Method of determining the position of an object and controlling access to an object or use of an object

• US 6,965,296 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kamlah, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/951,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/5.7, 340/5.72, 340/825.77, 340/10.41
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

The position of a movable object is determined by a signal being transmitted by each of a number of antennas arranged in a spatially distributed manner of a fixed object to the movable object. In the movable object, on the one hand signal transit times are measured, and on the other hand the direction from which the signals are received are determined. From the two, the exact position of the object is determined with geometrical aids.

Claims

1. An access control and usage control device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a transmitting and receiving unit disposed in the motor vehicle, which can send and receive signals; and

a portable code generator, which includes a receiver and a transmitter, with which the signals can be received and transmitted, wherein

the transmitting and receiving unit is connected to multiple antennas spatially distributed in the motor vehicle, through each of which interrogation signals can be transmitted,

the receiver of the portable code generator includes multiple reception antennas, with which the interrogation signals are received, wherein the reception antennas are connected to a field intensity measuring device, in which directions of field vectors are determined on the basis of measured field intensities of the received signals,

the portable code generator includes a signal delay measuring device, which determines a signal delay difference or a phase difference between the interrogation signals, and

the portable code generator includes an evaluation unit which determines a position of the portable code generator in relation to the motor vehicle on the basis of the directions of the field vectors and either the signal delay difference or the phase difference.

2. A method for controlling access to a motor vehicle or use of a motor vehicle with a transmitting and receiving unit disposed in the vehicle, which unit transmits an interrogation signal and listens for a response signal, and having a portable code generator, which returns the response signal, and an authorization contained in the code information therein is checked in the transmitting and receiving unit, wherein the transmitting and receiving unit, upon receipt of an authorized response signal, authorizes access to or use of the motor vehicle, comprising:

transmitting the interrogation signal through multiple antennas spatially distributed in the motor vehicle;

receiving the interrogation signal through multiple reception antennas of the portable code generator oriented in various spatial directions, wherein field vectors of each interrogation signal are determined by the reception antennas on the basis of measured field intensities of the received signals;

determining signal delay differences or phase differences between the interrogation signal; and

determining the position of the portable code generator in relation to the motor vehicle on the basis of directions of the field vectors and one of the signal delay differences and phase differences.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the interrogation signals are transmitted in a time sequence and at time intervals relative to one another.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, to measure delay, time intervals between two pulse trains from different interrogation signals are evaluated, wherein the pulse trains exhibit, defined lengths.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the response signal is generated and transmitted by the portable code generator only if the position of the portable code generator is determined to be located within a predetermined range around the multiple antennas.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting the position determined by portable code generator to the transmitting and receiving unit as a value in the response signal, wherein the transmitting and receiving unit authorizes access to or use of the motor vehicle only if code information contained in the response signal matches expected reference code information and the position of portable code generator contained in the response signal lies within a predetermined range around the multiple antennas.