Remote vehicle starter for a standard transmission vehicle

• US 5,656,868 A
• Filed: 10/12/1995
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Directed, LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DesignTech International Incorporated
• Inventors: McPheeters, Alex, Gottlieb, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/542,378
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1-10.6, 123/198 DC, 123/179.2-179.4, 180/287, 180/167, 340/429.9, 340/426, 340/825.3-825.32, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 290/37 R, 290/38 C, 290/38 R
• US Class Current: 307/10.6
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/103 according to the vehicle transmission or clutch status

Abstract

A remote vehicle starter which can find implementation in a standard transmission vehicle. The remote vehicle starter has an operation for supplying power to an ignition and accessory wire when a key is removed from an ignition switch of the vehicle, so that the vehicle is running after the key is removed. It is then determined whether the vehicle is placed in neutral after the key is removed from the ignition switch. The remote vehicle starter of the present invention is then controlled so as to be operable to remotely start the vehicle only if the vehicle was in neutral at a point in time after the key is removed from the ignition switch.

Claims

1. A remote vehicle starter for a standard transmission vehicle, comprising:

means for supplying power to an ignition and accessory wire of the vehicle when a key is removed from an ignition switch of the vehicle so that the vehicle is running after the key is removed;

means for detecting if the vehicle is in neutral after the key is removed from the ignition switch; and

control means for controlling the power supply means to provide power to the ignition and accessory wires to remotely start the vehicle, after the vehicle has turned off, only after the detecting means has detected that the vehicle is in neutral.

2. The remote vehicle starter according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a door position detector for detecting if a door of the vehicle is opened one time or more than one time after the key is removed from the ignition switch while the vehicle is running and after the vehicle is turned off remotely, and the detecting means determines that the vehicle is in neutral if the vehicle door is opened only once.

3. The remote vehicle starter according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a proximity detector for detecting a position of a stick shift of the vehicle to determine if the stick shift is in neutral.

4. A method of remotely starting a standard transmission vehicle, comprising the steps of:

supplying power to ignition and accessory wires of the vehicle when a key is removed from an ignition switch of the vehicle so that the vehicle is running after the key is removed;

detecting if the vehicle is in neutral after the key is removed from the ignition switch; and

controlling the step of supplying power to provide power to the ignition and accessory wires to remotely start the vehicle, after the vehicle has turned off, only after the detecting step has detected that the vehicle is in neutral.

5. The method of remotely starting a standard transmission vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the detecting step detects if a door of the vehicle is opened one time or more than one time after the key is removed from the ignition switch while the vehicle is running and after the vehicle is turned off remotely, and the detecting step determines that the vehicle is in neutral if the vehicle door is opened only once.

6. The remote vehicle starter according to claim 4, wherein the detecting step detects a position of a stick shift of the vehicle to determine if the stick shift is in neutral.