FR2797703A1 - REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a remote control system for at least one action relating to a fixed or mobile object, the position of which is not necessarily known, using a receiver (10) operating in a frequency band reserved for cellular telephony. and containing a one-to-one identification code. The receiver (10) is connected to a means for controlling this action. According to the invention, the identification code is a telephone number accessible from any telephone set in the switched network, a simple ring signal received triggering the desired action.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of remote controls and, more

  in particular, the field of the remote control of a specific action relating to a fixed or mobile object whose position is not

not necessarily known.

  There are many remote control systems by radio or wire transmission capable of controlling a specific action. In general, when there is radio transmission, the remote-controlled object must imperatively be in the electromagnetic field generated by a fixed beacon emitting the instructions, which greatly reduces the extent of use when the object is mobile, such as any vehicle. Examples of such a system are found in particular in documents FR-A-2 773 756

and US-A-5,224,567.

  Furthermore, if the transmission is wired, as in conventional home automation, the object must be stationary, such as an apartment or a villa, and a cut in the connection wire causes a total shutdown of the system, which can seriously affect the object.

control.

  To overcome these drawbacks, more and more often the cellular mobile telephone network is used, which covers substantially all of the inhabited geographic areas. However, all known systems implement the transmission of more or less complex identification codes that the average user always has difficulty memorizing, and which are, in any case, forgotten when the opportunity to use them is random. or extremely rare, as happens if they are to be used in the event of theft or burglary. In addition, the high price of telephone communications by the cellular network tends to limit its use to the strict minimum, the time for dialing an identification code, even if the latter is well known to the user, still remaining of a cost often prohibitive compared to the interest of the remote-controlled action. The present invention therefore falls within this context, and has

  to overcome these drawbacks.

  The present invention finds a main application in the field of anti-theft devices for vehicles, but also in related fields such as the transport of funds and / or goods in which a door unlocking can be favorably remote-controlled from a command center. remote, especially for time stamping and / or security, and also in the field of home automation where certain specific actions must be controlled remotely. The document EP-AO 778 184 describes a device for remotely deactivating the operation of a vehicle in the event of a theft observed. This complex device can use a cell phone to inform the owner of the vehicle in the event of theft, but the latter must use a conventional transponder and

  use multiple identification codes to stop the vehicle.

  Document US-A-5 276 728 describes a more efficient system implementing the cellular mobile telephone network, but, here again, multiple identification codes must be used, which is contrary to the spirit of the present invention and involves the use of complex microprocessors and at least one on-board keyboard. The invention therefore relates to a remote control system for at least one specific action relating to a fixed or mobile object, the position of which is not necessarily known, using a receiver operating in a frequency band reserved for cellular mobile telephony. and comprising a one-to-one identification code, the receiver being connected to a means for controlling the

minus a specific action.

  According to the invention, the identification code is a simple telephone number accessible from any telephone set in the switched network, a simple ring signal received

  being likely to trigger the determined action.

  Preferably, the receiver is a cellular mobile telephone connected to a means of detecting the occurrence of a specific fact affecting the object, by means of a control means triggering a numbering determined as an output signal from the

cell mobile phone.

  According to another simplified embodiment, the receiver

  is a pager-type message receiver.

  As everyone will understand, in accordance with the most economical embodiment of the invention, since it is the ringing signal which controls the determined action, the device of the invention is extremely simple, therefore inexpensive, and there is only a reduced additional cost of communication for the user. As will be described later, other more sophisticated embodiments can be implemented without leaving

of the scope of the invention.

  The invention will be better understood, and other objects, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly.

  on reading the following description of preferred modes of

  embodiment given without limitation and to which a sheet of drawings is annexed in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of the operation of the system according to the invention; Figure 2 schematically represents the additional electronics necessary for the implementation of the invention; and Figure 3 is an alternative block diagram of operation

of the system of the invention.

  Referring now to Figure 1, the basic system according to the invention consists of the assemblies referenced 10, 12 and 14. The assembly 10 is a conventional receiver operating in one of the frequency bands used in cellular mobile telephony . It can thus be a simple receiver of messages of the 'pager' type, or else a simplified mobile phone or not. In all cases, a one-to-one conventional telephone number is

assigned to receiver 10.

  Thus, in a simplified embodiment of the invention, the user of the system can perform a remote control by simply dialing the telephone number of the receiver 10 on a telephone set connected to the switched network. The system is therefore capable of operating from a point very far from the remote-controlled object, and this without additional beacons of

  local rebroadcasts are required.

  The ringing signal 26 is taken from the receiver 10 and is applied to a control member 14 via a stage

  recovery and amplification 12.

