Electronic vehicle key

US6329901A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Daimlerchrysler AG · US

Inventors

• Horst Brinkmeyer · Waiblingen, DE
• Gerhard Nagel · Schrobenhausen, DE
• Thomas Rick · Backnang, DE
• Guenter Schwegler · Waiblingen, DE
• Juergen Setzer · Mühlacker, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 21, 1997
• Grant date: Dec 11, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 21, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07C2009/00769
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electronic vehicle key has a radio receiver for receiving radio call information which is transmitted by a control center, and a key communication device for communicating with a vehicle communication device in an associated vehicle, signals transmitted by the key communication device to the vehicle communication device serving to activate or deactivate an immobilizer on the vehicle. According to the invention, a key controller, which administers a mobility account, is provided in the electronic vehicle key; and radio call information is transmitted by a control center is registered as a "credit" in the mobility account. Relevant events are processed as "debits" in the mobility account, and deactivation or activation of the immobilizer on the vehicle is dependent on the account value of the mobility account.