JP7544657B2 - Registration system and registration method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a registration system and a registration method for registering mounting position information related to the mounting position of a communication module.

Conventionally, key systems that use a high-function mobile phone or the like as a vehicle key are well known (see Patent Document 1, etc.). In this type of key system, for example, a communication module capable of short-range wireless communication is installed in the vehicle. Then, the terminal is authenticated through communication between the terminal and the communication module, and after authentication, the vehicle doors are allowed to be locked or unlocked and the engine is started.

JP 2020-147926 A

It is common for multiple communication modules to be installed in a vehicle so that the entire vehicle's exterior and interior can be used as a communication area. When multiple communication modules are installed in a vehicle, the installation positions of the communication modules must match the product numbers of the communication modules, which can lead to installation errors.

The registration system that solves the above problem is configured to be used for an authentication function that allows or executes the operation of the device to be operated through authentication of the terminal performed by an authentication device through wireless communication between the terminal and a communication module provided in the terminal to be operated and location determination using the received signal strength for each communication module obtained when the terminal is wirelessly communicated with multiple communication modules, and includes an acquisition unit that positions the terminal at a specified position and communicates with each communication module, acquires the received signal strength for each communication module, and a registration unit that registers mounting position information that can identify the mounting position of each communication module based on a combination of magnitudes of the received signal strengths obtained for each communication module.

The registration method that solves the above problem is a method used for an authentication function that allows or executes the operation of the device to be operated through authentication of the terminal, which is performed by an authentication device through wireless communication between the terminal and a communication module provided in the terminal to be operated, and location determination using the received signal strength for each communication module obtained when the terminal is wirelessly communicated with multiple communication modules, and the registration system that manages the registration process performs the following operations: positioning the terminal at a specified position and communicating with each communication module, acquiring the received signal strength for each communication module, and registering mounting position information that can identify the mounting position of each communication module based on a combination of large and small received signal strengths obtained for each communication module.

The present invention makes it less likely that a communication module will be installed incorrectly.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a registration system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a communication module and a specified position. A diagram showing the terminal authentication procedure. Schematic diagram of the registration system switching to registration mode. 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams showing a specific example of a registration operation. A table summarizing the received signal strength for each communication module at each specified position. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a prescribed position in the registration system of the second embodiment. Overview of the registration process. A table summarizing the received signal strength for each communication module at a specified position. FIG.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of a registration system and a registration method will be described below.
1, an operation target 2 of a terminal 1 is, for example, a vehicle 3, a type of mobility. The operation target 2 has an authentication function that authenticates, via wireless communication, the terminal 1 used as a key for the operation target 2 and permits or executes operation of the operation target 2. The authentication function in this example is preferably a digital key system 4 that provides a key function to the terminal 1 and uses it as a key for the operation target 2.

The terminal 1 is preferably a multi-function terminal, for example, a highly functional mobile phone. The terminal 1 becomes the key of the operation target 2, i.e., the digital key 5, by being provided with key information Dk from an external source (e.g., a server, etc.).

The digital key system 4 includes a wireless authentication unit 8 that performs authentication by short-range wireless communication in the digital key system 4. The wireless authentication unit 8 is provided in the operation target 2. The wireless authentication unit 8 may be provided in advance in the operation target 2, or may be attached to the operation target 2 later. The wireless authentication unit 8 includes a communication module 9 that performs short-range wireless communication, and an authentication device 10 that authenticates the digital key 5. The authentication section 10a of the authentication device 10 authenticates the digital key 5 by short-range wireless communication via the communication module 9.

The near-field wireless communication may be any of PAN (Personal Area Network) communication, LAN (Local Area Network) communication, and short-field wireless communication. Examples of personal area network communication include Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication and UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication. Bluetooth communication may be BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). Examples of LAN communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication. Examples of short-field wireless communication include NFC (Near Field Communication), which is a type of RFID.

