Smart Entry Sensing Control for Lower Vehicle Power Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems consume excessive energy due to frequent operation of smart entry functions, which reduces convenience and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that includes an approach detection section, an authentication section, and a function control section to detect and authenticate users using sensing and image-capturing units, and stops the sensing apparatus function when authentication is not established after a predetermined threshold time, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the smart entry function operates frequently to detect and authenticate users, then user convenience is improved, but electric power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing apparatus operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when a person is detected by the sensing unit. The system uses a threshold-based periodic activation where authentication processing is triggered only when the sensing unit detects a person within a predetermined time period, reducing energy consumption while maintaining user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation state based on detection results. When the sensing unit detects a person, the system transitions from a low-power state to an active authentication state. If authentication is not established within the threshold time, the system returns to low-power state, creating a dynamic response to environmental conditions.
2Loss of energy
If the sensing apparatus function is stopped to save electric power, then energy efficiency is improved, but detection responsiveness may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing unit continuously monitors the environment in a low-power state, performing preliminary detection without triggering full authentication processing. When a person is detected, the system is already prepared to activate authentication immediately, maintaining detection responsiveness while minimizing energy consumption during the preliminary monitoring phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing unit acts as an intermediary between the environment and the authentication system. It continuously detects persons in a low-power state and triggers the authentication process only when necessary, serving as a mediator that maintains responsiveness while reducing energy consumption by filtering when full authentication should activate.
3Measurement precision
If authentication processing continues for all detected persons, then authentication accuracy is maintained, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system skips authentication processing for persons who do not meet the authentication criteria by establishing a threshold time limit. If authentication is not established within the predetermined time period after detection, the system rushes through the process by terminating authentication and returning to low-power state, reducing processing time for non-authenticated persons while maintaining accuracy for valid users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the authentication parameter from continuous processing to threshold-based processing. By introducing a time threshold parameter, the system adjusts the authentication process to terminate when the threshold is exceeded, transforming the parameter of processing duration while maintaining authentication accuracy for valid users within the threshold period.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus includes: an approach detection section configured to detect a person around a vehicle by a sensing apparatus mounted on the vehicle; an authentication section configured to authenticate, when the approach detection section detects a person, the person detected by the approach detection section as a user of the vehicle by using an image captured by an image capturing unit mounted on the vehicle; and a function control section configured to stop a function for the sensing apparatus when time for which a state in which authentication is not established continues after the authentication section starts the authentication reaches first threshold time or more.