EP0629758A1 - Remote control system with several functional ranges selected by means of threshold detection - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a remote-control system for actuating units in a motor vehicle. According to the invention, a shaping circuit (202) exhibits a threshold level set as a function of a predetermined functional range area so as to enable a function ordered by the sender only if the latter is within the said functional range area. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a remote control system for actuating components in a motor vehicle.

The present invention relates to the field of remote control systems, in particular for controlling access to the motor vehicle.

Known remote control systems generally include, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, a portable transmitter 10 carried by a user and a receiver module 20 on board a vehicle 30. The transmitter 10 is designed to generate a coded wave 10a. By coded wave is meant a wave carrying control information. This coded wave can be provided by radio, light, infrared or ultrasonic transmission in particular.

The receiver module 20 is designed to detect the coded wave generated by the transmitter and to decode it. When the code generated by the transmitter 10 corresponds to one or more predetermined codes, the receiver controls the locking and unlocking of the doors of the motor vehicle 30 or of the auxiliary components of the vehicle.

The remote control systems of a coded wave with radio transmission in particular are very flexible to use insofar as the user does not need to direct the transmitter towards the vehicle for the transmission to be established and on the other hand where the transmission can be established at a distance of several tens of meters from the vehicle.

Generally in high-end systems, the transmitter 10 has several keys which are associated with particular functions such as locking the doors, unlocking the doors, switching on the overhead light or vehicle lights, closing the windows, triggering an alarm. Each function has its own key, the size of the case is important and the ergonomics the use of the box is degraded by the presence of too many keys.

For certain control functions such as unlocking the doors and closing the windows remotely, a large transmission range can be a factor degrading safety. Unintentionally pressing the buttons on the remote control could cause the doors to unlock without the knowledge of the remote control user.

For the convenience of using certain functions such as the remote control of the lighting of the ceiling light or the vehicle lights, it is on the contrary desirable to have a large transmission range in order to be able to use this function for to find his vehicle, in a parking lot for example. A transmission range of several tens of meters is therefore desirable.

It therefore appears that with known conventional systems, the compromise between the comfort of using the remote control and security is then reflected in the choice of a transmission range of 5 to 10 meters. This transmission range favors safety at the expense of user comfort.

The object of the present invention is therefore to improve these systems by eliminating this compromise and by reducing the number of keys on the remote control unit.

This is achieved by creating functional areas around the vehicle.

As shown in Figure 2, each of the system functions is assigned an authorized operating area around the vehicle. The functions of type F1 can therefore only be controlled in the area B delimited by the transition distance D1. The functions of type F2 can be controlled in zone A delimited by the transmission range of the system P and the transition distance D1.

The system, object of the present invention, could also include other functional zones delimited by transition distances D2, D3, with which the functions of type F2, F3 would be associated. For practical reasons, the following description will relate only to a system with two functional areas.

According to another aspect of the invention, a single key on the remote control makes it possible to control several functions depending on the distance from which the transmitter of the vehicle is located. For example, pressing key n ° 1 controls the lighting of the ceiling light when the user is in zone A and controls the unlocking of the doors when the user is in zone B.

Thanks to this system, safety and comfort of use are thus ensured by the same remote control and with few keys.

The invention relates to a remote control system for actuating organs in a motor vehicle and in particular the locking / unlocking of the doors, of the type comprising a portable transmitter capable of generating a coded electromagnetic wave and a receiver module placed in a motor vehicle and designed to receive and decode the coded electromagnetic wave generated by the portable transmitter comprising a processor, a radio transmitter, a set of function keys and a battery supply assembly, the receiver module comprising a reception antenna , a radio receiver, a circuit for shaping the demodulated signals, a data processing processor and a circuit for controlling the electromechanical components of the vehicle. It is characterized in that the processor comprises means for controlling the detection threshold of the circuit for shaping the demodulated signals, so as to define several areas of functional range around the vehicle.

• les figures 1 et 2 décrites plus haut,
• la figure 3, qui représente la courbe d'évolution du niveau HF reçu en fonction de la distance émetteur - véhicule,
• la figure 4, qui représente une vue schématique sous forme de blocs diagrammes fonctionnels du système de télécommande radioélectrique conforme à la présente invention,
• la figure 5, qui représente un exemple de format des données transmises par l'émetteur,
• la figure 6, qui représente une variante de format des données transmises par l'émetteur,
• la figure 7, qui représente le chronogramme de fonctionnement pour la commande du seuil de détection,
• la figure 8, qui représente le chronogramme de fonctionnement du module récepteur dans une application de transmission radioélectrique.

