Remote control system for a vehicle door

• US 6,670,883 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagai, Akira, Asakura, Suguru, Kikuchi, Taizou
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/662,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 340/428, 340/7.32, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/5.62, 307/10.1, 307/10.4
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00642 by battery
• 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 door lock controlling apparatus for a vehicle performing a door lock control in response to a response signal received by a vehicle mounted receiver which is transmitted from a portable transmitter/receiver upon receiving a response demand signal from the vehicle is improved wherein the door lock control function is stopped by a request of the user or depending on the magnitude of a terminal voltage of a battery mounted in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A remote control system for a vehicle door comprising:

a transmitter mounted on the vehicle for transmitting a response demand signal receivable within a predetermined range outside of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter/receiver for transmitting a response signal in response to receiving the response demand signal;

a vehicle mounted receiver for receiving the response signal transmitted from the portable transmitter/receiver; and

a controlling means for determining whether or not the response signal received at said receiver is a valid one, and for controlling at least one of locking and unlocking of the door(s) of the vehicle in response to the valid response signal received,

at the vehicle side, a voltage detecting means for detecting decrease of a voltage of a battery mounted on the vehicle to be lower than a predetermined level, which is higher than the level at which the activation of a door lock mechanism is assured, and for producing a voltage drop signal; and

a function stopping means for stopping the transmission of the response demand signal in response to the voltage drop signal are provided;

the portable transmitter/receiver is further provided with a manual switch for transmitting a manual control signal for controlling door lock, which is different from the response signal; and

when the vehicle mounted receiver receives the manual control signal, the controlling means carries out at least one of locking and unlocking the vehicle door(s) corresponding to the manual control signal received even if the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped.

2. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detecting means detects decrease of a voltage of the battery to be lower than a predetermined level continuously in a predetermined number of times by checking the battery at regular time intervals and produces the voltage drop signal.

7. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the function stopping means indicates that the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped or a transmission stoppage of the response demand signal is released.

8. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 2, wherein the function stopping means indicates that the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped or a transmission stoppage of the response demand signal is released.

3. A remote control system for a vehicle door comprising:

a transmitter mounted on the vehicle for transmitting a response demand signal receivable within a predetermined range outside of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter/receiver for transmitting a response signal in response to receiving the response demand signal;

a vehicle mounted receiver for receiving the response signal transmitted from the portable transmitter/receiver; and

a controlling means for determining whether or not the response signal received at the receiver is a valid one, and for controlling at least one of locking and unlocking of the door(s) of the vehicle in response to the valid response signal received,

wherein the portable transmitter/receiver is provided with a function stoppage directing means for transmitting a function stoppage signal, which is different from the response signal, in the operation of the portable transmitter/receiver, and a function stoppage means for stopping the transmission of the response demand signal in response to the function stoppage signal.

4. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 3, wherein the portable transmitter/receiver is further provided with a manual switch for transmitting a manual control signal for controlling door lock, which is different from the response signal;

and

when the vehicle mounted receiver receives the manual control signal transmitted from the portable transmitter/receiver for door lock control, the controlling means carries out at least one of locking and unlocking the vehicle door(s) corresponding to the manual control signal received even if the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped.

5. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 3, wherein the function stoppage means releases a transmission stoppage condition of the response demand signal when it receives a function stoppage signal during the stoppage of the function.

6. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 4, wherein the function stoppage means releases a transmission stoppage condition of the response demand signal when it receives a function stoppage signal during the stoppage of the function.

9. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 3, wherein the function stoppage means indicates that the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped or the transmission stoppage of the response demand signal is released.

10. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 4, wherein the function stoppage means indicates that the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped or the transmission stoppage of the response demand signal is released.

11. A remote control system for a vehicle door according to claim 5, wherein the function stoppage means indicates that the transmission of the response demand signal is stopped or the transmission stoppage of the response demand signal is released.