Smart wireless switch

• US 7,519,326 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Thomas, Michael, Knittl, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/238,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/352, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/005 Electro-mechanical devices, e.g. switched electric switches in general H01H

Abstract

One or more aspects of the present invention relate to a wireless switch component and an associated control module component that facilitate wireless control over a load device. The load device is operatively coupled to the control module component and is selectively activated thereby in accordance with a wireless control signal sent by the wireless switch component.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates wireless control over a load device, comprising:

a wireless switch component configured to wirelessly send a control signal; and

a control module component operatively coupled to the load device and configured to control the load device in response to the wireless control signal from the wireless switch component,

where the control module component comprises;

a control module transmitter operative to transmit signals indicative of the state of the load device;

where the wireless switch component comprises;

a power supply,

a switch operatively coupled to the power supply,

a switch state interpreter operatively coupled to the switch, a coupling of the switch state interpreter to the power supply dependent upon the state of the switch,

a second transmitter operatively coupled to the switch state interpreter, and

a transmitter antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter,

a receiver operative to receive signals indicative of the state of the load device,

where the switch state interpreter identifies a change in the state of the switch and causes the wireless control signal to be generated via the transmitter and the transmitter antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, where the switch state interpreter comprises at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

3. The system of claim 2, where at least one of the wireless switch component, the control module component and the load device have an associated identifying address that facilitates specifically directed communications.

4. The system of claim 3, where the control module component comprises:

a receiver antenna,

a receiver operatively coupled to the receiver antenna to facilitate reception of the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component,

a switch state control signal interpreter operatively coupled to the receiver to receive and interpret the wireless control signal from the wireless switch component, and

a control switch operatively coupled between the switch state control signal interpreter, a high voltage supply and the load device,

where the switch state control signal interpreter causes the control switch to selectively couple the high voltage supply and the load device to one another based upon the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component.

5. The system of claim 4, where the switch state control signal interpreter comprises at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

6. The system of claim 5, where at least one of the switch state interpreter and the switch state control signal interpreter comprise an associated identifying address.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein

the control module component further comprises a voltage regulator operatively coupled to the high voltage supply and configured to output a regulated voltage to supply the switch state control signal interpreter.

8. The system of claim 7, where at least one of the transmitter is a UHF transmitter and the receiver is a UHF receiver.

9. The system of claim 7, where the power supply comprises a battery.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the change in the state of the switch comprises changing the switch from a closed state to an open state.

10. A system that facilitates wireless control over a load device, comprising:

a wireless switch component configured to wirelessly send a control signal, and

a control module component operatively coupled to the load device and configured to control the load device in response to the wireless control signal from the switch component,

where the wireless switch component comprises;

a power supply,

a switch operatively coupled to the power supply,

a switch state interpreter operatively coupled to the switch, a coupling of the switch state interpreter to the power supply dependent upon the state of the switch,

a receiver operative to receive signals indicative of the state of the load device,

a transmitter operatively coupled to the switch state interpreter, and

a transmitter antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter,

where the switch state interpreter identifies a change in the state of the switch and causes the wireless control signal to be generated via the transmitter and the transmitter antenna,

where the control module component comprises;

a receiver antenna,

a receiver operatively coupled to the receiver antenna to facilitate reception of the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component,

a control module transmitter operative to transmit signals indicative of the state of the load device,

a switch state control signal interpreter operatively coupled to the receiver to receive and interpret the wireless control signal from the wireless switch component, and

a control switch operatively coupled between the switch state control signal interpreter, a high voltage supply and the load device,

where the switch state control signal interpreter causes the control switch to selectively couple the high voltage supply and the load device to one another based upon the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component.

11. The system of claim 10, where at least one of the switch state interpreter and the switch state control signal interpreter comprise at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

12. The system of claim 11, where at least one of the wireless switch component, the control module component and the load device have an associated identifying address that facilitates specifically directed communications.

13. The system of claim 12, where at least one of the switch state interpreter and the switch state control signal interpreter comprise an associated identifying address.

