JP7746136B2 - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device that controls vehicle operation through two-way communication with a portable device, and in particular to a vehicle control device suitable for saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles.

Patent Documents 1 to 5 describe various systems that perform two-way communication between a vehicle and a portable device. Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle remote control system that moves a vehicle by remotely controlling a portable device, and continues communication for a certain period of time even after the portable device leaves a specified area. Patent Document 2 describes a system that determines whether the user intends to continue communication with an in-vehicle device based on information indicating the vehicle's status, and terminates communication if the user does not intend to continue communication. Patent Documents 3 and 4 describe a location identification system that uses BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy; Bluetooth is a registered trademark) communication for two-way communication between a vehicle and a portable device. Patent Document 5 describes a system that inhibits communication between the vehicle and a portable device to reduce power consumption when a door handle is operated without the purpose of unlocking the door.

Motorcycles are also equipped with vehicle control devices that control the engine and other driving power sources, as well as various controls to prevent theft and accidents. One anti-theft measure is a handlebar locking function that locks the handlebars to prevent third parties from riding off on a parked motorcycle. Non-saddle-type four-wheeled motor vehicles are also equipped with locking functions to prevent vehicle theft (see, for example, Patent Document 5), but in the case of four-wheeled motor vehicles, the doors are locked rather than the handlebars (steering wheel). Because third parties can operate the handlebars of motorcycles even when the vehicle is parked, a handlebar locking function is important for crime prevention.

Some motorcycles also use two-way wireless communication between a portable device carried by the user and a vehicle control device on the vehicle body, and perform predetermined controls based on the results. For example, the portable device is authenticated by ID matching through two-way communication, and if the authentication result is normal, the handlebars are unlocked and the engine is allowed to start. There are various two-way communication methods, but the aforementioned BLE communication is widely used in motorcycles due to its simplicity and power saving. BLE is a short-range wireless communication standard. In BLE communication, the device that provides information is called the central, and the device that receives information is called the peripheral. The portable device corresponds to the central, and the vehicle control device corresponds to the peripheral.

While BLE communication has the advantage of extremely low power consumption, it has the problem of taking time to connect between the peripheral and central. As will be explained in more detail later, the peripheral (vehicle control device) transmits a connection request signal called an advertisement at regular intervals, and the central (portable device) receives this signal by scanning. As a result, a connection between the two is not established until the central receives the connection request signal, resulting in a connection wait time. Furthermore, even after a connection is established, authentication data and other data must be sent and received between the peripheral and central, further delaying the timing at which the desired operation becomes possible.

For this reason, if communication between the portable device and the vehicle control device is cut off after locking the handlebars of a motorcycle, and it becomes necessary to start driving immediately afterwards, the reconnection process must be carried out from the beginning, which increases the time required to start the engine and reduces usability.

JP 2019-186849 A JP 2013-27013 A U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/196103 International Publication WO2019/074048 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-132027

The objective of this invention is to shorten the waiting time when restarting the driving power source and improve usability.

A vehicle control device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and controls the operation of the vehicle by performing two-way wireless communication with a portable device. When a first operation for prohibiting vehicle travel is performed while the vehicle is connected to the portable device via wireless communication, the device places the vehicle in a travel-prohibited state while continuing the wireless communication to maintain the connection with the portable device. When a second operation required to release the travel-prohibited state is subsequently performed, the device authenticates the portable device based on the ongoing wireless communication. If the authentication result is normal, the device releases the travel-prohibited state, and the vehicle can then be allowed to travel by performing a predetermined operation . Furthermore, a timer starts counting from the time the first operation is performed. If the second operation is performed within the timer's set time, the timer stops counting and the connection with the portable device is maintained. On the other hand, if the timer's set time has elapsed without the second operation being performed within the timer's set time, the device disconnects the connection with the portable device at that point.

In this way, even after the vehicle has been locked by the first operation, two-way communication between the vehicle control device and the portable device is not interrupted, and the connection between the two is maintained. Therefore, when the second operation is subsequently performed, there is no need to restart the connection process between the two from the beginning, and the driving source can be restarted in a short time, shortening the time until the vehicle can be driven, improving usability.

