Lock control device and vehicle digital key system

A vehicle digital key system comprising:

• an in-vehicle device configured to authenticate a person trying to access a vehicle using at least one of a plurality of authentication methods;
• a mobile device that is an information terminal carried by a user of the vehicle;
• and
• a server configured to perform data communication with the mobile device and the in-vehicle device,
• wherein
• the in-vehicle device includes a controller configured to control an operation of each of a plurality of authentication sensors corresponding to the plurality of authentication methods,
• the mobile device includes an operation response unit configured to transmit, to the server, an operation start signal that is a signal for starting authentication based on a user operation,
• the plurality of authentication methods include a usable method and an unusable method,
• the server includes:
• a status management unit configured to collect information related to the unusable method and the usable method by communicating with the in-vehicle device or the mobile device;
• a selection unit configured to select an adapted method that is an authentication method actually used for an authentication process from the usable method in response to reception of the operation start signal from the mobile device;
• and
• a transmission processing unit configured to transmit, to the in-vehicle device, a command set including information related to at least one adopted method selected by the selection unit, and
• the controller
• is configured to activate, among the plurality of authentication sensors, an authentication sensor corresponding to the adopted method indicated by the command set and
• is configured not to activate an authentication sensor corresponding to an unusable method different from the usable method.

A lock control device connected to a first authentication sensor that acquires information for authenticating a user by a predetermined method and a second authentication sensor that acquires information for authenticating the user by a method different from the predetermined method of the first authentication sensor, the lock control device comprising:

• an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the first authentication sensor;
• and
• a controller configured to control an operation of each of the first authentication sensor and the second authentication sensor,
• wherein
• when the abnormality detection unit has not detected the abnormality of the first authentication sensor, the controller does not activate the second authentication sensor until an authentication process using at least the first authentication sensor is successful,
• the lock control device
• is connected to a communication unit for wirelessly connecting to a wide area communication network, and
• includes a communication controller configured to control an operation of the communication unit and determine whether the communication unit is in a connectable state with the wide area communication network based on a signal reception status of the communication unit,
• when determining that the communication unit is in the connectable state with the wide area communication network, the controller operates the first authentication sensor in response to reception of a command set for providing an instruction of a start of the process for authenticating the user, and
• when determining that the communication unit is not in the connectable state with the wide area communication network, the controller intermittently operates the first authentication sensor.