14. The system of claim 11, where at least one of

the power supply comprises a battery,

the regulated voltage is about 5 volts D.C.,

the high voltage supply is about 110 volts A.C.,

the transmitter is a UHF transmitter,

the receiver is a UHF receiver, and

the control module component further comprises a voltage regulator operatively coupled to the high voltage supply and configured to output a regulated voltage to supply the switch state control signal interpreter.

15. The system of claim 11, where the system is implemented in a motor vehicle such that the state of the switch of the wireless switch component can be manipulated by an occupant of the vehicle to control a component of the motor vehicle.

16. A wireless switch component configured to wirelessly send a control signal for controlling a load device, comprising:

a power supply,

a switch operatively coupled to the power supply,

a switch state interpreter operatively coupled to the switch, a coupling of the switch state interpreter to the power supply dependent upon the state of the switch,

a receiver operative to receive signals indicative of the state of the load device,

a transmitter operatively coupled to the switch state interpreter, and

a transmitter antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter,

where the switch state interpreter identifies a change in the state of the switch and causes the wireless control signal to be generated via the transmitter and the transmitter antenna.

17. The switch component of claim 16, where the switch state interpreter comprises at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

18. The switch component of claim 16, where the switch component has an associated identifying address that facilitates specifically directed communications.

19. A control module component configured to control an associated load device in response to a wirelessly received control signal, comprising:

a receiver antenna,

a receiver operatively coupled to the receiver antenna to facilitate reception of the wireless control signal generated by a wireless switch component,

a switch state control signal interpreter operatively coupled to the receiver to receive and interpret the wireless control signal from the wireless switch component,

a control switch operatively coupled between the switch state control signal interpreter, a high voltage supply and the load device,

where the switch state control signal interpreter causes the control switch to selectively couple the high voltage supply and the load device to one another based upon the wireless control signal,

a voltage regulator operatively coupled to the high voltage supply and configured to output a regulated voltage to supply the switch state control signal interpreter, and

a control module transmitter operative to transmit signals indicative of a state of the load device.

20. The control module component of claim 19, where the switch state control signal interpreter comprises at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

21. The control module component of claim 19, where the control module component has an associated identifying address that facilitates specifically directed communications.

22. A vehicular wireless control system that facilitates wireless control over a vehicle load device, comprising:

a wireless switch component configured to wirelessly send a control signal, and

a control module component operatively coupled to the vehicle load device and configured to control the vehicle load device in response to the wireless control signal from the switch component,

where the wireless switch component comprises;

a power supply,

a switch operatively coupled to the power supply,

a switch state interpreter operatively coupled to the switch, a coupling of the switch state interpreter to the power supply dependent upon the state of the switch,

a receiver operative to receive signals indicative of the state of the load device,

a transceiver operatively coupled to the switch state interpreter, and

a transceiver antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter,

where the switch state interpreter identifies a change in the state of the switch and causes the wireless control signal to be generated via the transceiver and the transceiver antenna,

where the control module component comprises;

a transceiver antenna,

a transceiver operatively coupled to the transceiver antenna to facilitate reception of the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component,

a control module transmitter operative to transmit signals indicative of the state of the load device,

a switch state control signal interpreter operatively coupled to the transceiver to receive and interpret the wireless control signal from the wireless switch component, and

a control switch operatively coupled between the switch state control signal interpreter, a high voltage supply and the vehicle load device,

where the switch state control signal interpreter causes the control switch to selectively couple the high voltage supply and the vehicle load device to one another based upon the wireless control signal generated by the wireless switch component.

23. The system of claim 22, where at least one of:

the switch state interpreter and the switch state control signal interpreter comprise at least one of a state machine, micro controller and ASIC.

24. The system of claim 23, where at least one of the wireless switch component, the control module component and the vehicle load device have an associated identifying address that facilitates specifically directed communications.

25. The system of claim 24, where at least one of

the switch of the wireless switch component is located within the vehicle for selective manipulation by a user of the vehicle, and

the load comprises one or more components of a light cluster of the vehicle.