Patent Abstract:
A remote start signal is received wirelessly from outside a motor vehicle and, upon receiving the remote start signal, an internal combustion engine in the vehicle is started and a first device group is activated, including at least one device designed to prepare driving off with the motor vehicle, thus setting the motor vehicle to a “remote start” state. A control unit of the motor vehicle is designed to determine whether, in the “remote start” state and before driving off, a person is carrying out a predetermined operating action in or on the motor vehicle that is unsuitable for driving off and, if necessary, to switch the motor vehicle to an “ignition ON” state in which the internal combustion engine is switched off and a second device group consisting of at least one comfort device is switched ready for operation.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the U.S. national stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/001727 filed on Jun. 25, 2014. This International Application claims the benefit of German Application No. 10 2013 010 094.1 filed on Jul. 1, 2013, both applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Described below is a motor vehicle having a remote start unit. A remote start unit of this type is designed to receive a remote start signal wirelessly from outside the motor vehicle and, upon receiving the remote start signal, to start an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and operate devices which prepare the driving off with the motor vehicle. A remote start unit can be used to cause the motor vehicle, for example in particularly cold regions, to be warmed up by a remote start signal before a driver enters the motor vehicle and drives off. 
     A motor vehicle having a remote start unit is known, for example, from US 2011/0202201 A1. The motor vehicle described therein can be switched by a radio signal to the “remote start” state. In the motor vehicle, in the case where a person remotely starts the motor vehicle a radio signal, then enters the vehicle and inserts an ignition key into the ignition lock, it is avoided that the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is thereby initially switched off because the ignition key is initially in the OFF position following the insertion. The internal combustion engine continues to run and thus enables the driver initially to perform an operating action necessary for driving off, for example the turning of the ignition key in the ignition lock. Thereafter, the motor vehicle is then switched to a normal state which it would also be in if the person had started the motor vehicle directly from the OFF state by turning the ignition key. 
     A motor vehicle with a remote startup device is similarly described in US 2009/0265048 A1. The motor vehicle has an authorization device which, following the remote startup, when the motor vehicle is in the “remote start” state with the internal combustion engine running, prevents an unauthorized person from entering the motor vehicle and driving off with it. To do this, a check is carried out by an authorization device to determine whether an authorized radio key is located inside the motor vehicle while a person attempts to drive off with the remotely started motor vehicle. 
     Further motor vehicles with a remote start device are known from US 2008/0203815 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,086 A, DE 10 2009/022 638 A1 and DE 10 2008 039 303 A1. These motor vehicles also have security devices to prevent an unauthorized use of the remotely started motor vehicle. The motor vehicle can therefore be switched only by an authorized person from the “remote start” state to the normal state with the engine running and use of all devices of the motor vehicle. If an unauthorized person uses the remotely started motor vehicle, the latter is switched to the OFF state. 
     In the case of a motor vehicle having a remote start unit, only the use of a predetermined device group is possible in the “remote start” state, the group including one or more devices of the motor vehicle with which the driving off is prepared. One of these devices is normally an air conditioning unit for heating the passenger compartment or the engine. If, in a remotely started motor vehicle, a person then initially wishes to use a device that is not necessary for driving off, i.e., a comfort device, such as, for example, a window opener, a device of this type cannot normally be switched on in the “remote start” state. The person must therefore first drive off a short distance with the motor vehicle so that the control mechanism of the remote start unit is deactivated. Only then can the person, for example, switch off the internal combustion engine itself and operate the comfort devices with the ignition switched on. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a motor vehicle having a remote start unit, an operating person is provided with a better control facility via the remote start unit. In particular, the remote start unit is designed to receive a remote start signal wirelessly from outside the motor vehicle, i.e., for example, a corresponding radio signal of a remote operation, and then, upon receiving the remote start signal, to start an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, a predetermined first device group is activated, including at least one device of the motor vehicle which is intended to prepare a driving off with the motor vehicle in the absence of the driver, i.e., for example, the aforementioned air conditioning unit. However, other devices of the motor vehicle which do not belong to the first device group are not started, but remain disconnected from the voltage supply, such as, for example, the vehicle battery, or are deactivated in a different manner so that they cannot be operated. On the whole, upon receiving the remote start signal, the vehicle is switched by the remote start unit to the “remote start” state: the internal combustion engine is running, the at least one device of the first device group is activated, but the motor vehicle is otherwise not prepared for use by a person. Thus, for example, neither can a window opener be operated nor is, e.g., the lighting of the instrument cluster switched on. 
     In order to provide an operating person with a facility to control the state of the motor vehicle herein, in the motor vehicle a control unit is provided which is designed to determine, in the “remote start” state and also before driving off, whether, instead of an operating action relating to driving off, a person is carrying out a different, predetermined operating action in the motor vehicle that is, however, unsuitable for driving off. An unsuitable operating action of this type may, for example, be the actuation of the window opener. However, as an operating action, it may also be detected, for example, whether the person, when attempting to drive off, does not secure the motor vehicle, for example, by stepping on a brake pedal. If the unsuitable operating action is detected by the control unit, the motor vehicle is in this case switched by the control unit into an “ignition ON” state in which the internal combustion engine is switched off and a predetermined second device group, including at least one comfort device of the motor vehicle is switched ready for operation or is even switched on. To do this, for example, each comfort device can be connected to a battery of the motor vehicle or may have been activated or switched to a standby state, e.g., via a bus signal. In other words, the motor vehicle engine is switched off and the motor vehicle is switched to a state such as the state which also occurs when the ignition key is inserted in the case of a conventional motor vehicle and is set in the ignition lock to the first switching stage (ignition ON). The aforementioned control unit may, for example, be a control unit or a program module of a control unit also used for other purposes, or a group including a plurality of devices and/or program modules. The person skilled in the art can specify which devices are allocated to the first device group and which devices are allocated to the second device group according to requirements. The following devices, for example, have proven suitable for the second device group: the aforementioned window opener, an instrument cluster, a central locking internal button for operation from the passenger compartment, an on-board computer. In particular, at least one of the devices of the second device group is different from all devices of the first device group. 
     The method described below is carried out accordingly through the operation of the described components of the motor vehicle. 
     The motor vehicle and the method offer the advantage that a person in the motor vehicle can immediately use the comfort devices even if the motor vehicle was previously in the “remote start” state. Nor does the person initially have to laboriously induce the normal state (engine running and ignition switched on) in order to then switch off the engine once more and switch on the ignition once more in order to thus be able to switch on the comfort devices. 
     In order to be able to induce the “ignition ON” state starting from the “remote start” state, in one embodiment of the motor vehicle in which a terminal  15  line according to DIN 727552 (DIN—Deutsche Industrienorm [German Industry Standard]) is provided, the control unit is designed, in order to change the state from “remote start” to “ignition ON”, to supply the terminal  15  line with an electric voltage, to provide it as a supply voltage, e.g., for a switching relay via which the comfort devices of the second device group are connected to the battery. The motor vehicle may also have a communication bus and the control unit may also be designed in a known manner to switch the second device group ready for operation or switch it on by a bus signal in order to connect the second device group. This offers the advantage that, even in a motor vehicle which provides a conventional control of the comfort devices via the ignition, the method can be retrofitted at low cost into an embodiment of the motor vehicle. 
     A further embodiment of the motor vehicle provides a theft protection in that the control unit is designed to induce the changeover from the “remote start” state to the “ignition ON” state only if an authorization device signals a successful completion of a predetermined authorization procedure. An authorization procedure means a process which verifies an operating authorization of a person located in the motor vehicle. An authorization device known per se from the related art can be used here, such as, for example, the verification of a radio key already described. However, a code word or PIN (Personal Identification Number), for example, may also be requested from the person. 
     An embodiment of the motor vehicle relates to the operating action that is unsuitable per se for driving off, but instead only effects the state changeover to the “ignition ON” state. Here, it is provided to detect the actuation of a start operating element. The start operating element is actually provided to start the internal combustion engine. A start operating element of this type may, for example, be a start button or start panel, as is known in connection with a radio key system. In order to then distinguish between a wish to drive off and the wish to change over to the “ignition ON” state, it is provided in the embodiment of the motor vehicle to check simultaneously whether the brake of the motor vehicle is unactuated, i.e., the person, for example, does not actuate the brake pedal. With the combination of actuation of the start operating element and a simultaneously unactuated brake, a changeover is effected to the “ignition ON” state in which the internal combustion engine is then switched off but the comfort devices can be operated. The use of the start operating element as a signaling device offers the advantage that an operating person can use the same operating element for driving off (actuating the start operating element and simultaneously actuating the brake) and also to induce the “ignition ON” state (actuating the start operating element and simultaneously not actuating the brake). 
