1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved two-way remote control system, and more particularly to an innovative one which is designed with anti-interference and anti-piracy functions for improving the stability of radio frequency (RF) signals.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless remote controllers are widely used in a broad range of applications, such as: household appliances, shutters of garages and vehicle or motorcycle theft-proof equipments, by means of remote control for the benefit of users. For instance, the vehicle or motorcycle theft-proof equipments are intended for protecting the vehicles or motorcycles against any theft, conversely the thieves will make every attempt to interrupt, decode or receive and copy the wireless signals. Thus, the security performance of theft-proof equipments is of utmost significance.
A common wireless remote controller consists of a transmitter and a receiver that are implemented only by a single-power, single-frequency RF device, namely, a transmitter capable of only transmitting data by a fixed channel is set onto a remote controller, and a preset receiver capable of only receiving data by a fixed channel is set onto a vehicle, thereby realizing RF remote-controlled operation; yet, the aforementioned single-power, single-frequency RE device has the following shortcomings:
(1) Notwithstanding the simple construction of single-power, single-frequency RE device, its poorer remote control functions make it vulnerable to ambient interference, especially during data receiving by the receiver.
(2) in the case of adjacent channel interference, e.g.: during RF remote-controlled operation by dozens of vehicles in the same parking lot, the receiver subjecting to interference cannot receive data efficiently, or may even receive incorrect data in an disorderly way.
(3) As signals are transmitted by the remote controllers at a fixed frequency, the targeted objects may be stolen very easily once the remote controllers are pirated, leading to extremely low security and confidentiality.
(4) The operating process of conventional remote control system is: the remote controller transmits RF signals to the main unit by pressing the button of remote controller, then the main unit implements the required actions and transmits the contents to the remote controller via RE signals; after receiving the contents from the main unit, the remote controller displays them by means of LCD, alarming, vibration and back light 0/P. This cannot be implemented smoothly in case the signals are not received normally by any part in the transmission process arising from any reason (e.g.: ambient interference).
In addition, there are generally two types of remote control system available in the automobile market and they are keyless entry function remote control system and alarm function remote control system. Each of the mentioned remote control may include an additional function, such as remote start function, with the system. The main difference between keyless entry function and alarm function remote control system is that in the keyless entry function remote control system only when any of the function key is pressed the system will execute corresponding function; once the system has executed the corresponding function it enters into sleep mode until any of the function key is pressed once again. When the system is in sleep mode it does not need to keep a communication link with the main unit in the car. On the other hand, in the alarm function remote control system, once the system has executed a function corresponding to a function key pressed and then enters into sleep mode, the system needs to be “awake” constantly in a pre-set time frame to check with the main unit in the car for any abnormal activities detected.
These four main remote control systems because of their difference in functionalities must be used separately and for the users it is a hassle both in use and storage of the systems.
Furthermore, another shortcoming of the remote control unit systems available in the market is that it only comes with a standard RF output power. To explain this shortcoming: if a remote control transmitter is capable of transmitting RF signal up to 100M. However, regardless the distance between the transmitter and the receiver, RF output power is fixed at a output rate for 100M, whether the distance is 10 or 100M. This is a waste of battery power and sometime when the output power to the distance ratio is too great it will cause unstable remote control action.
In view of above-specified shortcomings of conventional wireless remote control system, some improvements are required to resolve the influential factors to operational convenience and security.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby optimized channel can be selected in transmission of functional signals, so as to minimize the interference and transmit signals stably while confirming the feedback of implemented functions.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby signal transmission between HHCU and main unit can be implemented with stronger anti-piracy functions to improve the overall security and confidentiality.
The third objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby HHCU can be operated with quicker response, lower power consumption and stronger anti-interference functions.
The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby the remote control system can be operated more stably and efficiently.
The fifth objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby the remote control system can automatically switch to multiple function module remote control system with power saving feature.
The sixth objective of the present invention is to provide a remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby the remote control system can automatically adjust RF signal output power to minimize power usage.
The remote control system of the present invention comprises: a main unit and a handheld remote control unit (HHCU); of which, the main unit is mounted onto the vehicle for two-way wireless transmission to receive the required functional signals, implement the respective functions and send feedback signals; it consists of: a control unit, including: central processing unit (CPU), a ROM, a RAM and a EEPROM; a transmitting-receiving unit (TRU), mounted onto the vehicle for transmitting and receiving signals; the control unit is set to enable (TRU) to automatically search the interference-minimum frequency; the HHCU is used to send encryption signals and permit the main unit to perform multiple functions within effective range, then receive the feedback signals from the main unit and display the implementation status after decryption; it consists of: a control unit, including: a CPU, a ROM, a RAM and a EEPROM; a TRX module, which mates automatically frequency with TRU on the vehicle.
