Granted Patent B2

US 7,850,078 · App. 11/738,872 · Granted Dec 14, 2010

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. A remote control system for gaining access to a vehicle, the remote control system comprising:

a portable control unit including a user interface accepting user input, the portable control unit operable for transmitting passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands for controlling passive entry functions and remote keyless entry functions, the portable control unit operative to respond to a radio frequency query;

a radio frequency transmitter separate from the portable control unit, the transmitter having at least one antenna for determining if the portable control unit is within the vehicle by transmitting the radio frequency query; and

control logic separate from the portable control unit, the control logic in communication with the transmitter, the control logic operative to determine if the vehicle is locked, the control logic further operative to ignore both passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands transmitted by the portable control unit after the vehicle has been locked with the portable control unit within the vehicle until a predetermined code is entered on the user interface of the portable control unit, the control logic further operative to accept both passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands transmitted by the portable control unit upon the predetermined code being entered on the user interface of the portable control unit after the control logic was operative to ignore both passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands transmitted by the portable control unit.

2. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises controlling at least one door operation.

3. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises starting at least one of an engine and a motor in the vehicle.

4. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency query is transmitted at a first frequency and the portable control unit commands are transmitted at a second frequency different than the first frequency to a receiver in communication with the control logic.

5. A method of controlling access to functionality in a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether or not a portable remote control unit capable of transmitting passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands is within the vehicle;

determining whether the vehicle is locked;

determining whether the portable remote control unit is within the vehicle after the vehicle has been locked;

deactivating both of passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands from the portable remote control unit if the portable remote control unit is determined to be within the vehicle after the vehicle has been locked;

receiving a sequence of user inputs from the portable remote control unit; and

reactivating both of passive entry function commands and remote keyless entry function commands from the portable remote control unit if the received sequence of user inputs matches a predetermined sequence of expected user inputs.

6. The method of controlling access to functionality in a vehicle as in claim 5 wherein at least one of the function commands comprises a command to unlock at least one vehicle door.

7. The method of controlling access to functionality in a vehicle as in claim 5 wherein at least one of the function commands comprises a command to enable a motive driver for the vehicle.

8. The method of controlling access to functionality in a vehicle as in claim 5 wherein determining whether or not the portable remote control unit is within the vehicle comprises transmitting a radio frequency signal from at least one antenna associated with the vehicle.

9. The method of controlling access to functionality in a vehicle as in claim 8 wherein the frequency of the signal transmitted to determine whether or not the portable remote control unit is within the vehicle is different than the frequency of a signal transmitted by the portable remote control unit for either of a passive entry function command or a remote keyless entry function command.

10. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a portable unit with a user input, the portable unit responding to transmissions from the vehicle to determine a location of the portable unit and to transmit passive entry commands to the vehicle for controlling passive entry functions, the portable unit responding to the user input to transmit remote keyless entry commands to the vehicle for controlling remote keyless entry functions;

a locating system on the vehicle determining the location of the portable unit; and

control logic within the vehicle operative to determine if the vehicle is locked, the control logic further operative to disable response to both of the transmitted passive entry function commands and the transmitted remote keyless entry function commands after the vehicle has been locked with the portable unit within the vehicle and to reenable response to the disabled command response when a proper sequence is entered on the portable unit user input.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the passive entry functions include a push button start vehicle function.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the locating system comprises at least one interior antenna and at least one exterior antenna.

Assignments (9)