RU2440902C2 - Automotive interlocking device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to antitheft devices. Proposed device comprises transceiver communicated via radio channel in 2.4 GHz with interlocking system control device. There is also a processor, accelerometre, and controlled relay connected in circuit of operating functions locking/unlocking. Said controlled relay is made up of semiconductor power switch with isolated control. Processor inputs are connected with outputs of transceiver, accelerometre and controlled relay, while its output is connected to controlled relay input. Processor generates instructions for controlled relay without inhibiting ICE remote starting, for example, in warming up, with no inhibiting signals from accelerometre, processing antitheft signals from accelerometre in theft conditions with inhibiting running vehicle ICE locking till the first braking and simulating ICE failure after said first braking till its outage. Besides, said processor performs diagnostics of faults in circuitry of locked and unlocked functional unit in static and dynamic conditions, and transmits diagnostics results via 2.4 GHz radio channel to transceiver of locking control device and, further, to PC.

EFFECT: improved operating performances, higher reliability, longer life.

3 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to techniques for protecting vehicles from unauthorized use.

In existing anti-theft systems, devices for blocking the vehicle’s functional organs are used as terminal devices, breaking electric circuits in the most significant places, in particular in electric starter, ignition, and engine circuits. Moreover, in most cases, this gap is caused by contacts of electromechanical relays, which have a number of disadvantages (RU 2059484 C1, B60R 25/00, 05/10/1996; RU 2124992 C1, B60R 25/04, 01/20/1999; RU 2309861 C1, B60R 25 / 00, 11/10/2007).

In electromechanical relays, the closure and opening of a switched circuit occurs due to the bending of a miniature metal plate under the influence of an electromagnetic field that occurs when current flows through the field winding. Over time, the mechanical properties of the plate change. Therefore, the service life of electromechanical relays is limited by both time and mode of operation.

During the operation of electromechanical relays, the electrochemical characteristics of the contact change (the contact “burns”), and the resistance of the closed contact during the service life can vary significantly.

Electromechanical relays are characterized by contact bounce, i.e. repeated closure-opening of the contact during switching. This, firstly, increases the level of electromagnetic interference in the equipment, and secondly, it may require additional anti-bounce measures.

In electromechanical relays, abnormal contact closure due to shock or vibration is possible.

Since switching in electromechanical relays occurs under the influence of an electromagnetic field, abnormal triggering from external electromagnetic fields is possible. This leads to the need for additional design measures, for example, spacing adjacent relays to a safe distance, shielding, etc.

Finally, for electromechanical relays, acoustic noise from contact triggering during operation is inevitable, as a result of which such a relay can be detected.

In this regard, it seems promising to use devices to block the functional organs of a car, in which semiconductor power switches with isolated control are used to break electric circuits (DE 4414505 A1, B60R 25/04, 02.11.1995; US 5453730 A, B60R 25/04, 09/26/1995).

Compared to electromechanical relays, semiconductor power switches do not have contact bounce and problems due to shock, vibration and are indifferent to the mounting position. They do not contain a wearing mechanism that would limit the number of operations, do not create magnetic fields, electric noise and are insensitive to electromagnetic interference. Such keys are also distinguished by an ultra-low current consumption for control, measured by fractions of microamps, which is five orders of magnitude less than that of electromechanical relays.

Semiconductor power switches have certified performance in the temperature range from -40 to +125 degrees Celsius (but can work up to +175 degrees), enhanced insulation (more than 3 kV), high resistance to transient interference (more than 1 sq / μs) and provide excellent noise suppression from input to output and between open outputs at the output, which reduces undesirable transient phenomena.

It is also important that the dimensions of semiconductor power switches are ten times smaller than the dimensions of electromechanical relays, which have similar parameters for the maximum current through the contacts. This makes it possible to design and manufacture devices for locking the functional organs of the car at times smaller dimensions, with unsurpassed reliability.

In some devices, accelerometers are used to block the vehicle’s functional organs to ensure unauthorized access to the vehicle and the correct operation of the anti-robbery function (RU 54567 U1, B60R 25/04, 07/10/2006; WO 0058136 A1, B60R 25/04, 05.10.2000) .

None of the known devices for blocking the functional organs of a vehicle allows measuring the impedance of a load circuit in a continuous mode for diagnostic purposes.

Thus, the known device for blocking the functional organs of the car is either not sufficiently reliable in operation, or are characterized by narrow functional capabilities.

The objective of the invention is to provide a device for blocking the functional organs of a car with improved technical indicators with regard to reliability, service life, secrecy, the impact on other electronic equipment and advanced functionality, covering, in particular, the diagnosis of malfunctions in electrical circuits of blocked and unlocked functional organs a car.

