Vehicle key system and methods for using the same

• US 9,524,599 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ping-Mao, Tsai, Wen-Shian, Jhao, Fang-Yu, Lin, Shiang-Hua, Liao, Kuang-Yao
• Primary Examiner(s): FILE, ERIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/788,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00611 by using inductive transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00785 by light
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

A vehicle key system includes a transmitting device issuing optical signals and a receiving device. The transmitting device includes a light source module. An optical signal with predetermined Identification (ID) information is generated by the light source module and the optical signal is converted into an electrical signal. A signal receiving module of the receiving device verifies the electrical signal and controls a vehicle to unlock. An electronic energy is converted into an electromagnetic signal and the electromagnetic signal is broadcast. A wireless charging receiver of the transmitting device receives the electromagnetic signal and generates the electronic energy. The present disclosure also provides a method for using the vehicle key system.

Claims

1. A vehicle key system comprising:

a transmitting device comprising

a signal emission module generating a regulating signal;

a light source module generating an optical signal with predetermined Identification (ID) information by the control of the signal emission module;

a wireless charging receiver receiving an electromagnetic signal configured for wireless charging and converting the electromagnetic signal to an electronic energy; and

a wireless signal controller controlling the wireless charging receiver;

a receiving device comprising

an optical signal conversion controller receiving the optical signal with the predetermined ID information and converting the optical signal into an electrical signal having matching ID information which is based on the predetermined ID information;

a signal receiving module receiving and authenticating the electrical signal having matching ID information, and controlling a vehicle to unlock;

a power conversion controller converting an electronic energy into the electromagnetic signal received by the wireless charging receiver; and

a wireless charging transmitter transmitting the electromagnetic signal to the wireless charging receiver by the control of the power conversion controller.

2. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the signal emission module comprises a modulator and a signal converter;

the modulator generates a predetermined input signal; and

the signal converter converts the input signal to a dimming control signal configured to control the light source module.

3. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source module comprises a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDS), and light emitted from the LEDS is visible light.

4. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal receiving module comprises a memory member, and the memory member is configured to save a signal sample.

5. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the signal receiving module further comprises an identifying member, and the identifying member compares the electrical signal received from the optical signal conversion controller with the signal sample.

6. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device further comprises a vehicle battery, and the vehicle battery transmits the electronic energy to the power conversion controller.

7. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device further comprises an unlock module, and the unlock module is electrically coupled to the signal receiving module and configured to unlock the vehicle.

8. The vehicle key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless signal controller transmits the electronic energy generated by the wireless charging receiver to the signal emission module and the light source module.

9. A method for a vehicle key system, the method comprising:

converting an electronic energy into an electromagnetic signal by a power conversion controller;

generating an electronic energy by a wireless charging receiver;

transmitting the electronic energy to a signal emission module and a light source module by a wireless signal controller;

generating an regulating signal by the signal emission module to control the light source module;

generating an optical signal by the light source module;

converting the optical signal into an electrical signal by an optical signal conversion controller;

authenticating the electrical signal by a signal receiving module; and

controlling an unlock module to unlock the vehicle by the signal receiving module if the authentication is successful.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the vehicle key system being in an alarm state if the authentication is failure.