Electronic key system

Abstract

To enable a highly convenient lending of a test-driving car while suppressing an occurrence of a problem on security.SOLUTION: A first portable terminal executes a process that includes: a step of transmitting reservation information to a managing server (S102) when an input of the reservation information completes (step S100: YES); a step of storing a digital key (S106) when the digital key is received from the managing server (S104: YES); a step of executing a communication connecting process (step S112) when moved to a test-driving place (S108: YES) and when a second portable terminal is detected (S110: YES): and a step of executing an activation process (S116) when activation information is received from the second portable terminal (S114: YES).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic key system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-004317 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique in which when a target vehicle is recognized by an incoming vehicle recognition unit, an electronic key that enables operation of the target vehicle is transmitted as a digital key to a communication terminal of a parking staff for valet parking. By such an operation, the parking staff can operate the target vehicle using the electronic key and return the target vehicle to the vehicle storage space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When making a reservation and lending out a test drive vehicle handled at a dealership or the like using a digital key as described above, a digital key is automatically issued to the user at the time of reserving the test drive vehicle (more specifically, the digital key is downloaded to the user's mobile terminal). However, if the automatically issued digital key is equivalent to the digital key held by the staff at a dealership or the like, the user can unlock and use the test drive vehicle even when the staff at a dealership or the like is absent, which may cause security problems.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic key system that can lend out a test drive vehicle with high convenience while suppressing the occurrence of security problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic key system relating to a certain aspect of this disclosure comprises a portable terminal to which a digital key enabling the unlocking and use of a vehicle is assigned in an invalid state, and a terminal capable of communicating with the portable terminal. The terminal includes a detection unit for detecting the approach of the portable terminal, a storage unit for storing activation information that enables the digital key assigned to the portable terminal to be set to an active state, and a transmission unit that, when the approach of the portable terminal is detected and predetermined conditions are met, transmits the activation information to the portable terminal.

[0007] In this system, the digital key on the mobile device cannot unlock or use the vehicle until it is activated by the device. Therefore, for example, it can deter a user who has reserved a test drive vehicle and downloaded the digital key from using the vehicle on their own.

[0008] In one embodiment, the predetermined conditions include the condition that the distance between the mobile terminal and the terminal is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0009] This configuration activates the digital key when the mobile device and the terminal come within a threshold distance, thereby discouraging users from using the test vehicle independently while improving convenience during the test vehicle's use.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the predetermined conditions include the condition that an operation for transmitting activation information has been performed on the terminal.

[0011] In this way, activation information is sent to the mobile device upon operation on the terminal, allowing the terminal operator to recognize that the digital key on the mobile device has been activated.

[0012] In one further embodiment, the mobile terminal is a first mobile terminal. The terminal includes a second mobile terminal to which an active digital key has been assigned.

[0013] This allows for the management of tasks such as washing and maintaining test vehicles using a second mobile device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an electronic key system that allows for convenient rental of test drive vehicles while suppressing the occurrence of security problems. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the overall configuration of the electronic key system 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle configuration. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of the processes performed on the management server, the first mobile terminal, and the second mobile terminal. [Figure 4] In the modified example, the flowchart shows an example of the processing performed on the management server, the first mobile terminal, and the second mobile terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the electronic key system 1 according to this embodiment. The electronic key system 1 manages the electronic keys (specifically, digital keys) of multiple vehicles. In reality, the electronic key system 1 can manage the digital keys of many vehicles, but for the sake of explanation, a specific vehicle 100 will be described as an example below.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the electronic key system 1 includes a communication network 6, a wireless base station 7, a management server 8, a vehicle 100, a first mobile terminal 400, and a second mobile terminal 402.

[0019] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is, for example, a test drive vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a test drive car) managed by a vehicle dealership (hereinafter referred to as a dealer). That is, the vehicle 100 is a vehicle owned by the dealer. The dealer may be any vehicle dealership that owns test drive cars, and may be, for example, a used vehicle dealership.

[0020] The vehicle 100 may be, for example, a vehicle with an engine as a drive source, or an electric vehicle with an electric motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor and using at least one of them as a drive source.

[0021] The electronic key system 1 is configured to manage the reservation and rental of the test drive car by obtaining information regarding the reservation of the test drive car described later from the first mobile terminal 400 configured to be communicable with the management server 8 and providing information regarding the digital key for using the test drive car.

