Multi-modulation remote control communication system

• US 20070008087A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DEI Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DEI Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Dery, Normand
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.130
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/63 Redundant transmissions

Abstract

An AM/FM modulation scheme is presented for optimizing communications between a remote control device held by a user and a receiving unit installed in a vehicle. Historically, these systems communicated with amplitude modulated signals having good range but poor immunity to ambient random radio frequency noise. Frequency modulated systems provide improved immunity to noise however at the expense of range. The object of this invention is to use two or more modulation modes to combine their advantages. A scheme has been devised whereby circuitry capable of alternately operating in at least two modes is used. The same information is therefore transmitted using two or more modulation techniques in succession. The receiving unit also has circuitry and has listening cycles ensuring eventual synchronization with the transmitting unit. If one mode fails due to distance or ambient noise, the other can then attempt to establish a link.

Claims

1. A vehicle application wireless remote control communications system comprising:

a remote unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for carrying by a user, the remote unit being operative to exchange data in a plurality of modulation modes, the remote unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more user-selected vehicle application functions, the remote unit further being operative to receive and optionally indicate vehicle-selected vehicle application functions;

a mobile unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for mounting on a vehicle and exchanging data with the remote unit, and operative to transmit and receive data in the plurality of modulation modes, the mobile unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more vehicle-selected vehicle application functions;

a means for the communications system to select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes for exchange of data between said remote and mobile units; and

a means of optionally bidirectionally interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function can be implemented whereby the user-selected vehicle application function is transmitted from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said selected modulation mode, wherein the user-selected vehicle application function is sent via the optionally bidirectional interface to the vehicle application controller for execution.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of modulation modes comprise amplitude modulation and frequency modulation.

3. The vehicle application wireless remote control communications system of claim 1 wherein the interfacing means is bidirectional, whereby the vehicle application controller is further operative to invoke vehicle-selected vehicle application functions by sending a selection signal to the mobile transceiver unit.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the amplitude modulation comprises amplitude-shift keying or on-off keying.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the frequency modulation comprises frequency-shift keying.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the modulation mode is automatically selected every time a unit sends a command to the other unit.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the modulation mode is automatically selected every time a unit sends a command to the other unit.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the modulation mode is automatically selected every time a unit sends a command to the other unit.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein a criterion for automatic modulation selection is an error-free signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a criterion for automatic modulation selection is a strongest signal.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the modulation mode is periodically negotiated between the remote unit and the mobile unit.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein the modulation mode is periodically negotiated between the remote unit and the mobile unit.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the modulation mode is periodically negotiated between the remote unit and the mobile unit.

14. A vehicle application wireless remote control communications system comprising:

a remote unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for carrying by a user, the remote unit being operative to transmit data in a plurality of modulation modes, the remote unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more user-selected vehicle application functions;

a mobile unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for mounting on a vehicle and receiving data from the remote transmitter, and operative to receive data in the plurality of modulation modes;

a means for the communications system to select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes for receipt of data from said remote unit; and

a means of optionally bidirectionally interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function can be implemented whereby the user-selected vehicle application function is transmitted from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said plurality of modulation modes, wherein the user-selected vehicle application function is sent via the optionally bidirectional interface to the vehicle application controller for execution.

15. A vehicle application wireless remote control communications system comprising:

a remote unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for carrying by a user, the remote unit being operative to exchange data in a plurality of modulation modes, the remote unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more user-selected vehicle application functions, the remote unit further being operative to receive and optionally indicate vehicle-selected vehicle application functions;

a mobile unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for mounting on a vehicle and exchanging data with the remote unit, and operative to transmit and receive data in the plurality of modulation modes, the mobile unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more vehicle-selected vehicle application functions;

the remote unit further being operative to determine the received signal strength of each of the modulation modes

the mobile unit further being operative to determine the received signal strength of each of the modulation modes;

a means for the communications system to select the modulation modes having the highest received signal strengths from among the plurality of modulation modes for exchange of data between said remote and mobile units; and

a means of optionally bidirectionally interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function can be implemented whereby the user-selected vehicle application function is transmitted from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said plurality of modulation modes, wherein the user-selected vehicle application function is sent via the optionally bidirectional interface to the vehicle application controller for execution.

16. A method for operating a vehicle application wireless remote control communications system comprising a remote unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for carrying by a user, the remote unit being operative to exchange data in a plurality of modulation modes, the remote unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more user-selected vehicle application functions, the remote unit further being operative to receive and optionally indicate vehicle-selected vehicle application functions, and a mobile unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for mounting on a vehicle and exchanging data with the remote unit, the mobile unit being operative to transmit and receive data in the plurality of modulation modes, the mobile unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more vehicle-selected vehicle application functions, and a means for the communications system to select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes for exchange of data between said remote and mobile units, and a means of optionally bidirectionally interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function can be implemented whereby the user-selected vehicle application function is transmitted from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said selected modulation mode, wherein the user-selected vehicle application function is sent via the optionally bidirectional interface to the vehicle application controller for execution, the method comprising the steps of:

exchanging data between the remote unit and the mobile unit in one or more of the plurality of modulation modes;

selecting the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes;

transmitting the user-selected vehicle application function from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said selected modulation mode; and

interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function is implemented.

17. A method for operating a vehicle application wireless remote control communications system comprising a remote unit comprising transceiver, receiver and/or transmission circuitry, for carrying by a user, the remote unit being operative to exchange data in a plurality of modulation modes, the remote unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more user-selected vehicle application functions, the remote unit further being operative to receive and optionally indicate vehicle-selected vehicle application functions, and a mobile unit for mounting on a vehicle and exchanging data with the remote, the mobile unit being operative to transmit and receive data in the plurality of modulation modes, the mobile unit further being operative to contain and transmit one or more vehicle-selected vehicle application functions, and a means for the communications system to select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes for exchange of data between said remote and mobile units, and a means of optionally bidirectionally interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function can be implemented whereby the user-selected vehicle application function is transmitted from said remote unit to said mobile unit by said selected modulation mode, wherein the user-selected vehicle application function is sent via the optionally bidirectional interface to the vehicle application controller for execution, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting the user-selected vehicle application function from the remote unit to the mobile unit in the plurality of modulation modes;

selecting the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes;

receiving the user-selected vehicle application function at said mobile unit in said selected modulation mode; and

interfacing the mobile unit to a vehicle application controller so that the user-selected vehicle application function is implemented.

18. A wireless remote control communications system comprising:

a first communication means for exchanging data in a plurality of modulation modes;

a second communication means for exchanging data in a plurality of modulation modes;

a first signal-processing means operatively coupled to the said first communications means, the first signal-processing means programmed to perform the following functions;

a) contain and transmit one or more application functions;

b) receive and analyse signals indicative of criteria for modulation selection;

c) receive and indicate one or more application functions originating from a second signal-processing means; and

d) select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes based on the criteria for modulation selection;

a second signal-processing means operatively coupled to the second communications means and interfaced with an application controller, the second signal-processing means programmed to perform the following functions;

a) contain and transmit one or more application functions;

b) receive and analyse signals indicative of criteria for modulation selection;

c) receive and implement one or more application functions originating from the first signal-processing means by sending a command signal to the application controller; and

d) select the modulation mode from among the plurality of modulation modes based on the criteria for modulation selection.