Patent ID: 7605689
Filing Date: 2009-10-20
Classification: G08C

Abstract:
1. A remote control comprising: a portable housing; a user input; a transmitter and a receiver disposed within the housing, the transmitter operative to send commands, the receiver operative to receive vehicle status from a vehicle; a display disposed within the housing; a battery disposed within the housing; at least one energy harvesting system disposed within the housing, the energy harvesting system operative to supply power to at least one of the receiver, the transmitter, and the display; a power control switch disposed within the housing, the power control switch operative to interconnect the battery with at least one of the receiver, the transmitter, and the display; and control logic in communication with the power control switch and disposed within the housing, the control logic operative to control the power control switch based on at least one of the user input and an availability of energy from the energy harvesting system; wherein the control logic is further operative to control the receiver to receive the vehicle status only when energy is determined by the control logic to be available from the at least one energy harvesting system to update the display with the received vehicle status.