Closure system with adjustable sensitivity

• US 5,517,189 A
• Filed: 10/31/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schneider, Christian, Bachhuber, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/332,427
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.54, 340/825.56, 340/825.64, 340/825.72, 455/52.3, 455/69, 455/70, 455/78, 455/92, 375/98, 375/345
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0019 the keyless data carrier having only one limited data transmission rangs
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

Closure system remotely controllable by transmitter signals (I) for one or more locks (L) of one or more openings (T), having a portable transmitter (S) as key (S) for radiating the transmitter signals (I), namely the UNLOCK transmitter signals (I) which (I) initiate the unlocking (Z) of the relevant lock or locks (L), and/or the LOCK transmitter signals (I) which initiate the locking (Z) of these locks (L), having a receiver (E) which (E), if it is within range (W) of the transmitter (S), triggers a control signal (Z) after the reception of the transmitter signals (I), and having a locking element (B) which can be controlled by the control signal (Z), by means of which (B) the relevant lock (L) can be locked and/or unlocked. The receiver (E) monitors a parameter of at least individual ones of the received transmitter signals (I), such as their (I) power or field strength, and adjusts--at least from time to time--the range (W), namely the sensitivity of the receiver (E) and/or the transmitting power of the transmitter (S) in accordance with the parameter monitored.

Claims

1. A closure system for a lock of a motor vehicle, said closure system being remotely controllable by transmitter signals, comprising:

at least one portable transmitter for emitting transmitter signals activating the lock;

a predetermined range around said motor vehicle within which said transmitter must be located for controlling the closure system, said predetermined range having an upper limit and a lower limit, a distance between said motor vehicle and said upper limit of said predetermined range being less than a distance over which the transmitter can physically transmit;

a receiver for receiving the emitted transmitter signals, the receiver triggering a control signal in response to receiving the emitted transmitter signals when the transmitter is located in said predetermined range;

a locking element which is controlled by the control signal and by means of which the lock is activated;

the receiver measuring a signal strength of the received transmitter signals, comparing a measured value of signal strength to a rated value stored in the receiver and setting a reception sensitivity of the receiver dependent on a result of the comparison of the measured value of signal strength to the rated value, the reception sensitivity being reduced when the measured value of signal strength exceeds the rated value such that the lock is activatable only when the transmitter is located within said predetermined range.

2. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter signal has a first part containing activation information and a second signal part having measuring pulses whose amplitude is measured in the receiver.

3. The closure system according to claim 2, wherein the receiver has means for forming an average value from a plurality of measured amplitudes of the measuring pulses and stores the average value as the rated value.

4. The closure system according to claim 2, wherein the measuring pulses pend for a predetermined time,

wherein the second signal part of the transmitter signal is a series of short measuring pulses lasting several seconds,

wherein the transmitter has a transmitter memory via which the transmitter transmits the second signal part of the transmitter signal within seconds after a transmission of the first signal part of the transmitter signal for an unlocking of the lock,

wherein the receiver is connected to a sensor that upon actuation outputs a sensor signal, and

wherein the receiver measures a value of signal strength of the second signal part of the transmitter signal which the receiver receives, irrespective of when the sensor signal appears, and correspondingly compares the measured value of the signal strength of the second signal to the rated value.

5. The closure system according to claim 4, wherein after reception of a first signal part of the transmitter signal for an unlock that is too weak in and of itself, the receiver initially unlocks the lock and in turn locks the lock after expiration of a waiting time if the sensor signal does not occur by an end of the waiting time, and the measured value of the signal strength of the second signal part of the transmitter signal being above the rated value;

and wherein the receiver corrects the rated value when the receiver does not lock the lock again but leaves the lock in an unlocked condition after the end of the waiting time.

6. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter together with the ignition key form a structural unit;

wherein the transmitter transmits at least one second part of the transmitter signal while the ignition key is inserted in the ignition lock; and

wherein the receiver measures a value of signal strength of the at least one second part of the transmitter signal and stores the measured value of signal strength of the at least one second part as the rated value.

7. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter emits a first part of a transmitter signal for an unlocking of the lock with significantly lower power than a first part of a transmitter signal for a locking of the lock.

8. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the closure system has a plurality of transmitters having transmitter signals coded differently from one another, wherein the receiver has a receiver memory wherein a separate rated value is stored for each transmitter, a respective separate rated value being utilized for comparing to a respective rated value dependent on a received key code that identifies the transmitter and being corrected as warranted dependent on a value of signal strength of the received transmitter signal.

9. A closure system for a lock of a motor vehicle, said closure system being remotely controllable with transmitter signals, comprising:

at least one portable transmitter for emitting transmitter signals for activating the lock;

a predetermined range around said motor vehicle within which said transmitter must be located for controlling the closure system, said predetermined range having an upper limit and a lower limit, a distance between said motor vehicle and said upper limit of said predetermined range being less than a distance over which the transmitter can physically transmit;

a receiver for receiving the emitted transmitter signals, and the receiver triggering a control signal in response to receiving the emitted transmitter signals when the transmitter is located within said predetermined range;

an auxiliary transmitter in the receiver and an auxiliary receiver in the portable transmitter; and

a lock element which is controlled by the control signal and by means of which the lock is activated; and

the receiver measuring a signal strength of the received transmitter signals, comparing a measured value of the signal strength to a rated value stored in the receiver and, dependent on a result of the comparison of the measured value of the signal strength to the stored rated value, transmitting a further signal via the auxiliary transmitter in the receiver to the auxiliary receiver in the portable transmitter, as a result whereof transmission power of the portable transmitter is modified dependent on the result of the comparison, the transmission power being reduced when the measured value of signal strength exceeds the rated value such that the lock is activatable only when the transmitter is located within said predetermined range.

10. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter signal has a first part containing activation information and a second signal part having measuring pulses whose amplitude is measured in the receiver.

11. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the receiver has means for forming an average value from a plurality of measured amplitudes of the measuring pulses and stores the average value as the rated value.

12. The closure system according to claim 10, wherein the measuring pulses pend for a predetermined time,

wherein the second signal part of the transmitter signal is a series of short measuring pulses lasting several seconds,

wherein the transmitter has a transmitter memory via which the transmitter transmits the second signal part of the transmitter signal within seconds after a transmission of the first signal part of the transmitter signal for an unlocking of the lock,

wherein the receiver is connected to a sensor that upon actuation outputs a sensor signal, and

wherein the receiver measures a value of signal strength of the second signal part of the transmitter signal which the receiver receives, irrespective of when the sensor signal appears, and correspondingly compares the measured value of the signal strength of the second signal to the rated value.

13. The closure system according to claim 12, wherein after reception of a first signal part of the transmitter signal for an unlock that is too weak in and of itself, the receiver initially unlocks the lock and in turn locks the lock after expiration of a waiting time if the sensor signal does not occur by an end of the waiting time, and the measured value of the signal strength of the second signal part of the transmitter signal being above the rated value;

and wherein the receiver corrects the rated value when the receiver does not lock the lock again but leaves the lock in an unlocked condition after the end of the waiting time.

14. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter together with the ignition key form a structural unit;

wherein the transmitter transmits at least one second part of the transmitter signal while the ignition key is inserted in the ignition lock; and

wherein the receiver measures a value of signal strength of the at least one second part of the transmitter signal and stores the measured value of signal strength of the at least one second part as the rated value.

15. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter emits a first part of a transmitter signal for an unlocking of the lock with significantly lower power than a first part of a transmitter signal for a locking of the lock.

16. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the closure system has a plurality of transmitters having transmitter signals coded differently from one another, wherein the receiver has a receiver memory wherein a separate rated value is stored for each transmitter, a respective separate rated value being utilized for comparing to a respective rated value dependent on a received key code that identifies the transmitter and being corrected as warranted dependent on a value of signal strength of the received transmitter signal.