[0022] The management server 8 includes a control device 11, a communication device 13, and a storage device 15. The control device 11, the communication device 13, and the storage device 15 are connected to each other so as to be communicable via a communication bus 14.

[0023] The control device 11 includes a processor 11a that executes programs such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)) 11b, and an input / output port (not shown) that inputs and outputs various signals. The program stored in the memory 11b is read by the processor 11a and software processing is executed. Various controls by the control device 11 can also be realized by a general-purpose computer (not shown) executing the programs stored in the storage device 15. Various controls by the control device 11 are not limited to software processing, and may be processed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuits).

[0024] The storage device 15 stores predetermined information about the vehicle 100, which is configured to communicate with the management server 8. This predetermined information includes, for example, information about the control program of the vehicle 100 (described later), information for identifying the vehicle 100 (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle ID), information about the test drive reservation, and information about the test drive vehicle's digital key. The vehicle ID is unique information set for each vehicle. The management server 8 can identify the source or destination test drive vehicle by the vehicle ID.

[0025] The communication device 13 is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 via the communication network 6 and the wireless base station 7 in a predetermined communication format. The predetermined communication format includes, for example, wireless communication in accordance with communication standards used for wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) or communication standards used for fourth-generation or fifth-generation mobile communication systems (mobile phone communication networks).

[0026] The first mobile terminal 400 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone, tablet, or wearable device. The first mobile terminal 400 includes a control device 400a, a communication device 400b, a storage device 400c, a position detection device 400d, and a user interface (hereinafter referred to as UI) 400e. The control device 400a, the communication device 400b, the storage device 400c, the position detection device 400d, and the UI 400e are connected to each other via a communication bus (not shown).

[0027] The control device 400a includes a processor such as a CPU that executes programs, memory, and input / output ports (none of which are shown) that input and output various signals. The operation and functions of the control device are the same as those of the control device 11 of the management server 8, so a detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0028] The communication device 400b is configured to communicate directly with the second mobile terminal 402 using a predetermined communication format (for example, short-range wireless communication), or to communicate with the management server 8 via the communication network 6 and the wireless base station 7 using a predetermined communication format (for example, a mobile phone network).

[0029] The storage device 400c stores information about unlocking or locking the passenger doors of the vehicle 100 and about the digital key used to operate the vehicle 100.

[0030] The position detection device 400d detects the location information of the first mobile terminal 400, for example. The position detection device 400d detects the location of the first mobile terminal 400 using, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites or wireless LAN.

[0031] The UI400e includes, for example, a display device for displaying various information and an input device for receiving user input. The UI400e may be configured, for example, by a touch panel display.

[0032] The second mobile terminal 402 has the same configuration as the first mobile terminal 400. Therefore, a detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0033] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 100. As shown in Figure 2, vehicle 100 includes a door lock device 120, a communication device 130, a drive device 150, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 170.

[0034] The door lock device 120 is configured to switch between a locked state, which restricts the opening and closing of a closed passenger door (not shown), and an unlocked state, which allows the closed passenger door to be opened and closed, in response to a control signal from the ECU 170. For example, the door lock device 120 is controlled to enter the locked state when it receives a control signal indicating a lock command from the ECU 170. Similarly, the door lock device 120 is controlled to enter the unlocked state when it receives a control signal indicating an unlock command from the ECU 170.

[0035] The communication device 130 is composed of, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module). The communication device 130 is configured to enable bidirectional communication with the management server 8 via the communication network 6 and the wireless base station 7. Furthermore, the communication device 130 is configured to communicate with each of the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 either via the communication network 6 and the wireless base station 7 or directly.

[0036] The drive unit 150 includes, for example, a power source such as an engine or motor generator for generating driving force in the vehicle 100, and a transmission including a gearbox or differential for transmitting the output of the power source to the drive wheels.

[0037] The ECU170 is a computer having a processor that executes programs such as a CPU, memory, and an input / output interface. The ECU170 includes various control programs for controlling various actuators mounted on the vehicle 100. These various control programs include, for example, at least one of steering control, drive control, and braking control programs. In this embodiment, the various control programs further include a control program for controlling the door lock device 120.

