Access Arrangement for a Vehicle

• US 20080061925A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Wagner, Roland, Piesch, Wolfgang, Froitzheim, Herbert, Klement, Thomas, Bergerhoff, Nikolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An access arrangement for a vehicle (FZ) has a transmit/receive device on the vehicle side (19) to transmit one or several interrogation signals. In addition, the access arrangement has a mobile identification generator (IDI, IDA) with a transmit/receive device on the identification generator side (SE) to receive interrogation signals from the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side and to evaluate signal characteristics of the interrogation signals at at least two different points in time. The mobile identification generator furthermore has a control device (ST) to output a different control command depending on a change (ΔFS, ΔFR) in the evaluated signal characteristics. In the event of no change or a small change in the signal characteristics, a signal may be output to deactivate the identification generator, while in the event of a marked change a locking signal to lock a door (TFZ) of the vehicle may be output.

Claims

1. An access arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a transmit/receive device on the vehicle side to transmit one or several interrogation signals;

at least one mobile identification generator comprising;

a transmit/receive device on the identification generator side

to receive interrogation signals from the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side, and

to evaluate signal characteristics of the one or the several interrogation signals at at least two different points in time;

a control device on the identification generator side to output a different control command depending on a change with respect to the signal characteristics evaluated at at least two different points in time.

2. The access arrangement according to claim 1, furthermore comprising a door sensor to detect an open or closed state of at least one door of the vehicle, where the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side transmits the one or the several interrogation signals when a closed door state is detected by the door sensor.

3. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side is furthermore designed to receive a locking signal for the locking of at least one door of the vehicle, with the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side transmitting the one or the several interrogation signals in response to the receipt of the locking signal.

4. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control device on the identification generator side outputs a deactivation signal to deactivate the at least one mobile identification generator, especially the transmit/receive device on the identification generator side, in the event of a change with respect to the signal characteristics evaluated at at least two different points in time smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

5. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control device on the identification generator side outputs a locking signal to lock at least one door of the vehicle in the event of a change with respect to the signal characteristics evaluated at at least two different points in time larger than a predetermined threshold value.

6. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of interrogation signals is limited to a specific time segment or to a specific number of interrogation signals.

7. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the interrogation signals occurs in periodically recurring time intervals.

8. The access arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the mobile identification generator furthermore comprises an actuation element for actuation by a user, through the actuation whereof the at least one mobile identification generator, especially its deactivated transmit/receive device on the identification generator side, is reactivated.

9. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a mobile identification generator, which has sent a locking signal to lock the vehicle, does not receive or evaluate any interrogation signals for a specific period of time.

10. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the signal characteristics include field strength and/or field direction.

11. The access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation signals transmitted by the transmit/receive device on the vehicle side have identical and/or constant signal characteristics.

12. A method to operate an access arrangement for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

Transmitting one or several interrogation signals by the vehicle;

Receiving the interrogation signals and evaluating signal characteristics of the one or the several interrogation signals at at least two different points in time by at least one mobile identification generator;

Outputting a different control command by the at least one mobile identification generator depending on a change with respect to the signal characteristics evaluated at at least two different points in time.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the first instance a closed state of at least one door of the vehicle is detected and the one or the several interrogation signals are then transmitted on the part of the vehicle, if a closed door state was detected.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the first instance a locking signal is received by the vehicle and in response to the locking signal the one or the several interrogation signals are then transmitted on the part of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile identification generator outputs a locking signal to lock the at least one door of the vehicle in the event of a change with respect to the signal characteristics of the at least two evaluated interrogation signals greater than a predetermined threshold value.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile identification generator outputs a deactivation signal to deactivate the mobile identification generator in the event of a change with respect to the signal characteristics of the at least two evaluated interrogation signals smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the mobile identification generator furthermore comprises an actuation element for actuation by a user, through the actuation whereof the deactivated mobile identification generator may be reactivated.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the interrogation signals transmitted on the part of the vehicle have identical and/or constant signal characteristics.

19. A system to operate an access arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

means for transmitting one or several interrogation signals arranged in the vehicle;

at least one mobile identification generator for receiving the interrogation signals and means for evaluating signal characteristics of the one or the several interrogation signals at at least two different points in time and for outputting a different control command depending on a change with respect to the signal characteristics evaluated at at least two different points in time.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the mobile identification generator outputs a locking signal to lock at least one door of the vehicle in the event of a change with respect to the signal characteristics of the at least two evaluated interrogation signals greater than a predetermined threshold value.