     In order not to consume an unnecessary amount of fuel through the operation of the internal combustion engine in the event of an accidental triggering of the remote start signal, one embodiment of the motor vehicle provides to measure a time period since the changeover to the “remote start” state by a time control of the motor vehicle and at least to switch off the internal combustion engine if the measured time period is greater than a predetermined maximum running time, i.e., for example, is greater than 5 min or 10 min. Since a motor vehicle is then normally prepared by the first device group for driving off, an unnecessary exhaust gas emission is thereby avoided. 
     However, this automatic deactivation of the internal combustion engine may not always be desirable. If, for example, the motor vehicle is switched to the “remote start” state in order to heat the motor vehicle passenger compartment, and if a person remains in the motor vehicle passenger compartment to warm up, the person would normally like to determine for himself when the air conditioning is again ended. Since a running internal combustion engine is normally necessary for operating an air conditioning system due to its power requirement, it is not appropriate to change over to the “ignition ON” state. One embodiment of the motor vehicle provides an operating person here with a further flexible control of the operating state of the motor vehicle. A detection device of the motor vehicle determines whether at least one person is present in the motor vehicle and in this case signals a detected presence to the control unit as a detection signal with the “person present” content. The described control unit is then extended in order to end the “remote start” state if a transition of the detection signal from “person present” to “no person present” takes place previously in the “remote start” state. In other words, the “remote start” state is ended, i.e., in particular, the internal combustion engine is switched off if all persons have left the motor vehicle. A person detection of the type necessary for this embodiment can be implemented in a manner known from the related art. A seat occupancy recognition, a monitoring of the motor vehicle passenger compartment by a camera, in particular an infrared camera, and a verification of a central locking could be cited here as examples. However, any other technology can also be used for the person detection. 
     If both a time control and a person detection are present in the motor vehicle, one advantageous embodiment of the motor vehicle provides to deactivate the time control unit in the “remote start” state following a further reception of a remote start signal. In other words, a person must therefore trigger the remote start signal a first time in order to switch the motor vehicle to the “remote start” state and, in the event of further generation of the remote start signal, cause the time control for the automatic deactivation of the internal combustion engine to be inactive. The internal combustion engine is therefore switched off only when the person leaves the motor vehicle. 
     Only the detection of operating actions which are not suitable for driving off has hitherto been described. The control unit of the motor vehicle may also be designed to determine, in the “remote start” state and before driving off, whether the person is carrying out an operating action in the motor vehicle which is predetermined but provided for driving off. This operating action may include the actuation of the start operating element for starting the internal combustion engine with a simultaneously actuated brake. The detection of operating actions of this type can be enabled with the sensor system of a motor vehicle known per se. If the control unit detects an operating action provided for driving off, it switches the motor vehicle during continuous operation of the internal combustion engine to a normal “engine running” state. In other words, the person takes over the control of the running engine from the remote start device as a result. In the normal state, the internal combustion engine then normally continues to run and the second device group, i.e., the comfort devices, is connected to the battery. This is the normal operating state provided for driving the motor vehicle. Here also a verification of the authorization of the person by an authorization device of the motor vehicle may be provided in the motor vehicle, i.e., for example, the verification of a presence of a radio key in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. Upon detection of an unauthorized person by the authorization device, the motor vehicle may be switched to an OFF state in which the internal combustion engine is switched off and the first and second device groups are disconnected from the battery. The internal combustion engine is, however, at least switched off. 
     The developments of the method include features of the type already described in connection with the developments of the motor vehicle. For this reason, the corresponding developments of the method are not described again here. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of a specific example embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the motor vehicle, and 
         FIG. 2  is a state diagram in which state transitions of the motor vehicle from  FIG. 1  are illustrated. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
     In the example embodiment explained below, the described components of the example embodiment in each case represent individual features which are to be considered independently from one another and which also develop independently from one another and are therefore also to be regarded individually or in any combination other than the combination shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by further of the features already described. 
       FIG. 1  shows a motor vehicle  10  which may, for example, be an automobile. A person  12  who, for example, may be an owner of the motor vehicle  10  is located outside the motor vehicle  10 . The motor vehicle  10  may have an internal combustion engine  14 , i.e., for example, a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, as the propulsion engine. The internal combustion engine  14  can be started and can also be switched off by a control unit  16 . The control unit  16  may, for example, include one or more control devices or one or more program modules. The motor vehicle  10  may furthermore have a remote start device  18 . The remote start device  18  can be connected to the internal combustion engine  14  and/or the control unit  16 . The remote start device  18  may be designed in a manner known per se to receive a remote start signal R from a remote control  20  which can be operated by the person  12 . The remote control  20  may, for example, be a device provided exclusively for generating the remote start signal R or, for example, a smartphone which has corresponding control software (APP—application) by which the remote start signal R is generated by the smartphone in response to an operating command of the person. The motor vehicle  10  may furthermore have a start operating element  22  and a brake pedal  24 . The start operating element  22  may, for example, be a start button which is provided to enable a keyless start of the internal combustion engine  14  as known per se from the related art. 
