MULTI-RANGE VEHICLE ACCESS SYSTEMS

• US 20160325710A1
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf North America Automotive Parts Mfg. Corp. (Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Huf North America Automotive Parts Mfg. Corp. (Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Honkanen, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,131,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00341 keyless data carrier having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00349 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00507 keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00547 starting ignition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/122 using digital generation of carrier signals digital function generators G06F1/02, H04L17/10; generating pulses having stepped portions using digital techniques H03K4/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present disclosure addresses methods for increasing and varying the range of control of wireless systems used in vehicles. The present invention enables varying ranges which allow a user, for example, to activate lights when an authorized vehicle user is in a close range, and to start the vehicle from a distance before the authorized vehicle user leaves the house. The described systems use variable frequency shift keying, variations in power transmissions, and user defined ranges that can be modified through Bluetooth communications.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a control unit in the automotive vehicle including a transceiver configured to receive signals from a fob; and

a fob comprising a transceiver and a control unit, the fob configured to transmit a data packet to the control unit in the automotive vehicle using a frequency shift keying (FSK) protocol with a low tolerance for deviation to transmit a command signal, and transmitting a second data packet using a frequency shift keying protocol having a high tolerance for deviation, wherein the control unit in the automotive vehicle executes the command signal received in the first transmission when the vehicle controller receives and decodes the second transmission.

2. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the frequency shift keying protocol comprises a mark frequency for transmitting 1 and a space for transmitting a 0.

3. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a memory, and the memory stores a received command sequence.

4. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the command sequence comprises at least one of a door open, start vehicle, and an activate lights command sequence.

5. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control delays until the second signal is received before activating the command.

6. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the FSK communications from the key fob to the vehicle receiver are made on two different channels, wherein the first channel is filtered within a fairly tight tolerance of a selected frequency, and the second channel operates within a higher bandwidth tolerance range.

7. The wireless communications system of claim 6, wherein the command signal is transmitted through the first channel, and the vehicle controller delays to activate the function until a signal is received on the second channel.

8. The wireless communications system of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a signal to the vehicle transceiver to wake up the vehicle.

9. The wireless communications system of claim 1, further comprising a second channel for bi-directional communications.

10. A wireless communications system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a control unit in the automotive vehicle including a transceiver configured to receive signals from a fob; and

a fob comprising a transceiver and a control unit, the fob configured to transmit a data packet to the control unit in the automotive vehicle using a high power signal to transmit a command signal, and transmitting a second data packet using a low power signal, wherein the control unit in the automotive vehicle executes the command signal received in the first transmission when the vehicle controller receives and decodes the second transmission.

11. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein the high power signal is a full power transmissions.

12. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle controller delays after a full command is received until a low power signal is received.

13. The wireless communications of claim 12, wherein the low power signal indicates that the fob is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle, and the command can be activated.

14. The wireless communications system of claim 12, wherein signals having different power levels correspond to different commands.

15. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein the high power communications and the low power communications are transmitted on different channels.

16. The wireless communications system of claim 10, wherein the high power and low power transmission are used in a bidirectional communications system, and wherein the key fob initially transmits a high power signal to the receiver to wake up the vehicle, the vehicle controller transmits an acknowledgement signal to the key fob using the low power signal.

17. A wireless communications system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a control unit in the automotive vehicle including a transceiver configured to receive signals from a fob paired to the vehicle and in communication with a memory storing data identifying one or more fob paired to the vehicle and identifying one or more Bluetooth device paired with the fob paired to the vehicle;

a fob comprising a transceiver and a control unit, the fob configured to communicate with the automotive vehicle and a paired Bluetooth device, wherein the Bluetooth device is programmed to provide a user interface to select a range for activating one or more vehicle control function and to transmit the selected range to the control unit in the automotive vehicle and to store the range in the memory.

18. The wireless communications system of claim 17, wherein the Bluetooth device executes an application to establish ranges for activating different devices, which can be transmitted to the vehicle control and stored in memory.

19. The wireless communications system of claim 18, wherein the ranges are established by adjusting the power of the bandwidth of communications.

20. The wireless communications system of claim 18, wherein the ranges are established by adjusting the tolerance of the bandwidth of communications.