Apparatus and control method

Abstract

To provide a system etc. capable of easily establishing communication using a high frequency wave between a portable terminal device and an in-vehicle apparatus.SOLUTION: The apparatus comprises: a distance measurement part that carries out distance measurement for measuring a distance to another apparatus by wireless communication; and a notification part that, when the wireless communication to the in-vehicle apparatus is blocked, notifies a user that communication is not possible because the wireless communication to the in-vehicle apparatus is blocked .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system using a portable terminal device used for vehicles and the like.

Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle authentication system, a smart key system is known. In the smart key system, a portable terminal device such as an electronic key held by a user communicates with an in-vehicle device by short-range wireless communication for authentication, and for example, operations such as unlocking and locking a vehicle door and starting a vehicle engine are permitted to the vehicle (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] On the other hand, as a type of short-range wireless communication, UWB (Ultra-Wideband) wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as "UWB communication") capable of performing high-precision distance measurement has been proposed. UWB communication can measure distance based on, for example, the transmission time of a pulse wave.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the smart key system, if authentication is performed between the portable terminal device and the vehicle, and further, the presence range of the portable terminal device is accurately detected by distance measurement using UWB communication, and based on this, the permission or non-permission of vehicle operation is determined, security and service quality can be improved. However, since UWB communication uses radio waves including a high-frequency band that is difficult to penetrate, depending on the position of the pocket that houses the portable terminal device or the contents packed in the bag, and due to the human body or metal, etc., there is a risk of being shielded from the in-vehicle device and losing communication, making it difficult to apply to the smart key system. [[ID=,41]]

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a system that facilitates high-frequency communication between a mobile terminal device and an in-vehicle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention is a device comprising: a distance measuring unit that performs distance measuring processing to measure the distance between itself and another device via wireless communication; and a notification unit that notifies the user that wireless communication is blocked and communication is not possible with the in-vehicle device when wireless communication is blocked with the in-vehicle device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, if high-frequency communication is not possible between a mobile terminal device and an in-vehicle device, this fact can be notified, thus providing a system that facilitates communication using high frequencies. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Functional block diagrams of authentication systems according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention [Figure 2] This figure shows examples of the communication range and predetermined distance range used for determining the results of distance measurement communication according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3] Flowchart showing the process according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the process according to the second embodiment of the present invention [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (overview) In the authentication system according to the present invention, in addition to authentication, the precise range of the mobile terminal device can be determined by distance measurement, thereby improving security and quality. Furthermore, if communication is not possible due to shielding of the high-frequency signal used for distance measurement between the system and the in-vehicle equipment, the system can notify the user of this fact and encourage them to remove the shielding, making it easier to establish distance measurement communication.

[0011] (First Embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <Structure> Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of the authentication system 10 according to this embodiment. The authentication system 10 includes a portable terminal device 100 and an in-vehicle device 200 mounted on a vehicle 400.

[0013] The mobile terminal device 100 includes a UHF communication unit 102 (first communication unit), a UWB communication unit 103 (second communication unit), a control unit 101 (first control unit), and a notification unit 104. The in-vehicle device 200 also includes a UHF communication unit 202 (third communication unit), a UWB communication unit 203 (fourth communication unit), and a control unit 201 (second control unit).

[0014] The mobile terminal device 100 and the in-vehicle device 200 communicate primarily for authentication purposes using their respective UHF communication units 102 and 202. In this embodiment, radio waves in the 300-400 MHz band are used for this communication, but radio waves in other bands may also be used. For example, radio waves in the LF band may be used in part.

[0015] Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 100 and the in-vehicle device 200 communicate primarily for distance measurement using their respective UWB communication units 103 and 203. In this communication, radio waves in a frequency band that includes frequencies higher than the frequency band used by the UHF communication units 102 and 202 are used. In this embodiment, as an example, UWB communication is performed using a band of 3 to 10 GHz.

[0016] The notification unit 104 of the mobile terminal device 100 has a vibrator or a speaker, etc., and can generate vibrations or sounds, etc., to alert the user who holds the mobile terminal device 100.

[0017] The functions of each part of the mobile terminal device 100 and the in-vehicle device 200 are controlled by the respective control units 101 and 201.

[0018] <Wireless communication> FIG. 2 shows an example of the communication range. The communication range 501 by the UHF communication units 102 and 202 is a range of about 10 m or less from the antenna provided in the vehicle 400. That is, if the mobile terminal device 100 is within the communication range 501, authentication is possible.

[0019] <Processing> FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the in-vehicle device 200 when the mobile terminal device 100 enters the communication range 501 by the UHF communication units 102 and 202. Referring to FIG. 3, the processing will be described.

[0020] Step S101: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 uses the UHF communication unit 202 to perform authentication communication with the UHF communication unit 102 controlled by the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal device 100.

