US 12,225,428 B2
Vehicle control device and vehicle control method
Satoshi Hasegawa, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/669,524.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-036308 (JP), filed on Mar. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0286809 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 4/02 (2018.01); G07C 5/00 (2006.01); H04B 17/318 (2015.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.01); H04W 4/40 (2018.01)
CPC H04W 4/023 (2013.01) [G07C 5/008 (2013.01); H04B 17/318 (2015.01); H04W 4/025 (2013.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.02); H04W 76/15 (2018.02); H04W 4/40 (2018.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control device comprising a processor that includes:
a first wireless communication establishment recognition unit configured to recognize that first wireless communication is established between a user terminal and a vehicle, the user terminal being used by a user of the vehicle and performing the first wireless communication by a first communication specification and second wireless communication by a second communication specification with the vehicle;
a first terminal position recognition unit configured to recognize a first position of the user terminal with respect to the vehicle by activating, among a plurality of second communication antennas of the second communication specification provided to the vehicle, a first prescribed number of a plurality of the second communication antennas and by performing the second wireless communication between the vehicle and the user terminal, when the first wireless communication establishment recognition unit recognizes that the first wireless communication is established between the vehicle and the user terminal;
a terminal distance recognition unit configured to: select a second prescribed number, which is less than the first prescribed number, of the second communication antennas based on the first position so that the second communication antennas are divided into a group of selected second communication antennas and a group of unselected second communication antennas, activate the group of the selected second communication antennas and deactivate the group of the unselected second communication antennas, and perform the second wireless communication between the vehicle and the user terminal to recognize a distance between the vehicle and the user terminal; and, thereafter, repeatedly execute terminal distance recognition processing for recognizing the distance between the vehicle and the user terminal by changing the number of the second communication antennas to be activated in accordance with the distance between the vehicle and the user terminal; and
a control unit configured to perform control of the vehicle based on the distance between the vehicle and the user terminal.