To solve this problem, a device for blocking the functional organs of a car is proposed, comprising a transceiver connected via a radio channel at a frequency of 2.4 GHz with a transceiver of a locking control device, a processor, an accelerometer, a controlled relay included in the blocking and unlocking circuit of the corresponding functional organs of the car, the controlled relay is made in the form of a semiconductor power switch with isolated control, the processor is connected by inputs to the outputs of the transceiver an accelerometer and a controlled relay, and the output - with the input of a controlled relay and configured to generate commands for a controlled relay, not to interfere with the remote start of the internal combustion engine, for example, during heating, in the absence of inhibit signals from the accelerometer, to work out the anti-robbery function in the event of a vehicle being captured in the presence of prohibiting signals from the accelerometer with the prohibition of blocking the internal combustion engine of a moving car before the first braking and simulating a malfunction of the internal combustion engine after the first braking until it stops, Carrying out diagnostics of malfunctions in the electric circuits of blocked and unlocked functional organs of the car in static and dynamic modes and transmitting its results via radio channel at a frequency of 2.4 GHz to the transceiver of the locking control device and then sending them to a personal computer.

Partial essential features of the invention contribute to the solution of the problem.

The controlled relay is made on MOSFET or IGBT semiconductor devices. The accelerometer is made triaxial with the ability to measure all types of displacements, free fall, impacts, inclinations.

The drawing shows a functional diagram of the proposed device for locking the functional organs of the car (blocking module).

The device contains a transceiver 1, connected via a radio channel at a frequency of 2.4 GHz with a transceiver 2 of a locking control device 3 (control module), a processor 4, an accelerometer 5, a controlled relay 6, included in the blocking and unlocking circuits of the corresponding functional bodies 7 of the car. The controlled relay 6 is made in the form of semiconductor power switches with isolated control. The processor 4, which is a microcontroller with an integrated on-chip (or stand-alone) radio transceiver, is connected by inputs to the outputs of the transceiver 1, accelerometer 5 and controlled relay 6, and the output is connected to the input of controlled relay 6, and is configured to generate commands for controlled relay 6 , obstructing the remote start of the internal combustion engine, for example during heating, in the absence of inhibitory signals from the accelerometer 5, working off the anti-robbery function in the event of a vehicle being captured in the presence of inhibitory signals from a xellerometer 5 with a ban on blocking the internal combustion engine of a moving car before the first braking and simulating a malfunction of the internal combustion engine after the first braking until it stops, diagnosing malfunctions in the electrical circuits of the blocked and unlocked functional organs of the car 7 in static and dynamic modes and transmitting its results over the air at frequency 2 , 4 GHz to the transceiver 2 of the lock control device 3, followed by their sending to a personal computer.

Position 8 in the drawing indicates the source of stabilized voltage, which converts the voltage of the vehicle electrical system to the necessary voltage levels and provides power to nodes 1, 4, 5 and 6.

The controlled relay 6 is solid state, in particular, on MOSFET or IGBT semiconductor devices. The accelerometer 5 is made triaxial with the ability to measure all types of displacements, free fall, shock, incline.

The device operates as follows.

The locking and unlocking of the functional organs 7 of the car is carried out by commands from the device 3 control lock. Direct and feedback between the locking control device 3 and the device for locking functional organs is performed via a radio channel at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, while signals in the form of bidirectional code packets are transmitted and received by transceivers 2 and 1, respectively, and processed in accordance with the algorithm laid down in the processor 4 and sent to a controlled relay 6 to disconnect the electrical circuits of the blocked functional organs 7. Semiconductor switches, on which a controlled relay 6 is made, on They are designed in such a way that when an enable signal is applied to them, current flow in both directions is allowed (AC keys). The switching circuit of solid-state relays 6, due to the lack of mechanical parts, provides an almost unlimited number of switching operations, and the resistance of the closed contact does not change throughout operation.

The three-axis accelerometer 5, as already mentioned, measures all types of movements and allows the processor 4 to correctly fulfill the anti-robbery function and, in particular, to prevent the ICE from locking at a speed that could lead to an accident in the form of collisions of a car with a blocked ICE and subsequent ones cars. In addition, the accelerometer 5 in the absence of a prohibiting signal at its output enables the user to remotely (remotely) start the internal combustion engine, for example, when it is warmed up. With the beginning of the movement of the car, when the inhibitory signal at the output of the accelerometer 5 takes place, the necessary locks are turned on.

In anti-theft systems, the diagnosis of malfunctions in the electrical circuits of the blocked and unlocked functional organs of a car is of particular importance.

As you know, all relays (both electromechanical and solid state) control the load. That is, the current is switched in the load circuit. In automotive applications, the load can be either resistive (rear window heating element) or inductive (electric motors, injection nozzles, ignition coils, etc.). Inductive loads are much greater.

The standard engine control unit has a diagnostic function that runs continuously. After all, a car is a device of increased danger. In the process of diagnosis, the engine control unit measures the impedance of all the loads in the car (those, of course, that are connected to it). The circuitry of the impedance meter is very complex. If the impedance value deviates, the engine control unit ignites the signal “CHECK ENGINE” - “Check engine”.