     The motor vehicle  10  may also have an authorization device  26  which checks, for example, on actuation of the start operating element  22 , whether a radio key  30  in which identification data ID may be stored by which the person  12  is authorized to operate the motor vehicle  10  is located in a motor vehicle passenger compartment  28 . The authorization device  26  may be designed in a manner known per se. The authorization device  26  signals by an authorization signal A, for example to the control unit  16 , that the radio key  30  is located at a given time in a passenger compartment  28  of the motor vehicle  10 . 
     The motor vehicle  10  may furthermore have a detection device  32  by which the presence of a person in the passenger compartment  28  is signaled by a detection signal P, for example to the control unit  16 . The detection device  32  can similarly be based on technology known per se, for example a seat occupancy detection. 
     The motor vehicle  10  may have an air conditioning unit  34  by which, for example, warm air  36  can be blown into the passenger compartment  28 . The air conditioning unit  34  may also be designed to heat, for example, the internal combustion engine  14 . 
     The motor vehicle  10  may furthermore have one or more comfort devices  38 , for example an infotainment system, a media playback device (for MP3 music files or Blu-ray or DVD storage media) and/or a navigation device and/or one (or more) window opener(s) and/or an instrument cluster and/or a central locking internal button and/or an on-board computer. 
     A battery B of the motor vehicle  10  can be provided to supply the comfort devices  38  with electric power. The comfort devices  38  can be electrically disconnected from the battery B by an ignition Z. The electrical connection between the battery B and the comfort devices  38  can be established by the ignition Z, for example on receiving a terminal  15  signal. Instead of an electrical disconnection by the ignition Z, the comfort devices  38  can also be permanently connected to the battery B and can be activated via a communication bus (not shown) in a known manner by a bus signal (terminal  15  bus signal) or can at least be switched ready for operation or deactivated by a bus signal in order to be switched off, so that they can no longer be operated by the driver. Corresponding control devices for this purpose are known. 
     The motor vehicle  10  can be switched to different operating states by the control unit  16 , as explained below with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     In an OFF state S 10 , the internal combustion engine  14  and also the air conditioning device  34  and all comfort devices  38  are switched off. The motor vehicle  10  may be in the OFF state, for example, if it is parked for an indefinite time. If the person  12  wishes, for example, to pre-heat the motor vehicle  10  by the air conditioning unit  34  or cause the internal combustion engine  14  to warm up, the person  12  can generate the remote start signal R by the remote control  20  from outside the motor vehicle  10 , which signal can then be received by the remote start unit  18 . The remote start unit  18  signals the reception of the remote start signal R, for example to the control unit  16 , which then switches the motor vehicle  10  to a state S 12  which is also referred to here as the “remote start” (RS) state. In order to induce the “remote start” state S 12 , the control unit  16  starts the internal combustion engine  14  and activates the air conditioning unit  34 . The remote start unit  18  therefore indirectly induces the state S 12 . 
     In the “remote start” state S 12 , a check can be carried out, for example, by the control unit  16  at previously determined times in a verification S 14  in order to determine whether a predetermined time period has elapsed since the transition to the state S 12 . This can be implemented, for example, by a timing unit or a timer  40  of the motor vehicle  10 . A check can also be carried out to determine whether the detection signal P of the detection device  32 , following the transition to the “remote start” state S 12 , initially indicates that the person  12  was located in the passenger compartment  28  and thereafter got out. If the timer  40  has not yet expired and/or a person is still present in the passenger compartment  28  (symbolized in  FIG. 2  by “+”), the motor vehicle  10  remains in the “remote start” state S 12 . If, on the other hand, the timer  40  has expired and/or the person  12  has gotten out (“−”), the motor vehicle  10  is switched, for example by the control unit  16 , e.g., to the OFF state S 10 . 
