ELECTRONIC KEY FOB WITH BLUETOOTH AND RADIO FREQUENCY TRANSCEIVERS

• US 20150287257A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Michael Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/244,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20150287257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00341 keyless data carrier having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A key fob including: a long-range transceiver communicating with a vehicle when the fob is within range of a long-range transceiver of the vehicle; and a short-range transceiver communicating with a mobile device when the fob is within range of a short-range transceiver of the mobile device, wherein when the short-range transceiver of the mobile device is out of range of a short-range transceiver of the vehicle, information is transmitted from the mobile device to the vehicle over a short-range link between the mobile device and the fob and is relayed from the fob to the vehicle over a long-range link between the fob and the vehicle, and information is transmitted from the vehicle to the mobile device over the long-range link between the vehicle and the fob and is relayed from the fob to the mobile device over the short-range link between the fob and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A key fob for a vehicle, comprising:

a long-range transceiver configured to communicate with a control device in a vehicle when the key fob is within range of a long-range transceiver of the vehicle; and

a short-range transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device when the key fob is within range of a short-range transceiver of the mobile device,

wherein when the short-range transceiver of the mobile device is out of range of a short-range transceiver of the vehicle,

information is transmitted from the mobile device to the vehicle over a short-range link between the mobile device and the key fob and is relayed from the key fob to the vehicle over a long-range link between the key fob and the vehicle, and

information is transmitted from the vehicle to the mobile device over the long-range link between the vehicle and the key fob and is relayed from the key fob to the mobile device over the short-range link between the key fob and the mobile device.

2. The key fob of claim 1, wherein the long-range transceiver of the key fob includes a radio frequency transceiver.

3. The key fob of claim 1, wherein the short-range transceiver of the key fob includes a bluetooth transceiver.

4. The key fob of claim 1, wherein the information transmitted from the mobile device to the vehicle relates to controlling vehicle functions.

5. The key fob of claim 1, wherein the information transmitted from the vehicle the mobile, device includes confirmations or status updates.

6. A fob, comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a control device in a vehicle when the fob is within range of a first transceiver of the vehicle; and

a second transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device when the fob is within range of a second transceiver of the mobile device,

wherein information is transmitted from the mobile device to the vehicle over a first link between the mobile device and the fob and is relayed from the fob to the vehicle over a second link between the fob and the vehicle.

7. The fob of claim 6, wherein the first transceiver of the fob includes a radio frequency transceiver.

8. The fob of claim 6, wherein the second transceiver of the fob includes a bluetooth transceiver.

9. The fob of claim 6, wherein the information transmitted from the mobile device to the vehicle relates to controlling vehicle functions.

10. A fob, comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a control device in a vehicle when the fob is within range of a first transceiver of the vehicle; and

a second transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device when the fob is within range of a second transceiver of the mobile device,

wherein information is transmitted from the vehicle to the mobile device over a first link between the vehicle and the fob and is relayed from the fob to the mobile device over a second link between the fob and the mobile device.

11. The fob of claim 10, wherein the first transceiver of the fob includes a radio frequency transceiver.

12. The fob of claim 10, wherein the second transceiver of the fob includes a bluetooth transceiver.

13. The fob of claim 10, wherein the information transmitted from the vehicle the mobile device includes confirmations or status updates.