Keyless motor vehicle starting system with anti-theft feature

• US 5,689,142 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edrive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Continocean Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Chunyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/653,496
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1-10.6, 180/287, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.3-825.32, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 123/179.1-179.4
• US Class Current: 307/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A keyless motor vehicle starting system to replace a conventional ignition lock and ignition key of a motor vehicle. The system consists of a portable wireless transmitter and a receiver/controller board which is installed deeply inside the motor vehicle behind a steering column cover or cluster cover of the motor vehicle. The portable wireless transmitter has a power-code generator and a starter-code generator and controls a vehicle battery power supply and ON-OFF states of a motor vehicle starter by sending a radio-frequency-modulated power-code and starter code. A novel design is disclosed to avoid having to detect engine-running conditions and avoid using a feed-back-control circuit to de-energize the motor starter.

Claims

1. A keyless motor vehicle starting system comprising:

a motor starter;

a solenoid on said motor starter;

an ignition circuit;

a vehicle battery;

additional motor vehicle electrical components which are not relied-upon to energize/enable said motor starter and said ignition circuit;

a portable wireless transmitter which comprises;

(a) a battery;

(b) a power-code switch connected to said battery;

(c) a starter-code switch connected to said battery;

(d) a power-code generator which is connected to said power-code switch and generates a power-code when said power-code switch is turned on;

(e) a starter-code generator which is connected to said starter-code switch and generates a starter-code when said starter-code switch is turned on;

(f) an OR-gate which combines said starter-code and said power-code;

(g) an electromagnetic-wave modulator which generates an electromagnetic-wave signal modulated by the output of said OR-gate;

(h) an electromagnetic-wave transmitting means connected to the output-pin of said electromagnetic-wave modulator;

a receiver/controller board which comprises;

(a) an electromagnetic-wave receiving means which generates a received electromagnetic-wave signal;

(b) an electromagnetic-wave demodulator whose input-pin is connected to said electromagnetic-wave receiving means;

(c) a starter-code detector which generates a detected-starter-code-signal and has an input-pin which is connected to the output-pin of said electromagnetic-wave demodulator;

(d) a power-code detector which generates a detected-power-code-signal and has an input-pin which is connected to the output-pin of said electromagnetic-wave demodulator;

(e) a power switch which is controlled by said detected-power-code-signal and is connected between said vehicle battery and said ignition circuit;

(f) a starter switch which is controlled by said detected-starter-code-signal and is connected between said power switch and said starter solenoid and between said power switch and said additional motor vehicle electrical components;

wherein said portable wireless transmitter and said receiver/controller board are used to replace an ignition lock, an ignition key and an ignition switch in a conventional motor vehicle.

2. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said power-code switch is a normal-off push-button switch and turns on said power-code generator when said power-code switch is pressed;

said starter-code switch is a normal-off push-button switch and turns on said starter-code generator when said starter-code switch is pressed;

said power-code from said power-code generator is a series of 0 and 1'"'"'s which are encoded according to a first rule;

said starter-code from said starter-code generator is a series of 0 and 1'"'"'s which are encoded according a second rule;

said power-code generator generates all 0'"'"'s when said power-code switch is not pressed;

said starter-code generator generates all 0'"'"'s when said starter-code switch is not pressed;

said OR-gate combines the output of said power-code generator and the output of said starter-code generator and generates a combined code which is sent to said electromagnetic-wave modulator which generates an electromagnetic-wave signal.

3. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said electromagnetic-wave demodulator demodulates said received electromagnetic-wave signal received by said electromagnetic-wave receiving means and generates a demodulated signal;

said demodulated signal is fed into said starter-code detector and said power-code detector;

said power-code detector sends a high voltage to said power switch if said demodulated signal is said power-code;

said power-code detector sends a low voltage to said power switch if said demodulated signal is not said power-code;

said starter-code detector sends a high voltage to said starter switch if said demodulated signal is said starter-code;

said starter-code detector sends a low voltage to said starter switch if said demodulated signal is not said starter-code;

said power switch has an ON-state and an OFF-state;

said starter switch has a first end which is connected to said power switch, a second end which is connected to said starter solenoid, and a third end which is connected to said additional vehicle electrical components;

said power switch is connected between said vehicle battery and said ignition circuit and is also connected between said vehicle battery and said first end of said starter switch;

the state of said power switch does not change if there is not any low-to-high voltage change fed into said power switch;

said power switch changes from said ON-state to said OFF-state or from said OFF-state to said ON-state if there is a low-to-high voltage change fed into said power switch;

said vehicle battery is connected to said ignition circuit and to said first end of said starter switch when said power switch is in said ON-state;

said vehicle battery is disconnected from said ignition circuit and disconnected from said first end of said starter switch when said power switch is in said OFF-state;

said starter switch connects said starter solenoid to one end of said power switch and disconnects said additional electrical components if a high voltage is fed to said starter switch;

said starter switch disconnects said starter solenoid from said power switch and connects said additional electrical components to one end of said power switch if a low voltage is fed to said starter switch.

4. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said power-code is a first pseudo-noise code;

said starter-code is a second pseudo-noise code;

said power-code detector is a pseudo-noise code detector and is constructed to detect said first pseudo-noise code;

said starter-code detector is a pseudo-noise code detector and is constructed to detect said second pseudo-noise code.

5. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said power-code is a first error-detecting code;

said starter-code is a second error-detecting code;

said power-code detector is an error-detecting code detector and is constructed to detect said first error-detecting code;

said starter-code detector is an error-detecting code detector and is constructed to detect said second error-detecting code.

6. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said power switch is a flip-flop switch which comprises a D-flip-flop logic gate and a first bipolar junction transistor;

said D-flip-flop logic gate has an input clock, a D-input, a D-flip-flop output, and an inverted output which is connected to said D-input;

said D-flip-flop logic gate is triggered by a voltage-change at said input clock which is connected to the output of said power-code detector;

said D-flip-flop output is connected to a base of said first bipolar junction transistor and controls ON-OFF states of said first bipolar junction transistor;

said starter switch comprises a second bipolar junction transistor, a third bipolar junction transistor and a single-input NAND-gate whose output is connected to a base of said third bipolar junction transistor;

the output of said starter-code detector is connected to the input of said single-input NAND-gate and a base of said second bipolar junction transistor and controls ON-OFF states of said second bipolar junction transistor and said third bipolar junction transistor.

7. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said power switch is a flip-flop switch which comprises a D-flip-flop logic gate and a first relay;

said D-flip-flop logic gate has an input clock, a D-input, a D-flip-flop output, and an inverted output which is connected to said D-input;

said D-flip-flop logic gate is triggered by a voltage-change at said input clock which is connected to the output of said power-code detector;

said D-flip-flop output is connected to a solenoid of said first relay and controls ON-OFF states of said first relay;

said starter switch comprises a second relay, a third relay and a single-input NAND-gate whose output is connected to a solenoid of said third relay;

the output of said starter-code detector is connected to the input of said single-input NAND-gate and a solenoid of said second relay and controls ON-OFF states of said second relay and said third relay.

8. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said electromagnetic-wave modulator is a radio frequency modulator;

said electromagnetic-wave demodulator is a radio frequency demodulator.

9. The keyless motor vehicle starting system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said electromagnetic-wave transmitting means is a transmitting antenna;

said electromagnetic-wave receiving means is a receiving antenna.