Patent Abstract:
A remote control system for a vehicle. The system has a fob with a microphone for receiving audible commands and a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting the commands at a radio frequency via a fob antenna. A receiver for positioning in the vehicle has an antenna for receiving the commands at the radio frequency, a demodulator for recovering the commands, a processor for decoding the recovered commands according to vehicle configuration information, and a network interface for controlling a vehicle system in accordance with the recovered commands and the vehicle configuration information.

Full Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional application No. 60/469,232, filed May 9, 2003. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to remote key less entry devices, and more particularly to such devices providing control over a plurality of functions. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Remote key less entry fobs are generally used to remotely lock and unlock vehicle doors. As an example, a fob may have a button and a transmitter. Upon pushing the button, the transmitter sends a signal to a vehicle equipped with a receiver, and the receiver subsequently causes the vehicle door to unlock. One issue with such a system is that it is possible to inadvertently press the control button and unknowingly unlock the vehicle. Another issue with such a system is that many vehicles now have multiple functions which may be controlled by the remote fob. Examples of such functions include power sliding doors, sun roofs, alarm systems, trunks, lift gates, and the vehicle doors. Implementing the increased functionality with a button-based fob causes challenging design decisions to be made between the number of buttons, size of the fob, size of the buttons, and button press sequence, press duration and/or press force needed to execute each available fob function. Adding to the design considerations is the issue of having a particular vehicle with varying feature content. For example, a particular vehicle model may be offered with a remote power trunk as an option. The fob designer must then decide between producing different fobs for vehicles with and without the power trunk, or producing a single fob design and altering the button functions between models with and without the power trunk. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a fob having diminished dependence on buttons for selecting functions. 
     It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a fob with increased control capability in combination with an easy to use interface. 
     It is yet one more aspect of the invention to provide a single fob capable of controlling vehicles of various feature content. 
     In accordance with these aspects of the invention, a remote control system for a vehicle is provided. The system has a fob with a microphone for receiving audible commands and a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting the commands at a radio frequency via a fob antenna. A receiver for positioning in the vehicle has an antenna for receiving the commands at the radio frequency, a demodulator for recovering the commands, a processor for decoding the recovered commands according to vehicle configuration information, and a network interface for controlling a vehicle system in accordance with the recovered commands and the vehicle configuration information. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a fob in combination with a vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  shows a menu screen for a fob; 
         FIG. 3  shows a fob user interacting with a fob; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a vehicle receiver for using with a fob. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a fob  2  for using with a vehicle  4 . In a first embodiment, the fob  2  has a microphone  12  for receiving spoken commands from a fob user. The spoken commands are interpreted by a microcontroller  17  or digital signal processor, which executes instructions according to a predetermined program. When the controller  17  recognizes a valid command, it causes a transmitter or transceiver  19  to send control signals  36  via an antenna  10 . The antenna  10  may be located internal or external to the fob housing. The fob  2  may also include a display  18  and a speaker  14  to provide visual and audio feedback, respectively, to the user. An attachment point  16  may be provided for attaching items to the fob  2 . 
     The vehicle  4  has several functions that may be controlled by the fob  2 . By way of non-limiting example, the vehicle depicted has an opening hood  28 , a front door  22 , a rearward hinged or sliding door  24 , a trunk or lift gate  26 , head lamps  30 , tail lamps  32 , and an alarm tone  34 . 
     In operation with a fob of the first embodiment, the microcontroller  17  determines when a command signal  36  should be transmitted to the vehicle  4 . The vehicle antenna  20  receives the command signal and sends it to a receiver  23  for processing. The receiver then causes action to be taken in correspondence with the received command signal. For example, if the fob  2  determines that the fob user would like to open the trunk lid  26 , then the fob sends a command signal  36  corresponding to a trunk opening function. The vehicle will receive the command signal  36 , via the antenna  20  and receiver  23 , and effect the opening of the trunk lid  26 . Similarly, the fob and vehicle may work together to operate the other functions of the vehicle  4 . 
     The fob  2  receives spoken commands from the user. The digital processor  17  parses the user&#39;s speech until a command is recognized from a predetermined set of control words. For example, the processor may be programmed to recognize the spoken commands “OPEN TRUNK”, “LIGHTS ON”, LIGHTS OFF”, and “PANIC”. When the processor  17  recognizes a command, an appropriate signal is transmitted to the vehicle. 