It is not possible to measure the impedance at the required level when using electromechanical relays due to the inevitable bounce of the contacts and the unstable value of the resistance of the closed contacts. In addition, the control current of electromechanical relays reaches 300 mA. With such a consumption current, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to measure the impedance at the level that the ICE control unit operates. Indeed, it is impossible to measure, for example, inductance, as part of an impedance without switching, even theoretically. The large current flowing through the relay coil, during repeated switching during the measurement process, will induce potential both on the "analog ground" and on the open relay contacts. To combat this phenomenon, you must either distribute the relay and the measuring part over a large distance (in this case you will have to use circuitry that compensates for the impedance of the connection lines of the measuring and contact parts), or use different "earths", which can be even more difficult in circuitry in the conditions of small dimensions of the relay .

Using the proposed device, the load impedance is measured continuously.

In anti-theft systems, they break the circuits supplying the ignition coils, fuel pumps, fuel injectors, starter motor, etc., i.e. break the circuit of inductive loads.

Suppose that a controlled relay is connected in series to the power supply circuit of the injection nozzle (for simplicity, imagine that the injection nozzle is an electromagnet that lifts the fuel valve, opening the way for fuel). Suppose further that the blocking element, the nozzle, has failed due to wear (inter-turn circuit, corrosion due to moisture or other reasons), as a result of which the impedance of the circuit section under consideration has changed. In this case, the standard engine control unit will immediately detect this malfunction and light up the CHECK ENGINE warning lamp - “Check engine” on the vehicle’s instrument panel. In this case, as a rule, the standard ICE control unit activates a safe, protected mode of operation of the internal combustion engine, characterized by increased fuel consumption.

If the car owner has the proposed device for locking functional organs, he gives a command with the help of the programmer associated with the device 3 control lock, for diagnosis. Measurement of parameters of electrical circuits (diagnostic function) is carried out entirely inside the device to block functional organs. The processor 4 has a measurement algorithm, and the controlled relay 6 contains the necessary circuit solutions. The diagnostic results are transmitted to the lock control device 3 via the same radio channel through which the lock control is carried out. This is dictated by the following considerations:

- firstly, the lock control device 3 already has an external device for communication with a personal computer (programmer), as a result of which there is no need to build another external module for displaying measurement results;

- secondly, the proposed device for locking functional organs in itself cannot transmit diagnostic information - it does this only at the request of the locking control device 3 via a standard secure radio channel, this guarantees data security - they are protected by a communication protocol and encryption keys;

- thirdly, this approach ensures that the data cannot be obtained otherwise than in the presence of the car owner (the person who has a genuine tag with him);

- fourthly, distributed computing always has higher reliability than those carried out on a single processor.

A report is displayed on the computer or printer screen containing all the information about the connected devices to lock the functional organs, and the characteristics of all blocked circuits. In this case, information can be issued in both static and dynamic modes (for circuit impedance only in dynamic mode).

From the report, it becomes obvious that the resistance in the injector circuit has sharply decreased (in the case of inter-turn short circuit) the impedance, which leads to an error. Also, the report shows all the effective voltage and current levels in the blocked circuits. In this case, the need to dismantle the device to block functional organs for the purpose of diagnosing a malfunction at the service station disappears.

Thus, the proposed device for blocking the functional organs of the car is characterized by improved technical indicators. It is small-sized, has a high service life, load capacity and reliability, does not interfere with the standard wiring of the car, does not have elements unmasking it. The functionality of the proposed device allows you to remotely start the engine and diagnose malfunctions in the electrical circuits of the blocked and unlocked functional organs of the car.

Claims (3)

1. A device for blocking the functional organs of a car, comprising a transceiver connected by radio at a frequency of 2.4 GHz with a transceiver of a locking control device, a processor, an accelerometer, a controlled relay included in the blocking and unlocking circuit of the corresponding functional organs of the car, while the controlled relay is made in the form of a semiconductor power switch with isolated control, the processor is connected by inputs to the outputs of the transceiver, accelerometer and controlled relay, and in output - with the input of a controlled relay and configured to generate commands for a controlled relay, not to interfere with remote start of the internal combustion engine, for example, during heating, in the absence of inhibitory signals from the accelerometer, to work out the anti-robbery function in the event of a vehicle being captured in the presence of inhibitory signals from the accelerometer with a ban on blocking the internal combustion engine a moving car before the first braking and simulating a malfunction of the engine after the first braking up to its stop, diagnosing malfunctions in the electric the electrical circuits of the vehicle’s locked and unlocked functional bodies in static and dynamic modes and the transmission of its results over the radio channel at a frequency of 2.4 GHz to the transceiver of the locking control device and then sent to a personal computer. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the controlled relay is made on MOSFET or IGBT semiconductor devices. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the accelerometer is made triaxial with the ability to measure all types of displacements, free fall, impacts, inclinations.

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