In the present invention, if a first operation is performed , a second operation is not performed, and a third operation that does not intend to drive the vehicle is performed, the connection between the vehicle control device and the portable device may be disconnected.

In the present invention, the first operation is, for example, an operation to lock the steering wheel of a vehicle, an operation to stop the engine of a vehicle, or an operation to turn off the power to the vehicle. Furthermore, the second operation is, for example, an operation to unlock a locked steering wheel, an operation to start the engine of a vehicle, or an operation to turn on the power to the vehicle.

In the present invention, the third operation is, for example, a long press or short press of a switch provided on a portable device or vehicle.

In the present invention, from the viewpoint of power saving, it is preferable that the two-way wireless communication between the vehicle control device and the portable device be BLE communication.

This invention shortens the waiting time required to restart the driving power source, improving usability.

1 is a block diagram of a vehicle control system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main switch provided in a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a portable device. 1 is a time chart showing a general communication procedure of BLE communication. 1 is a time chart for explaining a problem in the related art. 4 is a time chart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a time chart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a time chart showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a time chart showing the operation of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a time chart showing the operation of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, a motorcycle driven by an engine will be used as an example of a vehicle.

Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle control system according to the present invention. The vehicle control system 100 comprises a vehicle control device 10 and a portable device 20. The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on a motorcycle, and the portable device 20 is carried by the user of the motorcycle. The motorcycle is equipped with an operating unit 15, an engine 16, and a handlebar locking mechanism 17.

The vehicle control device 10 is composed of an ECU (electronic control unit) and includes a control unit 11, a transceiver unit 12, an antenna 13, and a memory 14. The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU and other components, and controls the overall operation of the vehicle control device 10. The transceiver unit 12 communicates bidirectionally with the portable device 20 via the antenna 13, transmitting signals to the portable device 20 and receiving signals from the portable device 20. The memory 14 stores data necessary for the control of the control unit 11, the ID of the portable device 20, etc.

The control unit 11 is connected to an operating unit 15, an engine 16, and a handlebar locking mechanism 17 of the motorcycle. The operating unit 15 is provided with a main switch 18, which will be described later. The engine 16 is a driving source that operates by burning gasoline. The handlebar locking mechanism 17 is a mechanism for locking the handlebars of the motorcycle and unlocking the locked handlebars. Details of the handlebar locking will be described later.

The portable device 20 is configured as a remote control-type key fob and includes a control unit 21, a transceiver unit 22, an antenna 23, a memory 24, and an FOB switch 25. The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU and other components, and controls the overall operation of the portable device 20. The transceiver unit 22 communicates bidirectionally with the vehicle control device 10 via the antenna 23, transmitting signals to the vehicle control device 10 and receiving signals from the vehicle control device 10. The memory 24 stores data necessary for the control of the control unit 21, the ID of the portable device 20, and the like. The FOB switch 25 will be described later.

Figure 2 shows an example of a main switch 18 provided on the operating unit 15 of a motorcycle. The main switch 18 has a disk-shaped switch board 18a with a contact mechanism (not shown) on the back side, and a knob 18b provided integrally with the surface of the switch board 18a. The switch board 18a rotates in directions a and b by operating the knob 18b. The knob 18b can be pressed in addition to being rotated.

When knob 18b is rotated from the "OFF" position in direction a to the "ON" position, the motorcycle is powered on, and when it is returned from the "ON" position to the "OFF" position, the motorcycle is powered off. Furthermore, after turning the motorcycle handlebars fully left or fully right, when knob 18b is rotated from the "OFF" position in direction b to the "LOCK" position, the handlebars are locked by the handlebar locking mechanism 17 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, when knob 18b is rotated from the "LOCK" position in direction a to the "OFF" position, the handlebars are unlocked.

Figure 3 shows an example of a portable device 20. The FOB switch 25 provided on the portable device 20 is composed of, for example, a push button switch. This FOB switch 25 is operated when the portable device 20 is wirelessly connected to the vehicle control device 10 and the vehicle control device 10 performs the authentication required to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine. As will be described later, the FOB switch 25 is also operated when intentionally disconnecting the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20.

