Cellular phone entry techniques

• US 9,082,295 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US13/663,573
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/5.22, 340/5.23, 340/5.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.63, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 340/5.73, 340/5.8, 340/545.6, 340/541, 340/542, 340/991, 455/552.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/507
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A cell phone is mated with the vehicle system and thereafter used to obtain access to the vehicle. A user who has a cell phone automatically can obtain access to the vehicle. An embodiment describes a USB key that provides access to the vehicle, and in an emergency, either a complete or partial version of the key can be downloaded from a server.

Claims

1. A vehicle with wireless communication capability, comprising:

a communication system, which communicates with a first key in a vehicle, by communicating with the first key in the vehicle and allowing access to the vehicle including entry into the vehicle and operating the vehicle based on said communicating with the first key in the vehicle,

said communication system also including a wireless module that wirelessly communicates with at least one handheld device, said communication system using an encryption system to communicate with said at least one handheld device, said encryption system providing communications between said wireless module and said handheld device, and said vehicle receiving at least one access command from said handheld device,

wherein said communication system detects the first key, and also detects the at least one handheld device, and only pairing to allow access to the vehicle only if a request to pair the at least one handheld device to the vehicle occurs while detecting the first key,

wherein the communication system pairs with the handheld device in order to allow the handheld device to access the vehicle, by creating a limited time encryption key, and allowing pairing with the at least one handheld device only during a time of validity of the limited time encryption key.

2. The vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising

automatically sending a communication that causes a communication to be sent to a party when said access command is received, where said communication indicates a location of said vehicle at a time when said access command is received.

3. The vehicle as in claim 1 wherein said communication is sent when access is granted.

4. The vehicle as in claim 1, wherein a communication format of the wireless communication is Bluetooth.

5. The vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said encryption system operates by transferring information that represents a time of a request for access that was indicated by said handheld device, using a clock running in the vehicle to determine whether the time indicated by said handheld device matches to the time indicated by the clock in the vehicle, and allowing access only when the handheld device has been previously indicated to allow access to the vehicle, and the clock in the vehicle indicates the same time as the information from the request for access from the handheld device.

6. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes a location detecting part that determines location, and automatically sends a communication to a remote computer indicative of said location, each time the vehicle is accessed using said handheld device as part of said email.