Devices for the remote transmission of controls in security

Abstract: Devices for the remote transmission of controls in security constituted by a remote control device comprising a microprocessor equipped with EPROM and programmed in such a way to be suitable to code the output messages according to a fixed base code and a dynamic code, determined for any message performing a predetermined algorithm on the dinamic code employed in the previous transmitted message, and by a receiver connected to the means to control, comprising a microprocessor equipped with an EPROM and programmed in such a way to be suitable to check the code of the received messages on the ground of the same fixed base code of the remote control device and of the dynamic code, which it determines automatically performing the same algorithm of the remote control device on the stored dynamic code of the previous received message, and to transmit a control signal of the means to control after the positive comparison of the two codes of the input message with the base code and the new dynamic code, calculated by itself, taken toghether, being the base codes and part of the instructions for performing the algorithm, as the other instructions are comprised in the program, storable upon assembling of the devices in the EPROMs while the dynamic codes are stored and erased progressively during the various operations of the devices.

Description: The present invention refers to devices for the remote transmission of controls in security, in particular to an antitheft system for a vehicle controlled through radio signals. Document EP-A-0 257 376 discloses a system for remotely controlling in security means such a lock for a vehicle. This system comprises a remote control device and a receiver device associated with means to be controlled; the remote control device comprises an encoder module, a transmitter module for transmitting encoded signals to the receiver device and a control key. The receiver device comprises a receiving module for receiving encoded signals from the remote control device and a decoding module suitable to emit a control signal after checking the code of the received encoded signal. By a first operation, for instance when assembling the system on a vehicle, the initial value of a stored binary dynamic code is determined and a random binary value is generated; these values are stored both in the encoder module in the remote control device and in the decoding module in the receiver device. The encoder module in the remote control device comprises a microcomputer programmed to perform an algorithm upon each actuation of the control key to determine each time a new dynamic code which is stored in replacement of the previous dynamic code and to transmit to the transmitter module a signal encoded according to the new dynamic code. The decoding module in the receiver device comprises a microcomputer programmed to perform, on receipt of a signal from the remote control device, the same said algorithm to obtain a new dynamic code and store this new dynamic code in a RAM, compare the code of the received encoded signal with the new dynamic code and: a) emit a control signal in case the code of the received encoded signal corresponds with the new dynamic code; b) emit no control signal in case said code and signal do not correspond. For example the dynamic codes stored in the remote control device and the receiver device may differ when the receiver device has not received an encoded signal transmitted formerly by the remote control device. In this case the receiver device determines whether the received encoded signal corresponds to one of a plurality of codes stored in its internal memory. If a corresponding code is found, this code is used by the receiver device as new dynamic code, thereby ensuring that the dynamic codes stored respectively in the remote control device and the receiver device correspond. The present invention as defined in independent claim 1 provides a new way to ensure in security that the dynamic code stored in the receiver device corresponds to the dynamic code stored in the remote control device. Particular embodiments of the invention are defined by the dependent claims. For better explaining the invention according to this description it will be described an embodiment, only as an example, referring to the enclosed drawings, in which: figure 1 is a block diagram, figures 2, 3 are electronic diagrams. The devices illustrated in the example refer to the remote control device of an antitheft apparatus for two motor-cars, and particularly of the functions of arming and disarming, of the antirobbery function and of the panic function of said apparatus, and of the devices of opening and closing of the gates of a house and of a factory. Said devices are constituted by a remote control device I, including an encoder module Ia, a radio transmitter module Ib, a micropile MB and a key board SW of control of eight switches SW1,SW2,SW3,SW4,SW5,SW6,SW7,SW8; and by four devices installed every one on board of each car and joined to each one of the two opening and closing members of the two gates, each of said devices including an equal radio receiver II, constituted by a receiving module IIa and a decoding module IIb, suitable to