Vehicle alert system for vehicle having a data bus and associated methods

• US 6,771,167 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/490,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/425.5, 340/825.69, 340/438, 340/825.37, 340/539.11, 340/531, 701/2, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/426.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/304 with other systems inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00222 by more than one push button
• 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 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed

Abstract

A vehicle alerting system includes at least one security device at the vehicle for generating security signals on the data communications bus, a remote receiver to be carried by a user, a local transmitter at the vehicle, and a paging controller at the vehicle. The paging controller is connected to the local transmitter and data communications bus. The paging controller is for causing the local transmitter to transmit to the remote receiver based upon security signals on the data communications bus to thereby alert the user when away from the vehicle. The system may further include an indicator connected to the remote receiver for providing an indication to the user relating to security of the vehicle. The at least one security device may comprise at least one of a door switch, trunk switch, hood switch, motion sensor, and proximity sensor. The at least one security device may also or alternately comprise a security controller. The paging controller may include a desired signal enabling feature for causing the local transmitter to transmit to the remote receiver based upon predetermined security signals for a corresponding desired vehicle from a plurality of sets of security signals for different vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle alerting system for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus extending within the vehicle, at least one security device for generating security signals on the data communications bum, and at least one non-security device also communicating over the data communications bus, the vehicle alerting system comprising:

a remote receiver to be carried by a user;

a local transmitter to be positioned at the vehicle; and

a paging controller to be connected to the data communications bus extending within the vehicle for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon security signals on the data communications bus to thereby alert the user when away from the vehicle.

2. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 further comprising an indicator connected to said remote receiver for providing an indication to the user relating to security of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle security system according to claim 2 wherein said indicator comprises at least one of an audible, visual, and tactile indicator.

4. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 2 wherein the at least one security device comprises at least one of a door switch, trunk switch, hood switch, motion sensor, and proximity sensor.

5. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one security device comprises a security controllers and wherein the security signals generated by the security controller comprise at least one of an alarm signal and a security controller status signal.

6. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 5 further comprising:

a remote transmitter to be carried by the user; and

a local receiver at the vehicle connected to the security controller for receiving signals from said remote transmitter.

7. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 6 further comprising a housing containing said remote transmitter and said remote receiver.

8. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one additional communications link for relaying signals from said local transmitter to said remote receiver.

9. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 wherein said paging controller comprises desired signal enabling means for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon predetermined security signals for a corresponding desired vehicle from a plurality of sets of security signals for different vehicles.

10. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 9, wherein said desired signal enabling means comprises:

a memory for storing a plurality of sets of security signals for different vehicles; and

a selector for selecting predetermined security signals from the plurality of different sets of security signals for different vehicles.

11. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 10 wherein said selector comprises a user selector for permitting a user to select the predetermined security signals.

12. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 9 wherein said desired signal enabling means comprises bus learning means for learning the predetermined security signals based upon security signals on the data communications bus.

13. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 9 wherein said desired signal enabling means comprises download learning means for learning the predetermined RKE signals from a downloading device.

14. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a non-security controller.

15. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 14 wherein the non-security controller comprises an engine controller.

16. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a vehicle actuator.

17. A vehicle alerting system for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus extending within the vehicle, at least one security sensor for generating security signals on the data communications bus, and at least one non-security device also communicating over the data communications bus, the vehicle alerting system comprising:

a remote receiver to be carried by a user;

a local transmitter to be positioned at the vehicle; and

a paging controller to be connected to the data communications bus extending within the vehicle for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon security signals on the data communications bus.

18. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 further comprising an indicator connected to said relating to security of the vehicle.

19. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 18 wherein said indicator comprises one of an audible, visual, and tactile indicator.

20. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one security sensor comprises at least one of a door switch, trunk switch, hood switch, motion sensor, and proximity sensor.

21. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 further comprising at least one additional communications link for relaying signals from said local transmitter to said remote receiver.

22. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 wherein said paging controller comprises desired signal enabling means for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon predetermined security signals for a corresponding desired vehicle from a plurality of sets of security originals for different vehicles.

23. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a non-security controller.

24. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 23 wherein the non-security controller comprises an engine controller.

25. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a vehicle actuator.

26. A vehicle alerting system for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus extending within the vehicle and at least one non-security device communicating over the data communications bus, the vehicle alerting system comprising:

a remote transmitter;

a local receiver to be positioned at the vehicle for receiving signals from said remote transmitter;

a security controller to be connected to said local receiver and for generating security signals on the data communications bus extending within the vehicle;

a remote receiver;

a local transmitter to be positioned at the vehicle; and

a paging controller to be connected to the data communications bus extending within the vehicle for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon security signals on the data communications bus.

27. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 further comprising an indicator connected to said paging receiver for providing an indication to the user relating to security of the vehicle.

28. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 27 wherein said indicator comprises one of an audible, visual, and tactile indicator.

29. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 further comprising at least one of a door switch, trunk switch, hood switch, motion sensor, and proximity sensor connected to said security controller.

30. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 further comprising at least one additional communications link for relaying signals from said local transmitter to said remote receiver.

31. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 wherein said paging controller comprises desired signal enabling means for causing said local transmitter to transmit to said remote receiver based upon predetermined security signals for a corresponding desired vehicle from a plurality of sets of security signals for different vehicles.

32. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a non-security controller.

33. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 32 wherein the non-security controller comprises an engine controller.

34. A vehicle alerting system according to claim 26 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a vehicle actuator.

35. A method for alerting a user when away from a vehicle comprising a data communications bus, at least one security device for generating security signals on the data communications bus, and at least one non-security device also communicating over the data communications bus, the method comprising:

providing a remote receiver to be carried by the user; and

connecting a paging unit to the data communications bus extending within the vehicle and comprising a local transmitter and a paging controller connected thereto for causing the local transmitter to transmit to the remote receiver based upon the security signals on the data communications bus.

36. A method according to claim 35 further comprising providing an indication to the user relating to security of the vehicle.

37. A method according to claim 35 wherein the at least one security device comprises at least one of a door switch, trunk switch, hood switch, motion sensor, and proximity sensor.

38. A method according to claim 35 wherein the at least one security device comprises a security controller.

39. A method according to claim 35 further comprising relaying signals from the local transmitter to the remote receiver via at least one additional communications link.

40. A method according to claim 35 further comprising enabling the paging controller to cause the local transmitter to transmit to the remote receiver based upon predetermined signals for a corresponding desired vehicle from a plurality of sets of signals for different vehicles.

41. A method according to claim 35 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a non-security controller.

42. A method according to claim 41 wherein the non-security controller comprises an engine controller.

43. A method according to claim 35 wherein the at least one non-security device comprises a vehicle actuator.