AU735808B2

AU735808B2 - Keyless access system for vehicles

Info

Publication number: AU735808B2
Application number: AU41309/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Uwe Feuchter; Peter Hauler; Robert Hugel; Hans-Joerg Mathony; Stephan Schmitz; Clemens Schroff; Thomas Spichale; Karl-Ernst Weiss
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 1998-04-15
Filing date: 1999-03-27
Publication date: 2001-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-27
Also published as: DE59901943D1; EP1071858B1; ES2180302T3; AU4130999A; EP1071858A1; WO1999053162A1; KR20010042668A; DE19816603C1; JP2002511543A

Description

SW099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 1 Keyless access system for vehicles Prior Art The invention relates to a keyless access system for vehicles in which an identifaction control device in the vehicle and a portable transponder introduce a question-answer dialogue triggered by the movement of a door handle in which the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door is checked and in which the unlocking of the vehicle door is enabled and implemented only in the case of an authorisation having been established.

An access system of this type is known from DE 35 36 377 Al. In this system, the door handle is moved in two opposing directions in order to introduce the unlocking or locking process. If the vehicle door is fitted with electronic locks, the door handles and the adjustment elements of the locks are not combined mechanically so that even when using central locking the unlocking process can be carried out independent of the moving of the door handle.

If the vehicle doors are conventional, however, with mechanical door handles, then the door handle and the door lock operate together. If the identification request for the unlocking is introduced by means of the actuating of the door lock, then the door handle has, as a rule, to be released again so that the mechanism controlled by the central locking has access to unlocking. Not until then can the vehicle door be opened by means of a repeated actuation of the door handle. The use of conventional, mechanical door locks with central locking requires, therefore, another operating of the door handles when opening the vehicle door.

The object of the invention is to create an access system of the type mentioned in the introduction which can be used with both conventional, mechanical door locks with 41 W099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 2 central locking without another mechanical actuating of the door handle for the opening of the vehicle door being necessary.

The invention relates only to the unlocking or opening process of the vehicle door.

The locking procedure can be introduced and effected via a separate key or by means of the movement of the door handle in another direction, preferably the opposite direction to that to open the door.

The object of the invention is achieved, on the one hand, in that an electronic lock with lock electronics and lock motor is installed in the vehicle door, that the movement of the door handle is segmented in two sections, that in the first section the identification control device controllable by the door handle is controllable for the introduction of the question-answer dialogue, that the transition of the door handle from the first section to the second section is prevented or hindered by means of a blocking element until the authorisation to lock the vehicle door is established and implementation is enabled and that, in the second section after the enabling of the blocking elements and the lock electronics, the unlocking of the vehicle door can be introduced by means of the identification control switch controllable through the door handle by means of the lock motor. On the other hand, the object of the invention is achieved in that a mechanical door lock with central locking and lock adustment element is installed in the vehicle door, that the movement of the door handle is divided into two sections, that in the first section the identification control device is controllable to introduce the question-answer dialogue by means of a control switch triggered by the door handle, that the transition from the first section to the second section is hindered or prevented by means of a blocking element until the authorisation to unlock the vehicle is established and its implementation is released and that in the second section after the release of the blocking element and the central locking by means of the identification control device the opening process of the vehicle door can be implemented via a mechanical operation connection from the door handle to the lock adjustment element.

From this can be seen that by both using an electronic door lock and by using a mechanical door lock with central locking, the actuating process of the door handle

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0 ;w W099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 3 takes place in the same way, ie. in two sections, the transition from the first section to the second being made dependent on the relevant question-answer dialogue. The door handle is held as usual only once and actuated in a direction in which the user recognises the end of the first section of the movement and continues the actuation if the blocking element releases the further movement of the door handle. The actuation time of the door handle is thereby increased only slightly as the question-answer dialogue and the control of the blocking element requires only a short time. The control signals emitted by the control switch or the command switch can be used for the various switching functions of an electronic lock or a mechanical door lock with central locking by the control of the lock components mentioned.

If the emission of control signals is so undertaken that the control switches are controlled when leaving the home position of the door handle and the control switches following the overriding of the position of the released blocking element by means of the door handle and control signals are transmitted to the identification control device and the lock electronics, then the electronic lock components and the blocking element can be left currentless in the home position of the door handle if the control switch and the command switch are preferably opened in the home position.

According to one embodiment, the blocking element is designed as a blocking device with a blocking member extending into the travel distance of the door handle, the blocking member separating the movement into the two sections. The two sections of the travel distance of the door handle are clearly separated from one another in this embodiment and the transition into the second section cannot be forced even with increased pressure being applied.

The invention will be described in more detail on the basis of two embodiments schematically represented in the drawings. Shown are: Figure 1 the access system according to the invention with an electronic lock and Figure 2 the access system according to the invention with a mechanical door lock and central locking.

W099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 4 As is schematically shown in Figure 1, the door handle TG of the vehicle door can have several positions. The travel path comprises two sections 0 to I and I to II, 0 indicating the home position, I a blocked position and II the end position. The entire travel distance can only be carried out when a blocking member St of a blocking element BE designed as a blocking device is removed from the travel area of the door handle TG. The blocking member, then, defines the transition between the first section 0 to I and the second section I to II of the travel distance.

