Key-less entry system

• US 7,301,437 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Minoru, Sasaki, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/163,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20020190842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.28, 340/426.36, 340/5.72, 340/5.62, 340/5.64, 340/426.26, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00222 by more than one push button
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A key-less entry system including a transmitter for transmitting a door lock signal, and a vehicle onboard unit for executing a door automatic lock by detecting that a driver side door has made a transition from an open state to a closed state after reception of the lock signal. Accordingly, once the onboard unit is set to automatic lock mode by operating the transmitter, there is no need to again operate the transmitter and transmit a lock request after finishing work, but the door lock is automatically executed when the door is closed.

Claims

1. A key-less entry system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a door lock signal when operated by a user;

a receiver configured to receive said door lock signal from said transmitter;

a door lock mechanism controlled by an output signal from said receiver; and

means for detecting whether a key is inserted into an ignition key slot,

wherein said door lock mechanism automatically locks a door only if, after receipt of the door lock signal that is manually invoked by the user, but before receipt of any unlock signal, a closed driver side door is opened and then closed, and said means for detecting detects that the key is not inserted into the ignition key slot.

2. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door when the door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state within a predetermined time after the reception of the lock signal.

3. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for annunciating a door open state when any one door, other than the driver side door, is detected as being open at the time that the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state after reception of the lock signal.

4. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door by waiting for a predetermined time after detecting that the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state.

5. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for annunciating a state transition when the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state after reception of the lock signal.

6. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door lock mechanism does not automatically lock the door if a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder.

7. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door lock mechanism releases a lock when a door knob switch is turned on within a predetermined time after the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door.

8. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the lock signal is transmitted from the transmitter while the driver side door is closed, then the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door when the door is opened first and then closed.

9. A key-less entry system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a door lock signal and a door automatic lock signal when operated by a user;

a receiver configured to receive said door lock signal and said door automatic lock signal from said transmitter;

a door lock mechanism controlled by an output signal from said receiver; and

means for detecting whether a key is inserted into an ignition key slot;

wherein said door lock mechanism automatically locks a door only if, after receipt of the door automatic lock signal that is manually invoked by the user, but before receipt of any unlock signal, a closed driver side door is opened and then closed, and said means for detecting detects that the key is not inserted into the ignition key slot.

10. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door lock when the door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state within a predetermined time after the reception of the automatic lock signal.

11. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the automatic lock signal is generated by transmitting the door lock signal continuously for a predetermined time.

12. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the automatic lock signal is generated by transmitting the door lock signal a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

13. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the door lock mechanism releases a lock when a door knob switch is turned on within a predetermined time after the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door.

14. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the door lock mechanism cancels the execution of the automatic lock when an automatic lock cancel operation is detected before executing the automatic lock.

15. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising means for annunciating a door open state when any one door, other than the driver side door, is detected as being open at the time that the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state after reception of the automatic lock signal.

16. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the door lock mechanism automatically locks the door by waiting for a predetermined time after detecting that the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state.

17. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising means for annunciating a state transition when the driver side door has made a transition from the open state to the closed state after reception of the automatic lock signal.

18. A key-less entry system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the door lock mechanism does not automatically lock the door if a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder.

19. A key-less entry system comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a door lock signal and an automatic lock signal, and a vehicle onboard unit configured to execute a door automatic lock by detecting that a driver side door has made a transition from an open state to a closed state after reception of the automatic lock signal, wherein the automatic lock signal is generated by a combination of a lock signal and an unlock signal transmitted in sequence within a predetermined time.

20. A key-less entry system comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a door lock signal and an automatic lock signal, and a vehicle onboard unit configured to execute a door automatic lock by detecting that a driver side door has made a transition from an open state to a closed state after reception of the automatic lock signal, wherein the transmitter is equipped with a lock button for transmitting the door lock signal, an unlock button for transmitting a door unlock signal, and a shift button, and the automatic lock signal is transmitted by operating the lock button in combination with the shift button.

21. A method for automatically locking a vehicle door, the method comprising:

receiving an automatic lock command manually invoked by a user when the vehicle door is closed;

determining whether the vehicle door has opened and then closed after the receipt of the manually invoked automatic lock command but before receipt of any unlock signal; and

only if the vehicle door has opened and then closed after the receipt of the manually invoked automatic lock command but before receipt of any unlock signal, automatically locking the vehicle door.