Figure 4 is a time chart showing the communication procedure when connecting the portable device 20 (central) and the vehicle control device 10 (peripheral) using the BLE communication described above.

As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when the FOB switch 25 of the portable device 20 is pressed and turned on at time t1, the portable device 20 enters a connection wait state. In this state, the control unit 21 of the portable device 20 scans the transceiver unit 22 and waits to receive a connection request signal from the vehicle control device 10. Note that the on time W1 of the FOB switch 25 is a predetermined fixed value regardless of the switch press time (the same applies to Figures 5, 6, and 10).

Meanwhile, as shown in (e) of Figure 4, the vehicle control device 10 transmits a connection request signal (advertisement) Sa at regular time intervals. When the timing of transmitting this connection request signal Sa coincides with the timing of scanning on the portable device 20 side, the connection request signal Sa is received by the transmitter/receiver 22 of the portable device 20, as shown in (b), and the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 are connected.

When connection is initiated at time t2, two-way communication takes place between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20, and until time t3, data for encryption and changing the communication interval is sent and received between the two devices, as well as authentication data required to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine. This authentication data includes the ID of the portable device 20.

The vehicle control device 10 performs ID verification based on the authentication data sent from the portable device 20, and if the result is normal, determines that authentication was successful. Then, as shown in (f) of Figure 4, at time t4, the status of engine start authentication changes from incomplete to completed, and as shown in (g), the status of handlebar unlock authentication changes from incomplete to completed. This unlocks the handlebar and allows engine start. Thereafter, by performing a specified operation, the engine starts and the motorcycle can be driven. The above status information is stored in memory 14.

After authentication is completed at time t4, the communication interval is widened as shown in the figure to reduce power consumption, and two-way communication is performed between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20.

As can be seen from Figure 4, in two-way communication using BLE communication, a connection between the portable device 20 and the vehicle control device 10 is not established until the portable device 20 receives a connection request signal Sa from the vehicle control device 10, resulting in a connection waiting time τ shown in (b). Furthermore, even after the connection is established, authentication data and other data are sent and received between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20, which lengthens the time T1 required to determine whether the authentication is successful and enable unlocking the steering wheel and starting the engine.

In conventional vehicle control systems using BLE communication, when the engine is stopped and the handlebars are locked, communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is cut off. Therefore, if the need arises to use the motorcycle immediately after locking the handlebars, even if the FOB switch 25 on the portable device 20 is pressed to reconnect, the connection process between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 must be performed from the beginning. This results in a time consuming process before the handlebars can be unlocked and the engine can be started, making the system less user-friendly. This is explained in more detail below with reference to Figure 5.

As shown in (f) and (g) of Figure 5, when the steering wheel is locked at time t5 while the engine is stopped, a disconnection notification signal Sc is sent from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20, and the connection between them is severed, as shown in (e) and (b). Then, immediately thereafter, at time t6, when the FOB switch 25 on the portable device 20 is pressed, bidirectional communication occurs according to the same procedure as the sequence shown in Figure 4. Times t6 to t9 in Figure 5 correspond to times t1 to t4 in Figure 4. In other words, after time t6 when the FOB switch 25 is pressed, the same connection process as from time t1 onwards in Figure 4 must be repeated from the beginning. This increases the time T1 (the same as T1 in Figure 4) from when the FOB switch 25 is pressed until the steering wheel can be unlocked and the engine can be started.

In order to shorten this time T1, the present invention maintains the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 without disconnecting communication even when the steering wheel is locked. Then, when the FOB switch 25 is pressed, the steering wheel can be unlocked and the engine started in a short time without restarting the connection process from the beginning. The communication procedure of the present invention is explained in detail below with reference to Figures 6 to 10.

Figure 6 shows the communication procedure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. When the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 are wirelessly connected and the handlebar locking operation is performed at time t10 as shown in (g), the statuses of the engine start authentication and the handlebar unlock authentication change as shown in (h) and (i) (engine start authentication: incomplete, handlebar unlock authentication: incomplete), and the vehicle is prohibited from traveling. Then, as shown in (e) and (b), a signal Sd indicating the status information (g) to (i) is transmitted from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20. Meanwhile, wireless communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is not stopped, and the connection between them continues. The above-mentioned handlebar locking operation is an operation for prohibiting the motorcycle from traveling, and corresponds to the "first operation" in this invention.