Said remote control system is also designed to encompass: anti-interference, anti-piracy methods for improving the stability of RF signals; of which:
As for the anti-interference method, the HHCU is used to automatically search and select the optimized channel (interference-minimum channel) during transmission of functional signals, so as to prevent signal interference that may lead to failure of receiving functional signals by the main unit; moreover, after receiving the functional signals sent by the HHCU, the main unit will implement immediately the required functions and feed back signals of confirmation.
As for anti-piracy method, both the HHCU and main unit transmit various signals by using interactive encryption technologies to realize high level of anti-piracy efficacies.
Next, a group tag is additionally provided to implement signal transmission in sequence between the HHCU and main unit depending on absolute locations, so the HHCU can be operated with quicker response, lower power consumption and stronger anti-interference functions.
As for the method for improving the stability of RF signals, a multiple RF transmission receiving technology is incorporated into the HHCU, such that it can send actively RF signals of preset number to rebuild a communication channel for highly stable signal transmission in the case of failure of HHCU.
To achieve the system automatically switch to multiple function module remote control system with power saving feature, a module ID is included in the HHCU and the main unit. When the HHCU communicates with the main unit, the main unit sends the module ID to the HHCU and then the HHCU automatically switch to the module corresponding to the module ID received.
To achieve the remote control system and its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals, whereby the remote control system can automatically adjust RE signal output power to minimize power usage, a power-distance adjustment feature is included in the HHCU. When in close range, the HHCU transmits low power RF signals; when in long range, the HHCU transmits high power RE signals to minimize power usage and to stabilize signals transmitted.
The features and the efficacies of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
Referring to
Referring also to
As shown in the figure, the output 13 generally consists of: lock O/P, unlock O/P, trunk O/P, parking light O/P, CH3˜7 O/P, horn O/P, siren O/P, LED O/P, start cut O/P, start O/P, ignition O/P, ACC O/P, ignition#2 O/P, ignition#3 O/P, before start, after start and after shutdown.
Said lock O/P, unlock O/P, trunk O/P, parking light O/P, CH3˜7 O/P, horn O/P, siren O/P, LED O/P and start cut O/P cannot be accessed by alarming or keyless functions; these outputs depend on the alarming response of the alarm of the main unit 1 and the operating call of the HHCU 2; for instance, when the HHCU 2 is operated for theft-proof purpose, the alarm will access the theft-proof functions, whilst the door is locked to start cut O/P and make the parking light flash one time; in such case, if the door is still open, the door unlock/shutdown I/P will be activated, signaling the system to trigger the alarm for giving a siren, a parking light flashing or horn hoot; besides, if said alarm is in a preset start state, the horn hoot is activated, otherwise not activated.
Additionally, start O/P, ignition O/P, ACC O/P, before start, after start, after shutdown and LED O/P are used by remote-control start functions; these functional outputs depend on the remote start status and calling of HHCU 2, e.g.: if the remote start status is set into RPM start, and once the calling of HHCU 2 is started, the system will firstly check if safety VP, hood I/P, parking brake I/P and brake depress I/P are in shutdown state; if yes, the system will send ignition and start outputs, then the system will check automatically if RPM start is normal; if yes, the remote start is successful, and the system transmits a start signal to the HHCU 2, with the remaining outputs operated by the program of CPU 101.
During the start operation, the system continues to check if safety I/P, hood I/P, parking brake VP and brake depress FP are in shutdown state, and if the RPM is normal. In case any input item is not normal during the operation, the system will immediately stop and then send the information of this item to the HHCU 2. For example, any negligence of the user in manual braking will lead to failure of remote start. In such case, the system will immediately stop and then send the information to the HHCU 2, reminding the users of pulling up the manual brake. If the hood is opened when the engine is in operation after successful remote start, the system will immediately stop and then send the information to the HHCU reminding the user of the reason.
The power supply of the main unit 1 is from automotive battery with 12V DC. Due to the variation of load, 12V voltage is not stable, and 5V stable power is required by CPU 101 of the main unit 1 and RF circuit of TRU 11 set on the vehicle. So, the main unit 1 is designed with a power regulator 14 for supplying stable power to CPU 101 and RF circuit of TRU 11 set on the vehicle.