[0038] For example, when the ECU 170 can communicate with a device for locking or unlocking the external door locks of the vehicle 100 via the communication device 130, it authenticates whether the device is a legitimate device capable of locking or unlocking the door locks using authentication information (digital key) received from the device. For example, the ECU 170 authenticates that the device being communicated with is a legitimate device capable of locking or unlocking the door locks if the received authentication information matches the authentication information stored in memory. In this case, when the ECU 170 receives an unlock command from the device to the door lock device 120, it controls the door lock device 120 to enter the unlocked state. A similar authentication process is performed when making the vehicle 100 available for use, but a detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0039] In this embodiment, a second mobile terminal 402 is included as a legitimate device capable of locking or unlocking the passenger doors. The memory of the second mobile terminal 402 is pre-stored with authentication information that enables the unlocking of the vehicle 100's door lock device 120. For example, by launching an application, the second mobile terminal 402 can be used to lock or unlock the passenger doors. When a lock or unlock operation is received, the terminal communicates with the ECU 170 to perform an authentication process. After authentication, if a lock command or unlock command is sent to the ECU 170, the passenger doors can be locked or unlocked.

[0040] When using the electronic key system 1 having the configuration described above to reserve and rent test drive vehicles handled by vehicle dealerships, etc., a digital key may be automatically issued to the user's terminal when the test drive vehicle is reserved. For example, when the reservation process is performed using the first mobile terminal 400, which is the user's mobile terminal, the reservation information is registered in the management server 8, and information indicating the digital key becomes downloadable from the management server 8. In this case, if the automatically issued digital key is equivalent to the digital key held by the staff of the dealership, etc. (for example, the digital key stored in the second mobile terminal 402), the user may be able to unlock and use the test drive vehicle using the first mobile terminal 400 even when the staff of the dealership, etc. is absent, which could lead to security problems.

[0041] Therefore, in this embodiment, when reservation information entered using the first mobile terminal 400 is registered with the management server 8, the management server 8 assigns a digital key to the first mobile terminal 400 in an invalid state. When the second mobile terminal 402 detects the approach of the first mobile terminal 400, it transmits activation information to the first mobile terminal 400 that enables the digital key to be set to an active state when predetermined conditions are met. The first mobile terminal 400 updates the digital key to an active state using the activation information. In this embodiment, the predetermined conditions include the condition that the distance between the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0042] In this way, the digital key on the first mobile terminal 400 cannot be used to unlock or operate the vehicle 100 until it is updated to an active state by the second mobile terminal 402, thus preventing, for example, a person who has reserved a test drive vehicle from using the test drive vehicle alone.

[0043] The following describes an example of processing performed on the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed on the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402. The series of processes shown in this flowchart are repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals on the management server 8 (specifically, the control device 11 of the management server 8), the first mobile terminal 400 (specifically, the control device 400a of the first mobile terminal 400), and the second mobile terminal 402 (specifically, the control device of the second mobile terminal 402). The following describes the processing performed on the first mobile terminal 400 with reference to Figure 3.

[0044] In step 100 (hereinafter referred to as S), the first mobile terminal 400 determines whether or not the input of reservation information has been completed. The reservation information is the information necessary to reserve a test drive of the test vehicle 100, and includes, for example, information that identifies the test vehicle (vehicle type, etc.), information that identifies the user of the first mobile terminal 400 (name, address, etc.), and information related to usage (scheduled start time of use, scheduled end time of use, etc.). The first mobile terminal 400 determines that the input of reservation information has been completed when, for example, the necessary information for creating the reservation information has been entered in an app, etc., and the entered information has been confirmed. In addition, the first mobile terminal 400 may be configured so that, for example, the input of reservation information is only possible when a reservable time slot is selected. If it is determined that the input of reservation information has been completed (YES in S100), the process moves to S102.

[0045] In S102, the first mobile terminal 400 transmits the reservation information to the management server 8. The first mobile terminal 400 creates the reservation information using the input information and transmits the created reservation information to the management server 8 via the wireless base station 7 and the communication network 6. The process then moves to S104.

[0046] In S104, the first mobile terminal 400 determines whether or not to receive a digital key from the management server 8. After registering the reservation information as described later, the management server 8 sends an invalid digital key to the first mobile terminal 400. The invalid digital key may be configured, for example, to include information that does not match the authentication information on the vehicle 100 side when the authentication process is performed. If it is determined that a digital key has been received (YES in S104), the process moves to S106.

[0047] In S106, the first mobile terminal 400 stores the received digital key in the memory device 400c. The subsequent processing is then moved to S108.

