Communication system for vehicles with aerial incorporated in steering wheel

• US 5,867,093 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Identec Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Identec Ltd.
• Inventors: Dodd, Harold, Stanier, Brian John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/942,020
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/438, 340/441, 340/447, 340/539, 340/825.5, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/461, 340/459, 343/712, 343/713, 343/741
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0082 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A radio communication system for a vehicle, which may act as an interrogation unit monitoring for the presence of a valid transponder or may act as a transponder to an external interrogation unit, includes an aerial incorporated in the circumferential part of the steering wheel of the vehicle and an on-board electronic system mounted in at least one spoke and/or in the central hub part of the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A communication system for a vehicle, said vehicle having a steering wheel which has a circumferential part and a central hub part, and said communication system comprising an aerial incorporated in said circumferential part of said steering wheel and further comprising an on-board system connected to said aerial.

2. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, in which said on-board system comprises electronic circuitry which is mounted in at least one spoke of said steering wheel.

3. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, in which said electronic circuitry of said on-board system includes a visual display to provide information at least to an occupant of the vehicle.

4. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, in which said on-board system comprises electronic circuitry which is mounted in said central hub part of said steering wheel.

5. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, in which said on-board system includes means for detecting a coded radio frequency signal transmitted from a remote device and received via said aerial.

6. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, in which said on-board system includes means to recognize at least one predetermined command signal received from said remote device and control at least one sub-system of the vehicle in accordance therewith.

7. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, in which said on-board system includes means for generating a coded radio frequency signal and transmitting this signal via said aerial to at least one remote device.

8. A communication system as claimed in claim 7, in which said on-board system includes means to detect a response signal transmitted by a said remote device in response to a said radio frequency signal transmitted via said aerial.

9. A communication system as claimed in claim 7, in which said on-board system includes memory means storing data relating to the vehicle and means for transmitting selected said data via said aerial in response to a predetermined inquiry signal received from a said remote device.

10. A communication system as claimed in claim 9, in which said on-board system comprises means responsive to a predetermined control signal received via said aerial to reprogram said memory means.

11. A communication system as claimed in claim 9, in which said on-board system comprises a port for transferring data to or from said memory means.

12. A vehicle steering wheel which comprises a circumferential part and a central hub part and which includes a communication system having an aerial incorporated in said circumferential part.

13. A vehicle steering wheel as claimed in claim 12, in which said communication system comprises electronic circuitry mounted in at least one spoke of said steering wheel.

14. A vehicle steering wheel as claimed in claim 12, in which said communication system comprises electronic circuitry mounted in said central hub part of said steering wheel.