Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle control method, recording medium with program for control recorded, and vehicle control system

A vehicle control method to be executed by a vehicle control apparatus performing communication with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• a vehicle communication control step of performing communication by a first communication specification with the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal positions within an out-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
• a first distance measuring step of measuring a vehicle-terminal distance with first precision, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
• a vehicle position information obtaining step of obtaining vehicle position information including current position information on the vehicle;
• a terminal position information obtaining step of obtaining terminal position information including current position information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal by the first communication specification by receiving the terminal position information from the mobile terminal through processing in the vehicle communication control step;
• a second distance measuring step of measuring the vehicle-terminal distance with second precision based on the vehicle position information and the terminal position information, the second precision being measurement precision lower than the first precision;
• a high-precision distance measurement determining step of determining whether the first distance measuring step is caused to measure the vehicle-terminal distance or not based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured in the second distance measuring step, and determining to cause the first distance measuring step to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the vehicle-terminal distance decreases by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring step;
• and
• an electronic-key-app operation recognizing step recognizing that an electronic key app for remotely operating the vehicle with the mobile terminal is in operation based on operating state information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal to the vehicle control apparatus,
• wherein the high-precision distance measurement determining step determines to cause the first distance measuring step to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the electronic-key-app operation recognizing step recognizes that the electronic key app is in operation even though the vehicle-terminal distance does not decrease by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring step.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium with a program for control recorded, the program being executed by a vehicle control apparatus performing communication with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle and causing the vehicle control apparatus to function as:

• a vehicle communication control unit performing communication by a first communication specification with the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal positions within an out-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
• a first distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance with first precision, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
• a vehicle position information obtaining unit obtaining vehicle position information including current position information on the vehicle;
• a terminal position information obtaining unit obtaining terminal position information including current position information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal by the first communication specification by receiving the terminal position information from the mobile terminal through the vehicle communication control unit;
• a second distance measuring unit measuring the vehicle-terminal distance with second precision based on the vehicle position information and the terminal position information, the second precision being measurement precision lower than the first precision;
• a high-precision distance measurement determining unit determining whether the first distance measuring unit is caused to measure the vehicle-terminal distance or not based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the second distance measuring unit, and determining to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the vehicle-terminal distance decreases by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit;
• and
• an electronic-key-app operation recognizing unit recognizing that an electronic key app for remotely operating the vehicle with the mobile terminal is in operation based on operating state information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal to the vehicle communication control unit,
• wherein the high-precision distance measurement determining unit determines to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the electronic-key-app operation recognizing unit recognizes that the electronic key app is in operation even though the vehicle-terminal distance does not decrease by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit.

A vehicle control system comprising a vehicle control apparatus having a vehicle communication control unit and a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle,

• wherein the vehicle communication control unit and the mobile terminal perform communication by a first communication specification by establishing communication with each other when the mobile terminal positions within an out-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and
• the vehicle control apparatus includes a CPU (central processing unit) that includes:
• a first distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance with first precision, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
• a vehicle position information obtaining unit obtaining vehicle position information including current position information on the vehicle;
• a terminal position information obtaining unit obtaining terminal position information including current position information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal by the first communication specification by receiving the terminal position information from the mobile terminal through the vehicle communication control unit;
• a second distance measuring unit measuring the vehicle-terminal distance with second precision based on the vehicle position information and the terminal position information, the second precision being measurement precision lower than the first precision;
• a high-precision distance measurement determining unit determining whether the first distance measuring unit is caused to measure the vehicle-terminal distance or not based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the second distance measuring unit, and determining to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the vehicle-terminal distance decreases by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit;
• and
• an electronic-key-app operation recognizing unit recognizing that an electronic key app for remotely operating the vehicle with the mobile terminal is in operation based on operating state information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal to the vehicle communication control unit,
• wherein the high-precision distance measurement determining unit determines to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the electronic-key-app operation recognizing unit recognizes that the electronic key app is in operation even though the vehicle-terminal distance does not decrease by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit.

A vehicle control apparatus comprising a CPU (central processing unit) that includes:

• a vehicle communication control unit performing communication by a first communication specification with a mobile terminal used by a user of a vehicle when the mobile terminal positions within an out-vehicle communication area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;
• a first distance measuring unit measuring a vehicle-terminal distance with first precision, the vehicle-terminal distance being a distance between the vehicle and the mobile terminal;
• a vehicle position information obtaining unit obtaining vehicle position information including current position information on the vehicle;
• a terminal position information obtaining unit obtaining terminal position information including current position information on the mobile terminal transmitted from the mobile terminal by the first communication specification by receiving the terminal position information from the mobile terminal through the vehicle communication control unit;
• a second distance measuring unit measuring the vehicle-terminal distance with second precision based on the vehicle position information and the terminal position information, the second precision being measurement precision lower than the first precision;
• a high-precision distance measurement determining unit determining whether the first distance measuring unit is caused to measure the vehicle-terminal distance or not based on the vehicle-terminal distance measured by the second distance measuring unit, and determining to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the vehicle-terminal distance decreases by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit;
• and
• a battery remaining-amount recognizing unit recognizing a remaining amount of a battery included in the vehicle,
• wherein the high-precision distance measurement determining unit determines not to cause the first distance measuring unit to measure the vehicle-terminal distance when the remaining amount of the battery recognized by the battery remaining-amount recognizing unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined remaining amount even though the vehicle-terminal distance decreases by a predetermined distance or larger in a plurality of the vehicle-terminal distances measured at different points in time by the second distance measuring unit.