Control system

• US 8,571,746 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tippelt, Wolf-Torsten
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/433,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 307/10.2, 731/462, 73/15.7, 731/465, 340/10.34, 382/105
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/027 between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0068 in transponders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0081 with antenna coils loop aerials H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders

Abstract

A control system is provided for controlling an electronic device. The control system includes a control apparatus and a processing device. The control apparatus includes a transponder and a coupling unit. The transponder of the control apparatus may be configured to receive an activation signal and transmit a control signal to the processing device. The coupling unit may be configured to enable and disable transmission of the control signal to the processing device. The processing device may be configured to receive the control signal and communicate the control signal to an electronic device or utilize the control signal to control the electronic device.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

a control apparatus and a processing device;

the control apparatus including a transponder and a coupling unit;

the transponder being configured to receive an activation signal from the processing device and automatically transmit a control signal to the processing device;

the coupling unit being configured to enable and disable transmission of the control signal, the coupling unit further configured to be inductively coupled with an external energy source, and supply voltage inductively generated from the external energy source to at least the transponder, the coupling unit comprising a switch configured to selectively enable wireless supply of power; and

the processing device being configured to receive the control signal and transmit the control signal to the electronic device.

2. The control system of claim 1, where the transponder includes an antenna configured as a signal receiving unit and as a response signal transmission unit.

3. The control system of claim 2, where the coupling unit is configured to enable and disable the response signal transmission unit using the switch.

4. The control system of claim 2, where the processing device includes an activation signal transmission unit, configured to transmit the activation signal to the signal receiving unit.

5. The control system of claim 1, where the processing device includes a control signal receiving unit.

6. The control system of claim 5, where the processing device includes a control unit configured to receive the control signal from the control signal receiving unit and transmit the control signal to the electronic device.

7. The control system of claim 1, where the processing device includes an activation signal transmission unit, configured to transmit the activation signal to the transponder.

8. The control system of claim 1, where the external energy source is an energy supply device configured to wirelessly supply energy to the transponder.

9. The control system of claim 1, where the processing device includes the external energy source as an energy supply device configured to supply energy to the transponder.

10. The control system of claim 9, where the energy supply device is configured to generate an electromagnetic field that supplies radiation energy to the transponder.

11. The control system of claim 9, where the transponder includes an antenna and is configured as a signal receiving unit and as a response signal transmission unit;

and the processing device includes an activation signal transmission unit integrated with the energy supply device and configured to wirelessly transmit the activation signal to the signal receiving unit and wirelessly supply energy to the transponder via the antenna.

12. The control system of claim 1, further including a plurality of control apparatus.

13. The control system of claim 12, where at least two control apparatus are configured as an incrementor for selecting values, over a range, for a control parameter of the electronic device.

14. The control system of claim 1, where the processing device is configured to receive the control signal and communicate the control signal to an electronic vehicular navigation device.

15. The control system of claim 14, where the processing device is integrated with the electronic vehicular navigation device.

16. The control system of claim 1, where the processing device is configured to receive the control signal and transmit the control signal to an electronic vehicular non-navigational device.

17. The control system of claim 1, further comprising an antenna which is a coil antenna, and the processing device includes an antenna to inductively coupled with the coil antenna, the antenna of the processing device configured to receive current from the energy supply device and induce a voltage in the coil antenna.

18. A control apparatus for wireless transmission of a control signal to a processing device for controlling a remote electronic device, said control apparatus comprising:

a transponder having a signal receiving unit for receiving an activation signal from the processing device and a signal transmission unit for automatically transmitting a control signal to the processing device in response to the received activation signal;

a disabling unit for disabling signal transmission by the signal transmission unit and an enabling unit for enabling signal transmission by the signal transmission unit; and

a coupling unit configured to be inductively coupled to an external energy supply source and supply inductively generated power to the control apparatus, where the disabling unit and the enabling unit comprise a switch selectively switchable to enable wireless supply of power.

19. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the switch is configured to be operated in response to a signal created by a user.

20. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the coupling unit is configured to be electrically coupled to the external energy supply source.

21. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the switch is operable in response to a signal generated with a membrane key.

22. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the transponder includes at least one microchip mounted on a thin substrate on which control data relating to the control signal is stored.

23. The control apparatus of claim 22, where the control data includes data relating to different parameters of the functions of the electronic device to be controlled.

24. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the control apparatus is configured to be mountable on a steering wheel of a vehicle.

25. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the transponder comprises a large-area coil for inductive coupling, arranged on a thin film substrate.

26. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the transponder is a passive transponder without an internal power supply.

27. The control apparatus of claim 18, where the transponder is an active transponder having a microchip and an internal power supply source for voltage supply of said microchip.

28. The control apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an antenna coil, and the switch is switchable to open and close a loop of the antenna coil to disable and enable, respectively, signal transmission and supply of inductively generated power to the transponder, the switch switchable in response to operation by a user.

29. A method for controlling an electronic device utilizing a control apparatus having a transponder, the method comprising:

powering the control apparatus wirelessly by inductive coupling with an external power source via an antenna included in the control apparatus;

enabling the control apparatus to transmit a control signal wirelessly via the antenna;

transmitting the control signal to the electronic device via the antenna utilizing the transponder; and

terminating both the transmission of the control signal and wireless powering of the control apparatus using a switch included in the control apparatus.

30. The method of claim 29, further including enabling the control apparatus using a coupling unit.

31. The method of claim 29, further including enabling the control apparatus using the switch.

32. The method of claim 29, further including receiving with the antenna an electromagnetic field supplied as radiation energy from the external power source to power the control apparatus.

33. The method of claim 29, further including powering the control apparatus utilizing an internal power source.

34. The method of claim 29, where enabling the control apparatus comprises receiving an activation signal with the transponder, the control apparatus powering the control apparatus and enabling the control apparatus to transmit the control signal in response to the activation signal.

35. The method of claim 29, where transmitting the control signal to the electronic device comprises the transponder wirelessly transmitting the control signal via the antenna to a processing device positioned away from the control apparatus, the processing device configured to communicate the control signal to the electronic device to control a function present in the electronic device.

36. The method of claim 35, where the external power source is included in the processing device, and the antenna is an antenna coil configured to include the switch to open and close a loop of the antenna coil.