  An example of this stage 12 has been shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 to show its extreme simplicity. A diode 30 rectifies the ringing signal, and the signal thus rectified is applied to the base of an amplification pnp transistor 32 biased by means of a resistor 34, the output signal being taken between the bias resistor. 34 and the collector of transistor 32 to be applied to the input of the control member 14. Obviously, this example is purely illustrative of one embodiment, any other rectification and amplification or detection circuit d '' a ring signal that can be validly set

  work, as is known in the art of telephony.

  In order to avoid an erroneous command due to a third party mistakenly dialing the telephone number assigned to the receiver, it is advantageous to provide that the effective ring signal detected by the receiver is the nth signal received sequentially

  within a specified period of time.

  By way of example, the receiver 10 may only trigger the determined action on the third signal received successively in less than a minute, that is to say if it has previously received two brief ringing signals, with intermediate hanging up. , only the third ring signal being taken into account if it arrives before the end of the

  determined period of i mn in the present case.

  Alternatively, the telephone number of the calling telephone set can be verified locally as one of the numbers authorized to control the system remotely, this as

  will see it in relation with description of Figure 2.

  In a more elaborate embodiment in which the receiver 10 is a mobile telephone operating in a cellular mobile telephone network, a system 24 for detecting the occurrence of a precise and determined fact is added to the system, the signal of which output is used to control a switch 22 of relay type, connected to telephone 10 so as to bypass and / or replace the callback command key for a telephone number by

phone memory.

  Advantageously, a set of rechargeable batteries (not shown in the Figures) is provided for electrically supplying the components of the system in the event of normal power failure. Similarly, the receiver 10 remains substantially always connected to normal power to ensure recharging.

  maximum of its autonomous batteries.

  A person skilled in the art will thus have understood that the remote control system according to the invention is extremely simple, therefore of great reliability, and of a realization and of use little

expensive.

  In its application to an anti-theft device, for example when tearing off a vehicle, even the simplified embodiment using a "pager" type receiver is sufficient to allow a driver whose vehicle is stolen before his eyes with the ignition keys, to trigger an on-board alarm and / or to remotely control the engine shutdown. Preferably, the engine will be shut down intelligently to avoid any accident, i.e. when the vehicle is stopped, for example at a traffic light (engine idling) or in a parking space.

  (engine stopped can no longer be put back into service).

  Other applications of this simplified embodiment in the field of vehicles are also envisaged. For example, mention may be made of the remote starting of the engine of a vehicle to put an air conditioning means into service before the driver enters his vehicle. Mention may also be made of the remote control or activation of electric locks of the doors for access to the loading of a vehicle for transporting cash or goods from a remote control center, or else the doors of a rental vehicle that would not have been returned in good time. This simplified remote control system also finds applications in the field of home automation, for example for controlling access doors to a garage or a protected place with controlled access. The more elaborate embodiment using a mobile phone finds major application in the field of anti-theft of motor vehicles. The occurrence detector 24 is then a simple theft or break-in detector, for example of the volumetric or energy consumption type. The system then makes it possible to warn the owner of the vehicle who can then take the decision he wishes, for example by remote control

immobilization of the vehicle.

  In Figure 3, there is shown a more complex embodiment of the system according to the invention, in which the elements

  common to the previous Figures have the same references.

  Here, the receiver 10 is connected to the control means 12 -and to the detection means 22, when the receiver 10 is a cellular mobile telephone, by means of a control unit 30 essentially including a programmed microprocessor 32, a means memory 34 and a DTMF type recognition device 40. This control unit 30 is preferably unique for the control means 12 and for the detection means 22, but it can also be duplicated. In the example shown, it is unique and

  additionally comprises a ringing detection means 36.

  This control unit 30 can firstly favorably verify that the telephone number of the calling station is one of the authorized numbers stored in local memory 34, and only initiate the action if this is the case. Alternatively, this control unit 30 can be adapted to receive and validate a specific identification code, for example of the type

four digits.

  This control unit 30 is essentially designed to allow remote control of a choice of several possible actions, such as those previously indicated. To this end, the unit 30 ensures that the receiver 10 goes off-hook, checks the identity of the caller, and waits for the reception of a code from a list of codes associated with each of the possible actions, to trigger the requested action. . When the receiver 10 is a cellular mobile telephone, this control unit 30 can also have in memory 34 several telephone numbers to be called successively until response from one of them, upon the occurrence of a fact justifying such a call. Preferably, these numbers can be changed remotely. This control unit 30 can also be connected to a means 42 of spatial location by satellites of the GPS ("Global Positioning System") or equivalent type, so that the precise position of the vehicle thus equipped is precisely determined. In which case, the control unit 30 can ensure the telephone transmission of the position of the vehicle, which can be very useful in the event of theft of the vehicle. Similarly, a vehicle may only be authorized to travel in a specific area, for example in the event of rental or use on a site or if it is part of a controlled fleet, the vehicle exit information of the authorized area

  then being directly reported by telephone.

