorcycle 50 based on an answerback command (described below) transmitted from the second electronic key B. In addition to the control units 15a to 15c, the vehicle control unit 15 is equipped with various blocks that perform predetermined controls; however, these are not directly related to the present invention and are therefore not shown in the figure.

[0028] The drop detection unit 16 is a block that detects when the first electronic key A or the second electronic key B falls while the motorcycle 50 is traveling. Because communication between the in-vehicle device 1 and each electronic key is performed via short-range wireless communication, when the motorcycle 50 travels beyond the short-range wireless communication range from the point where the electronic key was dropped, the connection request signal (advertisement signal) periodically transmitted from the electronic key is no longer received by the communication unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1. As a result, the drop detection unit 16 determines that the electronic key has fallen from the motorcycle 50 when the connection request signal is interrupted a predetermined number of times or more.

[0029] Next, the operations of the vehicle-mounted device 1, the first electronic key A, and the second electronic key B in the electronic key authentication system 100 will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

[0030] 3 shows the operation of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the user operates the answerback function with the second electronic key B before getting on the motorcycle 50.

[0031] 3, steps S1 to S6 show the procedure for wirelessly connecting the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B to the vehicle-mounted device 1. Here, an example is given in which the first electronic key A is wirelessly connected to the vehicle-mounted device 1 before the second electronic key B.

[0032] The first electronic key A starts operation when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 22, and periodically transmits a connection request signal from the communication unit 21 to the in-vehicle device 1, requesting a wireless connection (step S1). When the in-vehicle device 1 receives this signal via the communication unit 11, it executes a predetermined connection process (step S2) and notifies the first electronic key A that a wireless connection has been established. This wirelessly connects the first electronic key A to the in-vehicle device 1 (step S3).

[0033] Meanwhile, the second electronic key B starts operation by turning on the on / off switch 32b of the operation unit 32, and transmits a connection request signal from the communication unit 31 later than the first electronic key A (step S4). Upon receiving this signal, the vehicle-mounted device 1 executes a predetermined connection process (step S5) and notifies the second electronic key B that a wireless connection has been established. This wirelessly connects the second electronic key B to the vehicle-mounted device 1 (step S6).

[0034] After the two electronic keys A and B are wirelessly connected to the in-vehicle device 1 in this way, when the user presses the answerback switch 32a of the operation unit 32 of the second electronic key B before getting into the vehicle (step S7), an answerback command is transmitted from the communication unit 31 of the second electronic key B (step S8). When the communication unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 receives this answerback command (step S9), the answerback control unit 15c of the vehicle control unit 15 executes processing in accordance with the answerback command.

[0035] Specifically, the hazard lights provided on the motorcycle 50 flash in response to the lamp drive signal output by the answerback control unit 15c, and the buzzer provided on the motorcycle 50 sounds in response to the buzzer drive signal output by the answerback control unit 15c (step S10). These lights and sounds allow the user to confirm the location of the motorcycle 50.

[0036] Next, the user turns on the main switch of the motorcycle 50 in order to ride the motorcycle 50 (step S11). If this main switch on operation is performed within a certain time T1 after the answerback command is received in step S9, two-way communication required for authentication is performed between the in-vehicle device 1 and the second electronic key B (steps S12 to S15).

[0037] More specifically, in the in-vehicle device 1, the authentication unit 14 generates a random number and transmits it from the communication unit 11 to the second electronic key B (step S12). In the second electronic key B, when the communication unit 31 receives the random number, the CPU 35 performs a cryptographic calculation based on the random number (step S13), and returns the calculation result from the communication unit 31 to the in-vehicle device 1 (step S14). The calculation result includes the ID of the second electronic key B. In the in-vehicle device 1, when the communication unit 11 receives the ID of the second electronic key B, the authentication unit 14 verifies the ID (step S15). In this verification, the received ID of the second electronic key B is compared with the ID stored in the memory unit 13.

