KEYLESS ENTRY AND START SYSTEM

• US 20170267213A1
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: BEREZIN, Vyacheslav, KALHOUS, Amanda J., PUDAR, Nikola J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,300,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/243 with more than one way to gain access

Abstract

A keyless entry and start system for a vehicle includes a vehicle subsystem configured to control at least one of access to an interior compartment of the vehicle and starting of the vehicle. The system further includes an actuator movable between first and second positions and a switch coupled to the actuator. The switch assumes a first state when the actuator is in the first position and a second state when the actuator is in the second position. The system further includes a controller coupled to the switch and configured to detect an actuation sequence of the actuator, the actuation sequence corresponding to an access code. The controller is further configured to compare the access code to an authorization code and generate a control signal configured to cause the vehicle subsystem to switch states when the entry code corresponds to the authorization code.

Claims

1. A keyless entry and start system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first vehicle subsystem configured to control at least one of access to an interior compartment of the vehicle and starting of the vehicle;

an actuator mounted on the vehicle and movable between first and second positions;

a switch coupled to the actuator, the switch assuming a first state when the actuator is in the first position and a second state when the actuator is in the second position; and

,

a controller coupled to the switch and configured to

detect a first actuation sequence of the actuator, the first actuation sequence corresponding to an access code;

compare the access code to an authorization code; and

,

generate a first control signal configured to cause the first vehicle subsystem to switch between a first state and a second state when the access code corresponds to the authorization code.

2. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the fist vehicle subsystem includes a lock configured to control access to the interior compartment of the vehicle, the actuator is accessible from an exterior of the vehicle and the first control signal moves the lock from a locked state to an unlocked state.

3. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the first vehicle subsystem includes a starter motor and the first control signal causes the starter motor to move from an inactive state to an active state.

4. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a second actuation sequence of the actuator;

compare the second actuation sequence to a predetermined actuation sequence;

monitor the switch for the first actuation sequence in response to determining that the second actuation sequence corresponds to the predetermined actuation sequence.

5. The keyless entry and start system of claim 4 wherein the controller is further configured to terminate monitoring the switch for the first actuation sequence when the actuator is not moved between the first and second position before a predetermined amount of time has passed following receipt of the second actuation sequence.

6. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the access code comprises a plurality of digits and the first actuation sequence comprises a number of movements of the actuator from the first position to the second position equal to each of the plurality of digits and an absence of movement of the actuator corresponds to a transition between successive digits of the plurality of digits.

7. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the access code comprises a plurality of digits and the first actuation sequence comprises first periods of time during which the actuator is in the first position, each of the first periods of time corresponding to a different one of the plurality of digits and second periods of time during which the actuator is in the second position, each of the second periods of time corresponding to a transition between successive digits of the plurality of digits.

8. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured, if the access code does not correspond to the authorization code, to ignore a second actuation sequence of the actuator when said second actuation sequence occurs less than a predetermined period of time after entry of the first actuation sequence.

9. The keyless entry and start system of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to generate a second control signal after the predetermined period of time has passed, the second control signal configured to cause a second vehicle subsystem to generate at least one of an audio or visual alert.

10. The keyless entry and start system of claim 1, further comprising a telematics unit in communication with the controller and wherein the controller is further configured to receive the authorization code from the telematics unit.

11. A keyless entry and start system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first vehicle subsystem configured to control at least one of access to an interior compartment of the vehicle and starting of the vehicle;

an actuator mounted on the vehicle and movable between first and second positions;

a switch coupled to the actuator, the switch assuming a first state when the actuator is in the first position and a second state when the actuator is in the second position;

a display disposed in a cabin of the vehicle; and

,

a controller coupled to the switch and configured to

determine whether a first actuation sequence of the actuator corresponds to an authorization code by

transmitting output signals to the display, the output signals configured to cause the display to display a plurality of characters including a character of the authorization code;

detecting an actuation of the actuator;

determining whether the character shown on the display during the actuation of the actuator comprises the character of the authorization code, and

when the character shown on the display during the actuation of the actuator comprises the character of the authorization code, repeating the transmitting, detecting, and determining actions for each additional character of the authorization code; and

,

generate a first control signal configured to cause the first vehicle subsystem to switch between a first state and a second state when the first actuation sequence of the actuator correspond to the authorization code.

12. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein the fist vehicle subsystem includes a lock configured to control access to the interior compartment of the vehicle, the actuator is accessible from an exterior of the vehicle and the first control signal moves the lock from a locked state to an unlocked state.

13. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein the first vehicle subsystem includes a starter motor and the first control signal causes the starter motor to move from an inactive state to an active state.

14. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a second actuation sequence of the actuator; and

compare the second actuation sequence to a predetermined actuation sequence

wherein the controller transmits the output signals to the display in response to determining that the second actuation sequence corresponds to the predetermined actuation sequence.

15. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured, if the first actuation sequence does not correspond to the authorization code, to ignore a second actuation sequence of the actuator when said second actuation sequence occurs less than a predetermined period of time after entry of the first actuation sequence.

16. The keyless entry and start system of claim 15 wherein the controller is further configured to generate a second control signal after the predetermined period of time has passed, the second control signal configured to cause a second vehicle subsystem to generate at least one of an audio or visual alert.

17. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11, further comprising a telematics unit in communication with the controller and wherein the controller is further configured to receive the authorization code from the telematics unit.

18. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured, in determining whether the first actuation sequence of the actuator corresponds to the authorization code, to transmit another output signal to the display when the character shown on the display during the actuation of the actuator comprises the character of the authorization code, the another output signal configured to cause the display to indicate that the character shown on the display during the actuation of the actuator comprises the character of the authorization code.

19. The keyless entry and start system of claim 18 wherein the another output signal causes a change in color of the character shown on the display.

20. The keyless entry and start system of claim 11 wherein each character of the plurality of characters comprises a digit.