Apparatus for activating and/or deactivating a security device

• US 20010015694A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schmid, Dietmar, Lassle, Hans-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,774,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00246 periodically, e.g. after a time period
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for activating and/or deactivating a security device, particularly an entry device for a motor vehicle, having a portable transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting a coded information item which is received by a receiver apparatus and is compared with a prescribed coded information item, the receiver apparatus being capable of outputting an actuation signal to the security device if the two information items match, and the transmitter unit and the receiver apparatus being capable of being advanced in terms of the currently coded information items.

In an apparatus in which unauthorized deactivation of the device is reliably prevented, the transmitter unit 1 and the receiver apparatus (2) are automatically advanced n times after a prescribed interval, the prescribed interval being only insubstantially longer than the delay time for the signal carrying the coded information item from the transmitter unit to the receiver apparatus at a maximum range for the receiver apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for activating and/or deactivating a security device, particularly an entry device for a motor vehicle, having a portable transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting a coded information item which is received by a receiver apparatus and is compared with a prescribed coded information item, the receiver apparatus outputting an actuation signal to the security device if the two information items match, the transmitter unit and the receiver apparatus being advanced in terms of the current coded information items, wherein the transmitter unit and the receiver apparatus are automatically advanced n times after a prescribed interval, the prescribed interval being only insubstantially longer than the delay time for the signal carrying the coded information item from the transmitter unit to the receiver apparatus at a maximum range for the receiver apparatus.

2. The apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the prescribed interval is started in the receiver apparatus after a valid coded information item has been received.

3. The apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the prescribed interval is started in the transmitter unit after the transmission of a coded information item has ended.

4. The apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the code generator (19) in the portable transmitter unit (1) and the code generator (17) in the receiver apparatus (2) are advanced by the same number of steps.

5. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver apparatus is connected to a mechanical device which can be operated using a key, the receiver apparatus (2) being disabled for the reception and/or evaluation of the transmitted coded information item and/or for the output of the actuation signal after the security device has been mechanically activated, the block being lifted after the security device has been mechanically deactivated.

6. The apparatus as claimed in

claim 4

, wherein a coded information item is transmitted from the portable transmitter unit (1) to the receiver device (2) directly after the security device has been mechanically deactivated.

7. The apparatus as claimed in

claim 5

, wherein the receiver apparatus (2), having established that the security device has been mechanically deactivated, sends a stimulus signal to the portable transmitter unit (1) for transmission of the coded information item.

8. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the portable transmitter unit (1) and the receiver apparatus (2) each contain a code generator (19, 17), the first code generator (19) in the portable transmitter unit (1) generating the coded information item which is to be transmitted, and the second code generator (17) in the receiver apparatus (2) generating the prescribed coded information item, both code generators (19, 17) operating on the basis of the same algorithm.