Portable transmitter for vehicle key system

• US 6,376,930 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Satou, Fumitaka, Nagao, Koji, Ishikura, Hisashi, Morita, Toru, Fuku, Masaru, Enoki, Keiichi, Tatsukawa, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Application Number:
  US09/661,548
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10-- 1, 713/186, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/426, 455/411
• US Class Current: 307/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00261 the keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A portable transmitter of vehicle key system comprising a fingerprint detecting portion for detecting the user'"'"'s fingerprint, a sending component for sending the fingerprint data from this fingerprint detecting portion, and a sender switch for triggering the transmission of fingerprint data from this sending component, this sender switch and the fingerprint detecting portion being disposed integrally, whereby the sender switch is activated in accordance with the user operating the fingerprint detecting portion.

Claims

1. A portable transmitter for vehicle key system comprising:

a fingerprint detecting portion for detecting the user'"'"'s fingerprint;

a sending component for sending the fingerprint data from the fingerprint detecting portion and selectively sending a multiplicity of actuating command signals for determining the actuation of a control device provided in a vehicle; and

a sender switch for triggering the transmission of fingerprint data and the command signals from the sending component, the sender switch being integrally disposed with the fingerprint detecting portion, wherein the sender switch is activated and the types of command signals are selected in accordance with the user operating the fingerprint detecting portion.

2. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 1, wherein the sender switch is activated by depressing the fingerprint detecting portion.

3. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 2, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the number of depressing the fingerprint detecting portion.

4. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 3, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

5. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 2, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the depression time of the fingerprint detecting portion.

6. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 5, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

7. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 2, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the depression depth of the fingerprint detecting portion.

8. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 7, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

9. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 1, wherein the sender switch is activated by sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.

10. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 9, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the amount of sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.

11. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 10, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

12. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 9, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the direction of sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.

13. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 12, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

14. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 1, wherein the finger print detecting portion includes an operation stick and the sender switch is activated by tilting the operation stick in a predetermined direction.

15. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 14, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the direction of tilting the operation stick.

16. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 15, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.

17. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 14, wherein the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the angle of tilting the operation stick.

18. The portable transmitter for vehicle key system according to claim 17, wherein the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the engine of the vehicle, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.