Patent Application
20070273477
The invention relates to a programmable remote control that allows a user to lock, unlock, and open the doors and trunk and to control the alarm system of more than one vehicle. The remote control is programmed so that only one vehicle is controlled at a time.
Remote controls for locking, unlocking, opening doors, and controlling the alarm systems of vehicles have been available for many years, so it is no longer a strange sight when someone unlocks a car door from several feet away. Most people today readily recognize the audible beeps that signal when a vehicle's alarm has been either armed or disarmed by a remote control used by the owner. It is also not uncommon for people to own more than one vehicle, which creates the need for multiple remote controls; while relatively small, these remote controls can be somewhat bulky so that it is inconvenient to carry two or more of them. Furthermore, if a user were to purchase another vehicle, that vehicle would have its own remote control, thus adding to the user's collection. The prior art has tried, and failed, to remedy this inconvenience.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,876 by Flick teaches a multi-vehicle compatible control system which generates command signals on a data bus and associated methods. The control system includes a transmitter and a receiver, and a multi-vehicle compatible controller that cooperates with the transmitter and receiver. The controller generates multiple signals or codes, but only one signal will cause a response in a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,029 to Stenman et al. discloses a mobile station that has communications functionalities. The mobile station is able to remotely control a variety of peripheral devices through user-provided inputs. The mobile station accesses these devices through wireless telephony networks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,316 to DiCroce provides a system to allow a user to expand and increase the abilities of a remote control vehicle security system. That is, since most standard remote controls allow only door locking, door unlocking, and trunk opening, DiCroce provides a way to allow the user to add functions such as starting the engine without need for a second installation of hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,774 by Drori teaches a remote control access system which comprises one or more hand held remote transmitters and a receiver unit. This allows the receiver to be operable with a multiple number of transmitters.
The present invention allows for a single remote control device that a user can easily carry along on a keychain or in a pocket, purse, backpack, etc. The user can train the remote control device to function with numerous vehicles and to control various functions for each of the numerous vehicles. No additional hardware installation in the vehicle is required, as long as the vehicle already possesses the proper system to receive signals.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the number of remote control devices a user who owns more than one vehicle must carry. It is a further object of the present invention to allow the user to use the same remote control device even after relinquishing possession of one vehicle and gaining possession of another vehicle. It is an even further object of the present invention to allow one remote control device to be compatible with multiple vehicles of various manufacturers. It is yet a further object of the present invention to allow one remote control device to be compatible with vehicles capable of receiving various types of signals.
The present invention achieves these and other objectives wherein it is directed to a remote control device with the capability of sending one or more signals to each of several vehicles. The remote control device includes one or more buttons, a switch for selecting each vehicle, a signal emitter, and a signal receiver.
The attached drawing figures, in which like reference characters represent like parts, are included solely to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever, wherein:
As best shown in
The emitter (5) on the remote control device (1) emits the signal that is received by the vehicle. This signal can be any type of wirelessly transmitted signal, such as radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), etc.
The receiver (6) on the remote control device (1) is what allows the invention to control multiple vehicles. If one of the positions of the switch (3 or 4) is unused, then a user, when desiring to add a vehicle to an unused spot on the remote control device (1) must press the switch to the unused spot. Then, the user simply presses a series of predetermined buttons (2) to place the remote control device (1) into training mode. While in training mode, the remote control device (1) receives signals through the receiver (6) and records any signal that it senses. Therefore, the user must activate the original remote that came with the vehicle, thus giving the remote control device (1) a signal to record. A button (2) is then pressed so the recorded signal is assigned to that button. Finally, the user must press the same or a different series of predetermined buttons (2) to deactivate training mode, thus placing the remote control device (1) back into normal mode. The remote control device (1) can now mimic any function for which it has recorded a signal.
The computer programs and electronic components necessary to practice the present invention can be assembled from various commercial sources known to those skilled in the art. Some examples of the necessary computer programs and electronic circuitry that may be used in the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,346,876; 6,223,029; 5,828,316; and 5,650,774 which are incorporated herein by reference.
Having described the present invention, it will now be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
