Access Control System for a Vehicle

• US 20090261946A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Tenconi, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US11/988,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261946A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.720
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3241 particular used in keyless entry systems

Abstract

Disclosed is an access control device for a vehicle, comprising at least one transmission unit arranged in the vehicle and at least one receiver, controlled by at least one microcomputer unit. The receiver serves to receive UHF signals and the transmission unit serves to send low-frequency long-wave signals. Also, a clamping unit is present which is triggered by the microcomputer unit and the clamping unit gives access to the vehicle when a matching code is present.

The transmission unit has two connected LC band pass filters, whereby the first band pass is a pre-filter comprises a first coil and a first condenser group comprising at least one condenser and the second band pass comprises the LF antenna as inductor and a second condenser group comprising at least one condenser. A multiplexer, via which the antennae are connected successively in multiplex mode to the transmission unit, is preferably provided between the first and second band pass.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An access control device for a vehicle

at least one transmission unit (4) arranged in the vehicle for sending low-frequency long-wave signals;

and

a plurality of assigned LF antennae (13), arranged in the vehicle at exposed points, wherein

the transmission unit (4) has two connected LC band pass filters, whereby the first band pass as pre-filter consists of a first coil (L1) and a first condenser group comprising at least one condenser (C1 VK, C2 VK, C3 VK, . . . ) and the second band pass consists of the LF antenna (Lant) as inductor and a second condenser group comprising at least one condenser (C2, C Ant 01, C Ant 02, . . . ).

15. The access control device of claim 14, wherein the first band pass has a coil (L1) common to all antennae and has its own condenser (C1 VK, C2 VK, . . . ) for each antenna.

16. The access control device of claim 14, wherein a multiplexer (20) is provided, via which the antennae (13) are connected successively in multiplexer mode to the transmission unit (4), whereby the multiplexer (20) is arranged between the first and second band pass.

17. The access control device of claim 16, wherein the multiplexer (20) is a shunt multiplexer, in which a switching node is switched to earth potential between first and second band pass for the respectively inactive antennae via an adjustable transistor, while this switching node for the active antenna is not switched to earth potential and thus the signal travels from the transmission unit via the first band pass to the active antenna.

18. The access control device of claim 17, the first band pass has a coil (L1) common to all antennae and its own condenser (C1 VK,C2 VK, C3 VK) for each antenna and through switching (S2,S3) of the switching nodes of the inactive antennae (Ant_02, Ant03) to earth potential the condensers (C2 VK, C3 VK) of these inactive antennae are switched in parallel to the condenser (C1 VK) of the active antenna (Ant 01) in terms of alternating current and this parallel switching of the condensers (C1 VK,C2 VK, C3 VK) consequently forms the first condenser group.

19. The access control device of claim 14, wherein the transmission unit (4) works with a carrier frequency of 125 kHz.

20. The access control device of claim 14, wherein the antenna current is adjusted in the antennae (13) via a pulse width modulation.

21. The access control device of claim 20, wherein a microcomputer unit (5) controls the pulse widths of a pulse width modulator (15) depending on the antenna current, by the width of the pulse widening in the event of insufficient current and the pulse narrowing whenever the antenna current exceeds a preferred value.

22. The access control device of claim 21, wherein the microcomputer unit (5) changes the pulse width incrementally.

23. The access control device of claim 21, wherein the microcomputer unit (5) determines the antenna current via a band pass filter.

24. The access control device of claim 21, wherein the microcomputer unit (5) calculates the effective value of the current in the LF transmission antenna (13) according to

$\mathrm{I\_Ant}$

_eff ;

= [ sin 

[ ( π

2 ) ·

( PWM_nS 4000 ) ] ] ·

( 1 8 ) ·

Linear_Fakt ·

U_Batt

whereby

PWMnS is the value of the period of the pulse width in nsec,

Linear_Fakt is the product of the square of the antenna current with the electrical resistance of the antenna

U_Batt is the supply voltage, and

I_Ant_eff is the effective value of the antenna current.

25. The access control device of claim 21, wherein the microcomputer unit (5) calculates the width of the pulse of the pulse width modulator (15) with knowledge of the desired effective value of the antenna current in nsec according to

$\mathrm{PWM\_nS}:$

= [ a 



sin 

[ I_Ant 

_eff ·

( 8 ) ( Linear_Fakt ·

U_Batt ) ] ] ·

[ 1 ( π

·

0.5 ) ] ·

4000

whereby

PWMnS is the value of the period of the pulse width in nsec,

Linear Fakt is the product of the square of the antenna current with the electrical resistance of the antenna,

U_Batt is the supply voltage, and

I_Ant_eff is the effective value of the antenna current.

26. The access control device of claim 14, wherein in addition to at least one transmission unit (4) arranged in the vehicle at least one receiver (6) is provided, which is triggered by at least one microcomputer unit (5) and the receiver (6) is configured for receiving UHF signals and the transmission unit (4) is configured for sending low-frequency long-wave signals, and a clamping unit, which is triggered by the microcomputer unit (5), whereby a mobile unit (7) is available in which a low-frequency long wave signal receiver (9) for receiving the low-frequency long-wave signals of the transmission unit (4) arranged in the vehicle and a UHF transmitter (11) are arranged, and when an arrangement or device on the vehicle is approached and/or activated the transmission unit (4) emits an alert signal generated by the microcomputer unit (5), whereby a microcomputer unit (19) arranged in the mobile unit (7) wakes up on receiving the alert signal and the mobile unit (7) sends out an identification signal via the UHF transmitter (11), and when the identification signal matches the identification stored in the microcomputer unit (5) in the vehicle the clamping unit is released on match-up.