Patent Application
20210118284
The present invention generally relates to a handheld keyfob retaining tool. More specifically, the present invention relates to a handheld keyfob retaining tool that includes a vehicle ignition switch configured to temporarily connect to an electronic control module (ECM) of a vehicle such that with a keyfob installed to the handheld keyfob retaining tool, the ECM can be programed to recognize, link to and respond to commands sent from the keyfob.
Many vehicles include a wireless communication system that detects the presence of and receives commands from a keyfob. During the vehicle assembly process, the electronic control module (ECM) of the vehicle is typically programmed to recognize the presence of the keyfob and respond to commands from the keyfob.
One object of the present disclosure is to provide a technician working on a vehicle assembly line with a handheld tool that assists with programing an electronic control module (ECM) of a vehicle to recognize, link to and respond to commands from a keyfob that is temporarily inserted into the handheld tool.
In view of the state of the known technology, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a keyfob retaining tool with an ignition switch retaining section, a keyfob retaining section attached to the ignition switch retaining section and an ignition switch installed to the ignition switch retaining section. The ignitions switch is configured to temporarily connect to wiring of a vehicle for electronic communication with an ECM (electronic control module) of the vehicle. The keyfob retaining section is configured to temporarily retain a keyfob adjacent to the ignition switch such that the keyfob establishes a communication connection via the ignition switch with the ECM of the vehicle in order to electronically pair the keyfob with the ECM of the vehicle.
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring initially to
In
In
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A description of the keyfob retaining tool 26 is now provided with specific reference to
As shown in
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The pair of arms 72 are flexible, resilient and are biased toward one another in order to removably retain the keyfob 32 therebetween. In the depicted embodiment, the keyfob 32 has an oval shape. Inner surfaces 72a of the pair of arms 72 face one another. The inner surfaces 72a have curved surfaces that are shaped to conform to the overall shape of the keyfob 32. When at rest (
As shown in
In order to provide the flexibility needed for movement of the pair of arms 72, the keyfob retaining section 52 can be made of a rubber, rubber-like material, polymer materials, resin materials, or any other suitable material that provides the pair of arms 72 with sufficient flexibility to install and remove the keyfob 32 with little effort or force. Similarly, the ignition switch retaining section 50 can be made of the same material as the keyfob retaining section 52 or can be made of more rigid materials. The projections 68 within the opening 62 can be made of a flexible material different than the material of the ignition switch retaining section 50 or can be made of the same material as the ignition switch retaining section 50.
The keyfob retaining section 52 is attached to an outer surface of the ignition switch retaining section via a pair of mechanical fasteners Fi, as shown in
The temporary ignition switch 54 is a factory produced ignition switch mechanism that is functionally and operably identical to the permanent ignition switch 34 installed to the center console 22. The temporary ignition switch 54 is installed within the opening 62 of the ignition switch retaining section 50 and remains installed to the keyfob retaining tool 26 due to contact with the projections 68 within the opening 62 of the ignition switch retaining section 50. The temporary ignition switch 54 includes a wiring harness that is electronically connected to the connector 30. When the connector 30 is attached and/or connected to the connector 16, the temporary ignition switch 54 is electronically connected to the ECM 40.
The handheld keyfob retaining tool 26 is configured to temporarily connect the ignition switch 54 to the connector 16 of the wiring harness 18 of the vehicle 10 in order to program the ECM 40 of the vehicle 10 to recognize the keyfob 32 and respond to instructions received from the keyfob 32, as described in greater detail below.
As shown in
The button 54a is part of an internal switch mechanism that defines the ignition switch. After linking the keyfob 32 with the ECM 40 (as describe further below) and with the ignition switch 54 connected to the ECM 40 via the connectors 16 and 30, when the button 54a is pressed with the vehicle 10 and in an operable mode, the engine (not shown) is started. The vehicle 10 enters into the operable mode with the ECM 40 recognizes the keyfob 32 and the keyfob 32 is a predetermined range (distance) from the ignition switch 54 (or the permanent ignition switch 34). However, before the vehicle 10 can enter the operable mode, the ECM 40 must first be programmed to recognize and respond to the keyfob 32, as described further below.
