AFTERMARKET SOUND ACTIVATED WIRELESS VEHICLE DOOR UNLOCKER

• US 20120229253A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Clinton Kolar
• Original Assignee: John Clinton Kolar
• Inventors: Kolar, John Clinton
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/01 Mechanical arrangements specially adapted for hands-free locking or unlocking handles with means for initiation of a hands-free locking or unlocking process E05B81/78
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00984 fob
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• 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

Abstract

An aftermarket, sound activated, wireless, vehicle door unlocking device comprising a sound sensor, processor, memory, and an RF transmitter, transponder, or transceiver capable of generating an unlocking signal, and method of using the device. The device may be easily installed by unskilled users without modifying the vehicle wires or structure. The operator of the device will program the device with an unlocking sound sequence, and the RF unlocking codes needed to unlock the vehicle door. The device continually monitors the sensor for unlocking sounds, and delivers a door unlocking signal when this sound is detected. Various embodiments, including embedded RF key embodiments, solar powered embodiments, and alternative ways of programming the device are also discussed.

Claims

1. An aftermarket, sound activated, wireless, vehicle door unlocking device, comprising:

at least one sound transducer or microphone

at least one processor, at least one memory device, and software;

an RF transmitter, transponder, or transceiver;

wherein an unlocking vibration or sound sequence is stored in said at least one memory device;

wherein an unlocking RF signal code is stored at least one memory device;

wherein said processor monitors said sound transducer or microphone for the presence of an unlocking vibration or sound sequence, and when said processor detects said unlocking vibration or sound sequence, said processor directs said at least one memory device and said RF transmitter, transponder, or transceiver to emit an unlocking RF signal code capable of directing said wireless door lock to transition from a locked state to an unlocked state.

2. The device of claim 1, in which said device additionally comprises a electromechanical device for pressing the unlock button of a wireless key and a cavity for at least partially containing said wireless key, and said RF transmitter, transponder, or transceiver and memory for said unlocking RF signal code is stored in said wireless key.

3. The device of claim 1, further containing a data entry port, said data entry port being capable of receiving said unlocking RF signal code from a second external device, and wherein said unlocking RF signal code is subsequently stored in at least one memory device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said data entry port is a wired data entry port or a wireless data entry port.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device has at least one button for manual entry of a numeric code, said numeric code further being capable of directing said device to produce said unlocking RF signal code.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a display device to display the information pertaining to the status of the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a battery and/or solar cell.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said device contains at least one vehicle mounting fixture selected from the group consisting of an adhesive material, a magnetic material, a suction device, a spring clamp device, or other mounting device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said unlocking vibration or sound sequence comprises any of a series of telephone DTMF touch tones, a series of taps or knocks, voice patterns, or other speech pattern.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said RF unlocking signal codes are either pre-programmed into the device, downloaded into the device from a remote Internet website, provided to the device in the form of a solid state removable memory card, or manually entered into the device using a device keypad.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said software comprises software capable of accurate sound recognition in noisy environments.

12. A method of using sound to wirelessly unlock a vehicle door, said vehicle door being equipped with a wireless lock, said method comprising:

obtaining an aftermarket, sound activated, wireless vehicle door unlocking device, comprising;

at least one sound transducer or microphone

at least one processor, at least one memory device, and software;

an RF transmitter, transponder, or transceiver;

wherein an unlocking vibration or sound sequence is stored in said at least one memory device;

wherein an unlocking RF signal code is stored at least one memory device;

wherein said processor monitors said sound transducer or microphone for the presence of an unlocking vibration or sound sequence, and when said processor detects said unlocking vibration or sound sequence, said processor directs said at least one memory device and said RF transmitter, transponder or transceiver to emit an unlocking RF signal code capable of directing said wireless door lock to transition from a locked state to an unlocked state;

configuring said device with an unlocking vibration or sound sequence;

configuring said device with an unlocking RF signal code;

mounting or placing said device in the interior of a vehicle;

locking said vehicle doors;

and providing an unlocking vibration or sound sequence.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said unlocking RF signal code and said RF transmitter, transponder or transceiver are provided in the form of a RF key or RF key fob that is attached to said device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said RF unlocking signal codes are either pre-programmed into the device, downloaded into the device from a remote Internet website, provided to the device in the form of a solid state removable memory card, or manually entered into the device using a device keypad.

15. The method of claim 12, further programming said device with said unlocking vibration or sound sequence by the steps of:

1;

indicating to said device that an unlocking vibration or sound sequence is about to be entered;

2;

creating an example of said unlocking vibration or sound sequence;

digitizing said unlocking vibration or sound sequence and storing said unlocking vibration or sound sequence in said at least one memory device.

16. The method of claim 15, in which an unlocking vibration or sound sequence previously stored in said at least one memory device is verified by the steps of:

1;

indicating to said device that said unlocking vibration or sound sequence should be replayed;

2;

performing a digital to analog conversion of said previously stored unlocking vibration or sound sequence, and then recreating said unlocking vibration or sound sequence using said device'"'"'s sound transducer;

3; and

determining if said previously stored unlocking or sound sequence is acceptable.

17. The method of claim 12, further programming said device with said unlocking vibration or sound sequence by entering in a series of knocks or DTMF sounds using a series of numbers entered onto a device keypad.

18. The method of claim 12, further programming said device with said unlocking vibration or sound sequence by entering in a series of numbers via the keypad that can be compared to a series of DTMF tones or a series of knocks when a user is attempting to unlock said vehicle