The following description corresponds to a preferred solution in the case of the application of the invention to a radio transmission on a motor vehicle described using:

• Figures 1 and 2 described above,
• FIG. 3, which represents the evolution curve of the HF level received as a function of the transmitter-vehicle distance,
• FIG. 4, which represents a schematic view in the form of functional block diagrams of the radio remote control system according to the present invention,
• FIG. 5, which represents an example of the format of the data transmitted by the transmitter,
• FIG. 6, which represents a variant of the format of the data transmitted by the transmitter,
• FIG. 7, which represents the operating timing diagram for controlling the detection threshold,
• FIG. 8, which represents the operating diagram of the receiver module in a radio transmission application.

Considering that the level of the HF signal received on the antenna of the receiver is a function of the distance between the transmitter and the receiver and that the variation of this level as a function of the distance follows a decreasing law as indicated in FIG. 3, it is possible, for a given transmitter and vehicle, to determine approximately how far the transmitter is from the vehicle by detecting the HF level of the received signal.

A high detection threshold corresponding to the transition distance D1 (abscissa in FIG. 3 and corresponding circle, FIG. 2) and a low detection threshold corresponding to the limit are thus defined on the level of the received wave (HF here). transmission range P (abscissa in FIG. 3 and corresponding circle in FIG. 2). It is clear that one can choose several intermediate levels D2, D3, .... between D1 and P which are determined in advance and are represented by values recorded in advance in a memory of the receiver module 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the transmitter comprises a processor 100, a radio transmitter 101, a set of function keys 102 and a battery supply assembly 103.

The receiver module comprises a radio receiver 201 equipped with an HF antenna 200, a circuit for shaping the demodulated signals 202, a data processing processor 203 and a circuit for controlling the electromechanical members of the vehicle 204.

The radio receiver 201 is responsible for amplifying and demodulating the coded radio wave received on the receiving antenna 200. This radio receiver 201 supplies the shaping circuit 202 with an analog signal representative of the coded message sent by the transmitter. 10. The shaping circuit 202 supplies the processor 203 with one or more logical data signals adapted to the technique of acquiring and decoding the data of the coded message implemented in the application. The processor 203 comprises means for switching a detection threshold of the shaping circuit 202, of the demodulated signals. By this means, the processor 203 controls by a control signal the detection threshold of the shaping circuit 202 so as to detect the HF level of the received signal. This control signal acts as follows:

When the threshold control signal is at logic level 0, the detection threshold is adjusted to its low level (see FIG. 7).

All the electromagnetic signals received on the reception antenna 200 which produce, at the output of the HF receiver 201, demodulated signals whose levels are above this low detection threshold are formed by the circuit 202 and recorded or exploited by the processor 204. The low level of detection threshold thus determines the transmission range P of the system.

When the control signal is at logic level 1, the detection threshold is adjusted to its high level (see FIG. 7). All the electromagnetic signals received on the reception antenna 200 which produce, at the output of the HF receiver 201, demodulated signals whose levels are below the high detection threshold are not shaped by the circuit 202 and are therefore not recorded or used by processor 203. The high level of the detection threshold thus determines the transition distance D1 of the system.

By default, the processor 203 controls the detection threshold at the low level in order to be able to receive all the coded waves emitted from zones A and B.

At each activation of a key or a combination of keys 102 of the transmitter, the processor 100 generates a coded wave composed as shown in FIG. 5 of a part of coded data A and of a part of data coded B. The coded data part A contains the identification data of the transmitter and the part B contains only elementary data intended to verify that the receiver module is capable of receiving them. In particular, the second part of the message is intended to allow the detection of the level of the signals received by the receiver module 20.

Let us first consider the case where the transmitter is placed in zone A. When the transmitter transmits a coded wave, the HF 201 receiver provides demodulated signals whose level is above the low detection threshold of the activation circuit. form 202 but below the high detection threshold. In the case where more than two functional range areas are predetermined, the means for switching the detection threshold of the shaping circuit 203 chooses the detection threshold level corresponding to the functional range area associated with the received command such that '' she is represented in the first part of the message. Several threshold levels can be saved or otherwise predetermined.

On reception of the coded wave, as indicated in FIG. 8, the processor 203 connects the execution of several operations in order to determine on the one hand the validity of the coded data received and on the other hand to determine the function to be controlled .

The flowchart in Figure 8 helps to better understand the chronological sequence of operations.