Most of ex-factory vehicles are provided with a data port, which is linked to onboard computer via a data transmission interface, so the main unit 1 is also provided with a data transmission interface 15.
The HHCU 2 can be used manually within its effective range, enabling the main unit 1 to implement the functions such as: theft-proof activation or releasing, trunk or engine start/shutdown; two-way transmission is realized between the HHCU 2 and main unit 1 via wireless linking. For example, when the user presses the functional key of the HHCU 2 requiring the main unit 1 to lock door, the main unit 1 will implement door locking immediately after receiving the command signals from the HHCU 2, and also feed back the confirmation signal to the HHCU 2.
Referring to
A control unit 20, also comprising: a CPU 201 with logic calculation function, a ROM 202 for storing program commands, a RAM 203 for storing program data and an EEPROM 204 for storing the program characteristics;
A TRX module 21, which is available with two-way wireless transmission functions, is used to receive and transmit the signals between the main unit 1 and HHCU 2;
Multiple inputs 22, used for remote calling of various functions by the HHCU 2, including: SW 1 for door locking, SW 2 for door unlocking, SW 3 for trunk opening, SW 4 for start and SW 5 for the program status, all of which can be changed freely with respect to their functional sequences;
Multiple outputs 23, used for remote calling of various functions by the HHCU 2, including: LCD O/P, alarm O/P, vibration O/P and back light O/P, of which LCD O/P is used to transmit and display the system state, e.g. either operation or shutdown can be visualized from LCD, and any real-time failure leading to shutdown can be acquired from LCD. The alarm is used for reminding the users of the status, e.g.: when door lock or unlock is triggered, the alarm will ring or continue to ring for 10˜15 SEC (similar to incoming calls of mobile phone). The vibration output is only used for viberational prompting, unlike acoustic prompting of the alarm. The back light output enables the user to visualize clearly the status via back light of the LCD.
A power regulator 24 and power detector 25, of which the power regulator 24 with boosting function can provide sufficient voltage, since the main power supply of the HHCU 2 is 1.5V DC, and CPU 201 and RF of TRX module 21 require over 3V voltage.
Battery replacement is a key issue since all functions of the HHCU 2 are implemented through the battery power. An auto theft-proof remote controller is generally equipped with a battery detector, which will detect the power and remind the users of replacing battery in the case of lower power. In consideration of different discharge performance, some batteries could be used continuously under lower power (possibly 1 week), and some others may be used up quickly (possibly 1 or 2 days). In such case, the users have to replace the battery immediately, otherwise the vehicles cannot be started. As a most important part of the present invention, the HHCU 2 is designed into a two-way, multifunctional and intelligent remote controller that can notify the users of the accurate power supply state, but also extend the service life of battery and provide the users with sufficient time of replacing or charging the battery.
Referring also to
With this design, the remote control system of the present invention has a longer and more stable transmission distance, whilst the frequencies in the blocks with little interference can be used for signal transmission, helping to prevent piracy with the flexible frequency.
A back-up channel is designed in the present invention to ensure frequency synchronization between the main unit 1 and HHCU 2. This back-up channel is a channel with fixed frequency, which is started in the following cases:
1. When the signals cannot be received normally by the optimized frequency;
2. When the signals cannot be transmitted or received normally die to frequency synchronization between the main unit 1 and HHCU 2.
In either of the aforementioned cases, it is required to switch to the back-up channel immediately, so as to transmit the contents of optimized frequency while the frequencies of the main unit 1 and HHCU 2 are synchronized.
According to said processes, the operating procedures are as follow: when the user presses any functional key of the HHCU 2, a parameter “A” will be generated randomly by the HHCU 2 via CPU 201, then encrypted and added to the signal sent firstly, namely, “TYPEA” signal; the main unit 1 receives and then decrypts the “TYPEA” signals via CPU 101 according to parameter “A”; then a parameter “B” is generated randomly by the main unit 1 via. CPU 101, then encrypted and added to the signal fed back firstly, namely, “TYPEB” signal; the HHCU 2 receives and then decrypts “TYPEB” signal via CPU 201 according to parameter “B”, which is then encrypted and added to the signal sent secondly, namely, “TYPEC” signal; the main unit 1 receives and then decrypts “TYPEC” signal via CPU 101 according to parameter “B”, of which the decrypted signal refers to the functional action to be implemented by the main unit 1 as required by the HHCU 2; after completion of implementation, the main unit 1 sends back to the HHCU 2 the signal fed back secondly, notifying the user of the completed implementation of the required functions. The core of this interactive process is that, multiple encryptions/decryptions of parameters “A”, “B” are required between the HHCU 2 and main unit 1, and parameter “B” in “TYPEC” signal sent by the HHCU 2 is decided randomly by CPU 101 of the main unit 1, so copying simply the signal of the HHCU 2 cannot implement correctly multiple encryption/decryption processes, leading to failure of receiving valid signal by the remote control system.
