WO1991014065A1

WO1991014065A1 - Lock unit for a motor vehicle with remote-controlled door lock

Info

Publication number: WO1991014065A1
Application number: PCT/DE1991/000201
Authority: WO
Inventors: Siegfried Sikora
Original assignee: Siegfried Sikora
Priority date: 1990-03-07
Filing date: 1991-03-07
Publication date: 1991-09-19

Abstract

A lock unit for a motor vehicle in the form of a door and/or ignition lock unit consists of a key (26) and a lock (34) fitted on the motor vehicle. When a trigger (32) is actuated, a portable transmitter (24) connected to the key (26) emits a coded signal which actuates the door lock of the motor vehicle by remote control. When the key (20, 26) is inserted in the lock (34), the transmitter (24) receives a voltage derived from the motor vehicle's electrical system, which charges its current supply element (44).

Description

Description: Lock unit of a motor vehicle with a remote controlled door lock

The invention relates to a lock unit of a motor vehicle in the form of a door and / or ignition lock unit and consisting of a key and a lock arranged in a motor vehicle.

Telecontrol devices for actuating the door lock of a motor vehicle are part of the prior art; with their help, the door lock can be opened or closed at least on one door of the motor vehicle if the transmitter is actuated in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. The transmission can take place by means of electromagnetic waves (high frequency or light, for example IR light) or acoustically, for example by means of ultrasound. The present invention preferably, but not exclusively, relates to remote control by means of radio frequency, in particular in the range from 100 MHz and above.

Furthermore, it is assumed that remote control transmitters have their own power supply, the transmitter according to the prior art is, for example, a lithium battery, for example a button cell, as is also used in watches or cameras. In addition to the environmental impact caused by empty batteries, the use of a battery in the transmitter has the particular disadvantage that the battery is exhausted after a certain period of use and must be replaced. When the battery is exhausted, but at the latest when the battery is replaced, the transmitter is no longer functional, on the one hand, the motor vehicle can no longer be opened or closed, on the other hand, the memory content of the code memory in the transmitter is lost, with the result that the code memory is reloaded ¬ must be. This is very disadvantageous for the user because he can no longer use the motor vehicle with the key. For the maintenance of the memory state in the code memory ^"is only a small electric power is required. A significantly greater power demand when the transmitter is operated at lock units according to the prior art it is required that the telecontrol transmitter at least one year may be stored without actuation. and can then be used for at least one year with normal operation of the lock unit of the motor vehicle. However, this means that a motor vehicle user usually has to replace the battery of his remote control transmitter after one year and has problems with the door of his motor vehicle at this time ¬ open stuff.

This is where the invention begins. She has taken on the task of designing the power station's permanent and insbeson ular exchanging a battery during normal ^'Lebens¬ life of the motor vehicle to refrain entirely.

Starting from the lock unit of the type mentioned at the outset, the invention proposes to connect to the key a portable transmitter which emits a coded signal when a trigger is actuated, whose code signal is used for remote-controlled actuation of the door lock and which, when the key is inserted in the lock, is one of the Vehicle electrical system receives voltage derived for charging its power supply part.

The invention thus proposes not to equip the transmitter's power supply part with a replaceable battery, but rather to provide an accumulator and / or a capacitor for storing electrical energy in the power supply part. This accumulator and / or high-capacity rechargeable capacitor (e.g. some Farad) is abbreviated in the following to the accumulator. Since the key according to the invention serves as an electrical contact for the power supply part of the transmitter, and the lock belonging to the key is designed in the manner of a socket and is connected to the electrical system of the motor vehicle, the battery is always charged when the key is in the lock.

The main field of application of the invention is a combination of Door lock and ignition lock unit. The door lock unit is actuated by the transmitter, the key part of the transmitter key is used to start and switch off the engine in the usual way, as with conventional ignition locks, but in the latter case with the additional function that the transmitter battery is charged when the ignition key is inserted and thus for others Actuations of the door lock have or receive sufficient charging.

Due to the combination of the ignition key (or another key of the motor vehicle) and the transmitter, there is on the one hand a clear and permanent assignment of the lock unit necessary for the actuation of the motor vehicle, on the other hand it is ensured that the power supply unit of the transmitter when the motor vehicle is actuated is charged again and again. In the event that the door lock unit is actuated exclusively and the transmitter supply part is not charged during this time because the key is not inserted into the lock, it can be provided that a lock that is accessible on the outside of the motor vehicle is also equipped as a socket, for example a lock on a door or tailgate.

Capacitors with a large storage capacity, which are on the market under the name "gold caps", have proven particularly advantageous as accumulators in the power supply part of the transmitter. On the one hand, these capacitors can be used problem-free in the required temperature range, on the other hand, they require little space in relation to their high storage capacity. As a result, the transmitter can be made small overall, it is not significantly larger than the head part of a normal car key. On the other hand, special rechargeable lithium accumulators or the like can also be considered as accumulators.

