Computer for activating at least one function of a motor vehicle

1. A computer for activating at least one function of a motor vehicle from a portable authentication device, said vehicle comprising:

a plurality of opening elements;

a plurality of communication modules, each communication module being mounted in an opening element of the vehicle and comprising an antenna characterized by an internal transmission zone and an external transmission zone; and

a fixed reference module able to communicate with the at least one computer and with the plurality of communication modules,

said computer configured to:

a) determine the opening position of the at least one opening element detected in the open state from the antenna position of the communication module of the at least one opening element in the open state,

b) determine an inner detection zone of the antenna, located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an outer detection zone of the antenna, located outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, from the determined opening position of said at least one opening element in the open state and from a predefined position of the external transmission zone and internal transmission zone of the antenna depending on the opening position of each opening element,

c) determine the position of the authentication device with respect to the determined inner and outer detection zones, and

d) activate at least one function of the vehicle when the authentication device is located in the inner detection zone of said opening element,

wherein the fixed reference module is configured to determine the distance separating it from the antenna of said at least one opening element detected in the open state from signals transmitted by the fixed reference module and by the communication modules.

2. The computer as claimed in claim 1 , configured to determine the position of the antenna of said at least one opening element detected in the open state from the distance determined by the fixed reference module.

3. The computer as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a memory zone in which is stored a correspondence table comprising discrete or continuous values of correspondence between the opening position of each opening element and the position of the inner detection zone and outer detection zone of said antenna.

4. A motor vehicle comprising:

a computer for activating at least one function of the motor vehicle from a portable authentication device;

a plurality of opening elements;

a plurality of communication modules, each communication module being mounted in an opening element of the vehicle and comprising an antenna characterized by an internal transmission zone and an external transmission zone; and

a fixed reference module able to communicate with the at least one computer and with the plurality of communication modules,

said computer configured to:

a) determine the opening position of the at least one opening element detected in the open state from the antenna position of the communication module of the at least one opening element in the open state,

b) determine an inner detection zone of the antenna, located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an outer detection zone of the antenna, located outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, from the determined opening position of said at least one opening element in the open state and from a predefined position of the external transmission zone and internal transmission zone of the antenna depending on the opening position of each opening element,

c) determine the position of the authentication device with respect to the determined inner and outer detection zones, and

d) activate at least one function of the vehicle when the authentication device is located in the inner detection zone of said opening element,

wherein the fixed reference module is configured to determine the distance separating it from the antenna of said at least one opening element detected in the open state from signals transmitted by the fixed reference module and by the communication modules.

5. A method for activating at least one function of a motor vehicle from a portable authentication device, said vehicle including a plurality of opening elements, at least one computer, a plurality of communication modules, each communication module being mounted in an opening element of the vehicle and comprising an antenna characterized by an internal transmission zone and an external transmission zone, and a fixed reference module able to communicate with the at least one computer and with the plurality of communication modules, said method comprising:

a) detecting, by the computer, an open state of at least one opening element;

b) determining, by the computer, with respect to the fixed reference module, the position of the antenna of said at least one opening element detected in the open state from the signals transmitted by the fixed reference module and the communication modules;

c) determining, by the computer, the opening position of the at least one opening element detected in the open state from the antenna position of the communication module of the at least one opening element in the open state;

d) determining, by the computer, an inner detection zone of the antenna, located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an outer detection zone of the antenna, located outside the vehicle, from the determined opening position of said at least one opening element and from a predefined position of the external transmission zone and internal transmission zone of the antenna depending on the opening position of each opening element;

e) determining, by the computer, the position of the authentication device depending on the determined inner and outer detection zones; and

f) activating, by the computer, at least one function of the vehicle when the authentication device is located in the inner detection zone of said opening element.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , during which the step of determining the position of the antenna of said at least one opening element detected in the open state comprises:

a) sending of at least one position signal, by the communication module of the at least one open opening element, via its antenna, to the fixed reference module;

b) receiving, by the fixed reference module, of the at least one sent position signal;

c) for each received position signal, determining, by the fixed reference module, the distance separating the fixed reference module and the antenna transmitting said received position signal, from the power of said received position signal;

d) sending the at least one determined distance to the computer;

e) receiving, by the computer, of the at least one determined distance; and

f) for each received determined distance, determining, by the computer, the position of the antenna from the received determined distance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein determining the position of the authentication device depends on the determined inner and outer detection zones comprises:

a) sending, by the antennas, of a detection signal via an LF communication link;

b) receiving, by the authentication device, of the sent detection signal;

c) after receiving the detection signal, sending, by the authentication device, of an authentication signal via an RF communication link, to the computer; and

d) determining the position of the authentication device depending on the strength of the authentication signal received by the computer.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 , for use with a computer configured to:

determine the opening position of the at least one opening element detected in the open state from the antenna position of the communication module of the at least one opening element in the open state;

determine an inner detection zone of the antenna, located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an outer detection zone of the antenna, located outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, from the determined opening position of said at least one opening element in the open state and from a predefined position of the external transmission zone and internal transmission zone of the antenna depending on the opening position of each opening element;

determine the position of the authentication device with respect to the determined inner and outer detection zone; and

activate at least one function of the vehicle when the authentication device is located in the inner detection zone of said opening element,

wherein the computer comprises a memory zone in which is stored a correspondence table comprising discrete or continuous values of correspondence between the opening position of each opening element and the position of the inner detection zone and outer detection zone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the definition, in the correspondence table, of the inner detection zone and outer detection zone of an antenna of a communication module of an opening element, is dependent on the internal and external transmission zones of said antenna.

10. A computer for activating at least one function of a motor vehicle from a portable authentication device, said vehicle comprising:

a plurality of opening elements;

a plurality of communication modules, each communication module being mounted in an opening element of the vehicle and comprising an antenna characterized by an internal transmission zone and an external transmission zone; and

a fixed reference module able to communicate with the at least one computer and with the plurality of communication modules,

said computer configured to:

a) determine the opening position of the at least one opening element detected in the open state from the antenna position of the communication module of the at least one opening element in the open state,

b) determine, based on the opening position of the at least one opening element:

a first location of an inner detection zone of the antenna, located on an inner side of the at least one opening element, and

a second location of an outer detection zone of the antenna, located on an outer side of the at least one opening element,

wherein the first location of the inner detection zone and the second location of the outer detection zone vary depending on the opening position of the at least one opening element,

c) determine the position of the authentication device with respect to the determined inner and outer detection zones, and

d) activate at least one function of the vehicle when the authentication device is located in the inner detection zone of said opening element and the first location of the inner detection zone is located in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.