Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02415027 2005-09-06
MULTI-VEHICLE COMPATIBLE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR READING
FROM A DATA BUS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
Field of the Invention
This application is related to the field of control
systems and, more particularly, to a remote control system and
related methods for vehicles.
Background of the Invention
Vehicle security systems are widely used to deter vehicle
theft, prevent theft of valuables from a vehicle, deter
vandalism, and to protect vehicle owners and occupants. A
typical automobile security system, for example, includes a
central processor or controller connected to a plurality of
vehicle sensors. The sensors, for example, may detect opening
of the trunk, hood, doors, windows, and also movement of the
vehicle or within the vehicle. Ultrasonic and microwave motion
detectors, vibration sensors, sound discriminators,
differential pressure sensors, and switches may be used
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as sensors. In addition, radar sensors may be used to
monitor the area proximate the vehicle.
The controller typically operates to give an alarm
indication in the event of triggering of a vehicle
sensor. The alarm indication may typically be a
flashing of the lights and/or the sounding of the
vehicle horn or a siren. In addition, the vehicle fuel
supply and/or ignition power may be selectively
disabled based upon an alarm condition.
A typical security system also includes a receiver
associated with the controller that cooperates with one
or more remote transmitters typically carried by the
user as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No.
4,383,242 to Sassover et al. and U.S. Patent No.
5,146,215 to Drori. The remote transmitter may be used
to arm and disarm the vehicle security system or
provide other remote control features from a
predetermined range away from the vehicle. Also related
to remote control of a vehicle function U.S. Patent No.
5,252,966 to Lambropoulous et al. discloses a remote
keyless entry system for a vehicle. The keyless entry
system permits the user to remotely open the vehicle
doors or open the vehicle trunk using a small handheld
transmitter.
Unfortunately, the majority of vehicle security
systems need to be directly connected by wires to
individual vehicle devices, such as the vehicle horn or
door switches of the vehicle. I~ other words, a
conventional vehicle security system is hardwired to
various vehicle components, typically by splicing into
vehicle wiring harnesses or via interposing T-harnesses
and connectors. The number of electrical devices in a
vehicle has increased so that the size and complexity
of wiring harnesses has also increased. For example,
the steering wheel may include horn switches, an
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airbag, turn-signal and headlight switches, wiper
controls, cruise control switches, ignition wiring, an
emergency flasher switch, and/or radio controls.
Likewise, a door of a vehicle, for example, may include
window controls, locks, outside mirror switches, and/or
door-panel light switches.
In response to the increased wiring complexity and
costs, vehicle manufacturers have begun attempts to
reduce the amount of wiring within vehicles to reduce
weight, reduce wire routing problems, decrease costs,
and reduce complications which may arise when
troubleshooting the electrical. system. For example,
some manufacturers have adopted multiplexing schemes to
reduce cables to three or four wires and to simplify
I5 the exchange of data among the various onboard
electronic systems as disclosed, for example, in "The
Thick and Thin of Car Cabling" by Thompson appearing in
the IEEE Spectrum, Feb. 1996, pp. 42-45.
Implementing multiplexing concepts in vehicles in
a cost-effective and reliable manner may not be easy.
Successful implementation, for example, may require the
development of low or error-free communications in what
can be harsh vehicle environments. With multiplexing
technology, the various electronic modules or devices
may be linked by a single signal wire in a bus also
containing a power wire, and one or more ground wires.
Digital messages are communicated to all modules over
the data communications bus. Each message may have one
or more addresses associated with it so that the
devices can recognize which messages to ignore and
which messages to respond to or read.
The Thompson article describes a number of
multiplexed networks for vehicles. In particular, the
Grand Cherokee made by Chrysler is described as having
five multiplex nodes or controllers: the engine
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controller, the temperature controller, the airbag
controller, the theft alarm, and the overhead console.
Other nodes for different vehicles may include a
transmission controller, a trip computer, an instrument
cluster controller, an antilock braking controller, an
active suspension controller, and a body controller for
devices in the passenger compartment.