  The microprocessor 32 of the control unit 30 can, for example, be programmed simply by telephone, after acceptance of a secret identification code or verification of a

authorized telephone number.

  These more or less elaborate embodiments can

  also be used in home automation to allow a tele-

  personal surveillance of premises without requiring costly care

of a specialized company.

  Although we have represented and described what are currently considered to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is obvious that a person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope.

  of the present invention as defined by the claims

  attached. For example, in the case where the receiver 10 is a mobile telephone operating on a cellular telephone network, it may be advantageous for this telephone to be of the type without subscription and with a prepayment card to further reduce the operating cost of the system. It should be noted that the system can operate with a simple voice telephone line, but that it requires a data transmission line when it is connected to a device such as that of spatial location 42, to a device

  tele-diagnostic or Internet.

  It is also quite obvious that the control unit 30 can, without any difficulty for the person skilled in the art, be connected to an online payment module, in particular when the vehicle is rented, to a web such as the Internet to determine a appropriate route, to an online remote diagnostic system in the event of any failure, to a keyboard and / or to a display screen so as to allow a dialogue with a remote interlocutor, this by means of

  simple input-output 38 provided for this purpose.

  It is thus possible to easily transmit messages relating to the ambient temperature, the energy consumption of the engine, the

  exit from the authorized zone of the vehicle, etc ...

  In addition, the messages sent from the control unit can be favorably chosen from a message store included in the memory 34, for example with text-to-speech, describing the

  problem encountered on the vehicle.

R E V EN D I C ATI ON S

  1 - Remote control system for at least one action relating to a fixed or mobile object the position of which is not necessarily known, using a receiver (10) operating in a frequency band reserved for cellular telephony and comprising a one-to-one identification code, said receiver (10) being connected to a control means (12) for said at least one action, characterized in that said identification code is a telephone number accessible from n any telephone set in the switched network, a simple ring signal (26) received being capable of triggering the

said at least one action.

  2 - remote control system according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one action is directly

  triggered upon receipt of said ring signal (26).

  3 - Remote control system according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one action is triggered after receipt of said ring signal (26) and off-hook by said receiver (10), followed by reception of a code from a list of

  codes each associated with one of said actions.

  4 - Remote control system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said ringing signal (26) is the nth

  received sequentially within a specified period of time.

  - Remote control system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receiver (10)

  is a cellular mobile phone.

  6 - remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said receiver (10) is

  a pager-type message receiver.

  7 - Remote control system according to any one of

  previous claims, characterized in that said receiver

  (10) is connected to said control means (12) via a control unit (30) including a programmed microprocessor (32) and

memory means (34).

  8 - remote control system according to claims 3 and

  7, characterized in that the telephone number of the calling telephone set is first compared to at least one telephone number recorded in said memory means (34) before triggering the

said at least one action.

  9 - Remote control system according to any one of

  previous claims, characterized in that said object is a

  mobile motorized vehicle, said determined action being chosen from the commissioning of an alarm, the breakdown of said vehicle by switching off the engine equipping it, the commissioning of an air conditioning means, the activation of electric locks

and the combination of these.

  10 - Remote control system according to claim 5, characterized in that the said cellular mobile telephone (10) is connected to a detection means (24) of the occurrence of at least one specific fact affecting the said object, by l intermediary of a control means (22) triggering a numbering determined as a signal

  exit from said cellular mobile telephone (10).

  11 - Remote control system according to claim 10, characterized in that said detection means (24) is connected to said cellular mobile telephone (10) via a control unit (30) including a programmed microprosseur ( 32) and a means of

memory (34).

  12 - Remote control system according to any one of

  claims 7 to 9 and any one of claims 10 and 11,

  characterized in that the respective control units of said control means (12) and that of said detection means (24) do not form

  only one control unit (30).

  13 - Remote control system according to any one of

  claims 10 to 12, characterized in that said means of

  detection (24) is chosen from conventional flight detectors, temperature detectors, exit detectors from a determined authorized area, spatial location detectors (42), and

combinations of these.

  14 - Remote control system according to claim 11, 12 or 13, characterized in that said micropressor (32) is connected to a spatial location means of the GPS type (42), so as to transmit the position of the vehicle in the event of theft of it and / or exit

of a specific area authorized.

  15 - Remote control system according to any one of

  claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said object is fixed, the

  said action being chosen from among the known home automation actions.