Power consumption suppression system for electronic key terminal and power consumption suppression method for electronic key terminal

A power consumption suppression method for an electronic key terminal by which power consumption in an electronic key terminal that communicates with an on-vehicle device in a vehicle is suppressed, the method comprising:

• acquiring locking location information as information on a location where the vehicle has been locked with the electronic key terminal and terminal location information as information on a location of the electronic key terminal;
• holding the lock location information in the electronic key terminal;
• and
• suppressing the power consumption in the electronic key terminal when a relative distance between the location where the vehicle has been locked indicated by the acquired locking location information and the location of the electronic key terminal indicated by the terminal location information is equal to or longer than a prescribed distance,
• acquiring the relative distance from the locking location information without requiring periodic comunications with the vehicle and held in the electronic key terminal, and the terminal location information acquired at each time.

A multi-function telephone adapted for communicating with an on-vehicle device in a vehicle, the multi-function telephone comprising one or more electronic circuits including:

• a location information acquisition ECU configured to acquire locking location information as information on a location where the vehicle has been locked with the electronic key terminal and terminal location information as information on a location of the electronic key terminal;
• and
• a power consumption suppression ECU configured to suppress power consumption in the electronic key terminal when a relative distance between the location where the vehicle has been locked indicated by the locking location information acquired by the location information acquisition ECU and the location of the electronic key terminal indicated by the terminal location information is equal to or longer than a prescribed distance,
• wherein the multi-function telephone is configured to hold the lock location information,
• wherein the location information acquisition ECU is configured to acquire the relative distance from the locking location information acquired by the location information acquisition ECU without requiring periodic communications with the vehicle and held in the electronic key terminal, and the terminal location information acquired at each time.