Security system to enable authenticated access of an individual to a protected area

• US 6,690,259 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Aslanidis, Konstantin, Hagl, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DaLencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/808,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20020130763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/5.71, 340/10.34, 340/505, 340/870.19, 340/10.2, 340/5.62, 455/336, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 320/166
• 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: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00587 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 security system to enable authenticated access of an individual to a protected area, including a remote control unit (22) with a transponder (28), carried by the individual, which transmits an identification code group on reception of an interrogation signal. A control unit located within the protected area transmits an interrogation signal when activated by the individual, and verifies the identification code group received from the transponder. Access to the protected area will only be permitted on positive verification of the right to access. The transponder (28), contained within the remote control unit (22), is a passive transponder which obtains a supply voltage from the interrogation signal transmitted by the control unit (16) and then feeds this to a supply voltage rail. The remote control unit (22) contains a battery (34) that can be connected to the supply voltage rail (46) by means of a controllable battery coupling switch (42)via a high-resistance path when the remote control unit (22) is in its quiescent state, or via a low-resistance path when the remote control (22) unit is in its active state.

Claims

1. A security system to enable authenticated access of an individual to a protected area comprising a remote control unit, carried by the individual, containing a transponder that on reception of an interrogation signal transmits an identification code group, and a control unit, located within the protected area which, when activated by the individual, transmits the interrogation signal and then checks the identification code group sent by the transponder, allowing access for the individual to the protected area only after positive verification of the authorisation to access, and wherein the transponder contained in the remote control unit is a passive transponder which obtains a supply voltage from the interrogation signal transmitted by the control unit and feeds this into a supply voltage rail, wherein the remote control unit contains a battery which, by means of a controllable battery coupling switch, can be connected to the supply voltage rail via a high-resistance path when the remote control unit is in a quiescent state, or via a low-resistance path when the remote control unit is in its operative state, wherein a pulse detector is provided which receives its supply voltage via the high-resistance path of the battery coupling switch when the remote control unit is in its quiescent state, which, on reception of the interrogation signal from the transponder, outputs a recognition signal, wherein a field-detector is provided which receives the signal and outputs a remote-field signal as soon as the recognition signal comes within a pre-determined range, wherein a logic circuit is provided which, on reception of the remote-field signal, outputs a switching signal to the battery coupling switch which switches this into the state where the battery is connected to the supply voltage rail via the low-resistance path, and outputs an activation signal to the transponder which will cause its transmitting unit to transmit the identification code group, and wherein a nearfield detector is provided which, on recognising a value of the supply voltage produced by the transponder exceeding a predetermined threshold value, outputs a nearfield signal that causes the logic circuit to put the battery coupling switch into the state prevailing in the quiescent state of the remote control unit and to transmit the activation signal to the transponder.

2. A security system according to claim 1, wherein the protected area is a vehicle whose door will only be unlocked by the control unit housed the vehicle when the identification code group sent back by the transponder corresponds to the code group expected by the control unit.

3. A security system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit housed in the vehicle transmits the interrogation signal when the individual either touches or actuates the door handle of the vehicle.

4. A security system according to claim 2 wherein an aerial, forming part of the vehicle control unit, is housed in the wing mirror on the driver'"'"'s side.

5. A security system according to claim 1 wherein the pulse detector comprises a first and a second current mirror circuit, each consisting of two base-coupled transistors, which are interconnected so as to form an amplification circuit, whereby the collector of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the first transistor of the second current mirror circuit, and the collector of the second transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit via a current source, whereby the transistors of the second current mirror circuit, for the purpose of providing definitely differentiated output voltages at identical collector currents at their respective collectors, have differently dimensioned base-emitter areas, so that the interrogation signal received from the transponder is applied to the emitter of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit, and that a differential amplifier is provided which has inputs, one of which being connected to the interconnected collectors of the first transistors of both the current mirror circuits, and the other being connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit, whereby the signal output from the output of the differential amplifier is the recognition signal.

6. A security system according to claim 5, wherein the differential amplifier is provided with negative feedback by way of two diodes and a resistor, to limit the dynamic range.

7. A security system according to claim 2 wherein the pulse detector comprises a first and a second current mirror circuit, each consisting of two base-coupled transistors, which are interconnected so as to form an amplification circuit, whereby the collector of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the first transistor of the second current mirror circuit, and the collector of the second transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit via a current source, whereby the transistors of the second current mirror circuit, for the purpose of providing definitely differentiated output voltages at identical collector currents at their respective collectors, have differently dimensioned base-emitter areas, so that the interrogation signal received from the transponder is applied to the emitter of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit, and that a differential amplifier is provided which has inputs, one of which being connected to the interconnected collectors of the first transistors of both the current mirror circuits, and the other being connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit, whereby the signal output from the output of the differential amplifier is the recognition signal.

8. A security system according to claim 3 wherein the pulse detector comprises a first and a second current mirror circuit, each consisting of two base-coupled transistors, which are interconnected so as to form an amplification circuit, whereby the collector of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the first transistor of the second current mirror circuit, and the collector of the second transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit via a current source, whereby the transistors of the second current mirror circuit, for the purpose of providing definitely differentiated output voltages at identical collector currents at their respective collectors, have differently dimensioned base-emitter areas, so that the interrogation signal received from the transponder is applied to the emitter of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit, and that a differential amplifier is provided which has inputs, one of which being connected to the interconnected collectors of the first transistors of both the current mirror circuits, and the other being connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit, whereby the signal output from the output of the differential amplifier is the recognition signal.

9. A security system according to claim 4 wherein the pulse detector comprises a first and a second current mirror circuit, each consisting of two base-coupled transistors, which are interconnected so as to form an amplification circuit, whereby the collector of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the first transistor of the second current mirror circuit, and the collector of the second transistor of the first current mirror circuit is connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit via a current source, whereby the transistors of the second current mirror circuit, for the purpose of providing definitely differentiated output voltages at identical collector currents at their respective collectors, have differently dimensioned base-emitter areas, so that the interrogation signal received from the transponder is applied to the emitter of the first transistor of the first current mirror circuit, and that a differential amplifier is provided which has inputs, one of which being connected to the interconnected collectors of the first transistors of both the current mirror circuits, and the other being connected to the collector of the second transistor of the second current mirror circuit, whereby the signal output from the output of the differential amplifier is the recognition signal.

10. A security system to enable authenticated access of an individual to a protected area comprising:

a remote control unit carried by the individual, the remote control unit containing passive transponder;

a pulse detector coupled to a battery in the remote control unit by a high resistance path for receiving an interrogation signal transmitted by a control unit for the protected area, the pulse detector coupling a logic circuit to decode the interrogation signal and transmit an identification code to the battery by a low resistance path;

a response circuit for the protected area that provides access to the individual on receipt of the identification code.

11. A remote control unit comprising:

a passive transponder;

a pulse detector coupled to a battery in the remote control unit by a high resistance path for receiving an interrogation signal;

the pulse detector coupling a logic circuit to decode the interrogation signal and to transmit identification code to the battery by a low resistance path.