Patent Application
20080048828
The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further advantages thereof, may be best understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ in the present invention.
Referring to
In either embodiment, control module 20 may be a microprocessor having signal processing and memory storage functionality. Within the memory of control module 20, a series of codes are stored which enable the unlocking of doors 14 and ignition 15. Control module 20 is also configured to generate signals that cause unlocking of ignition 15. As recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, engagement of ignition 15 causes engine 13 to start. In one embodiment, ignition 15 has a locked and unlocked state. In the unlocked state, ignition 15 is engageable by a user to start engine 13. In the locked state, the ignition 15 is locked and prevents starting of engine 13.
When a user selects a predetermined sequence of buttons 18a, signals from user input device 18 are received by control module 20. As such, the control module compares the entered sequence of buttons 18a with the codes stored within the memory of control module 20. If control module 20 determines that the entered code corresponds with the stored code for unlocking doors 14, doors 14 will be unlocked, thereby enabling entry into vehicle 12.
Additionally, control module 20 includes a timer for determining whether a predetermined time period has occurred before successive sequences are entered via user input device 18. In a preferred embodiment, a second code may be entered within the predetermined time period, which if correct, causes unlocking of unlocking of ignition 15. Preferably, although not necessarily, the predetermined time period may range from 5 to 15 seconds. If a correct second or subsequent code is not entered within the predetermined time period, the control module is configured to terminate the keyless operating program. Nevertheless, once the second user input is entered, within the predetermined time period and received by control module 20, control module 20 compares the second code to codes contained within the memory of control module 20. If the second code corresponds to or matches the codes stored within control module 20, a signal is generated by control module 20 that causes unlocking of ignition 15. Unlocking of ignition 15 will enable the vehicle operator or user to keylessly engage the ignition and start engine 13.
In a preferred embodiment, the ignition 15 includes a rotatable cylinder that is adapted to receive a key. In such an embodiment, assuming the correct sequence of buttons is pressed within the predetermined time period, the user may simply rotate the ignition cylinder thereby starting engine 13. Alternatively, ignition 15 may be embodied as a button, which may be activated upon the entry of correct codes. Engagement of the button causes starting of engine 13. It is recognized that other types of ignitions may vary from those described in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As a security measure, the timer of control module 20 may also determine whether the process for starting vehicle 12 has commenced within a second predetermined time period. For example, in one embodiment, the user should begin the process for starting the vehicle within approximately 20 seconds. In alternative embodiments, the predetermined time period may vary without departing from the scope of the invention. Nevertheless, if the starting process has not commenced within the predetermined time period, control module 20 generates signals that cause ignition 15 to enter the locked state. Accordingly, as described above, the user will not be able to keylessly engage ignition 15 and start vehicle 12 while ignition 15 is in the locked state.
Now referring to
If the correct code has been entered, a block 38 occurs wherein the doors are unlocked. As depicted by block 40, the method includes a step of determining whether a second code has been entered within a predetermined time period. If a second code has not been entered within the second predetermined time period, the keyless entry operating method ends as depicted by block 42. However, if the second code is entered within the predetermined time period, the method determines whether the entered second code is correct, as depicted by block 44. If the second code entered is incorrect, the keyless operating system method ends as shown at block 46. Alternatively, if the second code entered is correct, the ignition of the vehicle is unlocked as depicted by block 48. Subsequent to block 48, a block 50 depicts the determination of whether the ignition has been engaged within a second predetermined time period. If the ignition has not been engaged within the second predetermined time period, the ignition enters the locked state as depicted by block 52.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