A number of patent references are also directed to
digital or multiplex communications networks or
circuits, such as may be used in a vehicle. For
example, U.S. Patent No. 4,538,262 Sinniger et al.
discloses a multiplex bus system including a master
control unit and a plurality of receiver-transmitter
units connected thereto. Similarly, U.S. Patent No.
4,055,772 to Leung discloses a power bus in a vehicle
controlled by a low current digitally coded
communications system. Other references disclosing
various vehicle multiplex control systems include, for
example, U.S. Patent No. 4,760,275 to Sato et al.; U.S.
Patent No. 4,697,092 to Roggendorf et al.; and U.S.
Patent No. 4,792,783 to Burgess et al.
Several standards have been proposed for vehicle
multiplex networks including, for example, the Society
of Automotive Engineers "Surface Vehicle Standard,-
Class B Data Communications Network Interface", SAE
J1850, July 1995. .Another report by the SAE is the
"Surface Vehicle Information Report, Chrysler Sensor
and Control (CSC) Bus Multiplexing Network for Class
'A' Applications", SAE J2058, July 1990. Many other
networks are also being implemented or proposed for
communications between vehicle devices and nodes or
controllers.
Unfortunately, conventional vehicle control
systems, such as aftermarket vehicle security systems,
are for hardwired connection to vehicle devices and are
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not readily adaptable to a vehicle including a data
communications bus. Moreover, a vehicle security system
if adapted for a communications bus and devices for one
particular model, model year, and manufacturer, may not
be compatible with any other models, model years, or
manufacturers. Other systems for the control of vehicle
functions may also suffer from such shortcomings.
Summnary of the Invention
In view of the foregoing background it is
therefore an object of the invention to provide a
remote control system and related method for a vehicle
comprising a data communications bus and at least one
vehicle device connected to the data communications
bus, and wherein the system is adapted to operate with
different vehicles.
This and other objects, features and advantages in
accordance with the present invention are provided by
a control system including a transmitter and a receiver
f.or receiving signals from the transmitter, and a
2d multi-vehicle compatible controller cooperating with
the transmitter and receiver. Moreover, the multi-
vehicle compatible controller is also for storing a set
of device codes for a given vehicle device for a
plurality of different vehicles, for reading a device
code from the data communications bus, and for
determining a match between a read device code and the
stored device codes to thereby provide compatibility-
with a plurality of different vehicles. Such an
arrangement provides for a relatively simple and
straightforward approach to interface with a vehicle
having a data communications bus.
The multi-vehicle compatible controller may
comprise a memory for the stored device codes, and a
processor cooperating with the memory for determining
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the match between the read device code and the stored
device codes. The at least one vehicle device may
include a plurality of vehicle devices, and,
accordingly, the mufti-vehicle compatible controller
stores a respective set of device codes for each of the
vehicle devices.
The invention is useful for a number of vehicle
remote control functions. For example, the stored
device codes may relate to vehicle security. In other
words, the mufti-vehicle compatible controller may be
an alarm or security system controller. The stored
vehicle codes may also relate to keyless entry for the
vehicle. By way of further example, the stored device
codes may relate to remote starting a vehicle engine.
The mufti-vehicle compatibility concept may be
extended to an adaptor device for after-market
installation, and be especially advantageous when used
in combination with a conventional remote function
controller. In other words, the mufti-vehicle
compatible controller may comprise a mufti-vehicle
compatible adaptor connected to the data communications
bus for determining the match between the read device
code and the stored device codes and generating an
output signal responsive thereto, and a controller
connected to the mufti-vehicle compatible adaptor and
being responsive to output signals therefrom. Of
course, the controller and adaptor may be positioned in
respective different housings. .
The control system can be operated directly by the
user, or via an intervening communications network. In
other words, in some embodiments, the transmitter may
be a remote handheld transmitter to be carried by a
user when away from the vehicle, and the receiver is at
the vehicle. In other embodiments, the transmitter may
include at least a central station transmitter, and the
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receiver is at the vehicle. The central station
transmitter may be part of a satellite or cellular
telephone network.
