# US 12,601,823 B2 · Information processing device, vehicle, information processing method, and computer-readable storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,823 B2 - Document ID: US12601823B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/378,936 - Filed: 2023-10-11 - Published: 2024-05-09 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-04 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Toru Yoshihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601823B2 ## CPC - G01S 11/02: using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence) - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An information processing device includes: a distance measuring section that carries out communication between an own device and a portable terminal by using BLE wireless communication, and, in a case in which strength of a signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, starts measuring a distance between the own device and the portable terminal by using UWB wireless communication; a judging section judging whether or not results of distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication satisfy a predetermined operation condition; and a notification section that, in a case in which the operation condition is satisfied, provides the portable terminal with a notice proposing changing of the threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing device comprising: at least one processor that is configured to: (i) carry out communication between an own device and a portable terminal by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication, (ii) compare a strength of a signal relating to the BLE wireless communication between the own device and the portable terminal with a predetermined threshold value and, (iii) in a case in which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, start measuring a distance between the own device and the portable terminal by using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless communication; judge whether or not results of distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication satisfy a predetermined operation condition; and in a case in which the predetermined operation condition is satisfied, provide the portable terminal with a notice proposing changing of the predetermined threshold value to which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is compared. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation condition is at least one of whether or not a continuation time of the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and whether or not a frequency of the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is greater than or equal to a predetermined frequency. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The information processing device of claim 2, wherein, after the at least one processor starts the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication, in a case in which the strength of the signal becomes less than the predetermined threshold value, the at least one processor stops the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, from the portable terminal, a changed value for changing the predetermined threshold value; and set, as the predetermined threshold value, the changed value that was received from the portable terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising the information processing device claim 1, wherein, in a case in which operation of the vehicle by a user is not detected, the information processing device judges whether or not the predetermined operation condition is satisfied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A vehicle comprising the information processing device of claim 2, wherein, in a case in which operation of the vehicle by a user is not detected, the information processing device judges whether or not the predetermined operation condition is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) A vehicle comprising the information processing device of claim 3, wherein, in a case in which operation of the vehicle by a user is not detected, the information processing device judges whether or not the predetermined operation condition is satisfied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) A vehicle comprising the information processing device of claim 4, wherein, in a case in which operation of the vehicle by a user is not detected, the information processing device judges whether or not the predetermined operation condition is satisfied. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the information processing device counts a number of times that the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is started, and initializes the number of times in a case in which the operation of the vehicle by the user is detected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the information processing device counts a number of times that the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is started, and initializes the number of times in a case in which the operation of the vehicle by the user is detected. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the information processing device counts a number of times that the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is started, and initializes the number of times in a case in which the operation of the vehicle by the user is detected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the information processing device counts a number of times that the distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication is started, and initializes the number of times in a case in which the operation of the vehicle by the user is detected. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation condition is whether or not the measuring of the distance between the own device and the portable terminal by the UWB wireless communication has been performed, without the user operating the own device, for at least one of (a) a time period that is greater than or equal to a predetermined time period and (b) a number of times that is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times. ### Claim 14 An information processing method in which a computer executes processings of: (i) carrying out communication between an own device and a portable terminal by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication, (ii) comparing a strength of a signal relating to the BLE wireless communication between the own device and the portable terminal with a predetermined threshold value and, (iii) in a case in which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, starting measuring of a distance between the own device and the portable terminal by using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless communication; judging whether or not results of distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication satisfy a predetermined operation condition; and in a case in which the predetermined operation condition is satisfied, providing the portable terminal with a notice proposing changing of the predetermined threshold value to which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is compared. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The information processing method of claim 14, wherein the computer further executes the processing of: upon receipt of an instruction to change the predetermined threshold value, the instruction being output by the portable terminal in response to the notice, changing a value of the predetermined threshold value so that the measuring of the distance between the own device and the portable terminal using the UWB wireless communication is started when the portable terminal is located closer to the own device compared to before the value of the predetermined threshold value was changed. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program for causing a computer to execute processings of: (i) carrying out communication between an own device and a portable terminal by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication, (ii) comparing a strength of a signal relating to the BLE wireless communication between the own device and the portable terminal with a predetermined threshold value and, (iii) in a case in which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, starting measuring of a distance between the own device and the portable terminal by using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless communication; judging whether or not results of distance measuring by the UWB wireless communication satisfy a predetermined operation condition; and in a case in which the predetermined operation condition is satisfied, providing the portable terminal with a notice proposing changing of the predetermined threshold value to which the strength of the signal relating to the BLE wireless communication is compared. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: upon receipt of an instruction to change the predetermined threshold value, the instruction being output by the portable terminal in response to the notice, change a value of the predetermined threshold value so that the measuring of the distance between the own device and the portable terminal using the UWB wireless communication is started when the portable terminal is located closer to the own device compared to before the value of the predetermined threshold value was changed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The information processing method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined operation condition is whether or not the measuring of the distance between the own device and the portable terminal by the UWB wireless communication has been performed, without the user operating the own device, for at least one of (a) a time period that is greater than or equal to a predetermined time period and (b) a number of times that is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times.