Patent ID: 8159324

Claim:
A portable electronic device for controlling and managing functions of a vehicle, or data of a vehicle, or functions and data of a vehicle, wherein the device comprises, in a casing having an upper part fixed on a lower part: (a)—a first means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals for personalised communication with a second means for transmitting and receiving signals of the vehicle in a communication area surrounding the vehicle; (b)—a microprocessor unit operably connected to process functions of the device and of the vehicle, or to process the data of the device and of the vehicle, or to process the functions and data of the device and of the vehicle, and wherein the microprocessor unit checks transmission and reception of signals from the first means for transmitting and receiving signals of the device; (c)—at least one display screen having a portion that is visible from outside the casing, wherein the at least one display screen is controlled by the microprocessor unit so that the at least one display screen displays different menus or data of the device, or data relating to the vehicle, or different menus or data of the device and data relating to the vehicle; (d)—a manual control means for controlling the execution of functions of the microprocessor unit, wherein the manual control means comprise at least one control key having a touch-sensitive pad, arranged on an inner face of the upper part of the casing in a vicinity of the visible portion of the display screen so as to be activated in a capacitive manner in an operating mode by a finger of a user placed in a specified region of the touch-sensitive pad, while also allowing data displayed on the at least one display screen to be viewed when the finger is placed on the at least one control key, wherein the upper part is made of insulating material, and wherein a manual control button is arranged in the upper part of the casing, a manual pressure exerted on said manual control button allowing the at least one control key and the at least one display screen to switch from an idle mode to an operating mode; and (e)—a power source operably connected to supply electric power to all electronic components of the device, wherein the manual control button is configured by the microprocessor unit so that when the manual control button is continuously pressed for longer than a first time limit, the display screen lights up, and when the manual control button is continuously pressed for longer than a second time limit that is greater than the first time limit, a control signal is sent to the vehicle to activate an audible alarm or a horn, or lights of the vehicle, or to activate the audible alarm or the horn and the lights of the vehicle.