# US 10,769,876 B2 · Vehicular electronic key system and method of controlling electronic key > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,876 B2 - Document ID: US10769876B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/275,836 - Filed: 2019-02-14 - Published: 2019-06-13 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-25 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroki Okada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769876B2 ## CPC - G07C 9/28: the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence - B60R 25/24: using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user - B60R 25/40: Features of the power supply for the anti-theft system, e.g. anti-theft batteries, back-up power supply or means to save battery power - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - G07C 9/00944: {Details of construction or manufacture} - G07C 2009/0038: {whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the keyless data carrier} - G07C 2009/00587: {by battery} - G07C 2009/00793: {by Hertzian waves} - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A vehicular electronic key system includes an electronic key and a wireless communication device. The electronic key includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, and a first controller that switches an operating state between an ON state where a function of the first communication unit is operated, and an OFF state where the function of the first communication unit is at least partially stopped, based on a result of communication of the second communication unit with the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes a third communication unit, and a second controller. The first controller switches the operating state when the first controller detects that the electronic key has been moved by a predetermined distance or longer outside a vehicle based on at least a result of communication of a predetermined signal by the second communication unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular electronic key system comprising: an electronic key that includes: a first communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with a vehicle; a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communicate on with a wireless communication device; and a first controller configured to: switch an operating state between an ON state where a function of the first communication unit is operated, and an OFF state where the function of the first communication unit is at least partially stopped, based on a result of communication of the second communication unit with the wireless communication device; detect whether an electronic key has been moved by a predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle based on at least a result of communication of the predetermined signal by the second communication unit; and in response to the electronic key being moved by the predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle, switch a current state of the operating state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is configured to: detect that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance when the second communication unit does not receive an electric wave from the wireless communication device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a portable wireless communication terminal device that includes an acceleration sensor, the second communication unit receives a signal from the wireless communication device, the signal including information on an output of the acceleration sensor, and the first controller detects that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance based on the information based on the output of the acceleration sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 3, wherein the first controller is configured to: generate a signal when the electronic key is determined as having traveled the predetermined distance or longer; and set the operating state to the OFF state when the second communication unit receives the predetermined signal. ### Claim 5 A vehicular electronic key system comprising: an electronic key that includes: a first transmitter/receiver configured to perform wireless communication with a vehicle; a second transmitter/receiver configured to perform wireless communication with a wireless communication device; and a processor programmed to: switch an operating state between: (i) an ON state where a function of the first transmitter/receiver is operated, and (ii) an OFF state where the function of the first transmitter/receiver is at least partially stopped, based on a result of communication of the second transmitter/receiver with the wireless communication device; detect whether an electronic key has been moved by a predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle based on at least a result of communication of the predetermined signal by the second transmitter/receiver; and in response to the electronic key being moved by the predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle, switch a current state of the operating state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 5, wherein the processor is programmed to: detect that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance when the second transmitter/receiver does not receive an electric wave from the wireless communication device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication device is a portable wireless communication terminal device that includes an acceleration sensor, the second transmitter/receiver receives a signal from the wireless communication device, the signal including information on an output of the acceleration sensor, and the processor determines that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance based on the information based on the output of the acceleration sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicular electronic key system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to: generate a signal when the electronic key is determined as having traveled the predetermined distance or longer; and set the operating state to the OFF state when the second transmitter/receiver receives the predetermined signal. ### Claim 9 A method for controlling an electronic key and a wireless communication device in a vehicular electronic key system having a processor, the method comprising: performing, by a first transmitter/receiver in the electronic key, wireless communication with a vehicle; performing, by a second transmitter/receiver in the electronic key, wireless communication with a wireless communication device; and detecting, by a processor in the electronic key, whether the electronic key has been moved by a predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle based on at least a result of communication of the predetermined signal by the second transmitter/receiver; and in response to the electronic key being moved by the predetermined distance or longer outside the vehicle, switching, by the processor in the electronic key, a current state of an operating state between: (i) an ON state where a function of the first transmitter/receiver is operated, or (ii) an OFF state where the function of the first transmitter/receiver is at least partially stopped. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: detecting, by the processor, that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance when the second transmitter/receiver does not receive an electric wave from the wireless communication device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device is a portable wireless communication terminal device that includes an acceleration sensor, the second transmitter/receiver receives a signal from the wireless communication device, the signal including information on an output of the acceleration sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining, by the processor, that the electronic key has been moved a distance equal to or longer than a predetermined distance based on the information based on the output of the acceleration sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the processor is programmed to: generate a signal when the electronic key is determined as having traveled the predetermined distance or longer; and set the operating state to the OFF state when the second transmitter/receiver receives the predetermined signal.