Timed independent vehicle secure compartment access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656629-B2
Application number	US-201514721214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An access system for a vehicle may include a controller. The controller may be configured to respond to receiving an unlock signal indicative of an unlock request by causing a compartment closure to unlock for a predetermined time. Or the controller may be configured to respond to receiving an unlock signal indicative of an unlock request and a vehicle operation signal indicative of a vehicle secure state by causing a compartment closure to unlock for a predetermined time. Upon expiration of the predetermined time, the controller may cause the compartment closure to lock. The controller may be configured to respond to receiving an unlatch signal indicative of an unlatch request during the predetermined time by causing the compartment closure to unlatch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An access system for a vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to,
in response to receiving an unlock signal indicative of an authorized unlock request, cause a compartment closure to unlock for a predetermined time and, upon expiration of the predetermined time, cause the compartment closure to lock, and
in response to receiving an unlatch signal indicative of an unlatch request during the predetermined time, cause the compartment closure to unlatch.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unlock signal is indicative of a sequence of characters entered on a keypad.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compartment closure is a rear deck lid of a trunk compartment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compartment closure is a rear lift gate of a rear cargo area.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unlatch signal is from a membrane switch disposed on an exterior surface of the compartment closure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is 30 seconds or less.

7. An access system for a vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to,
in response to receiving an unlock signal indicative of an authorized unlock request and a vehicle operation signal indicative of a vehicle secure state, cause a compartment closure to unlock for a predetermined time and, upon expiration of the predetermined time, cause the compartment closure to lock, and
in response to receiving an unlatch signal indicative of an unlatch request during the predetermined time, cause the compartment closure to unlatch.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle operation signal is an ignition signal and the vehicle secured state is a run state or a start state.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle operation signal is a proximity detection signal from a passive entry passive start module and the vehicle secured state is a detection of a key fob within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, wherein the predetermined distance is less than a RF range of the key fob.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the unlock signal is a RF signal received by the controller indicative of activation of a button of a key fob for the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the compartment closure is a rear deck lid of a trunk compartment.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the compartment closure is a rear lift gate of a rear cargo area.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the unlatch signal is from a membrane switch disposed on an exterior surface of the compartment closure.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the unlock signal is indicative of a sequence of characters entered on a keypad.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the compartment is a center console and the compartment closure is a lid of the center console including a locking mechanism, wherein the compartment unlock signal is received from a switch located on a dashboard of the vehicle and the compartment unlatch signal is located on the center console.

16. A method of controlling access to a vehicle compartment comprising:
receiving an authorized unlock signal and a vehicle operation signal;
unlocking a closure for a compartment for a predetermined time in response to the unlock signal and the vehicle operation signal, and locking the closure after the predetermined time; and
unlatching the closure in response to receiving an unlatch signal during the predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving the vehicle operation signal includes receiving a proximity detection signal from a passive entry passive start module and unlocking the closure is in response to the vehicle operation signal being in a vehicle secured state, and wherein the vehicle secured state is a detection of a key fob within a predetermined distance from the vehicle that is less than a RF range of the key fob.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the unlock signal is a RF signal received by the controller indicative of activation of a button of a key fob for the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Groeneveld Arie
• King Daniel M
• Skikun Steven
• Kern Robert
• Gardner William Michael
• Erno Steven
• Seashore Patricia

Classifications

• B60R25/20 Primary

  Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off · CPC title

• B60R25/00

  Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles (locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00) · CPC title

• G05B19/00

  Program-control systems · CPC title

• E05C3/16

  with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the latch {(E05C3/122 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G05B23/00

  Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof (monitoring of program-control systems G05B19/048, G05B19/406) · CPC title