Engine idle protection system

• US 8,825,224 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Directed, LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Fazi, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US13/430,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/00 Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for devices for protecting vehicle occupants in case of accidents B60R21/00; safety belts B60R22/00; central door locking E05B49/00, E05B77/50
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 45/00 Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

An automated vehicle shutdown and user notification method and device for shutting down an engine in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start ignition system where the engine has unintentionally been left running by the user is disclosed. In one aftermarket embodiment, the method is implemented in an aftermarket remote start interface module. The module comprises a micro-controller, a memory, a vehicle data bus connector that provides for interface through the vehicles onboard diagnostic (OBDII) port to the vehicle data bus. The system includes a remote start module having a radio frequency transceiver and a cellular telephone transceiver, and provides audible, visual and electronic notifications that the vehicle has been left running and that the engine will be shut off unless the shutdown sequence is deactivated. If the shutdown fails by any malfunction, the system will go into an alternative notice mode.

Claims

1. An engine idle shutdown system for a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system having a vehicle user proximity indicator;

the engine idle shutdown system comprising;

a. a data processing apparatus installed in a vehicle and configured for digital communication with data bus system of a plurality of vehicle, said vehicles having a passive keyless entry and start system, a horn and lights;

b. a memory associated with the data processing apparatus and configured to receive from an external source digital codes corresponding to vehicle data bus messages from said plurality of vehicles, the messages associated with control of passive keyless entry and start systems, horns and lights;

c. a communications link between said data bus system, said data processing apparatus and said memory;

wherein said data processing apparatus

i) monitors data bus system messages associated with the identification of the particular vehicle make and model

ii) compares the monitored data messages communicated on the data bus with the data messages stored in memory, and

iii) selects from memory data control messages corresponding to the particular vehicle make and model for controlling the vehicles passive keyless entry and start system, a horn and lights; and

iv) if the data messages communicated on the data bus are indicative of the absence from the vehicle of the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity indicator and that the engine is idling, generates a user notification command and start a timer, and upon expiration of a set time issues a command selected from memory corresponding to the particular vehicle make and model to the data bus system to shut down the vehicle engine.

2. The engine idle shutdown system of claim 1 further comprising:

a. a remote start system

b. at least one connector for allowing communication between the remote start system and the data processing apparatus, wherein the signals received by the data processing apparatus from the remote start system are analog signal and the data processing apparatus converts said analog signals to digital signals capable of being communicated on data bus system and controlling vehicle functions, and wherein the data processing apparatus receives digital signals from the data bus system and converts them to analog signals that can be communicated to the remote start system.

3. The engine idle shutdown system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless transceiver for communicating messages from the system to a receiver in the possession of the driver.

4. The engine idle shutdown system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first radio frequency transceiver in direct communication with the data processing apparatus and a second radio frequency transceiver remote from the data processing apparatus, wherein said first and second radio frequency transceivers form a communication link for providing messages to the driver.

5. A method of automated engine shut down in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring the on/off status of said vehicle;

b. monitoring whether the vehicle is moving;

c. monitoring for the present of the a passive keyless entry and start system user proximity indicator associated with said vehicle;

d. setting an idle run timer when the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity indicator is not present;

e. setting a user notification timer to provide, when the user notification timer expires, an engine run notice to a user when said passive keyless entry and start system fob is not present;

f. monitoring an idle run timer and a user notification timer;

g. providing a digital engine shutdown message to the vehicle if no user proximity indicator is present, no motion is detected and the idle run timer has expired;

h. providing a user notification of vehicle idling shutdown if no user proximity indicator is present and the user notification timer has expired.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the notification method can be a radio frequency transmission, cell phone call, vehicle light flash or vehicle horn honk.

7. A method of driver notification of failed engine shut down for an engine in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring the on off status of a vehicle engine in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system;

b. monitoring whether the vehicle is moving;

c. monitoring for the present of a passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector;

d. setting an idle run timer when the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector is not present;

e. setting a user notification timer to provide, when the timer expires, an engine run notice to a user when the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector is not present;

f. monitoring an idle run timer and a user notification timer;

g. providing a digital engine shutdown message to the vehicle if no user proximity detector is present, no motion is detected and the idle run timer has expired

confirming engine shutdown;

providing a user notification of failure to shut down the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the monitoring of the vehicle movement is done by reading speed codes on the bus.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification method can be a radio frequency transmission, cell phone call, vehicle light flash or vehicle horn honk.

10. A method of shutting down an engine in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring the on off status of a vehicle engine in a vehicle having a passive keyless entry and start system;

b. monitoring whether the vehicle is moving;

c. monitoring for the present of a passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector;

d. setting an idle run timer when the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector is not present;

e. setting a user notification timer to provide, when the timer expires, an engine run notice to a user when the passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector is not present;

f. cancelling an idle run timer and a user notification timer when passive keyless entry and start system user proximity detector is not present;

g. providing a digital engine shutdown message to a vehicle through the data bus if no motion is detected.