Communications: electrical – Selective – Intelligence comparison for controlling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-21
2001-10-16
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2635)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Intelligence comparison for controlling
C343S767000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
According to exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, the present invention relates to a door approach communication apparatus for irradiating a searching radio wave in the vicinity of a vehicle door. The invention also relates to a wireless-type door lock control apparatus using the door approach communication apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an unlock transmitting apparatus provided with, in a vehicle having an electrically driven door lock device, an antenna, a transmitter, a receiver and a door lock controller. This apparatus irradiates a searching radio wave via the transmitter and the antenna and sends an unlock signal to the electrically driven lock device when the receiver decodes an unlock signal. The apparatus employs a search and answer style of interrogation in which, when the searching radio wave is received by a portable wireless device held by a driver, an unlock signal radio wave is transmitted therefrom.
2. Description of Related Art
Transmitting apparatus for automatically unlocking the doors of vehicles are generally referred to as keyless entry systems. According to the keyless entry system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-119873 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-22429, a receiver located on a vehicle and a loop antenna for communicating with a portable wireless transmitter held by a driver are used. The loop antenna is formed by a conductive print pattern at a peripheral edge portion of a door mirror or on the surface of a door window.
According to the keyless entry system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-32378, an antenna is installed in the vicinity or at the inside of an outside door handle. In this case, a receiving region is constituted by an area in the vicinity of the driver's seat door.
According to the above example of using a loop antenna, an antenna (coil) is mounted to a part located on the vehicle, such as by embedding an antenna coil inside a door mirror or pasting an antenna on the surface of a door window. Accordingly, the cost of implementing this apparatus may increase. Further, the parts used in implementing this apparatus may be large in size, and the characteristic of the antenna is liable to suffer influence from the surrounding parts. This design may also suffer from other drawbacks.
It may be less problematic to mount an antenna in the vicinity or inside an outside door handle when the outside door handle is made of resin. However, when the outside door handle is made of a metal (for example, made by zinc die-cast) as well as when a metal is coated on the surface of the resin, the function of the mounted antenna may be hampered.
SUMMARY
It is a first object of the present invention to provide emission of radio waves from an outside door handle made of a conductor to a vicinity thereof, or reception of radio waves by the outside door handle.
It is a second object of the present invention to reduce the number of parts for the emission of the radio waves or for the reception of the radio waves.
According to one exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door approach communication apparatus comprising a slot antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
) including an outside door handle (
20
) at least a surface of which is constituted by a conductor. A slit (
23
) is opened in the conductor and feeding points (
24
,
25
) are provided to the conductor. A transmitter (
26
) is also provided for applying a voltage for radio wave oscillation to the feeding points.
According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door approach communication apparatus comprising a slot antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
) including an outside door handle (
20
) at least a surface of which is constituted by a conductor. A slit (
23
) is opened at the conductor and feeding points (
24
,
25
) are provided to the conductor. Further, a receiver (
33
) is connected to the feeding points (
24
,
25
).
According to these above-described apparatus, the outside door handle (
20
) per se is used also for the conductor plate of the slot antenna, and accordingly, the parts for achieving the antenna function are the slit (
23
) and the feeding points (
24
,
25
). This aspect of the invention thus reduces the number of parts required.
Further, the outside door handle (
20
) is provided with a limited size and, in one embodiment, does not comprise a complete plane. Accordingly, this design significantly differs from an ideal (theoretical) slot antenna and the antenna characteristic may be considerably lower than a theoretical characteristic. However, an effective radio wave is irradiated in a range of a short distance in the vicinity of the vehicle door. Further, a radio wave is effectively received in a range of a short distance in the vicinity of the door.
Particularly, when the apparatus are used in the above-described keyless entry system, the apparatus provide sufficient performance for the emission or reception of radio waves, wherein the effective range of the radio waves comprises a radius of about 1 m or about 2 m from the door at a driver's seat in a vehicle. Accordingly, a significantly large electric field for the radio wave is not needed.
When the main body of the outside door handle (
20
) is made of a die-cast metal (for example, made of zinc die-cast) or synthetic resin plated with an ornamental metal on its surface, one embodiment of the invention comprises forming a cut or a slit for a slot antenna. Open screw holes are provided to receive a couple of feeding points at the central portion of the slit in the longitudinal direction before plating a metal onto the device. The slit and the holes for the feeding points (e.g., bottomed holes on the rear face) may be formed in a die for casting or in an injection-molding process. In this fabrication method, the main body of the device can be formed, and the slit and the holes for the feeding points may be formed in the course of fabricating the main body. Further, in one embodiment, the slit is sealed airtight by embedding the slit in a dielectric body, for example, synthetic resin. At any rate, a number of parts and a number of assembling steps for mounting an antenna may be reduced compared to the case of mounting a conventional antenna. Further, even with an outside door handle comprising an inner portion or a surface of which is made of a metal (e.g., a conductor), the antenna can be arranged (formed) at the conductive portion. In addition thereto, this design achieves an advantage in that the antenna is inconspicuous and it is therefore difficult for people to discern that the antenna is mounted on the door.
According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a door lock control apparatus is provided comprising a portable wireless device (
10
) used for transmitting a response radio wave when a search radio wave is received. On the side of the vehicle, an antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
,
32
), a transmitter (
26
), and a receiver (
33
) are also provided. Also, a door lock controller (
31
) is provided for emitting the search radio wave via the transmitter (
26
) and the antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
,
32
) and transmitting an unlock signal to an electrically driven door lock device (
40
) when the receiver (
33
) receives the response radio wave. The antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
,
32
) includes a slot antenna (
21
,
23
,
24
,
25
) comprising a slit (
23
) opened at a conductor (e.g., such as a metal surface) provided at an outside door handle (
20
). The slot antenna also includes feeding points (
24
,
25
) connected to the conductor.
The above-described embodiment of the keyless entry system shares at least the same benefits in operation and effect as described above.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door lock control apparatus comprising a portable wireless device (
10
) including an antenna (
18
) for receiving a search radio wave, a receiver (
17
) connected to the ant
Hatano Rikuo
Ieda Kiyokazu
Murakami Yuichi
Ohta Takayuki
Oka Toshimitsu
Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Horabik Michael
Shimizu M
LandOfFree
Door approach communication apparatus and door lock control... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Door approach communication apparatus and door lock control..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Door approach communication apparatus and door lock control... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2551514