send control signals respectively to the central functioning module III of the antitheft apparatus of the two cars and of the opening and closing member of the gates. Only the encoder module Ia of the remote control device I and the decoding module IIb of the receivers II are described into details as all other modules are well known to the state of the art. The encoder module Ia of the remote control device I is constituted essentially by the microprocessor, embodied by the integrated circuit IC1 (COP 822C Single Chip microCMOS Microcontroller of the National Semiconductor Corporation) and by a EEPROM E1 (NM 9308/COP494 256-Bit Serial Electric Erasable Programmable Memory of the National Semiconductor Corporation). Pin 6 of IC1 is connected to the positive supply, while pin 15 is connected to ground. Pins 4 and 5 of the oscillating system of IC1 are connected to the ceramic resonator RI1 of 1 MHz in parallel with the resistor R1 (1 Mo) and to the ground through capacitors C1 and C2 (100 pF). The reset pin 16 is connected through C3 (100 pF) to ground and through the parallel of diode D9 (1N4004) and R2 (100 Ko) to the positive, pins 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 are connected through diodes (1N4004) D1,D2,D3,D4,D5,D6,D7,D8 and the bus B1 to the eight control keys of IC1, while pins 3 and 1 are connected respectively to pins 4 and 3 of EEPROM E1 respectively for reading and storing in E1. Pins 2 and 19 of IC1 are connected to pins 2 and 1 of E1 respectively for the clock pulses and for the selection of EEPROM, in this case not used because it is foreseen to employ only an EEPROM. At last pins 17 and 20 are connected to TU1 and TU2, which are the output terminals of the carrier and modulation signals. Pin 18 is connected to the base of transistor T1 (NPN BC182), pilot of transistor T2 (PNP BC182); T1 is equipped with load resistors (1 Mo) of the base, and its collector is connected through R7 (27 Ko) to the base of T2 and through R5 (100 Ko) directly to the positive, the base of T2 is connected then through R7 and the diodes D10,D11,D12,D13,D14,D15,D16,D17 to the eight switches SW of the control keys, the opposite terminals of which are connected permanently to ground. The collector of T2 is connected permanently to positive supply while its collector is connected to the positive supply line of the encoder module and that is of IC1 and E1. EEPROM E1 is equipped with three registers of eight bits for storing the base code, a register of 8 bits for storing the order of the operations foreseen by the program, according to which IC1 is masked, for the algorithm, that IC1 has to perform at the beginning, starting from the base code and subsequently from the dynamic codes for determining the following dynamic code, which is set as a sequence of an addition, a subtraction, a multiplication and the performance of the complement, while an other register of 8 bits is used for storing the coefficients of the single operations in sequence and that is the addendum which has to be added to the base code, the number which has to be subtracted from the previous sum, the factor by which the result of the previous operation has to be multiplied. Moreover E1 includes 15 series of four registers, each of 8 bits, to be employed for storing and erasing the dynamic codes. Each decoding module IIb of the receivers is composed similarly by a Microprocessor IC2 equal to IC1 and by an EEPROM E2 equal to E1. Pins 6,4,5,16,15,3,2,1,19 of IC2 are connected as those of IC1 to the resonator, to the positive and negative supply, to reset, to E2, while the outputs corresponding to pins 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 are connected through bus B2 to the controlled means in different way for each of said four means. In fact the output terminal U1,U2,U3 (pins 14,13,12) of the microprocessor of the first car, corresponding to keys SW1,SW2,SW3 are connected respectively to the imput terminal of the central functioning module of the antitheft apparatus of the first car, relating to the arming and disarming of the antitheft apparatus, to the control of the antirobbery function and to the control of the panic function of the same, and similarly the output terminal U4,U5.U6 (pins 11,10,9) of the microprocessor of the second car corresponding to the keys SW4,Sw5,SW6 are connected respectively for the similar functions to the central functioning module of the antitheft apparatus of the second car, while the output terminal U7,U8 (pins 8,7) corresponding to keys SW7,SW8 respectively of the microprocessor of the gate of the house and of that of the factory, are joined to the respective members of opening and closing of said gates. Pin 20 is connected to input terminal TE1 of the messages coming from the receiving module. The external components of IC2 corresponding to those of IC1 and which will be marked with the same reference numbers followed by an apostrophe, are R1′ (1 Mo), C1′ and C2′ (both 56 pF), C3′ (100 pF), R2′ (100 Ko) and D9′ (1N4148). Upon assembling of the remote control device and of the radio receiver there are stored electrically in three special registers of EEPROM E1 and of all EPROMs E2 the base code constituted by 24 bits and that is by three words each of 8 bits, moreover in the special registers