Remote control system for door locks

• US 5,774,064 A
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Hair, Robert A., Pitera, Kenneth R., Lambropoulos, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/751,588
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.49, 340/825.72, 340/825.63, 340/825.44, 340/825.3, 340/825.56, 340/426, 340/425.5 , 340/825.22, 70/278, 70/256, 361/172, 307/10.2, 307/10.5, 455/129, 455/343, 455/38.3
• US Class Current: 340/12.29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00222 by more than one push button
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed

Abstract

A remote control system which includes (a) a receiver unit adapted to be fixedly mounted on a motor vehicle leaving at least one door lock with a first locked condition and a second unlocked condition and having circuitry for receiving a coded signal including a code portion of binary bits, memory circuitry for storing a first code of binary bits, means for comparing the code portion of a received coded signal with the first code and circuitry for shifting the controlled device to one of the conditions upon the comparison match between the code portion of a received signal and the stored first code and (b) a transmitting unit for transmitting the stored second code of binary bits when the door lock is to be shifted into one of its conditions. In this system the invention involves the improvement wherein the coding of the second code set into the transmitter is a unique group of binary bits and the receiver unit includes a field programming arrangement for setting the first code of the receiver unit to the unique group of binary bits in the transmitting unit by using the signal from the transmitting unit as received by the receiver unit. In accordance with this improvement, the first code of the receiver unit is set to the second code of the transmitting unit in the field and may be changed from one code to another code upon authorized use of a second transmitting unit having its own unique code.

Claims

1. Apparatus operative to control access to a vehicle, said apparatus adapted to be mounted on said vehicle and to respond to remote hand-held portable transmitters, each transmitter of which transmits coded signals distinctive from the coded signals transmitted by other said transmitters, and wherein the apparatus is programmable in the field to recognize the coded signals transmitted from authorized said transmitters and not from unauthorized said transmitters so as to permit access to said vehicle in response to receipt of coded signals from said authorized transmitters, said apparatus comprising:

receiver means for receiving coded signals transmitted by said transmitters;

memory means for storing information for identifying the distinctive coded signals received from said authorized transmitters, said memory means being capable of storing at any time information sufficient to identify the coded signals transmitted from at least two different said transmitters;

means manually operable in the field for initiating programming periods; and

,

computer means responsive to said receiver means and said memory means (a) for causing said information stored in said memory means to represent only those said transmitters that transmitted coded signals to said apparatus during the most recent said programming period, and (b) for evaluating coded signals received during non-programming periods in accordance with said stored information and allowing control of access to said vehicle in response to said coded signals only if the transmitter that generated said coded signal also transmitted a coded signal to said apparatus in the most recent said programming period;

whereby programming of said apparatus with an unauthorized said transmitter during the most recent said programming period will be apparent to the vehicle operator because said authorized transmitters that were programmed during a programming period prior to the most recent said programming period will not be capable of controlling access to said vehicle after said most recent said programming period.

2. Apparatus operative to control functions of a vehicle, said apparatus adapted to be mounted on said vehicle and to respond to remote hand-held portable transmitters, each transmitter of which transmits coded signals distinctive from the coded signals transmitted by other said transmitters, and wherein the apparatus is programmable in the field to recognize the coded signals transmitted from authorized said transmitters and not from unauthorized said transmitters so as to permit control of said vehicle in response to receipt of coded signals from said authorized transmitters, said apparatus comprising:

receiver means for receiving coded signals transmitted by said transmitters;

memory means for storing information representing authorized transmitters, said memory means being capable of storing at any time information representing at least two different said transmitters;

means manually operable in the field for initiating programming periods; and

computer means responsive to said receiver means and said memory means (a) for causing said memory means to store information representing only those said transmitters from which coded signals were received during the most recent said programming period, and (b) for evaluating coded signals received during non-programming periods in accordance with said stored information and allowing control of said vehicle in response to said coded signals only if the transmitter that generated said coded signal also transmitted a coded signal to said apparatus in the most recent said programming period;

whereby programming of said apparatus with an unauthorized said transmitter during the most recent said programming period will be discernible to the vehicle operator because said authorized transmitters that were programmed during a programming period prior to the most recent said programming period will no longer be capable of controlling said vehicle after said most recent said programming period.

3. Apparatus operative to control functions in a vehicle, said apparatus adapted to be mounted on said vehicle and to respond to coded signals received from only authorized ones of a number of remote hand-held portable transmitters and not from unauthorized said transmitters functioning in the field, said apparatus comprising:

means manually operable from time to time in the field for initiating field programming periods;

means for automatically causing said apparatus to recognize as valid only those transmitters from whom coded signals were received during the most recent programming period and not to recognize as valid any other transmitters, said means being capable of recognizing as valid at least two different transmitters at any given time; and

control means for controlling said vehicle functions only in response to coded signals received from valid transmitters;

whereby programming of said apparatus with an unauthorized said transmitter during the most recent programming period will be noticeable to the vehicle owner because transmitters that were programmed before the most recent said programming period will not control vehicle functions after said most recent said programming period.

4. In a secure remote control system for door locks including a receiver programmable to recognize at least two different portable transmitters from the coded signals transmitted by said transmitters, a method of programming said receiver from time to time in the field and of operating said receiver thereafter, comprising the steps of:

placing the receiver into a field programming mode in response to a user request to initiate field programming;

receiving the coded signals from each portable transmitter operated by the user during the field programming mode;

retaining in said receiver information sufficient to permit the receiver to recognize coded signals subsequently transmitted from the same said transmitters that were operated during the field programming mode;

returning the receiver to normal operation after the field programming mode is finished; and

operating said receiver thereafter in accordance with the retained information so that the receiver automatically operates the door locks only in response to coded signals received from transmitters that were operated by the user during the most recent field programming mode and not in response to coded signals received from any other transmitters.