Remote control key system having keyless entry functions and a vehicle immobilizing function in common keyhead

• US 6,496,100 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hiebl, Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/392,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.31, 340/5.1, 340/5.61, 340/5.6, 340/5.7, 340/5.72, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 307/10.1, 307/10.3
• US Class Current: 340/5.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A system for preventing inadvertent operation of remote keyless entry commands for a vehicle remote keyless entry system having a user interface located on the head of the vehicle ignition key. Whenever the ignition key is about to or has been inserted into the vehicle ignition, the user may inadvertently depress one or more of the command buttons of the keyhead. This accidental depression may occur before or during inserting the key, or after the key has been inserted and the key is being turned to activate the ignition. The system of the present invention selectively inhibits the vehicle from acting upon the commands when it is believed any of these situations may be occurring.

Claims

1. A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of said vehicle to be started to permit mobility of said vehicle and at least one vehicle door adapted for movement between an open and a closed position, the system comprising:

a lock associated with said ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, said vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state;

an ignition key adapted for cooperation with said ignition lock for selectively urging said ignition lock between said locked and unlocked states;

a proximity approximator associated with said key and said ignition, said approximator adapted to determine when said key is within a predetermined proximity of said ignition and a vehicle door position sensor that is adapted to sense the opening and closing of the vehicle door; and

a user interface associated with said key, said interface adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to said system while remote from said vehicle, said communicated signal being acted upon by said system in a preselected manner and said communicated signal not being acted upon by said system whenever said approximator indicates that said key is within said predetermined proximity of said ignition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system does not respond to the communicated signal for a selected amount of time after the position sensor senses that the door has been closed.

3. A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of said vehicle to be started to permit mobility of said vehicle and a brake pedal adapted to be selectively depressed by a vehicle user, the system comprising:

a lock associated with said ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, said vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state;

an ignition key adapted for cooperation with said ignition lock for selectively urging said ignition lock between said locked and unlocked states;

a proximity approximator associated with said key and said ignition, said approximator adapted to determine when said key is within a predetermined proximity of said ignition and a brake pedal sensor adapted to sense when the brake pedal is depressed; and

a user interface associated with said key, said interface adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to said system while remote from said vehicle, said communicated signal being acted upon by said system in a preselected manner and said communicated signal not being acted upon by said system whenever said approximator indicates that said key is within said predetermined proximity of said ignition.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system does not respond to the communicated signal for at least a selected period of time after the brake pedal sensor has sensed that the brake pedal has been depressed.

5. A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of said vehicle to be started to permit mobility of said vehicle and a steering wheel adapted for rotational movement, the system comprising:

a lock associated with said ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, said vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state;

an ignition key adapted for cooperation with said ignition lock for selectively urging said ignition lock between said locked and unlocked states;

a proximity approximator associated with said key and said ignition, said approximator adapted to determine when said key is within a predetermined proximity of said ignition and a steering wheel sensor adapted to sense when a user rotates the steering wheel; and

a user interface associated with said key, said interface adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to said system while remote from said vehicle, said communicated signal being acted upon by said system in a preselected manner and said communicated signal not being acted upon by said system whenever said approximator indicates that said key is within said predetermined proximity of said ignition.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system does not respond to the communicated signal for at least a selected period after the steering wheel sensor indicates that the steering wheel has been turned.

7. A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of said vehicle to be started to permit mobility of said vehicle and at least one seat, the system comprising:

a lock associated with said ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, said vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state;

an ignition key adapted for cooperation with said ignition lock for selectively urging said ignition lock between said locked and unlocked states;

a proximity approximator associated with said key and said ignition, said approximator adapted to determine when said key is within a predetermined proximity of said ignition and comprising a sensor adapted to sense when a user is seated in the seat; and

a user interface associated with said key, said interface adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to said system while remote from said vehicles said communicated signal being acted upon by said system in a preselected manner and said communicated signal not being acted upon by said system whenever said approximator indicates that said key is within said predetermined proximity of said ignition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the system will not respond to the communicated signal when the sensor indicates that the user occupies the seat.

9. A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of the vehicle to be started to permit mobility of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a lock associated with the ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, the vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state;

an ignition key adapted for cooperation with the ignition lock for selectively urging the ignition lock between the locked and unlocked states;

a proximity approximator associated with the key and the ignition, the approximator adapted to determine when the key is within a predetermined proximity of the ignition; and

a user interface associated with the key that is adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to the system while remote from the vehicle, the communicated signal being acted upon by the system in a preselected manner when the key is not within the predetermined proximity of the ignition, the communicated signal not being acted upon by the system for a predetermined delay period when the approximator indicates that the key is within the predetermined proximity of the ignition, after which delay period the communicated signal is acted upon by the system regardless of whether the approximator continues to indicate that the key is still within the predetermined proximity of the ignition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system responds to a future communicated signal after the predetermined delay period regardless of whether the approximator continues to indicate that the key is still within the predetermined proximity of the ignition.