Secondary sensing for intelligent passive entry passive start polling
First Claim
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1. A method for communicating between a vehicle and an authorized user of the vehicle, said method comprising:
- providing the authorized user with a communications device;
providing at least one infrared sensor on the vehicle;
detecting living things within a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle based on heat signature signals received by the infrared sensor, wherein the heat signature signals indicate to the vehicle the distance that the living thing is from the vehicle and how fast the living thing is approaching the vehicle;
determining that the user may be within the predetermined vicinity of the vehicle based on heat signature signals received from the living things by the infrared sensor;
transmitting a polling signal from the vehicle that is received by the device if the sensor receives the heat signature signals that may be from the user; and
transmitting a first command signal from the device to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation if the device receives the polling signal.
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Abstract
A system and method for providing a polling signal transmitted from a vehicle that is received by a key fob held by an authorized user of the vehicle as the user approaches the vehicle. When the key fob receives the polling signal, it will automatically transmit a command signal back to the vehicle for some vehicle operation to be performed. Battery power is conserved on the vehicle by using an infrared detector to first detect whether a living thing is in proximity to the vehicle prior to the vehicle transmitting the polling signal.
67 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for communicating between a vehicle and an authorized user of the vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing the authorized user with a communications device; providing at least one infrared sensor on the vehicle; detecting living things within a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle based on heat signature signals received by the infrared sensor, wherein the heat signature signals indicate to the vehicle the distance that the living thing is from the vehicle and how fast the living thing is approaching the vehicle; determining that the user may be within the predetermined vicinity of the vehicle based on heat signature signals received from the living things by the infrared sensor; transmitting a polling signal from the vehicle that is received by the device if the sensor receives the heat signature signals that may be from the user; and transmitting a first command signal from the device to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation if the device receives the polling signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for communicating between a vehicle and an authorized user of the vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing the authorized user with a key fob communications device; providing multiple infrared sensors at different locations on the vehicle; determining that the user may be within a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle based on a heat signature signals received by the infrared sensors; transmitting a low frequency pulsed polling signal from the vehicle that is received by the key fob communications device if the key fob device is in the vicinity of the vehicle; transmitting a command signal from the key fob device to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation when it receives the polling signal; and turning on a vehicle security light in response to detecting a living thing in the predetermined vicinity regardless of whether the living thing is the authorized user. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A vehicle communications system comprising:
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a communications device operable to be carried by an authorized user of the vehicle; at least one infrared sensor provided on the vehicle and being operable to detect heat signature signals from living things within a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle, said at least one infrared sensor selectively determining that one of the heat signature signals may be from the user, wherein the heat signature signals are used by the vehicle to determine the distance the living thing is from the vehicle and how fast the living thing is approaching the vehicle; and a polling module provided on the vehicle, said polling module transmitting a polling signal from the vehicle if the infrared sensor receives a heat signature signal from a living thing in the predetermined vicinity of the vehicle that may be the user, said communications device automatically transmitting a command signal from the device to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation if the device receives the polling signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification