System Enabling A User Of A Vehicle To Locate Same By Means Of A Radio Signal

• US 20090243896A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Securite Habitacle (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Securite Habitacle (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: MENARD, Eric, MUSAT, Ciprian
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/56 Timing the pulse-type envelope signals derived by reception of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/66 Superimposing direction-indicating intelligence signals, e.g. speech, Morse
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning

Abstract

The invention relates to a system which can give a vehicle user an indication related to a direction to take to find back his vehicle. The said system comprises a hand-held object (1) to be taken by the user and a module (2) to be installed on the vehicle. The module (2) is equipped with a first emitting device (3) of a first radio signal (5). The latter (5) is a directed radio signal which is emitted within an angular sector of an angle A less than 90°.

Claims

1. A system suitable for providing a user of a vehicle with an indication on a direction to be taken in order to find the vehicle, which system includes a portable object (1) intended to be available to the user and a module (2) intended to be attached to the vehicle, which module (2) is equipped with at least one first transmitter (3) of a first radio signal (5), characterized in that the first radio signal (5) is a directive radio signal transmitted according to a heading C contained within an angular section with an angle A smaller than 90°

.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle A is between 25°

and 35°

.

3. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the heading C varies as an increasing function of time.

4. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with a first receiver (7) of the first radio signal (5).

5. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the module (2) includes means for modulating (9) the first radio signal (5) as a function of the heading C.

6. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with means for identifying (10) a first radio signal (5) with the highest amplitude among a plurality of first radio signals (5) received.

7. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that the portable object is equipped with means for analyzing (11) the modulation of the first radio signals (5) received so as to deduce a first information item (12) relating to a heading Cmax according to which the first radio signal (5) with the highest amplitude has been transmitted.

8. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the module (2) is also equipped with a second transmitter (4) of a second omnidirectional radio signal (6).

9. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that the transmission of the first radio signal (5) is placed under the control of the transmission of a second radio signal (6).

10. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with means for determining (13) a second information item (14) relating to a phase shift α

characteristic of a time interval that has passed between receipt of the second radio signal (6) and receipt of the first radio signal (5).

11. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with means for deducing (15) the indication relating to the direction to be taken in order to find the vehicle on the basis of either one of the first (12) and/or second (14) information items.

12. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with at least any one of the first means for processing (16) a radio signal received in order to evaluate a distance between the module (2) and the portable object (1), and the second means for processing (17) a signal received in order to correct distortions undergone by the latter between the module (2) and the portable object (1).

13. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with means for displaying (18) the indication.

14. A system according to claim 1, in which the module (2) and the portable object (1) each include a magnetic compass.

15. A method for implementing a system according to claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:

transmitting a first radio signal (5) according to heading C from the module_(2),

varying the transmission heading C of the first radio signal (5),

receiving at least the first radio signal (5) from the portable object (1),

deducing, from information (12, 14) relating at least to the first radio signal (5), the indication relating to the direction to be taken in order to find the vehicle.

16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the deduction step comprises a step of analyzing a modulation of the first radio signal (5) as a function of the heading C, according to which the first radio signal (5) is transmitted.

17. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the deduction step comprises a step of determining a phase shift between a second omnidirectional radio signal (6) and the first radio signal (5) received, in which each of the signals is transmitted by the module (2).

18. A system according to claim 10, characterized in that the portable object (1) is equipped with means for deducing (15) the indication relating to the direction to be taken in order to find the vehicle on the basis of either one of the first (12) and/or second (14) information items.