Then, at time t11, immediately after the handlebar locking operation, the FOB switch 25 is pressed as shown in (a). As shown in (c) and (d), authentication data Sb necessary for unlocking the handlebars and starting the engine is immediately transmitted from the portable device 20 to the vehicle control device 10 based on the ongoing wireless communication. The operation of the FOB switch 25 in this case is an operation necessary for driving the motorcycle (handlebar unlocking operation, engine start operation), and corresponds to the "second operation" in this invention.

The vehicle control device 10 then authenticates the portable device 20 based on the authentication data Sb, and if the authentication result is normal (i.e., the ID of the portable device 20 is correct), at time t13, it switches the status of the engine start authentication from incomplete to completed as shown in (h), and also switches the status of the handlebar unlock authentication from incomplete to completed as shown in (i). This releases the prohibition on riding, unlocks the handlebars, and allows the engine 16 to start. Thereafter, by performing a predetermined operation, the engine 16 starts, and the motorcycle can be driven.

As a result, in the first embodiment, the time T2 from when the FOB switch 25 is pressed until the engine 16 can be started is significantly shorter than the conventional time T1 (Figure 5). Therefore, even if the FOB switch 25 is pressed after the handle is locked, the engine 16 can be started in a short time, improving usability.

Figure 7 shows the communication procedure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, if the FOB switch 25 is not pressed within a predetermined time after the steering wheel locking operation, the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is severed.

More specifically, in Figure 7, when the steering wheel lock operation is performed at time t14 as shown in (g), the statuses of the engine start authentication and steering wheel unlock authentication change as shown in (h) and (i) (engine start authentication: incomplete, steering wheel unlock authentication: incomplete), and the vehicle is prohibited from traveling. Then, as shown in (e) and (b), a signal Sd indicating the status information (g) to (i) is transmitted from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20. At this time, as in Figure 6, wireless communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 does not stop, and the connection between them continues. Then, if the FOB switch 25 is operated within a predetermined time thereafter, the same operation as in Figure 6 occurs.

However, in Figure 7 (a), the FOB switch 25 remains off from time t14, when the steering wheel locking operation is performed, until time t15, when the predetermined time TM1 has elapsed. In other words, the FOB switch 25 is not pressed within the predetermined time TM1. In this case, as shown in (e) and (b), after the predetermined time TM1 has elapsed, a disconnection notification signal Sc is sent from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20, bidirectional communication is stopped, and the connection between the two devices is severed. This reduces unnecessary power consumption.

Figure 8 shows the communication procedure according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, if the FOB switch 25 is pressed and held after the steering wheel locking operation is performed, the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is disconnected.

In more detail, in Figure 8, when the steering wheel lock operation is performed at time t17 as shown in (g), the status of the engine start authentication and steering wheel unlock authentication changes as shown in (h) and (i) (engine start authentication: incomplete, steering wheel unlock authentication: incomplete), and the vehicle is prohibited from traveling. Then, as shown in (e) and (b), a signal Sd indicating the status information (g) to (i) is transmitted from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20. At this time, as in the case of Figure 6, wireless communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 does not stop, and the connection between them continues. Then, when a normal operation is performed on the FOB switch 25 thereafter, the same operation as in Figure 6 occurs.

However, in Figure 8, after the steering wheel locking operation (g) is performed at time t17, the FOB switch 25 is pressed and held (ON time: W2) from time t18 to time t19, as shown in (a). This long press is a different type of operation (W2 > W1) from the normal operation (ON time: W1) of the FOB switch 25 in Figure 6, and indicates that the operator does not intend to restart the engine 16 after locking the steering wheel, i.e., does not intend to drive the vehicle. The long press of the FOB switch 25 corresponds to the "third operation" in this invention.

In this case, as shown in (c) and (d), after the FOB switch 25 is pressed and held, a disconnection notification signal Sf is sent from the portable device 20 to the vehicle control device 10, and at time t20, bidirectional communication stops and the connection between the two devices is severed. This reduces unnecessary power consumption.