A plurality of communication modules 9 are provided in the operation target 2. These communication modules 9 are connected to the authentication device 10 via communication lines 11. The communication lines 11 are preferably, for example, a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). In this way, the plurality of communication modules 9 and the authentication device 10 are connected to each other via the communication lines 11 provided in the operation target 2.

The digital key system 4 includes a position determination unit 14 that determines the position of the digital key 5 relative to the operation target 2 using wireless communication between the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8. The position determination unit 14 is provided, for example, in the authentication device 10. Each communication module 9 is also provided with a measurement unit 15 that measures the received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator) of radio waves when communicating with the digital key 5. The measurement unit 15 outputs radio wave strength information Da, including the measured received signal strength, to the authentication device 10 via the communication line 11. The radio wave strength information Da includes a module ID assigned to each communication module 9 and received signal strength data measured by the measurement unit 15.

The position determination unit 14 determines the position of the digital key 5 relative to the operation target 2 based on a combination of magnitudes of the radio wave intensity information Da acquired from each of the communication modules 9. In this example, it is preferable for the position determination unit 14 to determine whether the digital key 5 is located outside the vehicle on the driver's seat side, outside the vehicle on the passenger seat side, or inside the vehicle.

The digital key 5 includes a terminal control unit 18 that controls the operation of the digital key 5, a network module 19 that performs network communication, a communication antenna 20 that performs short-range wireless communication, a memory 21 that can store data, and a display unit 22 that displays a screen. The digital key 5 performs short-range wireless communication with the wireless authentication unit 8 via the communication antenna 20. The display unit 22 is preferably, for example, a touch panel.

In the digital key 5, key information Dk used for authentication by short-range wireless communication is registered in the memory 21. It is preferable that the digital key 5 downloads the key information Dk by various methods, such as downloading from a server, wirelessly acquiring from a master key, or image reading of code information. The key information Dk may be downloaded to the digital key 5 from an external source, or may be written in advance at the time of shipment. The authentication unit 10a (authentication device 10) performs authentication by short-range wireless communication using the key information Dk registered in the digital key 5.

In the digital key 5, an application 23 required for operating the digital key 5 as a key for the operation target 2 is registered in the memory 21. The application 23 is obtained, for example, from an external medium (such as a server) through network communication and written and stored in the memory 21. By registering the application 23 in the digital key 5, it becomes possible to download the key information Dk to the digital key 5 and to operate the operation target 2 with the digital key 5.

The operation target 2 is equipped with a control device 25 that controls equipment 26 based on the authentication result of the wireless authentication unit 8. The control device 25 is connected to equipment 26 via a communication line 27 provided in the operation target 2. The communication line 27 is preferably, for example, a CAN or LIN. The equipment 26 is, for example, a door lock device that switches between locking and unlocking the door, and an engine control device that controls the engine. The control device 25 operates these equipment 26 based on the authentication result of the wireless authentication unit 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the multiple communication modules 9 are arranged in positions such that the area for short-range wireless communication covers the entire area around and inside the vehicle. In this example, the one arranged near the driver's door is the first communication module 9a, the one arranged inside the vehicle is the second communication module 9b, and the one arranged near the passenger door is the third communication module 9c. The first communication module 9a, the second communication module 9b, and the third communication module 9c are arranged in positions corresponding to the terminal positions to be identified (outside the vehicle on the driver's side, outside the vehicle on the passenger's side, and inside the vehicle).

FIG. 3 illustrates the procedure for authenticating the digital key 5 (terminal 1).
In step 101, the wireless authentication unit 8 periodically and repeatedly transmits an advertisement notifying information related to the communication of the wireless authentication unit 8 from the communication module 9. The advertisement is, for example, a type of packet data, and is constantly and periodically transmitted from the wireless authentication unit 8. When there are multiple communication modules 9, the advertisements may be transmitted in sequence or simultaneously.