     If the motor vehicle  10  is in the “remote start” state S 12 , it may be monitored whether the person  12  in the motor vehicle  10  is carrying out an operating action  42  on at least one predetermined component of the motor vehicle. Here, for example, a detected operating action  42  may be actuation of the start operating element  22 . If the operating action is carried out, it can thus be provided that a check is initially carried out by the authorization device  26  in an authorization procedure S 16  to determine whether the operating person  12  is authorized to operate the motor vehicle  10 . To do this, for example, the presence of the radio key  30  in the passenger compartment  28  can be verified. If the operating person is not authorized (−), the motor vehicle  10  can be switched, for example, to the OFF state S 10 . If an authorized person is detected (+) in the authorization procedure S 16 , it can then be decided S 18  whether the operating action  42  was intended for driving off with the motor vehicle  10  or merely an operating action not provided for driving off has been carried out. For example, it can be checked for this purpose whether the brake pedal  24  has been simultaneously actuated by the person  12  during the actuation of the start operating element  22 . 
     If the person  12  has actuated the start operating element  22  and has simultaneously stepped on the brake pedal  24  (+), this is evaluated as a wish to drive off and the motor vehicle  10  is switched, for example by the control unit  16 , to a normal state S 20  (DRV—Drive) in which the internal combustion engine  14  is further operated and the comfort devices  38  are, for example, also simultaneously connected to the battery B of the motor vehicle  10 . The driver, i.e., the person  12 , can then use all devices of the motor vehicle  10  in a manner known per se and can also drive off with the motor vehicle  10 . 
     In the transition from the “remote start” state S 12  to the normal state S 20 , the internal combustion engine  14  is operated continuously. The engine running is therefore not interrupted, and instead the engine running can be taken over by the person  12  from the “remote start” state S 12  for driving off. This offers the advantage that the person  12  can switch the motor vehicle  10  through takeover to the state which he requires. 
     If, on the other hand, the person  12  carries out an operating action  42  that is not suitable for driving off (−), the motor vehicle  10  is, for example, switched by the control unit  16  to an “ignition ON” state S 22 . In the state S 22 , the internal combustion engine  14  is again switched off, but the comfort devices  38  are electrically connected to the battery so that the comfort devices  38  can be used by the person  12 . 
     On the whole, four particularly advantageous final states, in particular, result from the takeover function based on the remote start in the state S 12 . 
     1. The normal case of “Authorized takeover”: The person  12  performs a start operation  42  via the start operating element  22  (normally by pressing a Kessy button with an actuated brake  24 ). If a key  30  belonging to the motor vehicle  10  is found in the internal area, i.e., the passenger compartment  28 , following this start operation, the motor vehicle  10  is then switched to the normal state (engine running) S 20 , so that the person  12  can drive off. 
     2. “Unauthorized takeover attempt”: A person performs a start operation  42  via the start operating element  22  (i.e., again normally by pressing a Kessy button with an actuated brake  24 ). If no key  30  belonging to the motor vehicle  10  is found in the passenger compartment  28 , the engine running is then ended (e.g., transition to the OFF state S 12 ). Driving off with the motor vehicle  10  is not possible (theft protection measure). 
     3. “Authorized takeover, ending of the engine running and switching on of the ignition”: The person  12  performs an operation  42  via the start operating element  22  to switch on the ignition Z without the engine running, i.e., with the internal combustion engine  14  switched off (this can normally be signaled by pressing the Kessy button  22  without an actuated brake  24 ). 
     If a key  30  belonging to the vehicle is found in the passenger compartment  28  following the operation  42 , the motor vehicle  10  is switched to the “ignition switched on+engine not running” state S 22 , wherein the person can use the comfort devices and other user facilities with the ignition Z switched on. 
     4. “No takeover”: No operation of the start operating element  22  takes place, so that the “remote start” state continues (state S 12 ). 
     5. (Optional state) “Remote start continues as long as driver present”: An operation of the remote start operating element (for example the radio remote control  20 , an app) and/or an operation on the air conditioning operating part of the air conditioning unit  34  takes place. If a driver presence P in the passenger compartment  28  is detected during this operation, the remote start engine running is continued as long as the driver, i.e., the person  12 , is present. The person  12  can continue to use the air conditioning facility of the air conditioning unit  34 . If required, the remote start (state S 12 ) can also be interrupted here following expiry of a timer  40 . If a driver absence is detected, i.e., for example, signaled by the detection signal P of the control unit  16 , the engine running is ended, i.e., the internal combustion engine  14  is switched off. 
     A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

Technology Classification (CPC): 8