In yet other embodiments, the receiver may be a
handheld unit carried by the user or a central station
receiver, such as to notify the user or others of a
vehicle security breach, for example. In these
embodiments, the transmitter is then located at the
vehicle.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a
control method for a vehicle comprising a data
communications bus and at least one vehicle device
connected thereto. The method preferably comprises
storing a set of device codes for a given vehicle
device for a plurality of different vehicles, reading a
device code from the data communications bus, and
determining a match between a read device code and the
stored device codes and performing a function based
thereon to thereby provide compatibility with a
plurality of different vehicles. The method may
further include receiving a signal from a transmitter,
and wherein performing the function is also based upon
receiving the signal from the transmitter.
Another method aspect of the invention is for
adapting a control system for a vehicle to be
compatible with a plurality of different vehicles, with
each vehicle comprising a data communications bus and
at least one vehicle device connected thereto. The
control system preferably comprises a transmitter, a
receiver for receiving signals from the transmitter,
and a controller cooperating with the transmitter and
the receiver. More particularly, the method for.
adapting preferably comprises storing a set of device
codes for a given vehicle device for a plurality of
different vehicles, reading a device code from the data
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communications bus, and determining a match between a
read device code and the stored device codes for
performing at least one vehicle function and to thereby
provide compatibility with a plurality of different
vehicles.
Brief Description of the Drawinas
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle
control system including the mufti-vehicle compatible
controller connected to a data communications bus and
other hardwired devices in accordance with the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic block diagram
of an embodiment of the mufti-vehicle compatible
controller illustrating the command signal generation
in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating
processing of command signals by the mufti-vehicle
compatible controller of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a more detailed schematic block diagram
of an embodiment of the mufti-vehicle compatible
' controller illustrating the code signal look-up in
accordance with the invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating
processing of a code read from the data communications
bus in accordance with a first embodiment of the multi-
vehicle compatible controller of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating
processing of a.code read from the data communications
bus in accordance with a second embodiment of the
. mufti-vehicle compatible controller of FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a multi-
vehicle compatible adaptor in accordance with the
present invention and illustrating the command signal
processing portion.
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FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a multi-
vehicle compatible adaptor in accordance with the
present invention and illustrating the read code
processing.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Smbodimeats
The present invention will now be described more
fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which preferred embodiments of the
invention are shown. This invention may, however, be
20 embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set
forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so
that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and
will fully convey the scope of the invention to those
skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements
throughout. Prime and multiple prime notation are used
in alternate embodiments to indicate similar elements.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, a control system 20
for a vehicle 21 is now described. The control system
20 includes a multi-vehicle compatible controller 25
connected to a data communications bus 30 i.n the
vehicle 21. The data communications bus 30 may be any
of several types, such as compatible with the J2850 or
CAN standards, or other type of bus as will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art. The multi-
~vehicle compatible controller 25, as its name suggests,
provides compatibility with different codes used on the
data bus and which may vary by vehicle as described in
greater detail below.
The control system 20 preferably includes a
transmitter, and a receiver for receiving signals from
the transmitter. As shown in the illustrated
embodiment, both a transmitter 31 and a receiver 32 are
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provided at the vehicle 21. In addition, both a
receiver 33 and a transmitter 34 are provided remotely
or away from the vehicle. The first
transmitter/receiver pair 31, 33 may be used, for
example, to provide a remote alert or page to a user
when away from the vehicle of a security breach at the
vehicle, for example. The second transmitter/receiver
pair 32, 34 may be used to cause a desired function to
be performed at the vehicle, such as remote starting
the engine, remotely unlocking the vehicle doors, or
changing the mode of a security system between armed
and disarmed modes, for example. Many other similar
applications are contemplated by the present invention
as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. As
will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art,
in other embodiments, only one of these pairs of
transmitters and receivers may be provided in the
control system.
