# US 9,751,497 B2 · Vehicle control apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,497 B2 - Document ID: US9751497B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/033,124 - Filed: 2014-10-09 - Published: 2016-09-22 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-01 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Kenichiro Sanji; Tatuya Katoh; Noritaka Hirao; Suguru Matsushita; Koji Nakao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751497B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/24: using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user - B60R 25/245: {where the antenna reception area plays a role} - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G07C 9/00: Individual registration on entry or exit - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - H04N 5/44: Receiver circuitry {for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards} (H04N5/14 takes precedence) - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 12/06: Authentication - B60R 25/31: of human presence inside or outside the vehicle - B60R 2325/101: Bluetooth® - B60R 2325/103: Near field communication [NFC] - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - G07C 2209/63: Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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 - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A vehicle control apparatus includes: a first communicator that has a communication range outside a vehicle and communicates with a portable communication terminal by a predetermined first wireless communication system; a second communicator that has a communication range in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle and communicates with the portable communication terminal by a second wireless communication system; a first authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal; a second authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal; a determinator that determines that the portable communication terminal exists within a predetermined range outside the vehicle, and determines that the portable communication terminal exists in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle; and a controller that permits or causes an electronic control device controlling an action of the vehicle to perform a predetermined action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control apparatus, comprising: a first communicator that has a communication range outside a vehicle, and communicates with a portable communication terminal by a predetermined first wireless communication protocol; a second communicator that has a communication range in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, and communicates with the portable communication terminal by a second wireless communication protocol, which is different from the first wireless communication protocol; a first authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal with the first communicator, and authenticates a received identification information; a second authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal with the second communicator, and authenticates a received identification information; a determinator that determines that the portable communication terminal exists within a predetermined range outside the vehicle when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and when the portable communication terminal is not authenticated by the second authenticator, and determines that the portable communication terminal exists in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the second authenticator; and a controller that permits or causes an electronic control device controlling an action of the vehicle to perform a predetermined action corresponding to a position of the portable communication terminal determined by the determinator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first communicator includes a first communication antenna; the first communication antenna is disposed to an external side of the vehicle with a vehicle body structure interposed between the vehicle compartment and the external side of the vehicle, the vehicle body structure partially restricting electric wave that invades into the vehicle compartment; the second communicator includes a second communication antenna; and the second communication antenna is disposed to face the vehicle compartment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the determinator determines a distance from the vehicle to the portable communication terminal existing outside the vehicle based on a communication state by the first communicator, when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and when the portable communication terminal is not authenticated by the second authenticator; and the controller permits or causes the predetermined action, which is associated with the distance at which the portable communication terminal exists outside the vehicle, to be performed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first wireless communication protocol is provided by a communication protocol conformable to a communication protocol for a short distance wireless communication in a near-field type near field communication; and the second wireless communication protocol is provided by a communication protocol conformable to Bluetooth communications protocol. ### Claim 5 A vehicle control apparatus, comprising: a first communicator that has a communication range outside a vehicle, and communicates with a portable communication terminal by a predetermined first wireless communication system; a second communicator that has a communication range in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, and communicates with the portable communication terminal by a second wireless communication system, which is different from the first wireless communication system; a first authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal with the first communicator, and authenticates a received identification information; a second authenticator that receives identification information from the portable communication terminal with the second communicator, and authenticates a received identification information; a determinator that determines that the portable communication terminal exists within a predetermined range outside the vehicle when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and when the portable communication terminal is not authenticated by the second authenticator, and determines that the portable communication terminal exists in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and when the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the second authenticator; a controller that permits or causes an electronic control device controlling an action of the vehicle to perform a predetermined action corresponding to a position of the portable communication terminal determined by the determinator; and an acquisition portion that acquires image information, which is produced by a camera-included in the portable communication terminal, through communication to be performed by the first communicator, wherein: when the determinator determines that the portable communication terminal is authenticated by the first authenticator and the portable communication terminal is not authenticated by the second authenticator, the determinator causes the acquisition portion to acquire the image information produced by the portable communication terminal at a time when the determinator makes determination, and the determinator determines based on a result of analysis performed on the image information whether the portable communication terminal exists outside the vehicle or exists in the vehicle compartment while the second authenticator does not authenticate the portable communication terminal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: when a plurality of portable communication terminals that are not authenticated by the second authenticator and are authenticated by the first authenticator are detected, the determinator determines based on the image information produced by the detected portable communication terminals and acquired by the acquisition portion whether each of the portable communication terminals exists outside the vehicle or exists in the vehicle compartment while the second authenticator does not authenticate; and the controller permits or causes the electronic control device, which controls an action of the vehicle, to perform the predetermined action in accordance with a distribution state of positions of the portable communication terminals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: the controller causes a predetermined information presentation device to notify a user of a fact that the portable communication terminal is placed in the vehicle compartment, when the plurality of portable communication terminals mixedly exist outside the vehicle and in the vehicle compartment.