JP-7856601-B2 - Apparatus and control method

Inventors

• 岡田 広毅

Assignees

• トヨタ自動車株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20230424

Claims (5)

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.

Description

This invention relates to a system using a portable terminal device for use in vehicles, etc. A smart key system is known as an authentication system for vehicles. In a smart key system, a portable terminal device, such as an electronic key, carried by the user communicates with in-vehicle equipment via short-range wireless communication to authenticate the user, thereby granting permission to perform operations such as unlocking and locking vehicle doors and starting the vehicle engine (see Patent Document 1). On the other hand, as a type of short-range wireless communication, UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as "UWB communication"), which enables high-precision distance measurement, has been proposed. UWB communication can measure distance based, for example, on the transmission time of pulse waves. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-7457 Functional block diagrams of authentication systems according to the first and second embodiments of the present inventionFigures showing 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.Flowchart showing the process according to the first embodiment of the present inventionFlowchart showing the process according to the second embodiment of the present invention (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. (First embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. <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. 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 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). 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 other bands may also be used. For example, radio waves in the LF band may be used partially. 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. This communication utilizes radio waves in a frequency band that includes frequencies higher than those used by the UHF communication units 102 and 202. In this embodiment, as an example, UWB communication is performed using a band of 3 to 10 GHz. The notification unit 104 of the mobile terminal device 100 has a vibrator or speaker, etc., and can generate vibration or sound to alert the user holding the mobile terminal device 100. The functions of each part of the mobile terminal device 100 and the in-vehicle equipment 200 are controlled by their respective control units 101 and 201. <Wireless communication> Figure 2 shows an example of the communication range. The communication range 501 provided by the UHF communication units 102 and 202 is, for example, within approximately 10 meters from the antenna installed on the vehicle 400. In other words, authentication is possible if the mobile terminal device 100 is within the communication range 501. <Processing> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the in-vehicle equipment 200 when the mobile terminal device 100 enters the communication range 501 provided by the UHF communication units 102 and 202. The process will be explained with reference to Figure 3. Step S101: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 uses the UHF communication unit 202 to communicate with the UHF communication unit 102 controlled by the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal device 100 for authentication purposes. Step S102: The control unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 200 determines whether authentication was successful based on the communication result. Authentication is performed, for example, by obtaining the identi