[0048] In S108, the first mobile terminal 400 determines whether its current location is a test drive location where the reserved test drive vehicle is located. The test drive location refers to, for example, the location of the dealer where the test drive vehicle 100 is parked. The first mobile terminal 400 may, for example, acquire location information of the test drive location when reserving the test drive vehicle. The first mobile terminal 400 determines that its current location is a test drive location if, for example, the distance between the location of the first mobile terminal 400 detected using the location detection device 400d and the location indicating the dealer's location is within a threshold, or if the location of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined range including the location indicating the dealer's location. If it is determined that the current location is a test drive location (YES in S108), the process moves to S110.

[0049] In S110, the first mobile terminal 400 determines whether or not it has detected the second mobile terminal 402. The first mobile terminal 400 may determine that it has detected the second mobile terminal 402 if, for example, the second mobile terminal 402 is detected as a device capable of communication. The first mobile terminal may, for example, acquire information for detecting the second mobile terminal 402 when making a reservation for a test drive vehicle. If it is determined that the second mobile terminal 402 has been detected (YES in S110), the process moves to S112.

[0050] In S112, the first mobile terminal 400 performs a communication connection process. The first mobile terminal 400 performs a communication connection process to enable information communication with the second mobile terminal 402. The process then moves to S114.

[0051] In S114, the first mobile terminal 400 determines whether or not to receive activation information from the second mobile terminal 402 for activating an invalid digital key. The activation information includes, for example, information that functions as an encryption key for updating an invalid digital key to an active state. If it is determined that the first mobile terminal 400 has received activation information from the second mobile terminal 402 (YES in S114), the process moves to S116.

[0052] In S116, the first mobile terminal 400 performs an activation process. The activation process is a process to update an invalid digital key to an active state. The first mobile terminal 400 activates the digital key by, for example, updating the information indicating that the digital key is invalid to information indicating that it is active using the activation information. The activation process is performed, for example, as a function of an application on the first mobile terminal 400. After this, the process is terminated.

[0053] If it is determined that the reservation information has not been entered (NO in S100), the process returns to S100. Also, if it is determined that the digital key has not been received from the management server 8 (NO in S104), the process returns to S104. Furthermore, if it is determined that the location of the first mobile terminal 400 is not the test drive location (NO in S108), the process returns to S108. Furthermore, if it is determined that the second mobile terminal 402 is not detected (NO in S110), the process returns to S110. Furthermore, if it is determined that the activation information has not been received (NO in S114), the process returns to S114.

[0054] Next, referring to Figure 3, we will describe the process performed in the second mobile terminal 402 for sending activation information to the first mobile terminal 400.

[0055] In S200, the second mobile terminal 402 determines whether or not to receive reservation information from the management server 8. As the reservation information is as described above, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. If it is determined that reservation information will be received (YES in S200), the process is moved to S202.

[0056] In S202, the second mobile terminal 402 stores the reservation information received from the management server 8 in its storage device. The process then moves to S204.

[0057] In S204, the second mobile terminal 402 determines whether or not it has detected the first mobile terminal 400. The second mobile terminal 402 may determine that it has detected the first mobile terminal 400 if, for example, the first mobile terminal 400 is detected as a device capable of communication. If it is determined that the first mobile terminal 400 has been detected (YES in S204), the process moves to S206.

[0058] In S206, the second mobile terminal 402 performs a communication connection process. The second mobile terminal 402 performs a communication connection process to enable information communication with the first mobile terminal 400. The process then moves to S208.

[0059] In S208, the second mobile terminal 402 determines whether the position of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance from the position of the second mobile terminal 402. The second mobile terminal 402 acquires information indicating the position of the first mobile terminal 400, for example, when performing a communication connection process. The second mobile terminal 402 uses the acquired position of the first mobile terminal 400 and the position of the second mobile terminal 402 detected using the position detection device of the second mobile terminal 402 to determine whether the position of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance from the second mobile terminal 402. If it is determined that the position of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance from the second mobile terminal 402 (YES in S208), the process moves to S210.

[0060] In S210, the second mobile terminal 402 transmits activation information to the first mobile terminal 400, which has been connected and enabled to communicate through the communication connection process. Since the activation information is as described above, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. The process then terminates.

[0061] If it is determined that reservation information cannot be received (NO in S200), the process returns to S200. Also, if it is determined that the first mobile terminal 400 cannot be detected (NO in S204), the process returns to S204. Furthermore, if it is determined that the first mobile terminal 400 is not within a predetermined distance (NO in S208), the process returns to S208.