The transmitter battery is charged when the key is in the lock, preferably by direct mechanical contact between at least two contacts provided on the key and at least two counter contacts in the lock that are adapted to them. Kontakt¬ free injection of a voltage in the Strcmversorgungsteil of Sen ^¬ DERS are not excluded, for example it may in that a high-frequency voltage is fed capacitively from the lock into the transmitter, rectified there and stored in the accumulator, or in that the energy transfer takes place inductively. However, mechanical contacts are preferred because of their simplicity, reliability and better transmission quality.

In a further development of the invention, it is proposed that the transmitter has a pulse switch and, as a result, only emits a short transmit pulse, which is, for example, 20 ms long, irrespective of the duration of the actuation. This leads to a significant saving in the energy stored in the accumulator, since it is impossible for the accumulator to be discharged by actuating the trigger for an impermissibly long time.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the transmitter has an HF part and a code memory storing the coding and that if the voltage of the power supply part of the transmitter falls below a predetermined threshold value, the function of the HF part is blocked, but the voltage is still sufficient to to maintain data storage. By switching off the HF part below the threshold value, it is ensured that the power supply part cannot be deeply discharged, rather that the data storage, which requires little power, is maintained for a long time. The user can then no longer open the door of the associated motor vehicle with the transmitter key, but this function is also available again after the battery has been recharged. In an advantageous further development, the accumulator can be charged in that at least one live lock, in which the key fits, is arranged on the outside of the motor vehicle, for example as a door or tailgate lock. By pushing the key into this lock, the battery is recharged to such an extent that the door opening can be operated remotely.

With the combination of a transmitter and a key according to the invention, the key can also be used as an antenna of the transmitter in an advantageous further development. Furthermore, data can be exchanged between the transmitter and the motor vehicle electronics when the key is in the lock. In this state, the transmitter can in turn Receive data from the electronics of the motor vehicle, or send data to it, for example, by actuating the trigger when the motor is plugged in, the engine can be started or information can be given to a built-in car radio by means of which the anti-theft device available there is activated.

Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the remaining claims and the following description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:

1 is a side view of a transmitter key according to the invention,

1 in a representation rotated by 90 ° and additionally inserted in a lock, of which only the electrical contacts are shown,

3 shows a basic block diagram of the transmitter key including the counter contacts in the lock and the associated power supply and

Fig. 4 is an illustration of a transmitter key similar to Fig. 1, but in a modified version.

1 shows a transmitter key 20, it has an essentially cylindrical key head, in which there is a transmitter 24 (not shown) and a metallic key 26. At the same time, it serves as a contact that connects to the input terminals a power supply part of the transmitter 24 is connected. A second contact 28 is double, provided on each side and is formed by a tongue made of metal, which is electrically connected to the second terminal of the power supply part and is arranged on the key 26 in an electrically insulated manner via an insulator 30. Finally, the transmitter 24 has a trigger 32 in the form of a round button; by pressing this button-shaped trigger 32, an electromagnetic signal is emitted by the transmitter 24, the key 26 serving as the antenna of the transmitter 24.

FIG. 2 shows the state of a transmitter key 20 according to FIG. 1 inserted in a lock 34. The mechanical parts of the lock 34 are not shown, they are known per se. However, are shown Counter-contacts 36, 38 which are arranged insulated from one another and join at the inserted key station with its contacts 26 and 28 in elec tric ^¬ contact. As a result, electric current can flow from a motor vehicle battery 40 indicated by dashed lines to the power supply part of the transmitter 24, an accumulator located there in the form of a capacitor with a plurality of farads being charged.

Fig. 3 gives an insight into the electronic circuit. The battery 40 and the three mating contacts 36 and 38 are shown in the left partial image. The contacts 26, 28 of the transmitter key 20 are in the inserted key 20 (see FIG. 2) in connection with the counter contacts 36, 38. This charges an accumulator 42, which is located in a power supply part 44. A diode 46 protects the accumulator 42 from being discharged in the opposite direction, ¹ if, for example, the battery 40 of the motor vehicle has failed.

A voltage memory 48 is constantly applied to a code memory 48 by the power supply part 44. A code is stored in it, which can be called up and changed as often as desired and which, transmitted via an HF part 50, actuates the door lock of a motor vehicle in a manner known per se. For this purpose, a receiver 52 is arranged in the motor vehicle and is designed to receive the * signals emitted by the transmitter 24. A code memory 54, which contains the same code as the memory 48, is in turn assigned to it. If the received code matches the stored code, the door lock 56 is actuated, in particular locked or released. In a preferred development, however, the door itself can also be opened or closed mechanically.

3, the motor vehicle is indicated by a dashed rectangle, the parts in the rectangle are connected to the motor vehicle, the parts outside the rectangle belong to the portable transmitter key 20.

4 finally shows a different design of the transmitter key 20. Here, the metallic key part 26 is slit lengthways, so that two key regions which are electrically insulated from one another are formed and form the contacts 26, 28 of the transmitter key 20. This are mechanically connected to one another by an insulator 30 provided between them, which extends over their entire length, and on the other hand electrically separated. As in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the two contacts 26, 28 are electrically connected to the power supply part 44 of the transmitter 24. In this exemplary embodiment, an AC voltage is fed in, which is derived from the vehicle electrical system. A diode for rectifying the AC voltage is arranged in the key 20. Again, a trigger 32 is provided in the form of a button.