In step 102, when the digital key 5 receives the advertise transmitted from the wireless authentication unit 8, it executes a scanning process. Note that it is preferable that the digital key 5 starts the scanning process, for example, when the received signal strength at the time of receiving the advertisement is equal to or greater than a specified value. At this time, after the scanning process, the digital key 5 transmits a connection request to the wireless authentication unit 8 as a request for provision of details of the short-range wireless communication.

In step 103, when the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 have completed the above-mentioned communication, they transition to a state in which short-range wireless communication is connected, that is, a communication connection state.
In step 104, when the short-distance wireless communication transitions to a communication connection state, the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 execute authentication of the digital key 5. In this example, for example, in response to a request from the wireless authentication unit 8, the digital key 5 transmits the key information Dk registered in the memory 21 to the wireless authentication unit 8 by short-distance wireless communication. When the wireless authentication unit 8 receives the key information Dk, the authentication device 10 (authentication unit 10a) executes authentication of the key information Dk received from the digital key 5. In this example, when the authentication of the key information Dk transitions to a successful state, for example, by correctly decrypting the key information Dk, the authentication device 10 can obtain, for example, the reservation date and time (use start time/use end time) of the operation target 2 (vehicle 3), a session key to be used in the subsequent short-distance wireless communication, and a terminal ID that is a unique ID of the digital key 5 (terminal 1). On the other hand, if the key information Dk is not correct, the authentication device 10 forcibly terminates the process and does not permit the use of the operation target 2 (vehicle 3).

In step 105, if the key information Dk is authenticated, the digital key 5 and wireless authentication unit 8 enter an authentication complete state in which they recognize that authentication has been established. The authentication complete state refers to a state in which both the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 know a common session key and terminal ID. Steps 101 to 105 described above are the "authentication of terminal 1" process.

In step 106, after transitioning to the authentication completion state, the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 execute communication to confirm whether or not the establishment of short-range wireless communication is maintained. In this example, each of the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 monitors whether or not the establishment of communication is maintained by transmitting periodic radio waves at a predetermined periodic interval (connection interval) and confirming whether or not a response to this periodic radio wave can be received. In other words, if the digital key 5 transmits periodic radio waves at a predetermined periodic interval and receives a response to this periodic radio wave, it is determined that the establishment of communication is maintained, and the wireless authentication unit 8 executes a similar process.

When the digital key 5 is no longer able to receive a response from the wireless authentication unit 8 to the periodic radio waves it transmits, it disconnects communication. Also, when the wireless authentication unit 8 is no longer able to receive a response from the digital key 5 to the periodic radio waves it transmits, it disconnects communication.

The position determination unit 14 performs position determination of the digital key 5 when the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8 are performing short-distance wireless communication. In this example, the position determination is preferably performed, for example, during periodic communication at the connection interval. Specifically, during short-distance wireless communication, the communication module 9 measures the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated at the connection interval using the measurement unit 15, and outputs radio wave strength information Da that links the measured received signal strength data with the communication module ID to the authentication device 10 via the communication line 11. The operation of notifying the authentication device 10 of the radio wave strength information Da is performed by each communication module 9. The position determination unit 14 determines the position of the terminal 1 based on the radio wave strength information Da acquired from each communication module 9.

For example, if radio waves are transmitted multiple times, the location determination may be performed based on a characteristic value calculated from the strength of multiple received signals. This characteristic value may use various parameters, such as the average value, weighted average, arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and harmonic mean. Furthermore, the radio waves used for the location determination may be radio waves transmitted at any timing as long as they are exchanged between the digital key 5 and the wireless authentication unit 8.

When the position determination unit 14 determines that the digital key 5 for which authentication processing has been established is located outside the vehicle, the authentication device 10 establishes exterior authentication and permits the locking and unlocking of the doors of the vehicle 3, which is the operation target 2. Therefore, when an unlocking operation is performed when the doors are locked, the doors are unlocked. The unlocking operation can be performed, for example, by touching an unlock button displayed on the display unit 22 of the digital key 5 or by touching the inside of an exterior door handle. Also, when a locking operation is performed when the doors are unlocked, the doors are locked. The locking operation can be performed, for example, by touching a lock button displayed on the display unit 22 of the digital key 5 or by pressing a lock button on an exterior door handle.