     When the fob includes a display  18 , the display may be used to include a system for providing feedback or prompts to a user. As the number of control functions of the fob increases, it becomes increasingly difficult for the user to remember all of the control words. To eliminate the memory burden on the user, the display  18  may include a menu  6  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In an example embodiment, the menu contains a plurality of main menu items  40  correlating to controlled parts of the vehicle. Each of the main menu items would display the command word to be spoken to effect control of that part of the vehicle. Examples of such main menu items may include “HEAD LAMPS”, “TRUNK”, “HOOD”, “ALARM”, etc. Once the user speaks the command word and it is recognized by the fob, the menu  6  then displays submenu items  42  correlating to actions that may be taken by the chosen vehicle part. Some examples of command words correlating to actions include “OPEN”, CLOSE”, “ARM”, “DISARM”, etc. In the example menu structure the submenu command words are generally verbs, whereas the main menu command words are generally nouns. 
     It is also possible to reverse the order of command words by placing the verb higher in the hierarchy. Such a menu structure could also emulate a dialogue between the user and fob such as, “OPEN.” 
     “OPEN WHAT?” 
     “DOOR.”, etc. 
     The display may also be used to display information about the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with a transmitter, then the fob may be equipped with a transceiver for receiving signals from the vehicle in addition to transmitting to the vehicle. The fob could then communicate data from the received signals to the user via the display  18  or the speaker  14 . In an exemplary application of such a big-directional system, the user would cause the fob to request the vehicle to transmit information relating to the temperature of its passenger compartment. Upon receiving the temperature information, the fob would communicate the temperature to the user. The temperature data may be particularly useful to the user if the vehicle is also equipped with an engine starter that may be operated via the fob. Depending upon the temperature of the passenger compartment, the user may decide whether to start the vehicle and remotely adjust the temperature of the passenger compartment to a comfortable level for later occupancy. 
     Turning to  FIG. 3 , a fob user  48  is shown giving spoken commands  44  to a fob  2 . The fob  2  receives the spoken commands  44  via microphone  12 . In addition to receiving the spoken commands, the microphone also inadvertently receives ambient noise  46  from sources outside of the user&#39;s control. To prevent the processor  19  from mistakenly interpreting ambient noise as a command word, command words should be selected such that they are readily distinguishable from ambient noise as well as each other. To prevent accidental voice recognition from causing the transmitter to transmit command signals  36  to the vehicle it may also be desirable to activate the transmitter  19  only while the auxiliary control  8  is activated. An exception may be made for some functions, such as a panic function. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the fob  2  receives commands from a user. The user may enter the commands via a microphone  12  or auxiliary interface  8 . Once received from the user, the fob retransmits the commands to the vehicle via the antenna  10 . The simply retransmitted commands may be in analog form or, alternatively, in digitally encoded form with the digital encoding taking place in the processor  17 . In such an alternative embodiment, the vehicle is equipped with a receiver  23 ′ for receiving, recognizing, and effecting action based upon the commands. Such an arrangement allows a common fob to be used regardless of the vehicle&#39;s option content. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the vehicle receiver  23 ′ has an input  33  for receiving signals from the vehicle antenna  20 . The signals are demodulated by demodulator  25  and then provided to processor  27  for decoding. Processor  27  decodes the signals according to vehicle configuration information  31 . The configuration information may be programmed into a memory within the receiver  23 ′, or communicated to the decoding processor via an in-vehicle network. 
     Upon receiving the command from the fob, the processor  27  attempts to decode it according to the vehicle configuration. If the fob user has transmitted a command, or series of commands, applicable to the available option content of the vehicle, then the receiver will effect the desired action in a manner similar to the first embodiment. Conversely, if the receiver  23 ′ determines from the vehicle configuration information  31  that the vehicle does not have the required function to execute the user&#39;s command, then the receiver will not effect the function. Furthermore, the vehicle may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver to communicate back to the fob that the requested function could not be executed and the reason. For example, if the vehicle is not equipped with a remote power liftgate, and the user requests the remote power liftgate to be opened, the receiver  23 ′ would refer to the vehicle configuration information  31  to determine whether the vehicle has a remote power liftgate. Since it does not, the processor  27  could cause the vehicle to transmit the fact back to the user. 
     The receivers  23  and  23 ′ may also be equipped with a network interface  29  for allowing communication between the processor  27  and other control points in the vehicle. Such communication allows the processor to effect action on a vehicle component without the receiver having actual electrical power connections to the controlled component. 
     It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in this specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiment falling within the description of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1