The remote transmitter 34 may be a small portable
unit including a housing, function control switches _
carried by the housing, a battery within the housing,
and the associated transmitter circuitry. This type of
remote handheld transmitter is commonly used in
conventional vehicle security systems, remote start
systems, and remote keyless entry systems. The
communications from the remote transmitter 34 to the
receiver 32 at the vehicle is typically a direct radio
frequency link, that is, there is no intervening
communications links. However, in other embodiments,
the remote transmitter 34 may indirectly communicate
with the receiver 32 via other communications
infrastructure, such as via satellite, or cellular
communications, via the public switched telephone
network (PSTN) and/or over the world wide web or
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Internet, as will be appreciated by those skilled in
the art.
The remote transmitter 34 may also be a passive.
transponder type device, that takes power from an
associated transponder reader as will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art, and automatically transmits a
signal to the reader. For example, the transponder.may
be of the type carried in conjunction with the vehicle
keys, or may be embedded in~the key as will be readily
appreciated by those skilled in the art.
The remote transmitter 34 may also include one or
more central station transmitters, such as may be
provided by a satellite transmitter or cellular
telephone transmitter, for example. Such a central
station transmitter may also be connected to other
communications infrastructure.
The remote receiver 33 may also.be a small
portable unit including a housing, one or more
indicators carried by the housing,.a battery within the
housing, and the associated receiver circuitry. This
type of remote receiver may also directly communicate
with the vehicle transmitter 31, or there may be
intervening communications links as will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the
remote transmitter 34 and remote receiver 33 may be
packaged together in a common handheld housing. Of
course the remote receiver 33 may also include one or
more central stations along the'lines as described
above for the central station remote transmitter.
The mufti-vehicle compatible controller 25 may
also include a central processing unit {CPU:) 36 and one
or more memories 40 connected thereto. Although the
memory 40 is illustrated as a separate device, those of
skill in the art will recognize that the memory may
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alternately be embedded on the same integrated circuit
as the processing circuitry of the CPU.
The multi-vehicle compatible controller 25 also
may optionally include a hardwire interface 42 which
may be directly connected to one or more vehicle
devices 44. For example, in some embodiments for a
security system, direct connections may be made to one
or more vehicle sensors, an indicator LED, a siren, or
the headlight relay. For a remote start system,
hardwire connections may be made to a starter motor
relay, for example. Those of skill in the art will
recognize other devices 44 that may be directly
connected to the multi-vehicle compatible controller 25
via the hardwire interface 42. The hardwire interface
42 may included circuitry for sending signals to or
reading signals from the vehicle devices 44 as will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art. In some
embodiments, the hardwire interface 42 may not be
needed or incorporated in the multi-vehicle compatible
controller 25.
The mufti-vehicle compatible controller 25 also
illustratively includes a bus interface 41 cooperating
with the CPU 36 to perform at least one of reading
signals from the data communications bus 30; or
generating signals on the data bus. The bus interface
41 includes circuitry for interfacing to the proper
signal levels and formats on the data communications
bus 30 as will be appreciated by those skilled in the
art without further discussion herein.
As will also be readily appreciated by those
skilled in the art, the vehicle 21 includes a number of
electrical/electronic devices that can be controlled
and/or the status thereof read via the data
communications bus 30. For simplicity of explanation,
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these devices are schematically illustrated by the two
blocks 44, 45, respectively labeled "vehicle devices
(sensors, actuators, etc.)," and "vehicle controllers
(engine controller, transmission controller, etc.)."
In other words, the vehicle devices connected to the
data bus 30 may be considered to be relatively simple
devices, such as sensors, or more complicated devices
with some internal processing, such as may generally be
considered as controllers.
The multi-vehicle compatibility controller 25 may
provide its multi-vehicle compatibility in one or both
directions of communications via the data
communications bus 30. Referring now additionally to
FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive or generation of signals on
the data bus portion of. communication is now further
described. In this embodiment, the multi-vehicle
compatible controller 25' illustratively includes a
command signal memory 40a, and a bus interface 41a only
fox the drive direction for simplicity.of explanation.