[0062] Next, referring to Figure 3, we will explain the process performed on the management server 8 to send reservation information to the second mobile terminal 402.

[0063] In S300, the management server 8 determines whether or not it has received reservation information. The management server 8 determines whether or not it has received reservation information from a mobile terminal that has been registered in advance as a terminal to be used by a user of the test vehicle. In this embodiment, the management server 8 determines whether or not it has received reservation information from, for example, the first mobile terminal 400. As the reservation information has been described above, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. If it is determined that reservation information has been received (YES in S300), the process moves to S302.

[0064] In S302, the management server 8 registers the reservation information in the storage device 15. The process then moves to S304.

[0065] In S304, the management server 8 sends an invalid digital key to the first mobile terminal 400. As described above, a detailed explanation of the invalid digital key will not be repeated. In addition, the management server 8 sends to the first mobile terminal 400 information about the second mobile terminal 402, which will be the source of activation information at the test drive location, along with information about the digital key. The information about the second mobile terminal 402 includes at least information that makes the second mobile terminal 402 detectable, and may include, for example, unique information that can identify the second mobile terminal 402 (for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address). The process then moves to S306.

[0066] In S306, the management server 8 sends the reservation information to the second mobile terminal 402. The reservation information that the management server 8 sends to the second mobile terminal 402 only needs to include the reservation information that the first mobile terminal 400 sent to the management server 8, and may also include additional information other than the reservation information. The process is then terminated.

[0067] If it is determined that reservation information has not been received (NO in S300), the process will return to S300.

[0068] An example of the operation of the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402, based on the structure and flowchart described above, will now be explained.

[0069] For example, consider a scenario where a user who wishes to use a test drive vehicle launches the app on their first mobile device and enters information about the test drive vehicle model, user information, and usage information. When the user confirms the entered information, it is determined that the reservation information has been entered (YES in S100), and the entered reservation information is sent to the management server 8 (S102).

[0070] When the management server 8 receives the reservation information (YES in S300), it registers the received reservation information in the storage device 15 (S302) and sends an invalid digital key to the first mobile terminal 400 (S304). The management server 8 then sends the reservation information to the second mobile terminal 402 owned by the dealer that manages the test drive vehicle to be reserved (S306).

[0071] When the first mobile terminal 400 receives a digital key from the management server 8 (YES in S104), the digital key is stored in the storage device 400c (S106). Next, we assume that the user (reservation holder) who possesses the first mobile terminal 400 moves to the dealer that manages the reserved test drive vehicle. When the first mobile terminal 400 determines that its location is the test drive location (YES in S108), it is determined whether or not the second mobile terminal 402 is detected (S110).

[0072] Meanwhile, when the second mobile terminal 402 receives reservation information from the management server 8 (YES in S200), the received reservation information is stored in the storage device of the second mobile terminal 402 (S202), and it is determined whether or not the first mobile terminal 400 is detected (S204).

[0073] When the first mobile terminal 400 detects the second mobile terminal 402 as a communication-enabled device (YES in S110), a communication connection process is executed (S112). Similarly, when the second mobile terminal 402 detects the first mobile terminal 400 as a communication-enabled device (YES in S204), a communication connection process is executed (S206). Through the execution of the communication connection process in both devices, the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 are connected in a way that enables communication.

[0074] In the second mobile terminal 402, if it is determined that the location of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance (YES in S208), activation information is transmitted to the first mobile terminal 400 (S210). When the first mobile terminal 400 receives the activation information (YES in S114), the activation process is executed and the digital key is updated to an active state. When the digital key is active, authentication becomes possible when the authentication process is executed and it matches the authentication information on the vehicle 100 side, that is, the person who made the reservation can lock or unlock the passenger doors or use the vehicle 100.

[0075] As described above, with the electronic key system 1 according to this embodiment, the digital key stored in the first mobile terminal 400 cannot be used to unlock or use the test drive vehicle 100 until it is updated to an active state by the second mobile terminal 402. Therefore, for example, it is possible to deter a person who has made a reservation from using the test drive vehicle alone without the dealer's consent. On the other hand, the digital key stored in the first mobile terminal 400 can be updated to an active state when the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 are within a threshold distance (predetermined distance). Thus, it is possible to provide an electronic key system that allows for convenient rental of test drive vehicles while suppressing the occurrence of security problems.