The actuating of the door handle TG takes place in that it is firstly moved to the mechanical stop at the blocking member St and not until the release of the blocking element can it be brought to its end position II. This actuating course of the door handle TG is independent of the use of a certain lock type as is shown on the basis of Fig. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of the access system according to Fig. 1, an electronic lock with lock electronics SE and lock motor SM is used.

The question-answer dialogue between an identification control device I-SG and a portable transponder not shown will not be gone into here, as there are many known solutions for their design and operation which can all operate together with the present access system.

The door handle TG controls a control switch S 1 and a command switch S2. The control switch S 1 is controlled when the door handle TG leaves its home position 0.

The control switch then emits a control signal S 1 to the identification control device I- SG. In the home position the control circuit S 1 preferably assumes the opening position and does not close until the door handle TG leaves the home position 0. The use of the switch position to switch the operating voltage has the additional advantage that in home position the identification control device I-SG and the blocking element BE can be kept currentless. If the question-answer dialogue between the identification control device I-SG and the transponder has run its course positively, ie.

the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door has been established, then the W099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 identification device I-SG controls the blocking element BE and the lock electronics SE and enables the unlocking.

The blocking member St of the blocking element BE is brought out of the travel area of the door handle TG so that it can be moved into its end position II. If the door handle TG is between I and the end position I, the command switch S2 is controlled which transmits a control signal to the lock electronics SE which has received an enablement from the identification control device I-SG. The lock electronics SE then occasion the enablement of the rotating catch via the lock motor SM.

If, as in Figure 2, a mechanical door lock with central locking ZV and lock position device SSE are installed, the identification control device I-SG releases the blocking element BE as in the electronic lock. In addition, the central locking ZV creates a mechanical operating connection with the latch finger.

By means of the mechanical operating connection the rotational catch is released through the movement of the door handle TG into the end position II and the vehicle door can be opened by means of pulling on the door handle.

The example shown of a blocking element BE as an example of a blocking device should not be seen as limiting the concept of the invention. Other constructive designs are also possible. It depends solely on hindering or preventing the transition from the first to the second section of the travel route until the question-answer dialogue is successfully completed and the identification control device I-SG controls the blocking element BE and releases the further movement of the door handle TG.

Claims

1. Keyless access system for a vehicle in which an identification control device in the vehicle and a portable transponder introduce a question-answer dialogue by means of the actuating of a door handle in which the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door is checked and in which the unlocking of the vehicle door is enabled and implemented only in the case of authorisation having been established, characterised in that an electronic lock with lock electronics (SE) and a lock motor (SM) is installed in the vehicle door, that the travel of the door handle (TG) is divided into two parts (0 to I and I to II), that in the first section (0 to 1) the identification control device (I-SG) is controllable for the introduction of the question-answer dialogue by means of a controllable control switch (S 1) via a door handle that the transition of the door handle (TG) from the first section (0 to I) to the second section (I to II) is prevented or hindered by means of a blocking element (BE) until the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door is established and implementation is enabled and that in the second section (I to II) following the release of the blocking element (BE) and the lock electronics (SE) by means of the identification control device (I-SG) by means of a command switch (S2) controllable by means of the door handle (TG) the release of the rotating catch of the vehicle door being introduced and implemented by means of a command switch (S2) and by means of the lock motor (SM) (Fig. 1).

2. Keyless access system for a vehicle in which an identification system in the vehicle and a portable transponder implement a question-answer dialogue through the actuating of the door handle, in which the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door is checked and in which only with established authorisation the unlocking of the vehicle door is enabled and implemented, characterised in that a mechanical door lock with central locking (ZV) and lock adjusting element (SSE) is assigned W099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 7 to the vehicle door, that the travel of the door handle (TG) is divided into two sections (0 ti I and I to II), that in the first section (0 to I) the identification control device (I-SG) can be controlled to introduce the question-answer dialogue by means of a control switch (S 1) controllable via the door handle that the transition of the door handle (TG) from the first section (0 to I) to the second section is prevented or hindered by means of a blocking element (BE) until the authorisation to unlock the vehicle door is established and implementation is enabled and that in the second section (I to II) following the release of the blocking element (BE) and the central locking (ZV) by means of the identification control device (I-SG) via a mechanical operating connection of the door handle (TG) to the lock adjustment element (SSE) permits the opening process of the vehicle door.

3. Keyless access system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the control switch (S 1) is controllable when the home position of the door handle (TG) is left and the command switch (S2) is controllable when the end position (II) of the door handle (TG) is reached and control signals are emitted to the identification control device (I-SG) and the lock electronics (SE, Fig. 1).

4. Keyless access system according to Claim 3, characterised in that the control switch (S 1) is controllable when the home position of the door handle (TG) is left and that by means of the movement of the door handle (TG) from the blocked position into the end position (II) the opening process can be implemented over the mechanical operation onto the key adjustment element (SSE) (Fig. 2). Keyless access system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the control switch (S 1) and the control switch (S2) are preferably opened in the home position.

6. Keyless access system according to Claim 2, characterised in that the control switch (S 1) is preferably opened in the home position. SW099/53162 PCT/DE99/00931 8

7. Keyless access system according to Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the blocking element (BE) is constructed as a blocking device with a blocking member (St) extending into the travel path of the door handle the blocking member dividing the travel path into the two positions (0 to I and I to II).