The devices connected to the data communications
bus 30 illustratively include an alarm indicator 44a,
such as can be provided by a separate siren or the
vehicle horn, for example. The alarm indicator 44a
would likely be included for a security system. The
vehicle devices may also include one or more door lock
actuators 44b as would be likely used by a security
system or remote keyless entry system, for example, as
would be readily appreciated by those skilled in the
art.
For a remote start system, one or more remote
starting device 44c may be connected to the data
communications bus 30 as shown in the illustrated
embodiment. Such a remote starting device 44c may be a
starter relay, for example, controlled by signals from
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the data communications bus.' The remote starting
device 44c could also be a device or circuit to bypass
an engine immobilizer circuit as will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art.
The vehicle device to which signals are to be sent
by the multi-vehicle controller 25~ may also include
another controller, such as the schematically
illustrated engine management controller 45a: The
engine management controller 45a could be sent signals
such as to prevent or enable starting for security or
remote start applications as will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art.
The multi-vehicle compatible controller 25~ may
also include an optional hardwire interface and other
I5 components as mentioned above. For clarity and
simplicity of explanation, these components need no
further description.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention,
the multi-vehicle compatible controller 25~ preferably
generates at least one set of command signals on the
data communications bus 30 for the at least one vehicle
device. The at least one set of command signals
preferably comprises at least one working command
signal and at least one non-working command signal for
a given vehicle to thereby provide compatibility with
the plurality of different vehicles. In other words,
multiple signals or codes can be generated on the data
communications bus 30, and only~that code for the given
vehicle and device will cause an operation or response
from the vehicle device. This provides for a
relatively simple and straightforward approach to
interface or cooperate with a vehicle having a data
communications bus 30, and wherein the controller is
advantageously compatible with a number of different
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vehicles. Since typically it may be desired to
interface to a plurality of vehicle devices, the multi-
vehicle compatible controller 25' may generate a
respective set of command signals for each of the
vehicle devices.
Such mufti-vehicle compatibility provided by the
controller 25' is especially advantageous in after-
market systems, such as for security, remote keyless
entry, or remote starting for example. The ability to
interface through the data communications bus 30 also
significantly reduces the wiring complexity needed to
interface to the associated vehicle devices.
The mufti-vehicle compatible controller 25' may
sequentially generate the different command signals
(working and non-working) for an intended vehicle
device_ To ensure effective communications even in the
presence of noise, for example, the mufti-vehicle
compatible controller 25' may generate the set of
command signals a plurality of times, such as, for
example, two to five times. The need to effectively
communicate should be balanced against possible traffic
congestion on the data bus 30 as will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art.
Referring now more specifically~to the diagram of
FIG. 3, the operation of the mufti-vehicle controller
25' is further described. The controller 25' may
operate by arranging in the command signals memory 40a
a common table 50 as shown. The~CPU 36 upon
determining that an action needs to be performed, such
as unlocking the driver's door, for example, would
identify the appropriate column from the table 50 from
among the columns labeled "vehicle device A" to
°vehicle device Z". For example, the appropriate
column may be °vehicle device B", in which case the CPU
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would then read the memory locations in this column to
generate on the bus 30 the appropriate set of codes to
lock the driver's door for each of the N vehicles with
which the multi-vehicle compatible controller 25~ is
compatible. Of course, only one of the codes would be
a working code, and the other codes would cause no
vehicle function to be performed. For example, if
vehicle 2 was the vehicle in which the multi-vehicle
compatible controller 25~ were installed, only the code
2B would cause the driver's door to unlock.
The actual coded signals would be compatible with
the particular data communications bus 30 a.s will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art. T'he codes may
be binary codes, which for convenience can be
represented more simply by corresponding hexadecimal
codes as would also be appreciated by those skilled in
the art. For example, for an~unlock all vehicle doors
to be commanded in a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the code
may be 03868004, for a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the
code may be 0422A00400. As will be readily appreciated
by those skilled in the art, such codes can be obtained
from the manufacturers directly, or may be read from
the data bus 30 using any one of a number of
commercially available diagnostic tools fvr reading the
data bus 30, for example.
