Vehicle key

• US 8,643,510 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schrbler, Sighard, Menzel, Marc, Pahlke, Stephan, Fleischmann, Ralf, Strunck, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/865,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/990, 340/993, 701/469, 701/468, 701/491
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/046 Displays or indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A vehicle key for radio communication with a vehicle. The vehicle key has a radio transmitter for transmitting radio signals to the vehicle. The vehicle key has a radio receiver and/or audio receiver to be able to locate the vehicle within close range. A bidirectional communication with a transceiver of the vehicle is set up by the radio receiver and/or the audio receiver and the radio transmitter. Furthermore, a corresponding method for locating the vehicle by using the vehicle key is described.

Claims

1. A vehicle key for radio communication with a vehicle, the vehicle key comprises:

a radio transmitter for transmitting radio signals to the vehicle;

at least one of a radio receiver and an audio receiver; and

a display for displaying information to a user of the vehicle key;

wherein the vehicle key;

1) automatically determines and stores a position of the vehicle key when the vehicle is being locked,

2) determines a current position of the vehicle key, and

3) indicates, by the display, a relative direction between the vehicle key and the vehicle based on the current position of the vehicle key, and the position of the vehicle key determined when the vehicle was being locked.

2. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter and the radio receiver are set up for communication at a UHF frequency or an SHF frequency.

3. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle key has a positioning device capable of determining the relative direction and/or distance between the vehicle key and the vehicle by means of bidirectional radio communication.

4. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 3, wherein the positioning device is also capable of setting up a radio direction finding link between the vehicle and the vehicle key.

5. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 3, wherein the positioning device further comprises a receiver of a global positioning system, the positioning device being arranged for calibrating the position of the vehicle key with the position of the parked vehicle.

6. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a visual display for indicating the relative position of the vehicle to the vehicle key.

7. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an audible display for indicating the relative position of the vehicle to the vehicle key.

8. The vehicle key as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an accumulator and/or a battery as power supply.

9. A method for locating a motor vehicle within close range by using a vehicle key, comprising the steps of:

automatically determining and storing, by the vehicle key, a position of the vehicle key when the vehicle is being locked;

determining a current position of the vehicle key; and

indicating a relative direction between the vehicle key and the vehicle based on the current position of the vehicle key, and the position of the vehicle key determined when the vehicle was being locked.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising effectuating a radio direction finding signal between the vehicle key and the vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a distance between the vehicle and the vehicle key is determined from the field strength of the received radio direction finding signal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising sending a position request to the vehicle with the vehicle key and emitting a short sound pulse or ultrasound pulse from the vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising determining the propagation time of the sound or ultrasound pulse with the vehicle key.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising averaging over a number of sound or ultrasound pulses is effected during the determination of the propagation time.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising:

emitting a number of position requests to the vehicle with the vehicle key in a time sequence; and

indicating, on the vehicle key, the received field strength of the radio signal or the received loudness of the sound pulse or ultrasound pulse.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the vehicle key determines its current position by means of locating in a global positioning system and compares it with the position of the vehicle.