[0021] Step S102: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether authentication has been successful based on the communication result. Authentication is performed, for example, by obtaining the identifier of the mobile terminal device 100 through encrypted communication and collating it. If authentication is successful, the process proceeds to step S103, and if not, the process returns to step S101. In addition, if the communication from the mobile terminal device 100 itself is interrupted, it is highly likely that the mobile terminal device 100 has gone out of the communication range 501 by the UHF communication units 102 and 202, so the processing of this flowchart is aborted. Even when authentication is successful, in parallel with the subsequent processing, communication between the UHF communication units 202 and 102 is periodically performed, and if the communication from the mobile terminal device 100 itself is interrupted, the processing of this flowchart is aborted.

[0022] Step S103: Initialize a counter to count the number of consecutive failures in subsequent range measurement communications and set its value to 0.

[0023] Step S104: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 uses the UWB communication unit 203 to communicate with the UWB communication unit 103 controlled by the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal device 100 for the purpose of measuring distance.

[0024] Step S105: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether the distance measurement was successful based on the communication result. If the distance measurement is successful, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S107. If the measurement is unsuccessful, it is highly likely that the mobile terminal device 100 is within the communication range 501 of the UWB communication units 103 and 203, and is being shielded from the antenna by a human body or metal objects such as a laptop in a bag.

[0025] Step S106: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle equipment 200 determines whether the distance between the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 and the mobile terminal device 100, as indicated by the distance measurement result, is within a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is preferably a value smaller than the communication distance of the UHF communication units 102 and 202, and can be, for example, 2m or less. Figure 2 shows an example of such a range 502 within the predetermined distance. If the determination result is within the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step S110; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0026] Step S107: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 increments the count value by 1.

[0027] Step S108: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether the count value exceeds a predetermined value. If it does, proceed to step S109; otherwise, return to step S104. The predetermined value can be, for example, 3.

[0028] Step S109: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle equipment 200 has the UHF communication unit 202 transmit a radio signal indicating that the distance measurement has failed because it has failed to measure the distance for a predetermined number of consecutive times. When the control unit 101 of the portable terminal device 100 receives this radio signal from the UHF communication unit 102, it activates the notification unit 104 to notify the user of this fact. The process then proceeds to step S103. The user is alerted by the notification and moves the portable terminal device 100 by changing their posture, orientation, or moving their bag, thereby removing the obstruction and increasing the likelihood of successful distance measurement in subsequent steps.

[0029] Step S110: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle equipment 200 authorizes the operation of the vehicle based on a predetermined operation. For example, if the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 is located near the door handle of the vehicle 400, touching the door handle will cause the door to be unlocked. This completes the process up to authorizing the predetermined operation, but the system can continue to measure the distance, and if the measurement is unsuccessful or the distance is not within the predetermined range, it can revoke the authorization for the predetermined operation.

[0030] <Effects> Through the above process, the range of the mobile terminal device 100 that authorizes the operation of the vehicle by predetermined operations can be accurately limited to a narrower range by distance measurement using UWB communication, thereby improving security while also improving service quality. Furthermore, if the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 is installed, for example, near the driver's seat, it can be determined with higher accuracy whether the mobile terminal device 100 is in the driver's seat inside the vehicle, and thus it is possible to determine whether or not the engine start operation by pressing the engine start button is permitted. In addition, if the mobile terminal device 100 is shielded from the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203, the user can be prompted to remove the shielding.

[0031] (Second embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0032] <Structure> The functional blocks of the authentication system 20 according to this embodiment are the same as those of the authentication system 10 according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for each part. The authentication system 20 includes a portable terminal device 100 and an in-vehicle device 200 mounted on a vehicle 400. The portable terminal device 100 includes a UHF communication unit 102 (first communication unit), a UWB communication unit 103 (second communication unit), a control unit 101 (first control unit), and a notification unit 104. The in-vehicle device 200 also includes a UHF communication unit 202 (fifth communication unit), a UWB communication unit 203 (sixth communication unit), and a control unit 201 (third control unit).

[0033] <Processing> In this embodiment, the processes performed differ from those in the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the in-vehicle device 200 when the mobile terminal device 100 according to this embodiment enters the communication range 501 provided by the UHF communication units 102 and 202. The processes will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

[0034] Step S201: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 uses the UHF communication unit 202 to communicate with the UHF communication unit 102 of the mobile terminal device 100 for authentication purposes.

[0035] Step S202: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether authentication was successful or not based on the communication result. Authentication is performed, for example, by obtaining the identifier of the mobile terminal device through encrypted communication and verifying it. If authentication is successful, the process proceeds to step S203; otherwise, it returns to step S201. If communication from the mobile terminal device 100 is interrupted, it is highly likely that the mobile terminal device 100 has moved out of the communication range 501 provided by the UHF communication units 102 and 202, so the processing of this flowchart is stopped. Even if authentication is successful, communication between the UHF communication units 202 and 102 is performed periodically in parallel with the subsequent processing, and if communication from the mobile terminal device 100 is interrupted, the processing of this flowchart is stopped.

