Range extending positive repeater

• US 7,990,255 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Shane, Santavicca, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Quang
• Application Number:
  US11/555,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 340/511, 340/539.21, 340/425.1, 340/426.36, 340/12.22, 340/12.5, 340/12.51, 340/13.24, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 340/426.36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04

Abstract

A method for extending a reception range of a vehicle remote control system includes: receiving, at a repeater, a first radio frequency (RF) signal having inbound data packets indicating a vehicle function to be performed from a remote transmitter; generating, at the repeater, a second RF signal by placing outbound data packets indicating the vehicle function to be performed between the inbound data packets until reception of the first RF signal is complete; and transmitting, from the repeater, the second RF signal to a reception module of a vehicle remote control system.

Claims

1. A method for extending a reception range of a vehicle remote control system, comprising:

receiving, at a repeater, a first radio frequency (RF) signal having inbound data packets indicating a vehicle function to be performed from a remote transmitter;

generating, at the repeater, a second RF signal by placing outbound data packets indicating the vehicle function to be performed between the inbound data packets until reception of the first RF signal is complete; and

transmitting, from the repeater, the second RF signal to a reception module of a vehicle remote control system,

wherein the repeater includes a first module that stores codes for defining a plurality of vehicle functions, the method further comprising;

receiving, at the repeater, a request to provide the vehicle remote control system with a new function based on the codes stored in the first module; and

transmitting, from the repeater, a function signal to the reception module of the vehicle remote control system, the function signal including the codes corresponding to the new function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, in a vehicle, the vehicle function indicated by the inbound or outbound data packets of the second RF signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle function indicated by the inbound or outbound data packets is associated with remote keyless entry or remote start.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading, at the repeater, a strength of the first RF signal;

determining, at the repeater, if the strength of the first RF signal is above or below a threshold; and

not generating, at the repeater, the second RF signal if the first RF signal is above the threshold;

or

generating, at the repeater, the second RF signal if the first RF signal is below the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

down-converting, at the repeater, the first RF signal to a base-band signal; and

filtering, at the repeater, the base-band signal prior to generating the second RF signal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the repeater, a third signal including a command indicating a vehicle function to be performed from the remote transmitter;

converting, at the repeater, the command to a fourth signal that is compatible with a wireless transmission scheme of the vehicle remote control system; and

transmitting, from the repeater, the fourth signal to the vehicle remote control system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting, from the repeater, a fifth signal indicating that the third signal was received by the repeater or the vehicle remote control system to the remote transmitter.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing, by using the vehicle remote control system, the vehicle function indicated by the command of the third signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the third signal and fifth signal are RF, ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, ultra-wide band or infrared signals and the fourth signal is an RF signal.

10. A system for extending a reception range of a vehicle remote control system, comprising:

a repeater for receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal having inbound data packets indicating a vehicle function to be performed from a remote transmitter;

generating a second RF signal by placing outbound data packets indicating the vehicle function to be performed between the inbound data packets until reception of the first RF signal is complete; and

transmitting the second RF signal; and

a remote control module including a reception module for receiving the second RF signal, the remote control module for instructing the vehicle to perform the vehicle function indicated by the inbound or outbound data packets of the second RF signal,

wherein the repeater includes a first module that stores codes for defining a plurality of vehicle functions and the remote control module is provided with new functionality based on the codes stored in the first module.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle function indicated by the inbound or outbound data packets is associated with remote keyless entry or remote start.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the repeater reads a strength of the first RF signal;

determines if the strength of the first RF signal is above or below a threshold; and

does not generate the second RF signal if the first RF signal is above the threshold;

or generates the second RF signal if the first RF signal is below the threshold.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the repeater down-converts the first RF signal to a base-band signal;

and filters the base-band signal prior to generating the second RF signal.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote control module is a factory-installed remote control module.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the factory-installed remote control module has a first reception range and the repeater has a second reception range that is greater than the first reception range.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein when the remote transmitter is a two-way transmitter/receiver initially incompatible with the remote control module, the repeater receives a third signal including a command indicating a vehicle function to be performed from the two-way transmitter/receiver;

converts the command to a fourth signal that is compatible with a wireless transmission scheme of the remote control module; and

transmits the fourth signal to the remote control module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the repeater transmits a fifth signal indicating that the third signal was received by the repeater or the remote control module to the two-way transmitter/receiver.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle function indicated by the command of the third signal is performed by using the remote control module.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the third signal and fifth signal are radio frequency (RF), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, ultra-wide band or infrared signals and the fourth signal is an RF signal.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote control module is a factory-installed remote control module.