Remote control device for vehicles

• US 7,069,119 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ueda, Shinichi, Yoshimura, Kentaro, Sawada, Kenichi, Kamikura, Akira, Asakura, Suguru, Arie, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/679,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/426.28, 340/426.36, 340/426.1, 340/5.61, 340/5.6, 340/426.13, 701/2, 701/34, 701/36, 307/10.2, 307/10.5, 180/287
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A request signal transmitted from LF antennas of a vehicle-mounted unit is received by a radio terminal through an LF antenna. In response to the request signal, the radio terminal transmits a response signal from an antenna. The response signal is received by an RF unit of the vehicle-mounted unit. The vehicular remote control device controls an operating state of a vehicle-mounted device depending on the judgment of a match between the response signal and identification information inherent in the vehicle. The radio terminal has a light-emitting diode. When the radio terminal receives a failure diagnosis signal that is transmitted instead of the request signal, the radio terminal does not transmit a response signal, but energizes the light-emitting diode.

Claims

1. A vehicular remote control device comprising:

vehicular transmitter for transmitting a request signal;

a portable unit for transmitting a response signal in response to the request signal transmitted thereto from said vehicular transmitter;

vehicular receiver for receiving said response signal; and

control means for determining whether the response signal received by said vehicular receiver matches identification information stored in a vehicle or not, and controlling an operating state of a vehicle-mounted device depending on the determined result;

said portable unit having indicating means for indicating a failure status and decision means for determining the reception of a failure diagnosis signal transmitted to said portable unit instead of said request signal, wherein said indicating means is operated and transmission of said response signal is prohibited when said decision means determines the reception of the failure diagnosis signal.

2. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises an LED, said failure diagnosis signal functioning as a command signal for energizing said LED.

3. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle-mounted device comprises a door lock.

4. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 1, wherein said failure diagnosis signal to be transmitted to said portable unit comprises a common signal used in any types of vehicles.

5. A vehicular remote control device comprising:

vehicular transmitter for transmitting a request signal;

a portable unit for transmitting a response signal in response to the request signal transmitted thereto from said vehicular transmitter;

vehicular receiver for receiving said response signal;

control means for determining whether the response signal received by said vehicular receiver matches identification information stored in a vehicle or not, and controlling an operating state of a vehicle-mounted device depending on the determined result; and

failure diagnosis means disposed in said vehicle for controlling said portable unit to diagnose said vehicular transmitter for failures by means of transmitting a failure diagnosis signal instead of the request signal from said vehicular transmitter;

said portable unit having indicating means for indicating a failure status and means for operating said indicating means while prohibiting transmission of said response signal in response to said failure diagnosis signal.

6. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 5, wherein said indicating means comprises an LED, said failure diagnosis signal functioning as a command signal for energizing said LED.

7. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 5, wherein said vehicle-mounted device comprises a door lock.

8. A vehicular remote control device according to claim 5, wherein said failure diagnosis signal to be transmitted to said portable unit comprises a common signal used in any types of vehicles.

9. A portable unit for use in a vehicular remote control device, comprising:

an LF receiver circuit for receiving a request signal having a low frequency which is transmitted from a vehicle;

an RF transmitter circuit responsive to said request signal, for transmitting a response signal having a radio frequency which includes identification information for controlling an operating state of a vehicle-mounted device on said vehicle;

decision means for determining whether a failure diagnosis signal having a low frequency which is transmitted instead of said request signal is received by said LF receiver circuit or not; and

indicating means for indicating a failure status, wherein said decision means operates said indicating means when it is judged by said decision means that said failure diagnosis signal is received by said LF receiver circuit.

10. A portable unit according to claim 9, wherein said indicating means comprises an LED, said failure diagnosis signal functioning as a command signal for energizing said LED.

11. A portable unit according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle-mounted device comprises a door lock.

12. A portable unit according to claim 9, wherein said failure diagnosis signal to be transmitted to said portable unit comprises a common signal used in any type of vehicle.