The set of command signals may be repeated as
mentioned above, and as schematically illustrated at
the lower portion of the table 50: Of course, the
memory 40a may store the actual codes, but may also
store data enabling generation of the set of command
signals by the CPU 36. This may be particularly so
where certain portions of the code, e.g. preamble, or
some other portion, are common across either multiple
vehicles, and/or over multiple vehicle devices.
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The number of vehicles and number of devices to be
controlled using the multi-vehicle compatible
controller 25' can both be relatively large to cover a
substantial portion of the vehicle marketplace.
Alternatively, the multiple,cammand signal concept may
also be advantageously used to provide compatibility
for as few as two vehicles, and even a single vehicle
device.
Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, the other direction of
communication is now described. In particular, the
reverse direction or reading of signals from the data
communications bus 30 is now described. Many of the
components are the same as those described above, and,
hence, need no further description. In the illustrated
embodiment, the CPU 36 is connected to a code look-up
memory 40b. In addition, only the read or receive side
of the bus interface 41b is schematically illustrated.
The data bus 30 also illustratively connects one or
more of vehicle security sensors or devices 44d,
vehicle remote keyless entry sensors or devices, and
vehicle remote start sensors or devices 44f to the
multi-vehicle compatible controller 25". An engine
management controller 45a is also illustratively
connected to the data communications bus 30 as may be
used far vehicle security or remote starting as
mentioned above. Considered in somewhat different
terms, the multi-vehicle compatible controller 25" may
be for one or more of the conventional vehicle remote
control functions broadly considered as vehicle
security, remote keyless entry, or remote starting.
Other similar control functions for a vehicle are also
contemplated by the present invention.
The compatibility to read a code and determine the
message or content thereof for a vehicle device from
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among a plurality of vehicles can be used alone or in
combination with the compatibility for writing or
generating signals on the bus described above. More
particularly, the mufti-vehicle compatible controller
25" is for storing a set of device codes for a given
vehicle device for a plurality of different vehicles,
for reading a device code from the data communications
bus 30, and for determining a match between a read
device code and the stored device codes to thereby
provide compatibility with a plurality of different
vehicles. Such an arrangement provides for a
relatively simple and straightforward approach to
interface with a vehicle having a data communications
bus 30.
25 As noted briefly above, the mufti-vehicle
compatible controller 25" may comprise the code look-up
memory 40b fox the stored device codes, and a processor
or CPU 36 cooperating with the memory for determining
the match between the read device code and the stored
device codes. The at least one vehicle device may
include a plurality of vehicle devices, and,
accordingly, the memory 40b of the mufti-vehicle
compatible controller 25" preferably stores a
respective set of device codes for each of the
plurality of vehicle devices.
Referring now more specifically to FIG. 5, the
look-up table feature of the mufti-vehicle compatible
controller 25" is now described. A common table 60 may
be created which contains a column.for the vehicle
codes in some predefined sequence, such as in a
numerical order beginning with a first code, Code 1,
and ending with a last code, Code N, as illustrated.
The central column in the illustrated embodiment
includes the corresponding vehicle identification with
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the vehicles extending from a first vehicle, Vehicle A,
to a last vehicle, Vehicle Z. The number of codes and
vehicles may be selected so that a,given mufti-vehicle
compatible controller 25" is_useable across an
economically large number of vehicles as will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art.
The last or rightmost column in the illustrated
table 60 is the device data or message corresponding to
the associated vehicle and code. These device messages
extend from a first message, DMu" to a last device
message, DMNZ. The messages may be of many different
types, such as driver door open or closed, hood open or
closed, shock sensor triggered, brake pressure
indicated, gearshift selector in Park, etc. as will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art.