[0038] If the ID verification shows that the ID of the second electronic key B matches the ID stored in the storage unit 13, the authentication unit 14 determines that the authentication was successful (step S16: YES). In this case, the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if the ID verification shows that the ID of the second electronic key B does not match the ID stored in the storage unit 13, the authentication unit 14 determines that the authentication was unsuccessful (step S16: NO). In this case, the process returns to step S11.

[0039] If the authentication of the second electronic key B is successful, in step S17, the handlebar lock control unit 15a of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs an unlock signal, and the engine control unit 15b outputs an engine start signal. This unlocks the handlebars and starts the engine, making the motorcycle 50 ready to run.

[0040] From this point on, the drop detection unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 1 starts detecting whether the second electronic key B has been dropped based on the reception status of the signal from the second electronic key B, as described above (step S18). When the drop of the second electronic key B is detected, the drop detection unit 16 outputs a drop detection signal. Based on this drop detection signal, the motorcycle 50 notifies the user that the electronic key has been dropped by issuing an alarm, displaying a message, or the like.

[0041] Next, when the user reaches the destination and gets off the motorcycle 50, the user turns off the main switch (step S19). Then, by performing a predetermined operation, an engine stop signal is output from the engine control unit 15b of the in-vehicle device 1, and a lock signal is output from the handlebar lock control unit 15a (step S20). As a result, the engine is stopped and the handlebars are locked, so that the motorcycle 50 is prohibited from traveling.

[0042] Thereafter, the vehicle-mounted device 1 executes a disconnection process to disconnect the wireless connection with each of the electronic keys A and B (step S21). As a result, communication between the first electronic key A and the vehicle-mounted device 1 is disconnected (step S22), and communication between the second electronic key B and the vehicle-mounted device 1 is also disconnected (step S23).

[0043] According to the first embodiment described above, even if the first electronic key A wirelessly connects to the vehicle-mounted device 1 first and the second electronic key B wirelessly connects to the vehicle-mounted device 1 later, when the answerback switch 32a of the second electronic key B is subsequently pressed, the vehicle-mounted device 1 communicates with the second electronic key B and authenticates the second electronic key B. On the other hand, the vehicle-mounted device 1 does not authenticate the first electronic key A, which wirelessly connected first. Therefore, even if the user of the motorcycle 50 leaves the smartphone (first electronic key A) in a charging state in the console box before getting off the motorcycle and stopping by a convenience store or the like, the smartphone will not be authenticated, and the handlebars of the motorcycle 50 will not be unlocked or the engine will not be started. This improves security against theft of the motorcycle 50 by a third party. Furthermore, the user can simply press the answerback switch 32a of the FOB, which is the second electronic key B, and the FOB will be authenticated first, so the FOB that the user operates at their own will can be easily and reliably made into an authenticated electronic key without having to go through complicated procedures.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a conventional flowchart shown as a comparative example. In the figure, steps that perform the same processes as in FIG. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals. As can be seen from a comparison with FIG. 3, steps S7 to S10 shown in FIG. 3 do not exist between steps S6 and S11 in FIG. 6. Therefore, when the main switch is turned on in step S11, the in-vehicle device 1 communicates with the first electronic key A that was previously wirelessly connected and authenticates the first electronic key A (steps S12 to S16). For this reason, as mentioned at the beginning, if the user leaves the motorcycle 50 while the smartphone that is the first electronic key A is left in the console box, a third party may be able to unlock the handlebars or start the engine, which could result in the theft of the motorcycle 50.

[0045] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, it is assumed that the user operates the answerback function using the second electronic key B after getting off the motorcycle 50.

[0046] In Figure 4, steps that perform the same processes as in Figure 3 are given the same reference numerals. Steps S1 to S6, step S11, steps S16 to S17, and steps S19 to S20 in Figure 4 are the same as those described in Figure 3. Meanwhile, in Figure 4, steps S7 to S10 in Figure 3 have been moved after step S20. Also, due to space limitations, step S18 in Figure 3 is omitted in Figure 4, but this step S18 may be added after step S17 in Figure 4.

