Remote-control system for locks

• US 5,159,334 A
• Filed: 02/26/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Greiner, Ferdinand, Farnung, Thomas, Baumert, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILL, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US07/661,002
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.710, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/984, 341/176, 359/142, 359/144, 359/147, 359/150, 359/151, 359/157, 359/173, 359/174, 359/181, 318/16, 307/10.1, 307/10.5, 180/287, 180/289
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00785 by light
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A remote-control system for locks having an infrared hand-held transmitter of the remote-control system, which is used for the remote-control of the central locking system of a motor vehicle, and a receptacle for the insertion of the transmitter arranged in the motor vehicle. At least one optical cable, leading into the region of the receptacle for carrying signals from the transmitter, is routed from the receptacle to at least one exit hole arranged on the outer skin of the motor vehicle. In this way, the control of a receiver arranged outside the motor vehicle and associated preferably with a remote-controlled garage door drive is made possible.

Claims

1. A remote-control system for locks, comprising:

a portable infrared transmitter which generates and radiates in a contactless manner directed coded control signals upon actuation of at least one transmission key on the transmitter;

a first receiver arranged on a motor vehicle, which first receiver is tuned to receive and to process the coded control signals radiated by the transmitter and is arranged for triggering switching effects on a remote-controlled vehicle locking system;

a receptacle in the motor vehicle for the transmitter;

at least one optical cable leading into a region of the receptacle, which carries signals from the transmitter;

a second receiver corresponding at least indirectly to the optical cable for triggering switching effects on a further locking device upon the reception of signals triggered by the transmitter located in the receptacle and conducted through the optical cable; and

at least one radiation outlet arranged on an exterior surface of the motor vehicle to which the optical cable emerging from the receptacle is routed, so that the signals triggered by the transmitter located in the receptacle are transmittable to the second receiver located outside the vehicle.

2. The remote-control system according to claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter includes means for controlling an electrical garage door drive, and the second receiver is assigned to the garage door drive.

3. The remote-control system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter is coupled to a mechanically coded key and the receptacle is at least one of an ignition lock or a steering lock.

4. The remote-control system according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for storing with the second receiver a code different than that stored with the first receiver;

means for storing the code stored with the first receiver with the portable transmitter;

a code converter connected to the optical cable between the receptacle and the radiation outlet for converting the code of the control signals radiated from the transmitter so as to match with the code stored with the second receiver.

5. The remote-control system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of radiation outlets and a line branch in which the optical cable is branched to the plurality of radiation outlets.

6. The remote-control system according to claim 5, wherein at least one radiation outlet is in the vicinity of a transparent part of the exterior surface of the motor vehicle at one of the front or rear of the motor vehicle.

7. The remote-control system according to claim 6, wherein at least one radiation outlet is behind a cover of a lighting device.

8. The remote-control system according to claim 6, wherein at least one radiation outlet is behind a window pane of the motor vehicle body.

9. The remote-control system according to claim 4, further comprising an easily detachable connection for connecting the code converter to the optical cable.

10. The remote-control system according to claim 9, wherein the code converter is an independent transmitter, in which the same code as in the second receiver is stored and which can be activated by the portable transmitter to transmit its code signal to the second receiver.

11. The remote-control system according to claim 9, further comprising an amplifier connected to the optical cable.

12. The remote-control system according to claim 1, further comprising optical waveguides which are arranged in the vehicle between a light source and a common light radiating outlet surface of a signalling lamp in the vehicle exterior surface,

wherein the signals of the portable infrared transmitter are conducted via the optical cable into the common light outlet surface of said optical waveguides.

13. The remote-control system according to claim 10, wherein the code converter and the easily detachable connection of the code converter to the optical cable are mounted in a lockable glove compartment of the motor vehicle.

14. The remote-control system according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for storing with the second receiver a code different than that stored with the first receiver;

means for storing the code stored with the first receiver with the portable transmitter;

a code converter connected to the optical cable between the receptacle and the radiation outlet for converting the code of the control signals radiated from the transmitter so as to match with the code stored with the second receiver.

15. The remote-control system according to claim 14, wherein the code converter is an independent transmitter, in which the same code as in the second receiver is stored and which can be activated by the portable transmitter to transmit its code signal to the second receiver.

16. The remote-control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least on radiation outlet is in the vicinity of a transparent part of the exterior surface of the motor vehicle at one of the front or rear of the motor vehicle.

17. The remote-control system according to claim 4, wherein the code converter is an independent transmitter, in which the same code as in the second receiver is stored and which can be activated by the portable transmitter to transmit its code signals to the second receiver.

18. The remote-control system according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier connected to the optical cable.

19. The remote-control system according to claim 9, wherein the code converter and the easily detachable connection of the code converter to the optical cable are mounted in a lockable glove compartment of the motor vehicle.

20. The remote-control system according to claim 9, wherein the easily detachable connection is a plug-in connection.