[0036] Step S203: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 uses the UWB communication unit 203 to communicate with the UWB communication unit 103 of the mobile terminal device 100 for distance measurement.

[0037] Step S204: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether a predetermined operation on the vehicle, such as touching a door handle, has been detected. If detected, proceed to step S205; otherwise, proceed to step S207.

[0038] Step S205: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether the distance measurement was successful based on the communication result. If the distance measurement is successful, proceed to step S206; otherwise, proceed to step S208. If the measurement is unsuccessful, it is highly likely that the mobile terminal device 100 is within the communication range 501 of the UWB communication units 103 and 203, and is being shielded from the antenna by a human body or metal objects such as a laptop in a bag.

[0039] Step S206: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether the distance between the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 and the mobile terminal device 100, as indicated by the distance measurement result, is within a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is preferably a value smaller than the distance over which communication is possible by the UHF communication units 102 and 202, and can be, for example, 2m or less. If the determination result is within the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step S209; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S207. Distance measurement communication may be performed multiple times at predetermined time intervals, but for the determination, it is preferable to use the distance measurement result at the time closest to when the predetermined operation was detected. If the distance is not within the predetermined distance, it can be determined that the detected predetermined operation was not performed by the user themselves.

[0040] Step S207: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 waits for a predetermined time. The predetermined time can be, for example, 0.5 seconds. Then the process returns to step S203.

[0041] Step S208: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle equipment 200, having failed to measure the distance, instructs the UHF communication unit 202 to transmit a radio signal indicating that the distance measurement failed. When the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal device 100 receives this radio signal from the UHF communication unit 102, it activates the notification unit 104 to notify the user of this fact. The process then proceeds to step S203. The user, alerted by the notification, changes their posture and orientation, or moves their bag, and moves the mobile terminal device 100, thereby removing the obstruction and increasing the likelihood of successful distance measurement afterward.

[0042] Step S209: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 executes a vehicle operation based on a predetermined operation it has detected. For example, if the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203 is located near the door handle of the vehicle 400, and step S204 detects that a touch operation has been performed on that door, the control unit actually performs the unlock operation on that door. This completes the process up to the execution of the predetermined operation, but the process from step S203 onwards can be repeated to detect other predetermined operations.

[0043] <Effects> Through the above process, the range of the mobile terminal device 100 for executing vehicle operations based on predetermined operations can be accurately limited to a narrower range by distance measurement using UWB communication, thereby improving security while also improving service quality. Furthermore, if the mobile terminal device 100 is shielded from the antenna of the UWB communication unit 203, the user can be prompted to remove the shielding. In addition, in this embodiment, the notification unit 104 does not perform a notification operation even if distance measurement fails until a predetermined operation is performed on the vehicle, thus reducing the risk of unnecessary notifications. Alternatively, distance measurement communication may be performed within a predetermined period after the predetermined operation is detected, and the vehicle operation may be performed if the distance measurement communication is successful and the mobile terminal device is within the predetermined distance.

[0044] In either embodiment, by providing multiple antennas in the UWB communication unit 203 of the in-vehicle device 200, the location of the mobile terminal device can be determined more accurately, and services that are more precisely tailored to the user's location can be provided.

[0045] Furthermore, the present invention can be viewed not only as a system including in-vehicle equipment and mobile terminal devices, but also as a method executed by multiple computers equipped with processors. It can also be viewed as in-vehicle equipment and mobile terminal devices that constitute the system. [Industrial applicability]

[0046] This invention is useful for vehicle authentication systems and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10, 20 Authentication Systems 100 Mobile terminal devices 400 vehicles 200 Automotive equipment 101 Control Unit (First Control Unit) 102 UHF Communications Department (First Communications Department) 103 UWB Communications Department (Second Communications Department) 104 Hochi Department 201 Control Unit (Second and Third Control Units) 202 UHF Communications Department (3rd and 5th Communications Departments) 203 UWB Communications Unit (4th and 6th Communications Units) 501 Communication range via UHF communication 502 A predetermined distance range for determining the distance measurement result.

Claims

1. It is a device, A first communication unit that performs authentication processing on the vehicle, A second communication unit performs distance measurement processing to measure the distance to the vehicle via wireless communication, A device comprising: a notification unit that notifies the user that communication is not possible due to interference with the in-vehicle equipment of the vehicle, if the wireless communication is blocked and communication is not possible between the in-vehicle equipment and the device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit performs the authentication process by conducting a second wireless communication in a different frequency band from the wireless communication with the vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication is a UWB communication.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is a portable terminal device.

5. A control method performed by the computer of the device, The steps include: performing a distance measurement process to measure the distance between the device and the vehicle using wireless communication; A control method comprising the step of notifying the user that communication is not possible due to interference with the in-vehicle equipment of the vehicle, if the wireless communication is blocked and communication is not possible between the in-vehicle equipment and the vehicle.

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