Method and apparatus for supplying power to the receiver of a motor vehicle locking system

• US 5,623,257 A
• Filed: 02/22/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bachhuber, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERZ, EDWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/392,079
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/539, 340/825.72, 340/541, 340/825.44, 361/172, 70/277, 455/38.3, 455/343
• US Class Current: 340/5.28
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00587 by battery
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An electronic motor vehicle locking system has a receiver which is mounted in the motor vehicle, which is supplied by a battery power supply, and which is remote-controlled by a handheld transmitter supplying coded control signals. A clocked operating switch turns the power supply to the receiver on and off. The receiver may be remotely controlled with infrared light control signals or with radio control signals. A method for the clocked actuation of the operating switch includes operating the operating switch during a first waiting period with given intervals between turn-ons of the power supply; and operating the operating switch in a clocked fashion during a second waiting period after the first waiting period with intervals between the turn-ons of the power supply which are longer than the given intervals of the first waiting period, if the receiver received no control signals during the first waiting period. An apparatus for the clocked actuation of the operating switch includes a timer, as for instance a microprocessor with a clock pulse generator.

Claims

1. In a process for operating an electronic motor vehicle locking system including a receiver being mounted in the motor vehicle, being supplied by a battery power supply, and being remote-controlled by a handheld transmitter supplying coded control signals, and an operating switch for turning the power supply to the receiver on and off, a method for the clocked actuation of the operating switch, which comprises:

operating the operating switch during a first waiting period with given intervals between turn-ons of the power supply, during which given intervals no power is supplied to the receiver; and

subsequently, if the receiver received no control signals during the first waiting period, operating the operating switch in a clocked fashion during a second waiting period with intervals between the turn-ons of the power supply being longer than the given intervals in the first waiting period.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises remotely controlling the receiver with infrared light control signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises remotely controlling the receiver with radio control signals.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises setting the intervals to be vanishingly short in the first waiting period so that the operating switch supplies the receiver with power continuously during the first waiting period, and setting the intervals to have finite length between turn-on phases in the second waiting period so that the operating switch is operated in clocked fashion.

5. The method according to claim 1, which comprises setting the intervals in the first waiting period to have finite size so that the operating switch is operated at a higher clock frequency in the first waiting period than during the second waiting period.

6. The method according to claim 4, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals even further during other waiting periods after the second waiting period.

7. The method according to claim 5, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals even further during other waiting periods after the second waiting period.

8. The method according to claim 4, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals substantially uniformly with time.

9. The method according to claim 5, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals substantially uniformly with time.

10. The method according to claim 6, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals substantially uniformly with time.

11. The method according to claim 7, which comprises increasing the length of the clock intervals substantially uniformly with time.

12. The method according to claim 1, which comprises repeatedly transmitting the coded control signals in succession from the handheld transmitter during a transmission period upon a single actuation of a tripping device of the handheld transmitter, setting the clock intervals to last a shorter time than the transmission period, and temporarily supplying the receiver with power through the operating switch, at least during an entire duration of a reception of a complete code, if fractional signals are received.

13. The method according to claim 1, which comprises receiving control signals which do not contain a code authorized for actuating the locking system, and then setting the clock frequency of the actuation of the operating switch to be at least approximately the same as it would have been without receiving the control signals which do not contain the code authorized for actuating the locking system.

14. The method according to claim 1, which comprises receiving control signals which contain a code that is authorized for actuating the locking system, and then setting the clock frequency of the actuation of the operating switch to match the clock frequency of actuations that prevail during the first waiting period.

15. The method according to claim 1, which comprises receiving control signals which contain a code that is authorized for actuating the locking system, and then setting the clock frequency of the actuation of the operating switch to not match the clock frequency of the actuations that prevail during the first waiting period again until the motor vehicle engine has been started first.

16. The method according to claim 1, which comprises measuring the voltage of the battery at least periodically during waiting periods, and defining the interval as a function of the measured voltage of the battery.

17. The method according to claim 16, which comprises measuring the voltage of the battery from the second waiting period on.

18. In an electronic motor vehicle locking system including a receiver being mounted in the motor vehicle, a battery power supply for supplying the receiver, a remote-controlled handheld transmitter for supplying the receiver with coded control signals, and an operating switch for turning the power supply to the receiver on and off, an apparatus for the clocked actuation of the operating switch, comprising a timer, said timer operating the operating switch during a first waiting period with given intervals between turn-ons of the power supply;

and, if the receiver received no control signals during the first waiting period, said timer operating the operating switch in a clocked fashion during a second waiting period immediately following the first waiting period with intervals between the turn-ons of the power supply being longer than the given intervals.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said timer includes a flip-flop.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said timer includes a frequency demultiplier for reducing the clock frequency of said timer.

21. The apparatus according to claims 18, wherein said timer includes a storage capacitor for storing operating energy for operating said timer being required at least until the next actuation of the operating switch.