Wireless control system and method

• US 9,318,017 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Witkowski, Todd R., Dykema, Kurt A., Geerlings, Steven L., Zeinstra, Mark L., Buege, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US14/140,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20140184393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/68, 455/345, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 340/5.71, 340/12.5, 340/825.69, 340/825.71, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless control system for use in a vehicle and for use with a remote electronic system is provided. The wireless control system includes a transceiver for mounting in the vehicle. The transceiver is configured to communicate according to a Bluetooth communications standard. The transceiver is further configured to provide a control signal to the remote electronic system. The transceiver is also trainable to provide a carrier frequency and control information for the control signal.

Claims

1. A system for use with a vehicle and a home device, the system comprising:

a wireless transmitter configured for mounting to the vehicle and configured to wirelessly send a first control signal having information for controlling the home device;

a wireless transceiver located remote from the vehicle and configured to receive the first control signal and to wirelessly send a second control signal to the home device based on the first control signal from outside the vehicle; and

a second wireless transceiver configured for mounting to the vehicle that is configured to form a wireless data communications link according to a Bluetooth communications protocol with a portable electronic device, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile phone;

wherein the second wireless transceiver is configured to receive a code from the portable electronic device via the wireless data communications link, the code for causing the wireless transmitter to send the first control signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the home device is a lighting system and wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to send a third control signal to a home security system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to send a fourth control signal to a home PC.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second control signal is an ultra-high frequency (UHF) signal and the home device is a garage door opener, the second control signal formatted to cause the garage door opener to activate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second control signal is a rolling code signal.

6. A wireless control system for use in a vehicle and for use with a remote electronic system and a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device having a first transceiver configured to communicate according to a Bluetooth communications protocol, the wireless control system comprising:

a second transceiver for mounting in the vehicle and for communicating with the first transceiver of the portable electronic device, the second transceiver configured to receive a command from the first transceiver; and

a transmitter for mounting in the vehicle and configured to send a control signal to the remote electronic system;

wherein the command received at the second transceiver from the first transceiver is formatted to cause the transmitter to send the control signal to the remote electronic system.

7. The wireless control system of claim 6, wherein the transmitter is configured to send the control signal in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band.

8. The wireless control system of claim 6, wherein the remote electronic system is one of a security system, a garage door opener, and a lighting system.

9. The wireless control system of claim 6, wherein the remote electronic system is configured to receive the control signal and to wirelessly send another control signal to another device near the remote electronic control system.

10. The wireless control system of claim 9, wherein the remote electronic system is a garage door opener system and wherein the another device is one of a home lighting system, a security system, a home PC, and a home appliance.

11. The wireless control system of claim 6, further comprising a receiver for learning characteristics of the control signal based on signals received from an original transmitter.

12. The wireless control system of claim 6, further comprising:

an operator input device; and

a control circuit coupled to the operator input device and the transmitter, wherein the control circuit is configured to learn a characteristic of the control signal based on input received via the operator input device.

13. The wireless control system of claim 12, further comprising:

memory for storing pre-programmed characteristics of the control signal.

14. The wireless control system of claim 6, wherein the control signal is a rolling code signal.