Rover Group Limited

Salplex Limited

Land Rover

Kevin Trevor Talbot

Jeremy John Greenwood

William Burdock

Christopher Richard Bottomley

A security system is disclosed which is suitable for use in a passive entry and passive starting arrangement for a vehicleA set of transmitters in the form of coils A, B, C are spaced around the vehicleone A, B in each door mirrorR,L and one in a high level brake lightat the rear end. Operation of a door handle initiates an access challenge from the vehiclewhich is sent out successively on a plurality of the coils A, B, C. A portable transpondercarried by an authorised user is adapted to pick up the challenge signal and send back to a security controllera response signal in which is included vector information relating to the relative positioning between the vehicleand the transponder

Security system

A vehicle,is disclosed having an automatic child lock function that is controlled by an electronic control unit,. The electronic control unit,receives signals from weight sensors,in the base portion of each of the passenger seats,. The findings from the sensors,are used to determine both the occupancy of the vehicle,and to produce a signal indicative of the weight of each of the passengers of the vehicle,. The electronic control unit,is programmed to operate such that if the signal &ldquo;W&rdquo; received from a particular sensor,indicates that the passenger is below a predetermined weight &ldquo;WC&rdquo;, which indicates that the passenger is probably a child, the associated door,is prevented from being opened from a closed position even when an interior door handle,is operated by the passenger.

Vehicle

A system for effecting closure of one or more vehicle windows 30 comprises a portable transmitter unit 14 and a body control unit 12 which can communicate via an alternating magnetic field produced and detected by a pair of conducting coils 16a, 16b, and via a radio frequency transmitter 24 and receiver 22. On transmission of a R.F. closure request signal from the transmitter unit 14, a confirmation request signal is sent by the body control unit 12 via the magnetic link. The confirmation request signal is repeated during closure of the window. The transmission unit responds to each confirmation request signal by transmitting a R.F. confirmation signal, receipt of which enables raising of the window to be initiated or continued. Closure of the window is only initiated if the transmitter unit 14 is within the relatively short range of the magnetic link, and only continues while it remains within range. This reduces the danger of a person becoming trapped by the closing window without the operator of the transmitter unit realising.

Vehicle closure systems

A vehicle security system comprises a transmitter 18 for transmitting coded signals, a receiver 16 for receiving the coded signals, and a control unit 14 for operating an engine immobilization system 12 in response to receipt by the receiver 16 of a valid coded signal. The transmitter 18 is arranged to transmit the coded signal as a sequence of pulses of electromagnetic radiation which are amplitude modulated at a modulating frequency, and the receiver includes an audio frequency filter arranged to pass signals having a frequency within a range including said modulating frequency. This allows the filtering out of high powered interfering signals which are of the same radio frequency as used in the system, but which are not modulated at the same audio frequency.

Vehicle security system

A spark ignited internal combustion engine is disclosed in which at least one of the inlet tracts of the engine has an optical knock sensor in the form of an infra-red temperature sensor located in it. The infra-red temperature sensor is positioned to sense by viewing past an inlet valve means associated with the respective inlet tract at least during part of the induction stroke of the respective cylinder of the engine the temperature of the upper surface of the respective piston. A control system for such an engine is also disclosed in which the output from the infra-red temperature sensor is supplied to an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit operates so as to adjust the ingition timing of the engine in response to the signal received from the infra-red temperature sensor.

Spark ignited internal combustion engine and a control system therefor

In a multiplex system for automotive vehicles, battery (+V) current is supplied to each load (70, 71) connected to a non-intelligent slave unit (20) via a power switch (TR) in the slave controlled by a capacitor (CT) which is charged or discharged in an assigned time slot by high or low voltage (A,C) applied on a low current signal line from a remote intelligent unit (10). If a load (70, 71) goes open-circuit then a voltage source (TR1, Z1) in the slave provides low current via a resistor (R2, R3) and the forward direction of a zener diode Z to charge the capacitor CT to an intermediate voltage which is detected at the remote intelligent unit (10) during an assigned load driving time slot. If a load (70, 71) goes short circuit then a thyristor (TH) in thermal contact with its power switch (TR) turns on to turn off the power switch (TR) and provide a discharge path for the capacitor (CT) via the load (70, 71), this discharged condition being detected at the remote intelligent unit during an assigned load driving time slot. This dedicated extra channels (time slots) are not required at the slave unit for open-circuit or short-circuit load testing.

Information handling and control systems, and methods of testing the

In a multiplex system for automotive vehicles, battery (+V) current is supplied to a load (70) connected to a non-intelligent slave unit (20) via a power switch (TR) in the slave controlled by a capacitor (CT) which is charged or discharged in an assigned time slot by high or low drive voltage applied on a low current signal line (42) from a remote intelligent unit (10). If the load (70) goes short-circuit then a thyristor (TH) adjacent the power switch (TR) turns on to turn off the power switch (TR) and provide a discharge path for the capacitor (CT) via the load (70), this discharged condition being detected at the remote intelligent unit during an assigned load driving time slot. Thus a dedicated extra channel (time slot) is not required at the slave unit for short-circuit testing of the load.

A manually operable electrical toggle switch (60) is connected in a low current signalling link (40) via a non-intelligent slave unit (20) in a time slot assignment multiplex system for automotive vehicles to an intelligent master unit (10) which in response to a binary input from the switch (60) provides an output signal on such a signalling link (40) to control high current to a load (70) connected to a slave unit (20). The switch (60) has conductive plastics contacts (63) to avoid oxide corrosion problems and may be all plastics. The binary input from the switch (60) is provided by one of two resistances (R2or R3) which are distinguishable in the master unit (10) from each other and from both a short circuit and an open circuit in the signal line (42) of the link (40). The condition of the switch (60) and its wiring (27) to the slave unit (20) may thus be diagnosed without manual operation of the switch as a programmable function of the master unit (10), via the master unit by a tester (80) or via the slave unit (20) by a tester (90) prior to assembly in the complete system.

Growing community of inventors

Lichfield, United Kingdom

Kevin Trevor Talbot