Patent EA-000298-B1 (EA)
Title: Remote control system suitable for a vehicle and having remote transmitter verification
IPC: B60R25/04
Filed: 1996-04-08
Abstract: 1. A remote control system (10) for a vehicle for permitting a user to remotely control a function associated with the vehicle, the remote control system comprising: at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter (50); a receiver (13) within the vehicle for receiving a signal from said at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter; and remote transmitter learning means (47), operatively connected to said receiver, for learning a unique code of a remote transmitter to define a learned remote transmitter capable of causing performance of a function associated with the vehicle; said remote control system characterized by: - remote transmitter verifying means (49) for generating an indication relating to whether a new uniquely coded remote transmitter (50) has been learned by the remote transmitter learning means (47), said remote transmitter verifying means comprising - indicating means (30-37, 44-46) for generating the indication relating to whether a new uniquely coded remote transmitter (50) has been learned by the remote transmitter learning means (47), and - activating means (20, 21, 27) for causing said remote transmitter verifying means (49) to generate the indication. 2. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said remote transmitter learning means (47) is switchable between a learning mode permitting learning of a unique code of a remote transmitter, and a secure mode. 3. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 2 wherein said remote transmitter learning means (47) comprises remote transmitter deleting means for deleting all prior learned remote transmitters based upon entering the learning mode. 4. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 2 wherein said remote transmitter verifying means (49) comprises learning mode entered indicating means for indicating that the learning mode of said remote transmitter learning means has been entered. 5. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 4 wherein said learning mode entered indicating means comprises time lapse means for indicating when the learning mode of said remote transmitter learning means has last been entered. 6. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 5 wherein said time lapse means comprises means for progressively indicating a passage of time since the learning mode has last been entered. 7. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim.1 wherein said remote transmitter verifying means (49) comprises learned remote transmitter number indicating means for indicating a number of learned remote transmitters (50). 8. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said remote transmitter verifying means (49) comprises learned remote transmitter change indicating means for indicating a change in a number of learned remote transmitters (50). 9. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said remote transmitter verifying means comprises learned remote transmitter code change indicating means for indicating a change in a unique code of learned remote transmitters (50). 10. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said indicating means comprises vehicle indicating means associated with the vehicle; and wherein said vehicle indicating means comprises at least one of a light (31, 36), a visual display (44), a vibration transducer (46), a speech message generator (45), and an audible signal generator (47). 11. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said indicating means (50) comprises remote indicating means remotely positioned from the vehicle/ and wherein said remote indicating means comprises at least one of a light (54), a visual display (58), a vibration transducer, a speech message generator (56, 59), and an audible signal generator (59). 12. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said activating means comprises vehicle activating means associated with the vehicle; and wherein said vehicle activating means comprises at least one of a manually operated switch (20, 27), a vehicle switch (25), and a vehicle sensor (21). 13. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein said activating means comprises remote activating means remote from the vehicle; and wherein said remote activating means comprises a remote transmitter (50). 14. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 further comprising: - at least one vehicle security sensor (22a, 22b, 23-26); and - an alarm controller (11) switchable between an armed mode and a disarmed mode responsive to a learned remote transmitter (50), said alarm controller in the disarmed mode being capable of generating an alarm responsive to the at least one vehicle security sensor. 15. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 further comprising: - a plurality of vehicle door locks (82) movable between locked and unlocked positions; and - a door lock controller (81) for moving the vehicle door locks between locked and unlocked positions responsive to a learned remote transmitter (85). 16. A remote control system for a vehicle according to Claim 1 further comprising: - a vehicle engine starter (92); and - a remote start controller (91) for operating the vehicle engine smarter responsive to a learned remote transmitter (95). 17. A method for increasing security in permitting remote control a function associated with the vehicle using at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter (50), and a receiver (13) within the vehicle for receiving a signal from the at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter, the method comprising the step of storing in a memory (14) a unique code of a remote transmitter to define a learned remote transmitter capable of causing performance of a function associated with the vehicle; the method characterized by the step of: verifying whether a new uniquely coded remote transmitter (50) has been stored in the memory (14) by activating generation of an indication relating to whether a new uniquely coded remote transmitter has been stored in the memory (14) to thereby alert the user of a potentially unauthorized learned remote transmitter capable of remotely performing a function associated with the vehicle. 18. A method according to Claim 17 wherein said memory (14) is switchable between a learning mode permitting learning of a unique code of a remote transmitter (50), and a secure mode; and further comprising the step of deleting all prior learned remote transmitters based upon entering the learning mode. 19. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the step of indicating comprises indicating that the learning mode of the memory has been entered. 20. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the step of indicating comprises indicating when the learning mode of the memory has last been entered. 21. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the step of indicating comprises progressively indicating a passage of time since the learning mode has last been entered. 22. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the step of indicating comprises indicating a number of learned remote transmitters (50). 23. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the step of indicating comprises indicating a change in a number of learned remote transmitters (50). 24. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the step of indicating comprises indicating a change in a unique code of learned remote transmitters (50). 25. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the step of indicating comprises operating at the vehicle at least one of a light (31, 36), a visual display (44), a vibration transducer (46), a speech message generator (45), and an audible signal generator (47). 26. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the step of indicating comprises operating remote from the vehicle at least one of a light (54), a visual display (58), a vibration transducer, a speech message generator (56, 59), and an audible signal generator (59). 27. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the activating step comprises activating responsive to at least one of a manually operated switch (20, 27), a vehicle switch (25), and a vehicle sensor (21). 28. A method according to Claim 17 wherein the activating step comprises the activating responsive to a remote transmitter (50).