respectively the code of 4 bits of the succession of performance of the operations of the algorithm and that of the numerical coefficients of said operations. Functioning of the devices. When a key is actuated, irrespective of which one, the base of T2 is grounded through R7, so T2 is excited and brings the positive then through its emitter to the whole module Ia, and moreover the pin of IC1 connected to the switch corresponding to the actuated key is brought low. The program according to which IC1 is masked provides the emitting, further to the negative to one of the pins connected to the switches SW, of a positive pulse from pin 18, which excites T1, which at its turn mantains in conduction through its collector, which goes to ground, T2 also after the ceasing of the acting of the key previously acted and that is of the reopening of the corresponding switch SW. Upon its supplying, IC1 reads the base code and the dynamic code, which at the beginning is nothing, and the instructions stored in E1 through the connection of its pin 3 to the pin 4 of E1, then calculates the new dynamic code and emits a series of messages encoded according to the base code and the new dynamic code and moreover according to the code of the channel and that is of the key, which has been actuated and then of the input pin of the relating pulse. Said messages received by the receivers II are transmitted by the receiving module IIa to the decoding module IIb, and arrive to pin 20 of IC2, which is constantly supplied and which as soon as it receives the message through its pin 3 connected to pin 4 of E2, reads in E2 the base code and the dynamic code stored, which in case of the first message is nothing, and moreover the instructions for the algorithm, which it has to perform on the base code for the first message and only on the dynamic code memorized for all messages received after the first one, then compare the base code and the new dynamic code to those of the input message and if corresponding emits a control signal from the pin corresponding to the channel code. When any key of the remote control device is actuated the relating encoded messages transmitted are received compatibly to the distance by all four receivers, and all the relating decoding modules emit after a positive checking of the base code and of the dynamic code of the detected messages a control signal from the output terminal corresponding to the actuated key or from the output terminals corresponding to the keys, which have been actuated contemporaneously, but there are controlled evidently only the central functioning modules of the means, which are connected to said output terminal. So, for example, if the key SW3 is actuated the relating emitted encoded message will be received by all four receivers and from the output terminal U3 of every one of the relating microprocessor will be output a control signal, which will act only the panic function of the first car because only the input terminal of the functioning module of the antitheft apparatus of the first car relating to said function is connected to the output terminal U3 of the relating microprocessor, while to the output terminal of the other three microprocessors no means is connected. In case the remote control device has been actuated carelessly or not, very far from the car and then the relating emitted message has not been received by the radio receiver or the remote control device has been changed with a spare one or in any case with another device, the base code of which is the same of that of the original device, a transmitted message will be not able to be found as corresponding by IC2 of the module IIb as far as it concerns the dynamic code; in these cases the program of IC2 provides that if the comparison of the base code is positive, IC2 erases the dynamic code stored in E2 and stores in E2 the dynamic code of the received message, without naturally controlling the central functioning module. It follows that the operator, having had no result from the previous actuation of the remote control device, will actuate newly the remote control device and the new encoded message transmitted will have a dynamic code resulted by the operation made on the dynamic code of the previous message and stored both by E1 and as above illustrated by E2 and therefore said following message will be found by IC2 in the comparison, which it will perform, valid and then IC2 will emit a control signal from the pin corresponding to the actuated key of the remote control device. Therefore also if a thief intercepts and stores a remote transmitted control message, it will be able to control no one of the means because the decoding modules are suitable to recognize the following messages only if their dynamic code is obtained fron the previous one on the ground of the algorithm, which can not be obtained by the thief not even with the interception of more messages. In fact the algorithm can be also very complicated and therefore it is absolutely impossible to pick it out. The EEPROMs have been defined according to the duration of the registers, which are averagely able to endure 10.000 registrations and relating erasures, then with those choosen in the example one can act the remote control device for several tens of years.

