Key for a vehicle

• US 7,358,894 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Stoschek, Arne, Ahmed, Rizwan
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/120,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/457, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.29
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle comprises a base station for wireless transmission of locating support information to support locating, supported on a locating satellite, as well as a key for the vehicle, in which the key includes a locating module to determine the position of the key as a function of a signal of at least one locating satellite and locating support information sent from the vehicle. A locating system and a method for determination of the position of a mobile device separable from the vehicle, comprise that the locating system includes a base station arranged in the vehicle for wireless transmission of locating support information and a locating module arranged in the mobile device to determine the position of the mobile device as a function of a signal of at least one locating satellite and the locating support information. The mobile device, for example, can be a key for a vehicle.

Claims

1. A key for a vehicle comprising:

a locating module to determine the position of the key as a function of a signal of at least one locating satellite and locating support information that is sent from the vehicle, wherein the locating support information comprises the travel time of a signal transmitted between the key and the vehicle.

2. The key according to claim 1, the locating support information comprising:

information for time synchronization with the at least one locating satellite.

3. The key according to claim 1, the locating support information comprising:

a current time information in the time system of at least one locating satellite.

4. A locating system to determine the position of a mobile device separable from a vehicle, the locating system comprising:

a base station arranged in the vehicle for wireless transmission of locating support information; and

a locating module arranged in the mobile device to determine the position of the mobile device as a function of a signal of at least one locating satellite and the locating support information, wherein the locating support information comprises the travel time of a signal transmitted between the base station and the mobile device.

5. The locating system according to claim 4, in which the mobile device is a key assigned to the vehicle.

6. The locating system according to claim 4, the locating support information comprising:

information for time synchronization with the at least one locating satellite.

7. The locating system according to claim 4, the locating support information comprising:

current time information in a time system of the at least one locating satellite.

8. The locating system according to claim 4, in which the base station is an A-GPS base station.

9. A method for determination of the position of the key of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving in the key locating support information comprising the travel time of a signal transmitted between the key and the vehicle sent by the vehicle to support locating, supported on at least one locating satellite;

receiving in the key a satellite signal of at least one locating satellite; and

determining in the key of the position of the key as a function of the satellite signal and the locating support information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the locating support information comprises information for time synchronization with the at least one locating satellite.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the locating support information comprises current time information in a time system of the at least one locating satellite.

12. A key for a vehicle having a locating module comprising

a communication module for directly receiving of a signal of at least one locating satellite and for directly receiving of locating support information sent from the vehicle wherein the locating support information comprises information for time synchronization with the at least one locating satellite, and

a device for calculating the geographical position of the key from the signals received by the communication module.

13. The key according to claim 12, the locating support information comprising:

a current time information in the time system of at least one locating satellite.

14. The key according to claim 12, the locating support information comprising:

the travel time of a signal transmitted between the key and the vehicle.