• S1 Le processeur 203 du module récepteur 20 acquiert les données de la partie A du message transmis par l'émetteur 10.
• S2 Lorsque le processeur 203 a acquit toutes les données, il les décode et vérifie leur validité
• S3 Si le processeur 203 considère les données valides, il active le signal de commande du seuil de détection du circuit de mise en forme 202 afin de porter le seuil de détection au niveau haut.
• S4 Après le temps nécessaire à la stabilisation des signaux analogiques du circuit de mise en forme, le processeur démarre le processus d'acquisition des données de la partie B du message transmis par l'onde codée.
• S5 Puisque les signaux démodulés fournis par le récepteur HF 201 sont inférieurs au seuil de détection haut du circuit de mise forme 202, aucun signal logique de donnée n'est transmis au processeur 203. Le processeur ne peut ainsi acquérir les données de la partie B du message transmis par l'émetteur. Il commande donc la fonction F2.

The operations performed by processor 203 are as follows:

• S1 The processor 203 of the receiver module 20 acquires the data of part A of the message transmitted by the transmitter 10.
• S2 When the processor 203 has acquired all the data, it decodes them and checks their validity
• S3 If the processor 203 considers the data valid, it activates the control signal for the detection threshold of the shaping circuit 202 in order to bring the detection threshold to the high level.
• S4 After the time necessary for the analog signals of the shaping circuit to stabilize, the processor starts the process of acquiring the data of part B of the message transmitted by the coded wave.
• S5 Since the demodulated signals supplied by the HF receiver 201 are less than the high detection threshold of the shaping circuit 202, no logical data signal is transmitted to the processor 203. The processor cannot thus acquire the data of part B of the message transmitted by the sender. It therefore controls the function F2.

Let us now consider the case where the transmitter is placed in zone B. When the transmitter transmits a coded wave, the receiver HF 201 provides demodulated signals whose level is higher than the high and low detection thresholds of the shaping circuit 202.

• S5 Puisque les signaux démodulés fournis par le récepteur HF 201 sont supérieurs au seuil de détection haut du circuit de mise forme 202, les signaux logiques de donnée sont transmis au processeur 203. Le processeur peut ainsi acquérir les données de la partie B du message transmis par l'émetteur.
• S6 Lorsque le processeur 203 a acquit toutes les données, il les décode et vérifie leur validité
• S7 Si le processeur 203 considère les données valides, il commande alors la fonction F1.

The operations take place as in the previous case up to phase 4 and then follow each other as follows:

• S5 Since the demodulated signals supplied by the HF receiver 201 are greater than the high detection threshold of the shaping circuit 202, the logical data signals are transmitted to the processor 203. The processor can thus acquire the data of part B of the transmitted message by the transmitter.
• S6 When the processor 203 has acquired all the data, it decodes them and checks their validity
• S7 If processor 203 considers the data valid, it then commands function F1.

The format of the data message can be different from that indicated in FIG. 4. The principle claimed in this invention can for example be applied to a message format as indicated in FIG. 5 for which the messages A are repeated one or several times.

Part B of the message can also be reduced to unencrypted data.

Claims (4)

Remote control system for actuating components in a motor vehicle and in particular locking / unlocking the doors, of the type comprising a portable transmitter (10) capable of generating a coded electromagnetic wave and a receiver module (20) placed in a vehicle automotive and designed to receive and decode the coded electromagnetic wave generated by the portable transmitter (10) comprising a processor (100), a radio transmitter (101), a set of function keys (102) and a power supply assembly by batteries (103), the receiver module (20) comprising a reception antenna (200), a radio receiver (201), a circuit for shaping the demodulated signals (202), a data processing processor (203) and a circuit for controlling the electromechanical members of the vehicle (204), characterized in that the processor (203) comprises means for controlling the detection threshold of the setting circuit for me demodulated signals (202), so as to define several functional range areas around the vehicle. Remote control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (10) transmits a coded message formed by at least 2 parts, the first of which is intended to allow the identification of the transmitter (10) and the second is intended to allow the detection of the level of the signals received by the receiver module (20). Remote control system according to claim 2, characterized in that the processor (203) of the receiver module (20) comprises means for switching the detection threshold of the shaping circuit (202) (from low level to high level) in response to receiving and decoding the first part of the message to determine in which area the transmitter is located around the vehicle, which switches to a detection level, such as the high level. Remote control system according to claims 1, characterized in that a single button on the portable transmitter (10) makes it possible to trigger several functions depending on the zone in which the transmitter is located around the vehicle, at least at the rate of a function by functional range area, the function being executed in particular by the control circuit of the electromechanical members of the vehicle (204).

Images