| CPC B60W 40/08 (2013.01) [B60W 2540/227 (2020.02); G01S 5/14 (2013.01)] | 9 Claims |
|
1. A vehicular position estimation system configured to determine a portable terminal position with respect to a vehicle by causing a plurality of in-vehicle communication devices placed at different positions on the vehicle to wirelessly communicate with a portable terminal carried by a user of the vehicle, each of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices being configured to wirelessly communicate with at least two of a plurality of different devices that are mounted on the vehicle and are the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices, the vehicular position estimation system comprising:
a distance index value acquisition portion configured to acquire a distance index value directly or indirectly indicating a distance between the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices by causing the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices to perform a wireless communication for each combination of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices having a positional relationship that enables the wireless communication with each other;
a normal range storage portion configured to store data indicating a normal range of the distance index value in accordance with a combination of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices; and
a communication device diagnosis portion configured to (i) determine whether the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices are in a normal state based on the distance index value for each combination, which is acquired by the distance index value acquisition portion, of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices, (ii) adjust the normal range of the distance index value in a state where an occupant is not present inside the vehicle, and (iii) adjust a default reference value of the normal range in response to the default reference value of the normal range deviating from a propagation time observed by at least one of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices by at least a predetermined value, wherein
when the distance index value between a diagnosis target device to be diagnosed among the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices and at least one of the plurality of different devices is within the normal range in accordance with the combination of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices, the communication device diagnosis portion determines that a failure does not occur in the diagnosis target device;
the vehicular position estimation system further comprising a vehicle controller configured to perform control of the vehicle based on a determination result of the portable terminal position using the diagnosis target device that has been determined not to have the failure, the control of the vehicle including at least one of locking or unlocking a door of the vehicle or starting an engine of the vehicle;
wherein:
when each distance index value between the diagnosis target device and each of the plurality of different devices configured to communicate with the diagnosis target device is outside the normal range, the communication device diagnosis portion determines that the failure occurs in the diagnosis target device; and
each of the plurality of in-vehicle communication devices is attached at a position where signals from the plurality of different devices are directly received in the state where the occupant is not present inside the vehicle.
|