System and method for reducing power consumption for a smart entry door handle in a vehicle

A system for reducing power consumption for a smart entry door handle in a vehicle comprising:

• a smart entry power control application for controlling components of the smart entry door handle;
• a polling signal response module of the smart entry power control application for determining if a portable device is located within a polling range of the vehicle;
• and
• a power supply unit of the vehicle for supplying a first predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle if the polling signal response module determines that the portable device is located within the polling range of the vehicle;
• wherein the power supply unit of the vehicle supplies a second predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle if the polling signal response module determines that the portable device is located outside of the polling range of the vehicle,
• wherein the system further includes a polling cycle control module of the smart entry power control application that sends a command to the power supply unit to supply the second predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle to supply an amount of power to a communication device of the vehicle in order to provide a default polling mode;
• wherein the default polling mode includes the communication device of the vehicle transmitting a predetermined number of polling signals within a predetermined time period,
• wherein the polling cycle control module sends the command to the power supply unit to provide the first predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle to reduce the amount of power supplied to the communication device in order to provide a reduced polling mode, and
• wherein the reduced polling mode includes the communication device of the vehicle transmitting a reduced number of polling signals within the predetermined time period relative to the predetermined number of polling signals transmitted within the predetermined time period in the default polling mode.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method, comprising:

• determining if a portable device is located within a polling range of a vehicle;
• supplying a first predetermined amount of power to a smart entry door handle if it is determined that the portable device is located within the polling range of the vehicle;
• and
• supplying a second predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle if it is determined that the portable device is located outside of the polling range of the vehicle;
• wherein supplying the second predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle includes supplying an amount of power to a communication device of the vehicle in order to provide a default polling mode,
• wherein the default polling mode includes the communication device of the vehicle transmitting a predetermined number of polling signals within a predetermined time period,
• wherein supplying the first predetermined amount of power to the smart entry door handle includes supplying a reduced amount of power relative to the second predetermined amount of power to the communication device of the vehicle in order to provide a reduced polling mode, and
• wherein the reduced polling mode includes the communication device of the vehicle transmitting a reduced number of polling signals within the predetermined time period relative to the predetermined number of polling signals transmitted within the predetermined time period in the default polling mode.