Button assembly device for controlling access to a vehicle

• US 10,315,624 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Santavicca, Joseph Anthony, Pierson, Tristen Kyle, Brady, Benson James, Tang, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US15/855,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 340 55- 555
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry

Abstract

A device for controlling access to a vehicle, the device including: a housing, the housing including a transmitter, a receiver, a microcontroller and an unlocking mechanism, wherein the housing is configured to be mounted to a vehicle and, in response to a triggering event at the unlocking mechanism, the microcontroller is configured to advertise itself to allow a previously linked remote device to connect and, once a connection is established with the remote device, the transmitter is configured to send an unlock signal to an electronic control unit inside the vehicle to unlock a door of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A device for controlling access to a vehicle, the device comprising:

a housing, the housing including a transmitter, a receiver, a microcontroller and an unlocking mechanism, wherein

the housing is configured to be mounted to a vehicle and,

in response to a triggering event at the unlocking mechanism, the microcontroller is configured to advertise itself to allow a previously authenticated remote device to connect and, once a connection is established with the remote device,

the transmitter is configured to send an unlock signal to an electronic control unit inside the vehicle to unlock a door of the vehicle,

wherein the triggering event is initiated when the remote device enters a predetermined range from the vehicle, and when the triggering event is initiated it is determined if the remote device has been previously authenticated, and

when it is determined that the remote device was previously authenticated, a user of the remote device enters a code at the housing to cause the transmitter to send the unlock signal to the electronic control unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is permitted only when the remote device is within the predetermined range from the vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device will timeout when the remote device exits the predetermined range.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the unlocking mechanism is a button or biometric sensor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the triggering event occurs when a person touches the button, or is authenticated by the biometric sensor.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the door is locked by double-pressing the button.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a smartphone.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted near the driver side door handle of the vehicle.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote device and the receiver communicate via a short-range wireless transmission technique.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the short-range wireless transmission technique is Bluetooth Low Energy.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the unlock signal is sent to the vehicle in an ultra high frequency transmission.

12. A device for controlling access to a vehicle, the device comprising:

a housing, the housing including a transmitter, a receiver, a microcontroller and an unlocking mechanism, wherein

the housing is configured to be mounted to a vehicle and,

in response to a triggering event at the unlocking mechanism, the microcontroller is configured to allow a previously authenticated remote device to connect and, once a connection is established with the remote device,

the transmitter is configured to send an unlock signal to an electronic control unit inside the vehicle to unlock a door of the vehicle,

wherein the triggering event is initiated when the remote device enters a predetermined range from the vehicle, and when the triggering event is initiated it is determined if the remote device has been previously authenticated, and

when it is determined that the remote device was previously authenticated, the remote device provides a code to cause the transmitter to send the unlock signal to the electronic control unit.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the unlocking mechanism is a chip reader.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the triggering event occurs when the remote device is in frequency range of the chip reader.