When the position determination unit 14 determines that the digital key 5 for which authentication processing has been successful is located inside the vehicle, the authentication device 10 determines that in-vehicle authentication is successful and permits the engine of the vehicle 3, which is the operation target 2, to be started. Therefore, when the outside-vehicle authentication is successful, the engine of the vehicle 3 is started when the engine switch on the driver's seat is pushed while the brake pedal (not shown) is depressed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the digital key system 4 includes a registration system 30 that assigns functions to communication modules 9 of the same model number according to their mounting position and registers them. Communication modules 9 of the same model number are preferably members that have the same apparent shape, for example. In this example, the multiple communication modules 9 have the same external appearance. During registration, the registration system 30 of this example positions the terminal 1 at a specified position P to execute communication between the terminal 1 and the communication module 9, and determines the mounting position of the communication module 9 based on the combination of large and small received signal strengths measured at this time.

The registration system 30 includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires the received signal strength for each communication module 9 during communication between the terminal 1 and the communication module 9 during the registration process. In this example, the acquisition unit 31 is provided in the authentication device 10. During the registration process, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength for each communication module 9 by positioning the terminal 1 at a preset specified position P and communicating with each communication module 9.

2, the specified positions P are selected so that a significant combination of received signal strengths measured by each communication module 9 occurs in the vehicle 3, which is the operation target 2. A plurality of specified positions P are set. In this example, the specified positions P are set near each of the plurality of communication modules 9. In this example, the specified position P set near the first communication module 9a is the "first specified position P1", the specified position P set near the second communication module 9b is the "second specified position P2", and the specified position P set near the third communication module 9c is the "third specified position P3". The registration includes a process of positioning the terminal 1 at each of the plurality of specified positions P and acquiring the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated by the terminal 1 and the communication module 9 for each specified position P.

As shown in FIG. 1, the registration system 30 includes a registration unit 32 that registers mounting position information K used when determining the position of the terminal 1 from the received signal strength acquired by the acquisition unit 31. In this example, the registration unit 32 is provided in the authentication device 10. The registration unit 32 registers mounting position information K that can identify the mounting position of each communication module 9 based on a combination of large and small received signal strengths acquired for each communication module 9. The registration unit 32 registers this mounting position information K in the memory 16. The registration unit 32 identifies the mounting position of each communication module 9 by checking which communication module 9 has the largest received signal strength at each specified position P, and generates and registers mounting position information K based on the identification result.

The mounting position information K may be, for example, information on the mounting position of each of the communication modules 9. Specifically, it may be information on whether the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c are located on the driver's seat side, inside the vehicle, or on the passenger seat side. The mounting position information K may also be a determination logic that can determine the position of the terminal 1 relative to the operation target 2 from the magnitude relationship of the received signal strength. In this example, when determining the position of the terminal 1, the position determination unit 14 refers to the mounting position information K and determines the position of the terminal 1 relative to the operation target 2 based on the measured received signal strength.

Next, the operation of the registration system 30 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the registration operation may be performed after the key information Dk is set in the terminal 1, or may be performed before writing the key information Dk.

As shown in FIG. 4, in order to activate the registration system 30, the digital key system 4 is switched from normal mode to registration mode. Switching to registration mode can be achieved, for example, by operating a switch or button on at least one of the terminal 1 and the operation target 2 according to a predetermined procedure. When the registration mode has been started, it is preferable that the user is notified by the terminal 1 or the operation target 2.

As shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(b), the terminal 1 is placed in each of the specified positions P in turn, and the received signal strength of the communication at each specified position P is measured. In this example, as shown in Figure 5(a), when the registration system 30 notifies the user to position the terminal 1 at the first specified position P1, the user positions the terminal 1 at the first specified position P1 in accordance with this notification. After a predetermined time has elapsed after the notification, or when an operation is performed on the terminal 1 to position the terminal 1 at the first specified position P1, the received signal strength received by the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c is measured.

The acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c after a notification is issued to position the terminal 1 at the first specified position P1 as the received signal strength for registration work at the first specified position P1. At this time, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the measured received signal strength and the module ID as a set from each communication module 9. In this way, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength of the radio waves for each communication module 9 at the first specified position P1 as a sample for setting the mounting position information K.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), after measuring the received signal strength at the first specified position P1, the received signal strength is then measured at the second specified position P2. In this case, the registration system 30 notifies the user to position the terminal 1 at the second specified position P2, and the user places the terminal 1 at the second specified position P2 in accordance with this notification. Then, just like at the first specified position P1, the received signal strength of the radio waves for each communication module 9 is measured at the second specified position P2.

The acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c after a notification is issued to position the terminal 1 at the second specified position P2 as the received signal strength for registration work at the second specified position P2. At this time, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the measured received signal strength and the module ID as a set from each communication module 9. In this way, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength of the radio waves for each communication module 9 at the second specified position P2 as a sample for setting the mounting position information K.

As shown in FIG. 5(c), after measuring the received signal strength at the second specified position P2, the received signal strength is then measured at the third specified position P3. In this case, the registration system 30 notifies the user to position the terminal 1 at the third specified position P3, and the user places the terminal 1 at the third specified position P3 in accordance with this notification. Then, the received signal strength of the radio waves for each communication module 9 is measured at the third specified position P3, just as in the case of the first specified position P1 and the second specified position P2.

The acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c after a notification is issued to position the terminal 1 at the second specified position P2 as the received signal strength for the registration operation at the third specified position P3. At this time, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the measured received signal strength and the module ID as a set from each communication module 9. In this way, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength of the radio waves for each communication module 9 at the third specified position P3 as a sample for setting the mounting position information K.

Each communication module 9 may measure the received signal strength multiple times. In this case, various parameters may be used, such as the average, weighted average, arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and harmonic mean of the received signal strength. Furthermore, the radio waves used during registration may be any radio waves transmitted at any timing as long as they are exchanged between the terminal 1 and the communication module 9.

Figure 6 shows a table summarizing the combinations of received signal strengths obtained by the registration process. As shown in the figure, when the terminal 1 is positioned at the first specified position P1, the terminal 1 is closest to the first communication module 9a, and communication radio waves have difficulty reaching the second communication module 9b present inside the vehicle and the third communication module 9c located on the opposite side of the vehicle body. Therefore, the magnitude of the received signal strength measured when the terminal 1 is positioned at the first specified position P1 is such that the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a is the highest, and the received signal strength measured by the second communication module 9b and the third communication module 9c are lower.

When the terminal 1 is positioned at the second specified position P2, the terminal 1 is closest to the second communication module 9b, and communication radio waves are unlikely to reach the first communication module 9a or the third communication module 9c for use outside the vehicle. Therefore, when the terminal 1 is positioned at the second specified position P2, the received signal strength measured by the second communication module 9b is the highest, and the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a and the third communication module 9c is lower.

When the terminal 1 is positioned at the third specified position P3, the terminal 1 is closest to the third communication module 9c, and communication radio waves are unlikely to reach the first communication module 9a located on the opposite side of the vehicle body or the second communication module 9b inside the vehicle. Therefore, the magnitude of the received signal strength measured when the terminal 1 is positioned at the third specified position P3 is such that the received signal strength measured by the third communication module 9c is the highest, and the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a and the second communication module 9b are lower.

Taking into account the magnitude relationship of the received signal strengths, the registration unit 32 registers in the memory 16 as mounting position information K the first communication module 9a (its communication module ID) as the "driver's seat side communication module 9", the second communication module 9b (its communication module ID) as the "indoor communication module 9", and the third communication module 9c (its module ID) as the "passenger seat side communication module 9".