[0047] In step S11 of Fig. 4, when the main switch is turned on after a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous answerback, the in-vehicle device 1 communicates with the previously wirelessly connected first electronic key A (steps S12 to S15), as in the conventional method (Fig. 6), and authenticates the first electronic key A based on this communication (step S16). If the authentication is successful, the in-vehicle device 1 outputs an unlock signal and an engine start signal (step S17), and the motorcycle 50 becomes ready to run.

[0048] After driving the motorcycle 50, the user turns off the main switch when getting off (step S19) and performs a predetermined operation, which stops the engine and locks the handlebars (step S20). When the user then presses the answerback switch 32a of the second electronic key B (step S7), an answerback command is transmitted from the second electronic key B (step S8), as in the case of Fig. 3. When the in-vehicle device 1 receives this answerback command (step S9), it executes processing in accordance with the answerback command, such as flashing the hazard lights or sounding the buzzer (step S10).

[0049] Next, the user turns on the main switch to get back on the motorcycle 50 (step S11'). If this main switch on operation is performed within a certain time T2 after the answerback command is received in step S9, two-way communication required for authentication is performed between the in-vehicle device 1 and the second electronic key B (steps S12' to S15'). This communication is the same as the communication in steps S12 to S15 described in FIG. 3.

[0050] If the result of the comparison in step S15' is that the ID of the second electronic key B matches the ID stored in the storage unit 13, the authentication unit 14 determines that authentication has been successful (step S16': YES). In this case, as in step S17, the handlebar lock control unit 15a of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs an unlock signal, and the engine control unit 15b outputs an engine start signal (step S17'). This unlocks the handlebars and starts the engine, making the motorcycle 50 ready to ride again.

[0051] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, it is assumed that the user operates the answerback function using the second electronic key B while riding the motorcycle 50. An example of an example in which the answerback function is performed while riding the motorcycle 50 is when the user takes the second electronic key B (FOB) out of their pocket and presses the answerback switch 32a while the motorcycle 50 is stopped at a red light.

[0052] In Fig. 5, steps that perform the same processes as in Figs. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals. Steps S1 to S6 in Fig. 5 are the same as those described in Fig. 3. Furthermore, steps S11 to S17 in Fig. 5 are the same as those described in Fig. 4. Meanwhile, in Fig. 5, steps S7 to S10 in Fig. 3 have been moved after step S18. Furthermore, steps S25 and S26 have been newly added.

[0053] When the user presses the answerback switch 32a of the second electronic key B while riding the motorcycle 50 (step S7), an answerback command is transmitted from the second electronic key B (step S8), as in the case of Fig. 3. When the in-vehicle device 1 receives this answerback command (step S9), it executes processing in response to the answerback command, such as flashing the hazard lights or sounding the buzzer (step S10).

[0054] Next, two-way communication required for authentication is performed between the in-vehicle device 1 and the second electronic key B (steps S12' to S15'). This communication is the same as the communication in steps S12' to S15' described with reference to FIG. 4. If the result of the comparison in step S15' shows that the ID of the second electronic key B matches the ID stored in the storage unit 13, the authentication unit 14 determines that authentication has been successful (step S16': YES). In this case, the authentication unit 14 discards the authentication of the first electronic key A that was wirelessly connected earlier (step S16) (step S25) and approves the authentication of the second electronic key B that was wirelessly connected later (step S26). As a result, the authentication of the first electronic key A becomes invalid and the authentication of the second electronic key B becomes valid thereafter.

[0055] In the second and third embodiments described above, as in the first embodiment, the second electronic key B is given priority for authentication by operating the answerback, thereby improving the security of the motorcycle 50 against theft without placing a burden on the user.

[0056] In addition to the above-described embodiment, the present invention can employ various other embodiments as follows.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the first electronic key A is a smartphone and the second electronic key B is an FOB, but the opposite may be true: the first electronic key A is an FOB and the second electronic key B is a smartphone. Furthermore, both the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B may be smartphones, or both may be FOBs. Furthermore, a small tablet device or the like may be used instead of a smartphone.

