Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Transmission control – Engine starting interlock
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-19
2004-09-07
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Transmission control
Engine starting interlock
C477S183000, C180S167000, C123S179200, C307S010600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786846
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a safety device for a remotely-activated power supplying system of a manual transmission vehicle, more particularly to a safety device including a starting safety unit and an ignition key detector.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
is a schematic circuit block diagram of a vehicle that incorporates a conventional remotely activated power supplying system. The vehicle includes a key-operated power supplying system
17
capable of being activated through an ignition key
18
, an ignition system
14
connected electrically to the key-operated power supplying system
17
, a handbrake (not shown), and a gear shift lever (not shown). The remotely-activated power supplying system includes a power supplying device
11
connected to the ignition system
14
, a main controller
13
connected to the power supplying device
11
, a wireless receiver
12
connected to the main controller
13
, a wireless transmitter
2
provided with a start key
21
that is operable so as to enable the wireless transmitter
2
to transmit a start signal to be received by the main controller
13
through the wireless receiver
12
, and a starting safety unit
15
connected to the main controller
13
for detecting the presence of a safety condition.
The purpose of the remotely-activated power supplying system is to remotely start the vehicle at a distance before the driver enters the vehicle so as to save warm-up waiting time before driving the vehicle. In view of safety concerns, such as preventing accidents caused by inappropriate triggering of the remote transmitter
2
, the starting safety unit
15
is provided to enable the main controller
13
to activate the power supplying device
11
to permit the supply of electric power to the ignition system
14
only when the start signal transmitted by the remote controller
2
and a safety signal generated by the starting safety unit
15
are received by the main controller
13
.
In the case of an automatic transmission vehicle, the starting safety unit
15
includes a lever detector for detecting the position of the gear shift lever. The starting safety unit
15
generates the safety signal only when the gear shift lever is disposed at a neutral gear (e.g., N gear or P gear) position. Accordingly, if the vehicle was incorrectly parked, such as with the gear shift lever disposed at a drive gear (D gear) or a reverse gear (R gear) position, the starting safety unit
15
will not generate the safety signal, and remote activation of the power supplying device
11
will not be possible.
In the case of a manual transmission vehicle, three different implementations of the starting safety unit
15
are currently available:
1. The starting safety unit includes a handbrake detector for detecting the position of the handbrake. Particularly, when the handbrake is lifted to a parking position, the handbrake detector will activate a handbrake indicator on the instrument panel of the vehicle. At the same time, the safety signal will be generated to enable remote activation of the power supplying device
11
by the main controller
13
. However, it is possible that the handbrake may be erroneously judged by the handbrake detector to be at the parking position even though it is only partly lifted. This problem is further aggravated by wearing of the brake disc.
2. The starting safety unit includes a lever detector for detecting the position of the gear shift lever. Particularly, when the gear shift lever is disposed at the neutral gear position, the safety signal will be generated to enable remote activation of the power supplying device
11
by the main controller
13
. However, the lever detector is not a standard accessory of a manual transmission vehicle. Aside from the problem of difficulty in installation, errors can occur when the lever detector is improperly installed.
3. Aside from the aforesaid handbrake detector or lever detector, a “manual operation procedure” is enforced to ensure that remote starting of the vehicle is possible only when the latter is properly parked. Referring to
FIG. 2
, the conventional “manual operation procedure” is shown to include the following five steps:
a. The gear shift lever is disposed at the neutral gear position (step
31
);
b. The handbrake is lifted to the parking position (step
32
);
c. A start switch
16
(see
FIG. 1
) or the start key
21
on the wireless transmitter
2
is operated to activate the power supplying system
17
or the power supplying device
11
so as to permit idle running of the vehicle engine for a preset time period (such as several minutes) (step
33
);
d. The ignition key
18
is uprooted from the power supplying system
17
, and the engine continues to run idly due to operation of the start switch
16
or the start key
21
in step
33
(step
34
); and
e. The driver leaves the vehicle, and the engine stops running shortly after the vehicle doors are closed (step
35
).
Only when the foregoing “manual operation procedure” is properly conducted will remote starting of the vehicle be possible. Hence, after conducting the “manual operation procedure,” when the driver operates the wireless transmitter
2
in order to warm up the vehicle, the start signal will be received by the main controller
13
through the wireless receiver
12
. Thereafter, only when the main controller
13
receives the safety signal from the starting safety unit
15
will the main controller
13
be able to activate the power supplying device
11
for providing electric power to the ignition system
14
to start the vehicle.
From the foregoing description, it is evident that the third implementation of the starting safety unit
15
is the safest and most reliable for application to manual transmission vehicles. However, the “manual operation procedure” involved therein is rather inconvenient when put into actual practice. Particularly, each time the driver intends to leave the vehicle, the step of operating the start switch
16
or the start key
21
on the wireless transmitter
2
, i.e., step
33
, has to be executed, which is rather troublesome when the driver has to get in and out of the vehicle frequently. Moreover, if the driver forgets to perform this action before getting off the vehicle, the remote start function will not work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a safety device for a remotely-activated power supplying system of a manual transmission vehicle that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a safety device for a remotely-activated power supplying system of a manual transmission vehicle. The manual transmission vehicle includes a key-operated power supplying system capable of being activated through an ignition key, an ignition system connected electrically to the key-operated power supplying system, a handbrake, and a gear shift lever. The remotely-activated power supplying system includes a power supplying device to be connected to the ignition system, a main controller connected to the power supplying device, a wireless receiver connected to the main controller, and a wireless transmitter operable so as to transmit a start signal to be received by the main controller through the wireless receiver. The safety device comprises:
a starting safety unit adapted to be connected to the main controller for detecting presence of a safety condition, the starting safety unit including at least one of a handbrake detector adapted to detect position of the handbrake, and a lever detector adapted to detect position of the gear shift lever, the safety condition being at least one of the handbrake being disposed at a parking position and the gearshift lever being disposed at a neutral gear position; and
an ignition key detector adapted to be connected to the main controller and adapted to detect if the ignition key is uprooted from the key-operated power supplying system.
Therefore, the main controller can be
Lorence Richard M.
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
Wintecronics Co., Ltd.
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