Remote control apparatus and remote control method

• US 6,538,559 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US09/386,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/5.54, 340/5.64, 340/5.62, 340/3.43, 340/3.44, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 324/402, 701/114, 701/32, 701/34, 701/33, 714/25
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/01 Mechanical arrangements specially adapted for hands-free locking or unlocking handles with means for initiation of a hands-free locking or unlocking process E05B81/78
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A remote control apparatus has a plurality of transmission request devices for transmitting a transmission request signal, a receiver for receiving the response signal transmitted in response to the transmission request signal, an operation control device for controlling an operation state of an operating machine depending on whether or not the receiver has received the response signal, and a mobile unit for transmitting a response signal in response to the transmission request signal. The remote control apparatus further includes a failure diagnosing device for diagnosing a failure in each of the transmission request devices. Thus, when a malfunction occurs with one of the transmission request devices or a mobile unit, it is possible to easily find out where the failure has occurred.

Claims

1. The remote control method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of transmission request devices for transmitting a transmission request signal, a mobile unit for transmitting a response signal in response to the transmission request signal, a receiver for receiving the response signal transmitted in response to the transmission request signal and an operation control device for controlling an operation state of an operating machine depending on whether or not the receiver has received the response signal;

switching the operation control device into a failure diagnosing mode;

selecting one of the transmission request devices in the failure diagnosing mode;

causing the selected transmission request device to transmit a transmission request signal;

receiving the response signal transmitted in response to the transmission request signal;

performing a code verifying operation through communication between the transmission request device and the mobile unit; and

diagnosing a failure in the selected transmission request device based on the result of the code verification.

2. A remote control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of transmission request devices for transmitting a transmission request signal;

a mobile unit for transmitting a response signal in response to the transmission request signal;

a receiver for receiving the response signal transmitted in response to the transmission request signal;

an operation control device for controlling an operation state of an operating machine depending on whether or not the receiver has received the response signal; and

an ECU configured for diagnosing a failure in each of the transmission request devices.

3. The remote control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ECU is further configured for:

switching the operation control device into a failure diagnosing mode; and

selecting one of the transmission request devices in the failure diagnosing mode and causing the selected transmission request device to transmit a transmission request signal.

4. The remote control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the operation control device is in the failure diagnosing mode, the ECU configured for diagnosing a failure performs a code verifying operation through communication between the transmission request device and the mobile unit and diagnoses a failure in the selected transmission request device based on the result of the code verification.

5. The remote control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ECU is further configured for:

switching sequentially between the transmission request devices to be selected by the ECU configured in the selecting one of the transmission request devices in the failure diagnosing mode.

6. The remote control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ECU switches the operation control device into the failure diagnosing mode as a result of a specific operation of the mobile unit.

7. The remote control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a warning device operating when a failure in the transmission request device is determined.

8. The remote control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ECU is further configured for:

switching sequentially between the transmission request devices to be selected by the ECU configured in the selecting one of the transmission request devices in the failure diagnosing mode.

9. The remote control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ECU switches the operation control device into the failure diagnosing mode as a result of a specific operation of the mobile unit.