Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2001-03-06
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3664)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S033000, C701S036000, C701S031000, C340S438000, C340S439000, C340S517000, C340S518000, C340S693300, C307S010700, C307S141000, C713S320000, C713S501000, C713S502000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198995
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle monitoring system during a sleep mode.
Many modern vehicles are designed to enter a sleep mode after the vehicle has been inactive for a predetermined length of time. In the sleep mode, most of the vehicle subsystems are switched to an off or inactive state to eliminate any parasitic or dark current draw on the battery from the inactive subsystems.
In a vehicle, a parasitic current draw continuously drains a small amount of current, usually a few milliamps, from a battery when the engine is off and the battery is not being continuously charged. Reducing the parasitic current draw on the battery increases the life of the battery as well as the length of idle time during which the battery will remain charged.
Modern vehicles are typically equipped with a monitoring system which monitors subsystem inputs and actuates other subsystems, as appropriate. As an example, the monitoring system will typically monitor motion detectors for the door locks and other systems.
Some vehicle subsystems, such as the vehicle monitoring system, must remain in a semi-active state in the sleep mode to detect unauthorized entry into the vehicle or prevent unauthorized ignition of the engine. Also, the monitoring system wakes the vehicle when an operator unlocks a door or activates a door handle switch. To operate in a semi-active state during the sleep mode requires power or current from the battery. As a result, prior art vehicle monitoring systems typically place a parasitic current draw on the battery during the sleep mode. It would be desirable to reduce the amount of parasitic or dark current draw on the battery of the vehicle during the sleep mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a vehicle monitoring system having inputs from a plurality of vehicle subsystems is operated by a method which conserves power. The method includes the steps of placing the vehicle into a sleep mode wherein wake-up signals are not normally placed on the inputs by the plurality of vehicle subsystems, scanning the inputs through repetitive cycles for wake-up signals, timing the scanning through a predetermined time period, and increasing the time between cycles from scanning step to scanning step in response to a lack of wake-up signals on the inputs in each predetermined time period for each prior scanning step.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes the steps of decreasing the time between cycles from scanning step to scanning step in response to a wake-up signal on any one of the inputs, decreasing the amount of time between cycles based upon a priority level associated with the wake-up signal, and waking the vehicle when the wake-up signal is verified.
These and other features of the present invention will be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
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Benzie Thomas
Settles Steven
Broadhead Brian J
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc.
Niro, Scavone, Hallero & Niro
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