Recording and indicating the state of an apparatus remotely

• US 7,167,083 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Giles, James Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/260,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.15, 340/426.28, 340/426.36, 340/989, 340/825.72, 307/9.1, 307 101- 105, 398/106, 398/107, 702/56, 702/57, 702/62, 702/64
• US Class Current: 340/426.15
• 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: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• 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 system for indicating a past state of an apparatus through the use of a remote device by indicating the state with the remote device whether or not the remote device is still within communications range of the apparatus. In one embodiment, an indication can be made as to whether or not a vehicle door has been locked by providing such an indication at a remote keyless entry key remote control.

Claims

1. A method of indicating a state of an apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring, at said apparatus, changes to at least one state condition among a set of state conditions;

providing a plurality of remote devices, said plurality of remote devices including at least one in-range remote device;

transmitting a state condition to said plurality of remote devices, wherein said step of transmitting occurs after a change in said state condition independent of whether said change in state condition resulted as a function of said plurality of remote devices;

storing the at least one state condition of said apparatus at said plurality of remote devices;

at said plurality of remote devices, indicating the at least one state condition of said apparatus regardless of whether said remote device is in-range with respect to said apparatus or out of range with respect to said apparatus; and

transmitting the at least one state condition to said at least one in-range remote device from at least one other of said remote devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting the at least one state condition to at least one other device apart from said plurality of remote devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one state indication activator; and

initiating said step of indicating with said at least one state indication activator.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting occurs after said change in the state condition regardless of whether any of said remote devices is in-range.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting comprises employing a schedule for transmissions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting comprises sending state conditions only when at least one remote device is detected as being in-range.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein said indicating with said at least one state indication activator is displayed via a state indicator of the remote device and said display including the time when said change in state condition occurred.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein said indication activator is multifunctional.

7. A system comprising:

a monitor which monitors, at an apparatus, changes to at least one state condition among a set of state conditions;

a plurality of remote devices comprising;

a receiver to receive at least one state condition of an external apparatus;

a memory to store said at least one state condition;

at least one state indicator to indicate at least one state condition from said memory even when said remote device is out of range,

wherein said system farther comprises a transmitter, which transmits said at least one state condition to said remote device upon the occurrence of a change in said state condition independent of whether said change in state condition resulted as a function of said at least one remote device; and

further wherein at least one of said plurality of remote devices is in-range, said plurality of remote devices being capable of transmitting the at least one state condition to said at least one in-range remote device from at least one other of said remote devices.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit said at least one state condition to at least one device apart from said set of remote devices.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one state condition is stored in said memory by overwriting at least one previously stored state condition.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein said external apparatus is a vehicle, said at least one state condition including a state of door locks, and said at least one remote device comprises a remote control for a vehicle remote keyless entry system.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein said external apparatus is a set of doors for a building, said at least one state condition including a state of door locks, and said at least one remote device comprises a remote control for a building remote keyless entry system.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit said state condition regardless of whether any remote device is in-range.

13. The system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit a state condition according to a schedule regardless of whether any remote device is in-range.

14. The system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit state conditions only when at least one in-range remote device is detected.

15. The system according to claim 7, wherein said at least one remote device further comprises at least one state indicator activator.

16. A remote device comprising:

a receiver to receive at least one state condition of an external apparatus upon a change to at least one state condition among a set of state conditions being monitored, at said apparatus, by a monitor independent of whether said change in state condition resulted as a function of the remote device;

a memory to store said at least one state condition; and

a state indicator to indicate at least one state condition from said memory even when said remote device is out of range,

wherein said remote device is capable of transmitting the at least one state condition to at least one other remote device.