Antitheft protection system, method for operating an antitheft protection system and components of an antitheft protection system

• US 7,061,397 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Stielow, Arnd, Hofbeck, Klaus, Rösel, Birgit, Haselsteiner, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM V
• Application Number:
  US10/272,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/5.72, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 341/176, 341/173, 455/42, 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 701/45
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An antitheft protection system for a vehicle (10) comprises at least one transmitting and receiving unit (12) connected to the vehicle (10), at least one code transmitter (18), which can communicate with the at least one transmitting and receiving unit (12), and at least one base unit (14), which wirelessly communicates with the at least one transmitting and receiving unit (12).

Claims

1. An antitheft protection system for a vehicle comprising:

at least two transmitting and receiving units located in or on the vehicle,

at least one code transmitter to communicate with the at least two transmitting and receiving units,

at least one base unit located in the vehicle to communicate with the at least two transmitting and receiving units, wherein

the communication between the at least two transmitting and receiving units and the at least one base unit is effected in a wireless manner, and

the distance between the at least one code transmitter and the vehicle is determined in the at least one base unit on the basis of signals communicated between the transmitting and receiving units and the at least one base unit.

2. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, wherein the signals of the at least two transmitting and receiving units received from the code transmitter are forwarded to the at least one base unit having a defined phase offset or no phase offset.

3. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional transmitting and receiving unit operable to communicate with the base unit.

4. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the at least two transmitting and receiving units and the at least one base unit is effected with the participation of at least one directional antenna.

5. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two transmitting and receiving units operate as bidirectional amplifiers.

6. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for evaluating received signals in the base unit operable to determine a quantity which is a measure of-the distance between the vehicle and the code transmitter.

7. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, wherein the base unit is connected to a data bus.

8. An antitheft protection system according to claim 1, wherein the system operates in the GHz range.

9. A method for operating an antitheft protection system for a vehicle comprising:

providing at least two transmitting and receiving units located in or on the vehicle, said units forwarding signals from a code transmitter, said signals having a defined or no phase offset, and

providing at least one base unit in wireless communication with the at least two transmitting and receiving units and receiving signals forwarded by the at least two transmitting and receiving units from the code transmitter;

evaluating signals received in the base unit, and

determining a quantity which is a measure of the distance between vehicle and code transmitter.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising at least one additional transmitting and receiving unit operable to wirelessly communicate with the base unit.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the communication between the at least two transmitting and receiving units and the at least one base unit is effected with the participation of at least one directional antenna.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the at least two transmitting and receiving units operate as bidirectional amplifiers.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the base unit is connected to a data bus.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the system operates in the GHz range.