Figure 9 shows the communication procedure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, when the main switch 18 (Figure 1) on the vehicle side is pressed briefly after the steering wheel locking operation is performed, the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is disconnected.

In more detail, in Figure 9, when the steering wheel lock operation is performed at time t21 as shown in (g), the status of the engine start authentication and steering wheel unlock authentication changes as shown in (h) and (i) (engine start authentication: incomplete, steering wheel unlock authentication: incomplete), and the vehicle is prohibited from traveling. Then, as shown in (e) and (b), a signal Sd indicating the status information (g) to (i) is transmitted from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20. At this time, as in the case of Figure 6, wireless communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 does not stop, and the connection between them continues. Then, when the FOB switch 25 is operated thereafter, the same operation as in Figure 6 occurs.

However, in Figure 9, after the steering wheel locking operation (g) is performed at time t21, the main switch 18 is briefly pressed (on time: W3) at time t22, as shown in (a). This short press is an operation that differs from the normal operation of the main switch 18 (W3 < normal operation on time), and, like the long press of the FOB switch 25 in Figure 8, corresponds to a "third operation" that indicates that the operator does not intend to drive the vehicle after locking the steering wheel.

In this case, as shown in (e) and (b) of Figure 9, after the main switch 18 is briefly pressed, a disconnection notification signal Sc is sent from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20, and at time t23, two-way communication is stopped and the connection between the two devices is severed. This makes it possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

Figure 10 shows the communication procedure according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the fifth embodiment, a timer starts timing from the moment the steering wheel is locked, and if the FOB switch 25 is pressed within the timer's set time, the timer ends, while the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 is maintained. On the other hand, if the timer's set time has elapsed without the FOB switch 25 being pressed, the connection between the two devices is severed at that point.

More specifically, in Figure 10, when the steering wheel locking operation is performed at time t24 as shown in (h), a timer is turned on and begins counting from that point on as shown in (b). This timer is provided in the control unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 (not shown). Furthermore, as shown in (i) and (j), the statuses of the engine start authentication and steering wheel unlock authentication change (engine start authentication: incomplete, steering wheel unlock authentication: incomplete), and the vehicle is prohibited from traveling. Then, as shown in (f) and (c), a signal Sd indicating the status information (h) to (j) is transmitted from the vehicle control device 10 to the portable device 20. At this time, as in the case of Figure 6, wireless communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 does not stop, and the connection between them continues.

As shown in (a) of Figure 10, when the FOB switch 25 is pressed at time t25, before the timer's set time TM2 has elapsed, the portable device 20 transmits authentication data Sb required for starting the engine and unlocking the steering wheel to the vehicle control device 10, as shown in (d) and (e). The vehicle control device 10 then authenticates the portable device 20 based on the authentication data Sb. If the authentication results are normal, at time t26, the vehicle control device 10 changes the engine start authentication status from incomplete to completed, as shown in (i), and changes the steering wheel unlock authentication status from incomplete to completed, as shown in (j). This cancels the driving prohibition state, allowing the steering wheel to be unlocked and the engine to be started. The timer also turns off at time t26, ending its timing. From this point on, the vehicle transitions to the normal connection state.

On the other hand, if the FOB switch 25 is not pressed before the timer's set time TM2 has elapsed, as shown by the dashed line in (b), at time t27 when the set time TM2 has elapsed, the timer turns off, bidirectional communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 stops, and the connection between the two is severed. This reduces unnecessary power consumption.

In addition to the above-described embodiments, the present invention can also employ various other embodiments, such as the following:

For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the operation of locking the handlebars was given as an example of the first operation for prohibiting the motorcycle from traveling, but the first operation of the present invention may also be an operation of stopping the engine 16 of the motorcycle or an operation of turning off the power supply to the motorcycle.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the operation of unlocking the handlebars and the operation of starting the engine 16 were given as examples of the second operation required for driving the motorcycle, but the second operation of the present invention may also be the operation of turning on the power to the motorcycle.

Furthermore, while Figures 8 and 9 show examples of long or short presses of the FOB switch 25 or main switch 18 as a third operation that does not intend to drive the vehicle, the third operation may alternatively be when each switch is pressed a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time.