The following is a description of the encryption/decryption processes of “TYPEA”, “TYPEB” and “TYPEC” signals:
“TYPEA” encryption process: parameter “A” is generated randomly by a random generator contained in CPU 201, and converted by the HHCU 2 into encryption signal and transmitted to the main unit 1.
“TYPEA” decryption process: the main unit 1 receives and converts the parameter “A” into original signal, and then terminates this operation if the signal is invalid after decryption.
“TYPEB” encryption process: parameter “B” is generated randomly by a random generator contained in CPU 101 and stored into RAM 103; the main unit 1 converts the parameter into encryption signal, and transmits to the HHCU.
“TYPEB” decryption process: the HHCU receives parameter “B” and stores into RAM 203, then converts into original signal, and terminates this operation if the signal is invalid after decryption.
“TYPEC” encryption process: the HHCU 2 converts parameter “B” in RAM 203 into encryption signal, and transmits to the main unit 1, “TYPEC” decryption process: the main unit 1 receives and converts parameter “B” in RAM 103 into original signal, and then terminates this operation if the signal is invalid after decryption.
As shown in the figure, “X” and “Y” indicate the “number of multiple polling” in the multiple RF transmission receiving technology, which can be freely adjusted by the HHCU 2, a bigger number of polling means higher stability.
In addition to shortcomings of common remote control system such as: slow response and bigger power consumption, a “group tag encoding technology” has been designed and modified in the present invention, whereby the remote control system presents quick response, smaller power consumption and stronger resistance to interference.
Secondly, larger power consumption is required no matter the HHCU 2 or the main unit 1 is at RX or TX mode, especially for the HHCU 2 with the battery as the power supply. Thus, the power consumption can be reduced by shortening the signal transmission time, without need of waiting time for a quick response.
In addition, if the signals are interrupted or even damaged partially during the transmission process, the receiving end may convert into a TX mode by misjudging as “a period of time upon end of signal transmission”; however, both ends are in a TX mode, leading to failure of normal system operation. After using the “group tag encoding technology”, the receiving end may judge which groups of signals are interrupted according to the received signal tag “n”, or when are the signals ended? This could avoid failure of normal system operation and increase the operational stability of remote control system.
In addition, present invention combines four common remote control function module into one remote control system and with the automatic module switch feature in the main unit to allow the users the ease to employee these function modules with a single HHCU. These four function modules are: keyless entry function module, alarm module, keyless entry-remote start module, and alarm-remote start module. A preferred embodiment of the present invention may comprising: a main unit 1 and a HHCU 2, wherein a module ID for each function module is include in the main unit 1 and HHCU 2. When the HHCU 2 communicates with the main unit 1, main unit 1 sends a particular module ID to the HHCU 2 and then when HHCU 2 receives the module ID, HHCU 2 automatically switch to the corresponding function module with the main unit 1. Hence, to allow a single HHCU 2 to be used for different function module main unit 1.
Referring to
Step 1: as depicted in block 1˜2 of
Step 2: (a) as depicted in block 3˜5 of
Furthermore, present invention includes an automatic power output adjustment function method in corresponding to the distance range between the main unit 1 and HHCU 2. When in close range, a low power RF signal is transmitted and in long range a high power RF signal is transmitted. The following describes the automatic power adjustment function method:
Referring to
Step 1: under normal operation, HHCU 2 transmits a high RF signal to main unit 1 and awaits a responding signal from main unit 1; when the main unit 1 receives a high RF signal from HHCU 2, main unit 1 then sends back a responding high RF signal back to HHCU 2; HHCU 2 receives a responding high RF signal from main unit 1 and completes the process.
Step 2: (a) as depicted in block 1˜3 of
To sum up, the remote control system of the present invention along with its anti-interference and anti-piracy methods for improved stability of RF signals as well as group tag encoding technology could be applied individually or collectively into the remote control system to meet the user demands in a broad range of applications.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.