Multi-range remote transmitter for a vehicle

• US 7,653,463 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: DiCroce, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/679,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 340/5.72, 340/5.64
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A remote transmitter, including: an input unit configured to receive programming inputs and function inputs, wherein the programming inputs identify a first function to be transmitted in a first range of the transmitter when a first input of the input unit is selected and a second function to be transmitted in a second range of the transmitter when a second input of the input unit is selected, wherein the function inputs select the first input and the second input; a processor configured to output a first signal along a first path and a second signal along a second path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the first function and the second signal corresponds to the second function; and an output configured to transmit the first signal in the first range and the second signal in the second range, wherein the first range is smaller than the second range.

Claims

1. A remote transmitter, comprising:

an input unit configured to receive programming inputs and function inputs, wherein the programming inputs identify a first function to be transmitted in a first transmission range of the remote transmitter when a first input of the input unit is selected and a second function to be transmitted in a second transmission range of the remote transmitter when a second input of the input unit is selected, wherein the function inputs select the first input to transmit the first function in the first transmission range and the second input to transmit the second function in the second transmission range;

a processor configured to output a first signal along a first path and a second signal along a second path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the first function and the second signal corresponds to the second function; and

an output configured to transmit the first signal in the first transmission range and the second signal in the second transmission range, wherein the first transmission range is smaller than the second transmission range.

2. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first function is vehicle door unlock, vehicle trunk release, vehicle window down, garage door open, home door unlock or office door unlock.

3. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the second function is vehicle remote start, vehicle door lock, vehicle panic, garage door close, home door lock or office door lock.

4. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first path includes a limiter configured to limit an area of signal transmission for the first transmission range.

5. The remote transmitter of claim 4, wherein the limiter is a resistor.

6. The remote transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting element configured to indicate that the signals transmitted from the output are in the first transmission range or in the second transmission range.

7. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first input is a button, switch, scroll wheel or touch screen icon.

8. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the second input is a button, switch, scroll wheel or touch screen icon.

9. The remote transmitter of claim 1, wherein the programming inputs are received during a programming mode of the remote transmitter.

10. The remote transmitter of claim 9, wherein the programming mode is initiated by inputting a predetermined code to the input unit.

11. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a remote transmitter, including;

an input unit configured to receive programming inputs and function inputs, wherein the programming inputs identify a first vehicle function to be transmitted in a first transmission range of the remote transmitter when a first input of the input unit is selected and a second vehicle function to be transmitted in a second transmission range of the remote transmitter when a second input of the input unit is selected, wherein the function inputs select the first input to transmit the first vehicle function in the first transmission range and the second input to transmit the second vehicle function in the second transmission range;

a processor configured to output a first signal along a first path and a second signal along a second path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the first vehicle function and the second signal corresponds to the second vehicle function; and

an output configured to transmit the first signal in the first transmission range and the second signal in the second transmission range, wherein the first transmission range is smaller than the second transmission range; and

a receiver located in a vehicle and connected to a vehicle control module, the receiver configured to receive the first signal when the vehicle is in the first transmission range and the second signal when the vehicle is in the second transmission range.

12. The vehicle control system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle control module instructs a vehicle component to perform the first vehicle function associated with the first signal and a vehicle component to perform the second vehicle function associated with the second signal.

13. The vehicle control system of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle function is door unlock, trunk release or window down and the second vehicle function is remote start, door lock or panic.

14. The vehicle control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle control module communicates with the vehicle components via a vehicle data bus, a hardwired connection or both.

15. A method for operating a vehicle control system, comprising:

receiving, at an input unit of a remote transmitter, programming inputs, wherein the programming inputs identify a first vehicle function to be transmitted in a first transmission range of the remote transmitter when a first input of the input unit is selected and a second vehicle function to be transmitted in a second transmission range of the remote transmitter when a second input of the input unit is selected;

receiving, at the input unit, function inputs, wherein the function inputs select the first input to transmit the first vehicle function in the first transmission range and the second input to transmit the second vehicle function in the second transmission range;

outputting, from a processor of the remote transmitter, a first signal along a first path and a second signal along a second path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the first vehicle function and the second signal corresponds to the second vehicle function;

transmitting, from an output of the remote transmitter, the first signal in the first transmission range and the second signal in the second transmission range, wherein the first transmission range is smaller than the second transmission range; and

receiving, at a receiver connected to a vehicle control module, the first signal when a vehicle in which the vehicle control module is installed is in the first transmission range and the second signal when the vehicle is in the second transmission range.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

instructing, at the vehicle control module, a component of the vehicle to perform the first vehicle function associated with the first signal and a component of the vehicle to perform the second vehicle function associated with the second signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first vehicle function is door unlock, trunk release or window down and the second vehicle function is remote start, door lock or panic.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

indicating, with a light emitting element of the remote transmitter, that the signals transmitted from the output are in the first transmission range or in the second transmission range.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

initiating a programming mode of the remote transmitter by inputting a predetermined code to the input unit, wherein the programming inputs are received during the programming mode.

20. A remote programming and transmission method, comprising:

receiving, at an input unit of a remote transmitter, programming inputs, wherein the programming inputs identify a first function to be transmitted in a first transmission range of the remote transmitter when a first input of the input unit is selected and a second function to be transmitted in a second transmission range of the remote transmitter when a second input of the input unit is selected,

receiving, at the input unit, function inputs, wherein the function inputs select the first input to transmit the first function in the first transmission range and the second input to transmit the second function in the second transmission range;

outputting, from a processor of the remote transmitter, a first signal along a first path and a second signal along a second path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the first function and the second signal corresponds to the second function; and

transmitting, from an output of the remote transmitter, the first signal in the first transmission range and the second signal in the second transmission range, wherein the first transmission range is smaller than the second transmission range.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first function is vehicle door unlock, vehicle trunk release, vehicle window down, garage door open, home door unlock or office door unlock.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second function is vehicle remote start, vehicle door lock, vehicle panic, garage door close, home door lock or office door lock.

23. A remote transmitter, comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a programming input and function inputs, wherein when first and second inputs of the input unit are pre-programmed to transmit functions in a second transmission range of the remote transmitter when either of the first and second inputs are selected, the programming input identifies a function to be transmitted in a first transmission range of the remote transmitter when the first input is selected, wherein the function inputs select the first input to transmit the function in the first transmission range and the second input to transmit the function in the second transmission range;

a processor configured to output first and second signals along a path in response to the first and second function inputs, respectively, wherein the first signal corresponds to the function to be transmitted in the first transmission range and the second signal corresponds to the function to be transmitted in the second transmission range; and

an output configured to transmit the first signal in the first transmission range and the second signal in the second transmission range, wherein the first transmission range is smaller than the second transmission range.