The position determination unit 14 therefore determines the position of the terminal 1 according to the determination logic shown in Fig. 7. In the example shown in Fig. 7, if the first communication module 9a has the highest received signal strength among the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c, it determines that the terminal 1 is located outside the vehicle on the driver's seat side, if the second communication module 9b has the highest received signal strength, it determines that the terminal 1 is located inside the vehicle, and if the third communication module 9c has the highest received signal strength, it determines that the terminal 1 is located outside the vehicle on the passenger's seat side.

Conventional communication modules 9 are designed to be installed according to the installation position and product number. However, when the product number is changed according to the installation position, a product number must be prepared for each installation position, which can lead to an increase in product numbers and make management more complicated. Furthermore, having too many product numbers can lead to the possibility of installing the modules in the wrong position.

In contrast, in this example, the terminal 1 and the communication module 9 communicate with each other for each preset specified position P to obtain a combination of radio wave reception signal strengths, and from this combination, the mounting position information K used to determine the terminal position is registered. This makes it possible to attach the communication module 9 regardless of the product number. This eliminates the need to increase the number of product numbers. Also, installation errors are less likely to occur.

According to the registration system 30 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The registration system 30 of this example is used for an authentication function (digital key system 4) in which operation of a device 26 of an operation target 2 is permitted or executed through authentication of the terminal 1 performed by an authentication device 10 through wireless communication between the terminal 1 and a communication module 9 provided in the operation target 2 of the terminal 1, and location determination using the received signal strength for each communication module 9 obtained when the terminal 1 wirelessly communicates with multiple communication modules 9. An acquisition unit 31 provided in the registration system 30 positions the terminal 1 at a specified position P, communicates with each communication module 9, and acquires the received signal strength for each communication module 9. A registration unit 32 provided in the registration system 30 registers mounting position information K capable of identifying the mounting position of each communication module 9 based on a combination of magnitudes of the received signal strengths obtained for each communication module 9.

According to the configuration of this example, as an initial registration operation, terminal 1 is positioned at specified position P and communicates with communication module 9, the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated at this time is measured, and the relationship between the magnitude of the received signal strength is registered as mounting position information K of communication module 9. Then, at the time of position determination, this mounting position information K is used to determine the position of terminal 1 relative to operation target 2. Thus, with the configuration of this example, when mounting communication module 9 on operation target 2, it is not necessary to attach communication module 9 to operation target 2 with its part number corresponding to the mounting position. This makes it less likely that the communication module 9 will be installed incorrectly.

(2) The multiple communication modules 9 and the authentication device 10 are connected to each other via a communication line 11 provided in the operation target 2. With this configuration, multiple communication modules 9 and authentication devices 10 are connected to a single communication line 11, so the number of communication lines 11 can be reduced. Therefore, there is no need to spend time on routing and managing the communication lines 11.

(3) The communication modules 9 are members that have the same apparent shape. With this configuration, when attaching the communication modules 9 that have the same apparent shape to the operation target 2, there is no need to take into consideration the attachment position. This improves the ease of attaching the communication modules 9.

(4) The specified positions P are near each of the multiple communication modules 9. Registration includes a process of positioning the terminal 1 at each of the multiple specified positions P and acquiring the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated by the terminal 1 and the communication module 9 for each specified position P. The registration unit 32 identifies the mounting position of each of the communication modules 9 by checking which communication module 9 has the strongest received signal strength at each specified position P, and generates and registers mounting position information K based on the identification results. With this configuration, it is possible to set each of the specified positions P near the respective communication modules 9, so that the specified positions P can be set in easy-to-find locations.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which the format of the registration work described in the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the different parts will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, the specified position P is a position that is set to a number less than the total number of communication modules 9. In this example, there is one specified position P. Also, in this example, the specified position P is, for example, a position on the driver's door side in the driver's seat inside the vehicle. This is because the received signal strength of the radio waves of the terminal 1 and the communication module 9 is, in order from the side with the strongest, the second communication module 9b inside the vehicle, the first communication module 9a on the driver's side, and the third communication module 9c on the passenger side.