By way of example, the common table 60 includes a
blocked row schematically illustrating a match for a
Code 572. This code is for a Ford Taurus and indicates
that the driver's door is.open. This type of data may
be useful in any of the illustrated implementations
including vehicle security, remote keyless entry, or
remote starting. The CPU 36 would read the code on the
data bus 30 and compare the code against the stored
codes to determine a match. The CPU 36 is likely to
buffer some or all of a code when received to
subsequently be compared using the table 60 as will be
understood by those skilled in the art.. In other
embodiments, individual bits or blocks thereof may be
compared as they are received.
An alternate embodiment of the common table 60 is
now explained with reference to FIG. 6. In this case
the overall or common table 60', may be considered
parsed or divided into a plurality of vehicle table
sections. The first table section is for vehicle A,
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and the last for vehicle Z in the illustrated embodiment.
This embodiment also illustrates the driver door for the Ford
Taurus as being matched from the read signal from the data
communications bus 30. What is of interest in this
embodiment, is that upon initial set-up or an initial learning
period, only the codes for the learned vehicle need then
later be compared to the read code. Accordingly, a time savings
may be realized.
Those of skill in the art will recognize that the tables
60 and 60' of FIGS. 5 and 6 are exemplary illustrations
from among many possible configurations of look-up tables
that may be used in accordance with the present invention.
Other configurations are also contemplated by the present
invention.
Since it may also be desirable to re-install the multi-
vehicle compatible controller 25" in another vehicle, the
controller may be reset and another vehicle learned or
configured during an initial set-up. This concept is generally
described as an embodiment of a desired signal enabling
function or feature in related parent U.S. patent no.
6,275,147 which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent no.
6,011,460, itself a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent no.
5,719,551.
Turning now to FIG. 7, we again revisit the command
signal concept for driving the communications bus 30 with a
plurality of signal codes to provide the mufti-vehicle
compatibility. In this variation, the mufti-vehicle controller
is divided into two sections or portions. More particularly,
the mufti-vehicle compatibility is provided by the
illustrated multi
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vehicle compatible adaptor 70. The adaptor 70
illustratively includes the CPU 36, the command signal
memory 40a, and the bus interface 41a. The adaptor 70
also includes its own housing 71. The adaptor 70, may
include a hardwire interface as discussed above, or
such could already be provided with any of the
controllers 73,,75 or 77 as would more typically be the
case.
The adaptor 70 is fed signals from one or more of
the illustrated conventional controllers, that is, one
or more of the remote start controller 73, the remote
keyless entry controller 75 or the security system
controller 77. Each of the these controllers 73, 75
and 77 may also include its own respective housing 74,
76 and 78.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the
art, one scenario where the adaptor 70 may be
especially useful is to adapt a conventional security
or other system controller to operate via the data
communications bus 30. Since the data bus technology
is being slowly phased in by automobile manufacturers,
suppliers may provide their conventional systems for
conventional vehicles, and add the adaptor 70 with the
conventional controller when the vehicle requires
interface to the data communications bus 30.
Turning now to FIG. 8, it can be seen that similar
concepts can be extended to the ,multi-vehicle
compatible adaptor 70~ for the other direction of
communication, that is, from the data communications
bus 30 to one or more of the controllers 73, 75 and 77.
The adaptor 70~ illustratively includes the CPU 36, bus
interface circuit 41b for reading the bus, and the code
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look-up memory 40b as described above with reference to FIG. 4.
The operation of the mufti-vehicle compatible adaptor
70' will be readily understood by those of skill in the art
based upon the above provided descriptions relating to FIGS.
4-6 without requiring further discussion herein. Of course,
as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the adaptors
70, 70' may be used independently, may be used together, or
may be combined into a single unit.
Other features relating to vehicle control systems are
disclosed in U.S. patent no. 6,346,876.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the
benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing
descriptions and the associated drawings. Accordingly, it is
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
illustrated embodiments disclosed, and that other modifications
and embodiments are intended to be included within the spirit
and scope of the appended claims.
