Vehicle security system with multi-vehicle compatible interface module for door locks and associated methods

• US 6,798,339 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Thompson, Michael Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US10/260,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.28, 340/425.5, 340/531, 340/533, 340/5.23, 340/5.54, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 180/287, 307/10.1, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/426.28
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A vehicle security system is for a vehicle having a door lock circuit including a door lock switch, and a door lock controller responsive to the door lock switch. The security system includes a security controller for operating the door lock controller, and a multi-vehicle compatible interface module for interfacing to the door lock circuit of a given vehicle from among a plurality of different vehicles. In particular, the vehicle may include a single-wire door lock circuit having at least one of a lock resistance and an unlock resistance associated with a door switch. The multi-vehicle compatible interface module may include a circuit board carrying at least one variable resistor that is settable to match the lock/unlock resistance and thereby permit the security controller to operate the door lock controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle security system for a vehicle comprising a door lock circuit including at least one door lock switch and at least one door lock controller responsive thereto, the vehicle security system comprising:

a security controller for selectively operating the at least one door lock controller; and

a multi-vehicle compatible interface module for interfacing said security controller to the door lock circuit of a given vehicle from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a single-wire door lock circuit including a lock resistance and an unlock resistance to be selectively connected in series with a voltage reference to thereby operate the at least one door lock controller, said multi-vehicle compatible interface module comprising

a circuit board,

a first variable resistor carried by said circuit board and being settable to match the lock resistance of the at least one door lock switch, and

a second variable resistor carried by said circuit board and being settable to match the unlock resistance of the door lock switch.

2. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein the door lock circuit is a positive single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry for interfacing to the positive single-wire door lock circuit.

3. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein the door lock circuit is a negative single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry for interfacing to the negative single-wire door lock circuit.

4. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with at least one of said first and second variable resistors defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor.

5. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with said first variable resistor defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor; and

a second severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with said second variable resistor defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor.

6. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second variable resistors comprises a multi-turn variable resistor.

7. A vehicle security system according to claim 6 wherein each multi-turn variable resistor is operable over a range of about fifteen to twenty turns.

8. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

9. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

10. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuit.

11. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 wherein said multi-Vehicle compatible interface module further comprises at least one relay carried by said circuit board.

12. A vehicle security system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one remote transmitter to be carried by a user for operating said security controller.

13. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module for interfacing a security controller to a door lock circuit of a given vehicle from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a single-wire door lock circuit including at least one of a lock resistance and an unlock resistance associated with at least one door lock switch to be selectively connected in series with a voltage reference to thereby operate at least one door lock controller, the multi-vehicle compatible interface module comprising:

a circuit board,

at least one variable resistor carried by said circuit board and being settable to match at least one of the lock resistance and unlock resistance of the at least one door lock switch for the given vehicle; and

circuitry carried by said circuit board and cooperating with said at least one variable resistor for interfacing to the single-wire door lock circuit.

14. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the at least one variable resistor comprises a first variable resistor and a second variable.

15. A multi-Vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the door lock circuit is a positive single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said circuitry comprises circuitry for interfacing to the positive single-wire door lock circuit.

16. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the door lock circuit is a negative single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said circuitry comprises circuitry for interfacing to the negative single-wire door lock circuit.

17. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 further comprising:

at least one severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with said at least one variable resister defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor.

18. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein said at least one variable resistor comprises a multi-turn variable resistor.

19. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said circuitry further comprises circuitry for interfacing with the negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

20. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said circuitry comprises circuitry for interfacing with the positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

21. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuit;

and wherein said circuitry comprises circuitry for interfacing with the reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuit.

22. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 13 wherein said circuitry comprises at least one relay.

23. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module for interfacing a security controller to a door lock circuit of a given vehicle from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a single-wire door lock circuit including at least one of a lock resistance and an unlock resistance associated with at least one door lock switch to be selectively connected in series with a voltage reference to thereby operate at least one door lock controller, the multi-vehicle compatible interface module comprising:

a circuit board;

a first multi-turn variable resistor carried by said circuit board and being settable to match the lock resistance of the at least one door lock switch for the given vehicle;

a second multi-turn variable resistor carried by said circuit board and being settable to match the unlock resistance of the at least one door lock switch for the given vehicle;

a first severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with said first multi-turn variable resistor defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor; and

a second severable wire loop extending outwardly from said circuit board and having opposing ends connected in parallel with said second multi-turn variable resistor defining a selectable bypass jumper therefor.

24. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein the door lock circuit is a positive single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry for interfacing to the positive single-wire door lock circuit.

25. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein the door lock circuit is a negative single-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry for interfacing to the negative single-wire door lock circuit.

26. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein each of said first and second variable resistors comprises a multi-turn variable resistor.

27. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the negative pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

28. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit;

and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the positive pulse multi-wire door lock circuit.

29. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein the given vehicle is from among a plurality of different vehicles including at least one vehicle wherein the door lock circuit comprises a reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuits and wherein said multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises circuitry carried by said circuit board for interfacing with the reversal rest at a predetermined voltage door lock circuit.

30. A multi-vehicle compatible interface module according to claim 23 wherein said interface module further comprises at least one relay carried by said circuit board.

31. A method for interfacing a vehicle security controller to a vehicle door lock circuit including at least one of a lock resistance and an unlock resistance to be selectively connected in series with a voltage reference by a door lock switch to thereby operate a door lock controller, the method comprising:

connecting a multi-vehicle compatible interface module between the security controller and the door lock circuit, the multi-vehicle compatible door lock circuit comprising at least one variable resistor and associated circuitry; and

setting the at least one variable resistor of the multi-vehicle compatible interface module to match at least one of the lock resistance and unlock resistance of the vehicle door lock circuit.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein the at least one variable resistor comprises a first variable resistor and a second variable resistor, and wherein setting comprises setting both the first and second variable resistors.

33. A method according to claim 31 wherein the multi-vehicle compatible interface module further comprises at least one severable wire loop and having opposing ends connected in parallel with the at least one variable resistor, and further comprising severing the at least one severable wire loop.

34. A method according to claim 31 wherein the at least one variable resistor comprises a multi-turn variable resistor;

and wherein setting comprises turning the multi-turn variable resistor to a desired resistance.

35. A method according to claim 31 wherein the circuitry of the multi-vehicle compatible interface module comprises at least one relay connected to the at least one variable resistor.