In addition, in Figures 6 and 10, the authentication data sent from the portable device 20 to the vehicle control device 10 includes two types of authentication data: authentication data required for engine start and authentication data required for steering wheel unlock. However, it is also possible to send only the authentication data required for engine start. In this case, the steering wheel unlock authentication status in Figures 6(i) and 10(j) is always in a completed state (unlocking permitted state).

The above-described embodiments may also be combined as appropriate. For example, the second embodiment (FIG. 7) may be combined with the third embodiment (FIG. 8), and if the FOB switch 25 is pressed and held within the predetermined time TM1, the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 may be disconnected without waiting for the predetermined time TM1 to elapse. Similarly, the second embodiment (FIG. 7) may be combined with the fourth embodiment (FIG. 9), and if the main switch 18 is pressed and held within the predetermined time TM1, the connection between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20 may be disconnected without waiting for the predetermined time TM1 to elapse.

Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example was given in which BLE was used as the communication method between the vehicle control device 10 and the portable device 20, but other communication methods such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark) may be used instead of BLE.

Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments have been described using engine-driven motorcycles as examples, the present invention can also be applied to electric motorcycles that use a motor as a driving source. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to motorcycles, but can also be applied to vehicles such as three-wheeled motor vehicles.

10 Vehicle control device 11 Control unit 12 Transmitter/receiver unit 13 Antenna 14 Memory 15 Operation unit 16 Engine (driving source)
17 Steering wheel locking mechanism 18 Main switch 20 Portable device 21 Control unit 22 Transmitter/receiver unit 23 Antenna 24 Memory 25 FOB switch 100 Vehicle control system

Claims (6)

A vehicle control device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the operation of the vehicle by performing two-way wireless communication with a portable device,
when a first operation for prohibiting the vehicle from traveling is performed while the vehicle is connected to the portable device via the wireless communication, the vehicle is put into a traveling prohibition state, while the wireless communication is continued to maintain the connection state with the portable device;
Thereafter, when a second operation required to release the travel prohibition state is performed, authentication of the portable device is performed based on the ongoing wireless communication, and if the result of the authentication is normal, the travel prohibition state is released, and then a predetermined operation is performed, thereby enabling the vehicle to travel.
a timer starts timing from the point in time when the first operation is performed, and if the second operation is performed within a set time of the timer, the timer ends timing and maintains a connection state with the portable device;
A vehicle control device characterized in that , if the set time of the timer has elapsed without the second operation being performed within the set time of the timer, the connection with the portable device is cut off at that time . 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
A vehicle control device characterized in that, after the first operation is performed, if the second operation is not performed and a third operation that does not intend to drive the vehicle is performed, the connection with the portable device is disconnected. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
the first operation is an operation to lock a steering wheel of a vehicle, an operation to stop an engine of a vehicle, or an operation to turn off a power source of a vehicle;
The vehicle control device is characterized in that the second operation is an operation to unlock a locked steering wheel, an operation to start an engine of a vehicle, or an operation to turn on a power source of a vehicle. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the third operation is a long press or a short press of a switch provided on the portable device or the vehicle. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
The vehicle control device is characterized in that the two-way wireless communication is BLE communication. A vehicle control method for a vehicle control device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls an operation of the vehicle by performing two-way wireless communication with a portable device, comprising:
a step of, when a first operation for prohibiting the vehicle from traveling is performed while the vehicle control device is connected to the portable device via the wireless communication, putting the vehicle into a traveling prohibition state while continuing the wireless communication to maintain the connection state with the portable device;
thereafter, when a second operation required to release the travel prohibition state is performed, authenticating the portable device based on the ongoing wireless communication;
If the authentication result is normal, the travel prohibition state is released , and then a predetermined operation is performed to enable the vehicle to travel.
a step of starting time measurement by a timer from the time when the first operation is performed, and if the second operation is performed within a set time of the timer, ending time measurement by the timer and maintaining a connection state with the portable device;
and if the second operation is not performed within the set time of the timer and the set time of the timer has elapsed, disconnecting the connection with the portable device at that time .