US 6,725,138 B2 · Automobile lock and locate method and apparatus

Abstract

A battery operated portable device, or “lockator” facilitates location of a parked automobile within having an unknown or forgotten location. The lockator locks, unlocks and locates the automobile with a simplified user interface. The locator has a combined automobile door lock and unlock transmitter and GPS locator. Pressing a lock button both transmits a lock signal and substantially determines the automobile location. Pressing the unlock button transmits the unlock signal and determines the direction back to the location where the lock button was pressed. Left and right icons on the lockator direct the driver back to the vehicle. The icons blink at a rate indicative of the distance to the automobile and indicate if the driver is heading away from the automobile. Measures are take to conserve power drawn from a battery powering the lockator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method performed within a portable device for determining a location of a stationary vehicle comprising the steps of:

receiving a manual input by the press of a button upon the portable device for placing the vehicle in a stationary mode;
wirelessly transmitting a locking signal from the portable device for locking a door of the vehicle in response to the manual input;
and
determining a stationary location substantially corresponding to the vehicle in response to the manual input wherein said step of determining the stationary location includes the step of
activating a location determining device in response to the manual input.

2 more elements

A portable device for locating, locking and unlocking an automobile comprising:

a first button for receiving a first manual input;
a GPS location determiner for determining a location of the portable device;
a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a lock signal for locking the automobile, wherein
in response to the first manual input received at said first button, said GPS location determiner determines a stationary location and said transmitter transits the lock signal and further wherein the stationary location substantially corresponds to that of the automobile.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automobile lock and locate method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Automobile lock and locate method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20