Control system and method for controlling at least one function of an object and access control and driving authorization device for a motor vehicle

• US 6,353,776 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Gold, Peter, Röhrl, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/609,507
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/24, 701/32, 701/33, 701/36, 340/825.37, 340/825.49, 340/825.54, 340/572.5, 340/572.8, 340/539, 340/572, 340/573, 340/426, 340/990, 340/993, 340/995, 340/988, 455/73, 455/66, 455/431, 455/422, 375/219, 375/220, 375/221, 370/320, 370/335, 370/342, 370/441
• US Class Current: 340/426.16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00531 immobilizer
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A control system for controlling an object function includes a base station and a portable code transmitter. The base station is at the object and has a transceiver unit for transmitting an interrogation signal. The code transmitter emits a response signal with a code information item in response thereto. The base station checks an authorization of the code information item contained in the response signal. The base station and/or the code transmitter determines a time period between a transmission of a part of the interrogation signal and a reception of a part thereof obtained in reaction thereto, and compares the time period with a predefined reference time period. The base station enables the object-specific function only if the measured time period is shorter than the reference time period even if the code information item of the response signal is correct. There is also provided an access control and driver authorization device for a motor vehicle where the base station transmits the interrogation signal to the code transmitter from which checkbits are transmitted back directly to the motor vehicle, bypassing an evaluation unit. The base station measures the time period between the checkbits being emitted and received back and only accepts a response signal of the code transmitter if the measured time period is shorter than a reference time period. There is also provided a method for controlling at least one function of the object.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling at least one function of an object, comprising:

a base station disposed at an object and having a transceiver unit with a base transmitter unit formed to transmit an interrogation signal; and

a portable code transponder formed to receive the interrogation signal and to emit a response signal with a code information item and at least part of the interrogation signal in response to the interrogation signal, said transponder having a transmitter antenna a circuit for evaluating the code information item, and a bypass path through which parts of the interrogation signal are routed to said transmitter antenna, said bypass path bypassing said circuit,

said base station determining a time period between a transmission of said at least part of the interrogation signal and a reception of said at least part of the interrogation signal obtained in reaction to the interrogation signal, comparing the time period with a predefined reference time period, checking an authorization of the code information item contained in the response signal and, in the case of an authorized response signal, said base station enabling the object-specific function only if the measured time period is shorter than the reference time period even if the code information item of the response signal is correct.

2. The control system according to claim 1, including at least one switch disposed in said bypass path and formed to selectively disconnect and connect said bypass path.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said circuit and said bypass path are in parallel, and said transponder is formed to apply the received interrogation signal to said bypass path and at least temporarily to said circuit.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said circuit is formed to add an additional signal to signals conducted to said transmitter antenna through said bypass path.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said transponder is formed to emit at least one pulse to be transmitted to said base transmitter unit through said bypass path and said transmitter antenna.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said transponder is formed to emit at least one of a pulse and a code sequence and to modulate at least one of an amplitude, a pulse length, and a frequency of the at least one of a pulse and a code sequence, and said circuit is formed to measure a time period between an emission and a reception of the at least one pulse and code sequence, and to check at least one of the amplitude, the pulse length and the frequency of the at least one pulse and code sequence.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said base station and said code transponder is formed to be configured for a plurality of at least one of frequency bands and a plurality of channels within a frequency band, and is formed to change a transmission frequency respectively being used.

8. A method for controlling at least one function of an object, which comprises:

carrying out an authorization check between a portable code transponder and a base station disposed at an object by;

transmitting, through a transmitter, an interrogation signal in at least one pulse modified in at least one of amplitude, pulse length, and frequency;

receiving the interrogation signal through a receiver having a transmitter circuit, the receiver conducting the at least one pulse to the transmitter circuit through a bypass path without evaluation processing;

transmitting through the transmitter circuit the at least one pulse and a response signal containing a code information item;

receiving the at least one modified pulse and the response signal;

measuring a time period between an emission of at least part of the interrogation signal and a reception of the at least part of the interrogation signal in the response signal obtained in reaction to the interrogation signal;

comparing the time period with a predefined reference time period;

determining whether or not the code information item contained in the response signal is an authorized code information item; and

enabling or carrying out a function only if the authorized code information item is determined to have been received and if the measured time period lies within the predefined reference time period.

9. The method according to claim 8, which comprises:

evaluating within the response signal at least one of parts of the interrogation signal conducted through the bypass path, a length of the parts of the interrogation signal conducted through the bypass path, and a position of the parts of the interrogation signal conducted through the bypass path; and

comparing the parts of, the length of the parts of, and the position of the parts of the interrogation signal conducted through the bypass path with anticipated values.

10. A method for controlling at least one function of an object, which comprises:

carrying out an authorization check between a portable code transponder having a portable receiver, a bypass path, and a transmitter circuit, and a base station disposed at an object, the base station having a base station transmitter, a base station receiver, and a control unit, by;

transmitting, through the base station transmitter, an interrogation signal in at least one pulse modified in at least one of amplitude, pulse length, and frequency;

receiving the interrogation signal through the portable receiver, the portable receiver conducting the at least one pulse to the transmitter circuit through the bypass path without evaluation processing;

transmitting through the transmitter circuit the at least one pulse and a response signal containing a code information item;

receiving with the base station receiver the at least one modified pulse and the response signal;

measuring with the control unit a time period between an emission of at least part of the interrogation signal and a reception of the at least part of the interrogation signal in the response signal obtained in reaction to the interrogation signal;

comparing with the control unit the time period with a predefined reference time period;

determining with the control unit whether or not the code information item contained in the response signal is an authorized code information item; and

at least one of enabling or carrying out a function with the control unit only if the authorized code information item is determined to have been received and if the measured time period lies within the predefined reference time period.

11. An access control and driver authorization device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a base station disposed at a motor vehicle and having a transceiver unit formed to emit an interrogation signal and to subsequently wait for and receive a response signal, said transceiver unit having a control unit with an evaluation unit and a timer device formed to evaluate respectively the response signal for authorization and signal propagation time;

a portable code transponder having a receiver formed to receive the interrogation signal, an arithmetic unit, a bypass path, a transmitter formed to transmit the response signal after the interrogation signal has been received, and a switching device formed to switchably connect said transmitter to said receiver through at least one of said arithmetic unit and said bypass path and formed to conduct predefined parts of the received interrogation signal directly from said receiver to said transmitter through said bypass path and to conduct a remainder of the request signal to the transmitter through said arithmetic unit, such that, when authorization is confirmed by said control unit and the signal propagation time is confirmed by said control unit, said base station performs at least one of permitting access to the motor vehicle and releasing a motor vehicle immobilizer.