As shown in FIG. 9, after starting up the registration system 30, the terminal 1 is placed at a specified position P, and the received signal strength of communication with each communication module 9 at the specified position P is measured. The acquisition unit 31 captures the received signal strengths measured by the first communication module 9a to the third communication module 9c after notification that the terminal 1 is located at the specified position P as the received signal strengths for registration work at the specified position P. Here, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the received signal strength of radio waves for each communication module 9 at the specified position P as a sample for setting the mounting position information K.

As shown in FIG. 10, a table summarizing the combinations of received signal strengths obtained by the registration process is shown. As shown in the figure, when the terminal 1 is positioned at the specified position P in the vehicle, the terminal 1 communicates most easily with the second communication module 9b in the vehicle, followed by the first communication module 9a on the driver's seat side, and furthest from the third communication module 9c on the passenger seat side. Therefore, the magnitude of the received signal strength measured when the terminal 1 is positioned at the specified position P is such that the received signal strength measured by the second communication module 9b is the highest, the received signal strength measured by the first communication module 9a is the next highest, and the received signal strength measured by the third communication module 9c is the lowest.

Therefore, based on the magnitude relationship of the received signal strength, it can be considered that the second communication module 9b is the module located inside the vehicle, the first communication module 9a is the module located on the driver's seat side, and the third communication module 9c is the module located on the passenger's seat side. Therefore, in this example, the mounting position information K is registered in the memory 16, with the first communication module 9a (its communication module ID) as the communication module 9 on the driver's seat side, the second communication module 9b (its communication module ID) as the communication module 9 inside the vehicle, and the third communication module 9c (its communication module ID) as the communication module 9 on the passenger's seat side.

The registration unit 32 determines the location of the terminal 1 according to the determination logic shown in FIG. 11. In the example shown in FIG. 11, if the received signal strengths are determined to be the first communication module 9a, the third communication module 9c, and the second communication module 9b in descending order during the location determination, the terminal 1 is determined to be located outside the vehicle on the driver's seat side. If the received signal strengths are determined to be the second communication module 9b and the first communication module 9a (or the third communication module 9c) in descending order during the location determination, the terminal 1 is determined to be located inside the vehicle. If the received signal strengths are determined to be the third communication module 9c, the first communication module 9a, and the second communication module 9b in descending order during the location determination, the terminal 1 is determined to be located outside the vehicle on the passenger's seat side.

In this example, only one specified position P is required for placing the terminal 1 during the registration process. This reduces the amount of work that the user must perform during the registration process, which is convenient for the user.

According to the registration system 30 of the above embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(5) The specified position P is a position set to a number less than the total number of communication modules 9. Registration includes a process of positioning the terminal 1 at the specified position P and acquiring the received signal strength of radio waves communicated between the terminal 1 and the communication modules 9 at this time. The registration unit 32 identifies the mounting position of each communication module 9 from the relationship between the magnitude of the received signal strength acquired when the terminal 1 communicates with each communication module 9 at the specified position P, and generates and registers mounting position information K based on the identification result. This configuration reduces the number of times that the terminal 1 needs to be positioned at the specified position P and the received signal strength acquired during the registration process. This contributes to simplifying the registration process.

This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.
In each embodiment, the location of the communication module 9 is not limited to the driver's seat, inside the vehicle, or on the passenger seat, and may be anywhere on the operation target 2 depending on the required communication area.

In each embodiment, the number of communication modules 9 is not limited to three, and may be two, or four or more.
In each embodiment, the specified position P is not limited to the position described in the examples, and may be any position where the magnitude relationship of the received signal strength is clearly evident.

In the second embodiment, the number of defined positions P is not limited to one, and may be two.
In each embodiment, the number of defined positions P is not limited to the same as the number of communication modules 9, and may be more or less.