The following operations take place in the practical use of the lock unit according to the invention: As a starting point, it is assumed that the motor vehicle is parked and locked. If a user now actuates the trigger 32 of his transmitter key 20 at a certain distance from the motor vehicle, for example at a distance of less than 20 m, the transmitter 24 emits a signal which is modulated with the code of the code memory 48. This signal is received by the receiver 52 located in the motor vehicle, compared with the code of the code memory 54 stored there and - if the code matches - a signal is sent to the door lock 56 which unlocks it.

The user can now open the door of the motor vehicle. In order to start the motor vehicle, he puts the key part of the transmitter key 20 into the ignition lock. The key part of the transmitter key 20 is a normal ignition key known from the prior art, and the associated lock is also a normal ignition lock. By turning the transmitter key 20 in the ignition lock, the starting process of the engine is triggered.

In addition, the transmitter key is designed as a plug and the ignition lock, as a socket. As soon as the transmitter key 20 is fully inserted into the ignition lock, its contacts 26, 28 come into contact with the counter contacts 36, 38, to which an on-board voltage is applied. After making the electrical contact, the accumulator 20 of the power supply part 44 of the transmitter 24 is charged. Since the transmitter key 20 remains in the ignition lock while the vehicle is moving, there is sufficient time to use the transmitter's on-board network vehicle to charge. The charging process is advantageously interrupted when the battery 42 is full.

If the user now wants to park his motor vehicle, he turns the ignition key back as usual and thus switches off the engine. After removing the transmitter key 20 from the ignition lock, getting out and closing the door, the door can be locked again by actuating the transmitter 24. The lock can be released before the door is closed. The door can even be locked if the user remains in the motor vehicle and wishes the door to be locked. The lock is released by pressing the trigger 32 again.

When the transmitter key 20 is in the ignition lock, the transmitter function can either be blocked or not. In the first case, the function of the transmitter 24 is interrupted by the information “voltage at the two contacts 26, 28” and a corresponding downstream logic circuit. For this purpose, a switch 60 is provided in the power supply part 44. On the other hand, any signal, for example an LF signal, can be fed into the transmitter key 20 via a mating contact 36, which in turn provides the corresponding logic circuit of the transmitter with the information that the transmitter key is in the lock 34.

In this first case, the trigger 32 of the transmitter 24 can now be used for another purpose, for example to trigger the engine's starting process or to switch off the engine or to send information to any on-board device, for example a car radio give, so that this is unlocked, so an anti-theft device is canceled or activated.

In the second case, the transmitter 24 remains in function even when the transmitter key 20 is in the lock 34. The user can thus open or close the door locks by pressing the trigger 32.

Finally, a voltage comparator is provided in the power supply part 44, which then interrupts the voltage supply to the HF part 50 when the voltage of the accumulator 42 is below a predetermined value Threshold has fallen.

If the transmitter key 20 is in the lock 34, data can be exchanged between the code memory 48 of the transmitter key 20 and the code memory 54 on the receiver side. In this way, e.g. B. the code can be changed every time the motor vehicle is started. On the other hand, a second key can be programmed to the current code.

Claims

Expectations

1. Lock unit of a motor vehicle in the form of a door and / or ignition lock unit and consisting of a key (26) and a lock (34) arranged on the motor vehicle, with the key (26) being a portable one when a trigger (32) is actuated Coded signal transmitting transmitter (24) is connected, the code signal is used for the remote-controlled actuation of the door lock of the motor vehicle and with the key (20) inserted in the lock (34) the transmitter (24) a voltage derived from the vehicle electrical system for charging of its power supply part (44).

2. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (24) has an accumulator or a capacitor in the voltage supply part (44).

3. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the key (20) has two mutually electrically insulated, metallic contacts (26, 28), that the lock (34) two appropriately designed, with an on-board voltage source (z. B. Motor vehicle - Battery 40) has mating contacts (36, 38), and that when the key (20) is inserted in the lock (34) the contacts (26, 28; 36, 38) come into an electrically conductive connection.

4. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (24) has a pulse switch, so that regardless of the time duration of the actuation of the trigger (32) only one transmission pulse, which is for example 20 ms long, emitted becomes.

5. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (24) has an RF part (50) and a code memory storing the coding (48) and that when the voltage drops in

. Power supply part (44) below a threshold, the function of the RF part (50) is blocked, but the voltage is still sufficient to maintain the data storage in the code memory (48).

6. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one voltage-carrying lock, in which the key (20) fits, is arranged on the outside of the vehicle, for. B. is designed as a door or tailgate lock.

7. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that a contact (z. B. 28) of the transmitter key (20) serves as the antenna of the transmitter (24).

8. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that when the transmitter key (20) is in the lock (34) there is a data exchange between transmitter (24) and motor vehicle electronics.

_**

9. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that with the transmitter key (20) a door lock of the motor vehicle is operated remotely and that the lock in which the mating contacts (36, 38) are provided is the ignition lock of the motor vehicle.

10. Lock unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (24) is in a key head of the key (20).