As shown in
A description of the usage of the handheld keyfob retaining tool 26 is now provided with specific reference to the flowchart in
At step S10 in
At step S11 the ECM 40 determines whether or not the keyfob retaining tool 26 (along with the temporary ignition switch 54) is installed to the vehicle 10. If no, the ECM 40 returns to step S10. If yes, then the ECM 40 moves to step S12. At Step S12, the ECM 40 waits for a predetermined period of time (for example, 10-40 seconds) for the technician to press the button 54a (the temporary ignition switch). If the button is not pressed, the ECM 40 returns to step S10. If yes, the ECM 40 is made aware of the presence of the temporary ignition switch 54 and control moves to step S13. At step S13, the ECM 40 determines whether or not the keyfob 32 is present in the keyfob retaining tool 26.
As shown in
At step S13, the ECM 40 determines whether or not the presence of the keyfob 32 has been detected. If the keyfob 32 is not present, the ECM 40 moves to step S14. At step S14 the ECM 40 illuminates a lamp (not shown) in the instrument cluster of the instrument panel 14. The lamp illuminates a message that indicates that no keyfob is present for a predetermined period of time alerting the technician to the current condition. Operation then returns to step S12.
At step S13, if the keyfob 32 has been detected by the ECM 40 via the antennas 80 and 82, operation then moves to step S15. At step S15, automatic communications between the ECM 40 and the keyfob 32 commence where the ECM 40 receives a code or codes from the keyfob 32 unique to the keyfob 32. The ECM 40 stores the code or codes identifying the keyfob 32. Thereafter, the ECM 40 response to all commands from the keyfob 32. The commands from the keyfob 32 are preprogrammed commands linked to the pressing of buttons on the keyfob 32 in a conventional manner. This operation electronically pairs the keyfob 32 with the ECM 40 of the vehicle 10. The ECM 40 then illuminates another lamp or lamp on the instrument cluster confirming to the technician that the pairing operation is complete. Operation then moves to step S16.
At step S16, the technician presses on the keyfob 32 causing it to move into contact with the ignition switch button 54a thereby signaling to the ECM 40 to start the engine 44 of the vehicle 10. It should be understood from the drawings and the description herein that, alternatively, the technician can merely press the button 54a without pressing on the keyfob 32. The ECM 40 is programmed to wait a predetermined period of time (for example, 10-40 seconds) for the pressing of the button 54a. If the button 54a is not pressed within that period of time, then operation moves to step S17 where an error signal is actuated by the ECM 40. The error signal can be a noise (the horn), a lamp being illuminated or lamps being caused to blink informing the technician of a problem.
If the ECM 40 detects that the button 54a is pressed within the predetermined period of time, then operation moves to step S18 where the ECM 40 provides an indication of completion of the pairing process. The indication can be, for example, lamps being illuminated, or if ready, the engine 44 can be started. Operation then moves to step S19 where the operation is ended.
As shown in
During the vehicle assembly process partially depicted in
The ECM 40 is an electronic controller that preferably includes a microcomputer with a keyfob linking and command control program that controls the linking process described herein. The electronic controller (ECM 40) can also include other conventional components such as an input interface circuit, an output interface circuit, and storage devices such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) device and a RAM (Random Access Memory) device. The microcomputer of the electronic controller (ECM 40) is programmed to control various vehicle operations, engine and transmission control, etc., as well as the keyfob linking process (initialization process). The memory circuit stores processing results and control programs such as ones for the keyfob linking process (initialization process) that are run by the processor circuit. The electronic controller (ECM 40) is operatively coupled to the various elements and electronic components of the vehicle in a conventional manner. The internal RAM of the electronic controller (ECM 40) stores statuses of operational flags and various control data. The electronic controller (ECM 40) is capable of selectively controlling any of the components of the control system in accordance with the control program. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the precise structure and algorithms for the electronic controller (ECM 40) can be any combination of hardware and software that will carry out the functions of the present invention.
The various vehicle elements such as, for example, the instrument panel 14 and the engine 44 are conventional components that are well known in the art. Since these vehicle elements are well known in the art, these structures will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the components can be any type of structure and/or programming that can be used to carry out the present invention.
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the above embodiment, the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped with the keyfob retaining tool 26. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the keyfob retaining tool.
The term “detect” as used herein to describe an operation or function carried out by a component, a section, a device or the like includes a component, a section, a device or the like that does not require physical detection, but rather includes determining, measuring, modeling, predicting or computing or the like to carry out the operation or function.
The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section or part of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function.
The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