In each embodiment, each communication module 9 may be connected to the authentication device 10 via a separate communication line 11 .
In each embodiment, the communication modules 9 do not necessarily have to have the same apparent shape, and may have shapes that are not the same.

In each embodiment, the communication lines 11 and 27 do not need to be separate lines, and may be a single common line.
In each embodiment, the authentication function is not limited to the digital key system 4, and may be a smart system, a wireless key system, an immobilizer system, or the like.

In each embodiment, the device 26 to be controlled is not limited to a door. For example, the device 26 may be a steering lock device, a shift lever device, an engine, or the like.
In each embodiment, the mounting position information K may be any logic capable of determining the position of the terminal 1 from the magnitude of the received signal strength measured by each communication module 9 .

- In each embodiment, each of the acquisition unit 31 and the registration unit 32 may be configured as follows: [1] one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software), or [2] a combination of such a processor and one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that executes at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, that stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory (computer-readable medium) includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose (or dedicated) computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer that includes the processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute all of the various processes may be used.

- In each embodiment, each of the acquisition unit 31 and the registration unit 32 may be configured from an independent processor, or may be constructed from a processor that shares some of its functions. In this way, the acquisition unit 31 and the registration unit 32 are not limited to being independent functional blocks, and may be configured from a single functional block, or may be configured from a functional block that shares some of its functions.

- In each embodiment, the present disclosure has been described in accordance with the examples, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those examples or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

1...Terminal, 2...Operation target, 4...Digital key system, 9...Communication module, 9a...First communication module, 9b...Second communication module, 9c...Third communication module, 10...Authentication device, 11...Communication line, 26...Device, 30...Registration system, 31...Acquisition unit, 32...Registration unit, P...Specified position, P1...First specified position, P2...Second specified position, P3...Third specified position, K...Mounting position information.

Claims (6)

A registration system used for an authentication function in which an operation of a device to be operated is permitted or executed through authentication of the terminal performed by an authentication device through wireless communication between the terminal and a communication module provided in the terminal and location determination using a received signal strength of each of the communication modules obtained when the terminal is wirelessly communicated with a plurality of the communication modules,
an acquisition unit that places the terminal at a specified position, communicates with each communication module, and acquires the received signal strength for each communication module;
a registration unit that registers mounting position information that can identify the mounting position of each of the communication modules based on a combination of magnitudes of the received signal strengths obtained for each of the communication modules. 2. The registration system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication modules and the authentication device are connected to each other via a communication line provided in the operation target. 3. The registration system according to claim 1, wherein the communication modules are members having the same apparent shape. the defined locations are proximate to each of the plurality of communication modules;
the registration includes a process of positioning the terminal at each of a plurality of the specified positions and acquiring the received signal strength of radio waves communicated between the terminal and the communication module for each of the specified positions;
A registration system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the registration unit identifies the installation position of each of the communication modules by checking which communication module has the strongest received signal strength at each of the specified positions, and generates and registers the installation position information based on the identification results. the specified positions are positions set to a number less than the total number of the communication modules,
the registration includes a process of placing the terminal at the specified position and acquiring the received signal strength of radio waves communicated between the terminal and the communication module at this time;
A registration system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the registration unit identifies the installation position of each of the communication modules from the relationship between the magnitude of the received signal strength obtained when the terminal communicates with each of the communication modules at the specified position, and generates and registers the installation position information based on the identification result. A registration method used for an authentication function in which an operation of a device to be operated is permitted or executed through authentication of the terminal performed by an authentication device through wireless communication between the terminal and a communication module provided in the terminal and location determination using a received signal strength of each of the communication modules obtained when the terminal is wirelessly communicated with a plurality of the communication modules, the method comprising:
placing the terminal at a specified position and communicating with each communication module, and acquiring the received signal strength for each communication module;
and registering mounting position information capable of identifying the mounting position of each of the communication modules based on a combination of large and small received signal strengths obtained for each of the communication modules.