Patent ID: 6496100
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A remote control system for a vehicle having an ignition for causing a power plant of said vehicle to be started to permit mobility of said vehicle and at least one vehicle door adapted for movement between an open and a closed position, the system comprising:a lock associated with said ignition, said lock having a locked and unlocked state, said vehicle power plant being disabled from starting until said ignition lock is in said unlocked state; an ignition key adapted for cooperation with said ignition lock for selectively urging said ignition lock between said locked and unlocked states; a proximity approximator associated with said key and said ignition, said approximator adapted to determine when said key is within a predetermined proximity of said ignition and a vehicle door position sensor that is adapted to sense the opening and closing of the vehicle door; and a user interface associated with said key, said interface adapted to permit a user to communicate at least one signal to said system while remote from said vehicle, said communicated signal being acted upon by said system in a preselected manner and said communicated signal not being acted upon by said system whenever said approximator indicates that said key is within said predetermined proximity of said ignition.