[0076] Furthermore, since the second mobile terminal 402 is equipped with an active digital key that enables the unlocking and use of the vehicle 100, it becomes possible to manage the test vehicle, such as washing and maintenance, using the second mobile terminal.

[0077] The following describes variations. In the above-described embodiment, the second mobile terminal 402 was described as a mobile terminal as an example, but instead of a mobile terminal, a terminal such as a personal computer installed at the dealer may be used.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which activation information is transmitted from the second mobile terminal 402 to the first mobile terminal 400 when a predetermined condition is met, such that the distance between the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 is within a predetermined distance. However, the predetermined condition may include, for example, the condition that an operation for transmitting activation information to the first mobile terminal 400 is performed in the second mobile terminal 402.

[0079] The following describes an example of the processing performed on the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402 in this modified example. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed on the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402 in this modified example. The series of processes shown in this flowchart are repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals on the management server 8, the first mobile terminal 400, and the second mobile terminal 402. The processing content of S102, S104, S106, S108, S110, and S112 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4 is the same as the processing content of the same step numbers in the flowchart shown in Figure 3. Therefore, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. Furthermore, the processing content of S300, S302, S304, and S306 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4 is the same as the processing content of the same step numbers in the flowchart shown in Figure 3. Therefore, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. Furthermore, the processing steps S200, S202, S204, S206, S208, and S210 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4 are the same as the processing steps of the same step numbers in the flowchart shown in Figure 3, except as will be explained below. Therefore, a detailed explanation will not be repeated.

[0080] If the second mobile terminal 402 determines that the location of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance (YES in S208), it moves the process to S250.

[0081] In S250, the second mobile terminal 402 performs a display process. The second mobile terminal 402 performs a display process that, for example, displays information on a display device to confirm whether or not to send activation information to the first mobile terminal 400. The display device of the second mobile terminal 402 may display, for example, text information to confirm whether or not to send activation information and a button image to accept operation to the input device. The process then moves to S252.

[0082] In S252, the second mobile terminal 402 determines whether or not a transmission operation has been performed on the input device. The second mobile terminal 402 may determine that a transmission operation has been performed, for example, if a touch operation is performed on the button image described above. If it is determined that a transmission operation has been performed (YES in S252), the process moves to S210. If it is determined that no transmission operation has been performed (NO in S252), the process returns to S252.

[0083] In this configuration, when the first mobile terminal 400 and the second mobile terminal 402 approach each other (YES in S208), information is displayed in the second mobile terminal 402 to confirm whether or not to send activation information (S250). Then, when the transmission operation to the second mobile terminal 402 is performed (YES in S252), the activation information is sent to the first mobile terminal 400 (S210). As a result, the operator of the second mobile terminal 402 can recognize that the digital key of the first mobile terminal 400 has become active (i.e., the user (reservation holder) of the first mobile terminal 400 can use the test drive vehicle). In this modified example, although it has been explained that a process is executed in S208 to determine whether or not the position of the first mobile terminal 400 is within a predetermined distance, the process in S208 may be omitted.

[0084] Furthermore, the above-mentioned modifications may be implemented by combining all or part of them as appropriate. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 Electronic key system, 6 Communication network, 7 Wireless base station, 8 Management server, 11,400a Control device, 11a Processor, 11b Memory, 13,130,400b Communication device, 14 Communication bus, 15,400c Storage device, 100 Vehicle, 120 Door lock device, 150 Drive device, 400 First mobile terminal, 400d Location detection device, 400e UI, 402 Second mobile terminal.

Claims

1. The system comprises a mobile terminal to which a digital key enabling the unlocking and use of a vehicle is provided in an invalid state, and a terminal capable of communicating with the said mobile terminal. The aforementioned terminal is A detection unit for detecting the approach of the aforementioned mobile terminal, A storage unit that stores activation information that enables the digital key assigned to the mobile terminal to be set to an active state, When the approach of the mobile terminal is detected, the transmission unit transmits the activation information to the mobile terminal when predetermined conditions are met, The aforementioned mobile terminal is an electronic key system that receives the invalid digital key from an external server.

2. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined conditions include the condition that the distance between the mobile terminal and the terminal is less than or equal to a threshold.

3. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined conditions include the condition that an operation for transmitting the activation information has been performed on the terminal.

4. The aforementioned mobile terminal is the first mobile terminal, The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal includes a second portable terminal to which the digital key in the active state has been assigned.

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