Keyless entry system for a vehicle

• US 20020063472A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Irvin, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,424,056 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00198 the keyless data carrier having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00341 keyless data carrier having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

A keyless entry system for a vehicle comprises a portable remote unit and a vehicle-mounted base unit supporting two-way communications. The remote unit includes a first transceiver and a control and is operative to transmit a command signal to the base unit in response to actuation of the control by a user. The base unit comprises a second transceiver and a control circuit, which controls a function in a vehicle. The base unit outputs control signals to control a vehicle function in response to receipt of commands from the remote unit. The base unit also transmits an acknowledgement signal to the remote unit responsive to the command signal.

Claims

1. A keyless entry system for a vehicle, comprising:

a remote unit including a first transceiver and a control, said remote unit operative to transmit a command signal containing a user command in response to actuation of said control by a user; and

a vehicle-mounted base unit comprising a second transceiver to receive said command signals from said remote unit and a control circuit to control a function in said vehicle in in response to said user command, said second transceiver further operative to transmit an acknowledgement signal to said remote unit responsive to said command signal.

2. The keyless entry system according to claim 1 wherein said remote unit further comprises an indicator to notify said user when said acknowledgement signal is received by said remote unit.

3. The keyless entry system according to claim 1 wherein said remote unit is further operative to re-transmit said command signal after a predetermined time period if an acknowledgement from said base unit is not received.

4. The keyless entry system according to claim 3 wherein the re-transmitted command signal is transmitted at a higher power level than the originally-transmitted command signal.

5. A remote unit for a keyless entry system, comprising:

a control actuated by a user; and

a transceiver to communicate with a base unit mounted in a vehicle, said transceiver operative to transmit command signals to said base unit in response to actuation of said control by a user and to receive acknowledgement signals responsive to said command signals from said base unit.

6. The remote unit according to claim 5 further comprising an indicator to notify said user when said acknowledgement signal is received by said remote unit.

7. The remote unit according to claim 5 further operative to re-transmit said command signal after a predetermined time period if an acknowledgement from said base unit is not received.

8. The remote unit according to claim 7 wherein the re-transmitted command signal is transmitted at a higher power level than the originally-transmitted command signal.

9. A base unit for a vehicle keyless entry system comprising:

a control circuit to control one or more vehicle functions in response to user commands received from a remote unit and to generate an acknowledgement signal responsive to said user commands; and

a transceiver operatively connected to said control circuit to communicate with said remote unit, said transceiver operative to receive user commands from said remote unit and to transmit said acknowledgement signals to said remote unit.

10. The base unit according to claim 9 wherein said acknowledgement signal includes status information concerning a status of said vehicle.

11. A keyless entry system for a vehicle, comprising:

a remote unit including a first transceiver and a control, said remote unit operative to;

transmit a command signal containing a user command to a base unit in response to actuation of said control by a user;

re-transmit said command signal if an acknowledgement signal is not received from said base unit after a predetermined time period has elapsed; and

a vehicle-mounted base unit comprising a second transceiver to receive said command signals from said remote unit and a control circuit to control a function in said vehicle in response to said user command, said second transceiver further operative to transmit an acknowledgement signal to said remote unit responsive to said command signal.

12. The keyless entry system according to claim 11 wherein said remote unit further comprises an indicator to notify said user when said acknowledgement signal is received by said remote unit.

13. The keyless entry system according to claim 11 wherein first transceiver in said remote unit is operative to transmit said control signal at a first predetermined power level during a first transmission and to transmit said control signal at a second predetermined power level higher than said first predetermined power level in a subsequent transmission.

15. The remote unit according to claim 14 wherein first transceiver in said remote unit is operative to transmit said control signal at a first predetermined power level during a first transmission and to transmit said control signal at a second predetermined power level higher than said first predetermined power level in a subsequent transmission.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising re-transmitting said command signal from said remote unit to said base unit if said acknowledgement signal is not received from said base unit within a predetermined time period.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein re-transmitting said command signal comprises re-transmitting said command signal at an increased power level.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein re-transmitting said control signal comprises re-transmitting said control signal a predetermined number of times.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein re-transmitting said command signal comprises re-transmitting said command signal at an increased power level.

14. A remote unit for a keyless entry system, said remote unit comprising:

a control actuated by a user; and

a transceiver operatively connected to said control and operative to transmit a command signal to a base unit mounted in a vehicle in response to actuation of said control by a user and to receive an acknowledgement signal from said base unit responsive to said command signal, said transceiver further operative to retransmit said command signal a predetermined number of times until an acknowledgement signal is received.

16. A method of remotely controlling a function in a vehicle, comprising:

actuating a control on a remote unit by a user;

transmitting a command signal containing a user command from said remote unit to a base unit mounted in said vehicle in response to the actuation of said control;

executing said user command in said base unit by generating a control signal to control a function in said vehicle; and

transmitting an acknowledgement signal responsive to said user command from said base unit to said base unit.

19. A method for controlling a user function in a vehicle, comprising:

transmitting a command signal from a portable remote unit to a base unit mounted in said vehicle;

waiting a predetermined time period for an acknowledgement signal from said base unit; and

re-transmitting said command signal if an acknowledgement signal is not received within said predetermined time period.

22. A method of remotely controlling a plurality of vehicle functions, said method comprising:

grouping a plurality of user commands corresponding to said plurality of vehicle functions into two or more groups, each group having an associated initial transmit power level; and

transmitting a selected user command from a remote unit to a base unit located in said vehicle, wherein said user command is initially transmitted at one of said initial transmit power levels associated with the group corresponding to the selected user command.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising re-transmitting said user command from said remote unit to said base unit if an acknowledgement signal is not received from said base unit within a predetermined time period.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising increasing the transmit power level if an acknowledgement signal is not received from the base unit.