Communication system for use with a vehicle

• US 20020107010A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Petersson, Mats, Witte, Markus Valter
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00984 fob
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed

Abstract

This invention relates to a communication system for use with a vehicle. The system comprises a first communication unit (1), being positioned within a vehicle (2), and a second portable communication unit (7).The first communication unit (1) comprises a first memory circuit (4) being connected with a first transceiver (3), and said second communication unit (7) comprises a second memory circuit (10) being connected with a second transceiver (9). The transceivers (3,9) are arranged to establish a short-distance wireless communication link (8) between said first and second communication units when the communication units are within a communication range from each other, thereby enabling two-way communication between said communication units. An information item, stored in any one of said memory circuits is automatically transmitted to the other one of said memory circuits (4,10), over said wireless communication link (8) when the communication units (1,7) are within said communication range from each other.

Further, the invention relates to a fob unit, comprising a second communication unit, for use in a communication system as described above.

Claims

1. A communication system for use with a vehicle comprising:

a first communication unit (1), located within a vehicle (2), and a portable second communication unit (7), said first communication unit (1) comprising a first memory circuit (4) being connected with a first transceiver (3), and said second communication unit (7) comprising a second memory circuit (10), connected with a second transceiver (9), said transceivers (3,9) being arranged to establish a short-distance wireless communication link (8) between said first and second communication units (1,7) when the communication units are within a communication range from each other, thereby enabling two-way communication between said communication units (1,7), whereby an information item, stored in any one of said memory circuits (4,10) is transmittable to the other one of said memory circuits, over said wireless communication link (8) when the communication units (1,7) are within said communication range from each other.

2. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second communication unit (7) is a portable fob.

3. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said second communication unit (7) is connectable to an external information source, such as a personal computer (13), in order to establish an information transmission link (15) between said external information source and said second communication unit (7).

4. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second communication unit (7) is connectable with a unit for long-distance wireless communication, such as a cellular terminal (14), and said first communication unit (1) is connectable with a long-distance wireless communication network (16), such as a cellular network, whereby a two-way connection between the first and second communication units (1,7) is established by connecting said terminal (14) with said first communication unit (1) over said network (16).

5. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second communication unit (1,7) each comprises an identification item, whereby a request for connection from any communication unit is tested to be qualified before enabling a connection between said communication units.

6. A communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second communication unit (7) is integrated in a cellular terminal.

7. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first communication unit (1) is connected with at least one vehicle data network (6), such as a controller area network, within said vehicle.

8. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first communication unit is connected with a vehicle computer (5) within said vehicle.

9. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second communication unit (7) further comprises a clock device (17).

10. A communication system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second communication unit (7) further comprises a biometric sensor (18), for identifying a user.

11. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the output of said biometric sensor (18) is used to classify users in order to give different users different access to the vehicle.

12. A fob unit, for use in a communication system according to any one of the claims 1-11.