Claims: Devices for the remote transmission of controls in security comprising a remote control device (I) including at least an encoder module (Ia), a trasmitter module (Ib) of encoded messages, a source of power (MB) and at least one control key (SW), and a receiver device (II) connected to means to be controlled including at least a receiving module (IIa) for receiving the encoded messages and a decoding module (IIb) for decoding them , suitable to emit a control signal after having checked the code of a received message, wherein: the encoder module (Ia) of the remote control device (I) comprises a miscroprocessor (IC1) and at least a EPROM (E1), the microprocessor (E1) being provided with a program that performs the following functions: when the control key (SW) of the remote control device (I) is actuated the first time: reading in the special register of the EPROM (E1) and storing in its internal memory a base code, expressed by a binary number and stored therein upon assembling of the remote control device (I), reading in the special registers of the EPROM (E1) and storing in its internal memory instructions expressed by binary numbers, stored in said registers upon assembling of the remote control device (I) and defining an algorithm to be performed by the microprocessor (IC1) on the binary number of the base code to determine therefrom a new dynamic code, performing said algorithm on the base code and determining the new dynamic code, storing the new dynamic code in the EPROM (E1), transmitting to the transmitter module (Ib) a message encoded according to the base code and the new dynamic code, so that said transmitter module (Ib) transmits said encoded message, every time the control key (SW) of the remote control device (I) is actuated after the fist time: performing the same functions as for the first time actuation but performing the algorithm not on the base code but on the last dynamic code stored in the EPROM (E1), and the decoding module (IIb) of the receiver device (II) comprises a microprocessor (IC2) and a EPROM (E2), the microprocessor (IC2) being provided with a program that performs the following functions when the receiver device (II) receives an input encoded message: for the first input message received : holding it in its internal memory, reading in the EPROM (E2) a base code, the same as the base code of the encoding module (Ia) of the remote control device (I) and holding it in its internal memory, the base code being stored in the EPROM (E2) upon assembling, reading in the EPROM (E2) and storing in its internal memory instructions relating to an algorithm, the same as those of the encoder module (Ia), to be performed by the microprocessor (IC2) on the base code already stored in its internal memory, said instructions having been stored in the EPROM (E2) upon assembling of the decoding module (IIb), performing said algorithm and determining so the new dynamic code and storing it in its internal memory, comparing the base code and the dynamic code of the input message received respectively with the base code and the dynamic code of the decoding module (IIb) in case of correspondence of both the base code and the dynamic code: emitting a control signal, in case of correspondence of no one of the two codes: emitting no control signal, in case of correspondence of the base code but not of the dynamic code: emitting no control signal, and erasing the dynamic code stored in the EPROM (E2) and storing in its place the dynamic code of the input message received, so that the following encoded message emitted by the remote control device (I) will have a new dynamic code calculated on the ground of of the former dynamic code stored in its EPROM (E1) that is equal to the dynamic code of the previous transmitted message, received and stored in the EPROM (E2) of the receiver device (II), for all messages received after the first one: performing the same operations as for the first message, but performing the algorithm not on the base code but on the last dynamic code stored in the EPROM (E2). Devices according to claim 1 characterized in that the microprocessor is provided with a program that, before storing the new dynamic codes in the EPROM, carries out the steps of: checking if the last register employed for storing the previous dynamic code is working properly, in positive case storing the new dynamic code, and in negative case checking if a new register works properly, then in positive case storing in this register the new dynamic code, and in negative case checking a further new register and repeating the function until a properly working register is found, and then storing in this the new dynamic code. Devices according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the remote control device (I) comprises two or more control keys (SW) and is suitable to control two or more means and/or one or more functions of one or more of said means, the actuation of a different key controlling a different means and/or a different function, the microprocessor (IC1) of the remote control device (I) being provided with a program that encodes every output message on the ground of the base code, the dynamic code and a code corresponding to the actuated key or keys (SW), every means being equipped with a receiver device (II) including a microprocessor programmed to perform all said functions and to emit the control signals from the ouput terminal or terminals corresponding to the code of the actuated key or keys. Devices according to claim 3 characterized in that the remote control device (I) comprises a member suitable to allow the simultaneous actuation of two or more keys (SW).

Inventors: MEMMOLA SERAFINO, MEMMOLA, SERAFINO
Applicants: DELTA ELETTRONICA SPA, DELTA ELETTRONICA S.P.A.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G07C9
IPC codes: G07C9, G07F7, B60R25