[0058] In the above-described embodiment, after the vehicle unit 1 receives an answerback command from the second electronic key B, it performs two-way communication with the second electronic key B required for authentication to obtain the ID of the second electronic key B, but the ID of the second electronic key B may also be included in the answerback command sent from the second electronic key B.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which BLE was used as short-range wireless communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the first electronic key A and the second electronic key B, but instead, other short-range wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark) may be used.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the motorcycle 50 is exemplified as one that uses an engine as a power source for running, but the motorcycle 50 may also be an electric motorcycle that uses a motor as a power source for running.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the motorcycle 50 is used as an example of a vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to vehicles such as a three-wheeled motor vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. In-vehicle device (electronic key authentication device) A First electronic key B Second electronic key 11 Communications Department 14 Authentication Section 15 Vehicle control unit 32a Answerback switch 50 Motorcycles (vehicles) 100 Electronic Key Authentication System

Claims

1. A device that is configured to be mounted on a vehicle and that authenticates a first electronic key and a second electronic key carried by a vehicle user, a communication unit that communicates with the first electronic key and the second electronic key; an authentication unit that authenticates each of the electronic keys based on communication with the electronic keys; a vehicle control unit that outputs a control signal to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined operation, When the communication unit receives an answerback command from the first electronic key or the second electronic key, the vehicle control unit executes a process in response to the answerback command, The electronic key authentication device is characterized in that the authentication unit only authenticates one of the electronic keys that transmitted the answerback command, and does not authenticate the other electronic key.

2. 2. The electronic key authentication device according to claim 1, the communication unit performs two-way communication necessary for authentication with one of the electronic keys that transmitted the answerback command; The electronic key authentication device is characterized in that the authentication unit authenticates one of the electronic keys based on the two-way communication.

3. 3. The electronic key authentication device according to claim 1, wherein: The authentication unit An electronic key authentication device characterized in that, if a main switch installed in the vehicle is operated within a certain period of time after the communication unit receives the answerback command, authentication of one of the electronic keys is performed.

4. 3. The electronic key authentication device according to claim 1, wherein: The authentication unit If the first electronic key is authenticated without the communication unit receiving the answerback command, when the communication unit subsequently receives the answerback command from the second electronic key, the communication unit authenticates the second electronic key; If the authentication is successful, the authentication of the first electronic key is cancelled and the authentication of the second electronic key is approved.

5. An electronic key authentication system includes an on-board device mounted in a vehicle, and a first electronic key and a second electronic key carried by a vehicle user, the on-board device authenticating the electronic keys based on communication with the first electronic key and the second electronic key, the first electronic key or the second electronic key has an answerback switch for transmitting an answerback command to the in-vehicle device; The vehicle-mounted device is When the answerback command is received by operating the answerback switch, the process according to the command is executed, and An electronic key authentication system characterized in that authentication is performed only for one electronic key that transmitted the answerback command, and authentication is not performed for the other electronic key.

6. 6. The electronic key authentication system according to claim 5, one of the first electronic key and the second electronic key is a smartphone; 10. An electronic key authentication system, wherein the other of the first electronic key and the second electronic key is a key FOB.

7. A method for authenticating a first electronic key and a second electronic key carried by a vehicle user based on communication between an on-board device mounted on a vehicle and the first electronic key and a second electronic key carried by the vehicle user, the method comprising: receiving an answerback command from the first electronic key or the second electronic key; a step of executing a process in response to the answerback command; and a step of authenticating only one of the electronic keys that transmitted the answerback command, without authenticating the other electronic key.

8. An electronic key authentication method in an electronic key authentication system including an on-board device mounted on a vehicle and a first electronic key and a second electronic key held by a vehicle user, comprising: a step of transmitting an answerback command from the first electronic key or the second electronic key; a procedure in which the in-vehicle device receives the answerback command; a procedure in which the in-vehicle device executes a process in response to the answerback command; and a procedure in which the on-board device authenticates only one of the electronic keys that transmitted the answerback command, and does not authenticate the other electronic key.

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