BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to the starting of internal combustion engines telephomcally from a remote location.

Description of the prior art

Internal combustion engines, such as automobile engines, may be started from remote locations, but the remote locations are generally within line of sight from a transmitter to a receiver in a vehicle. This enables a person, an operator cf a vehicle, to start an engine of a vehicle parked m a parking lot as the operator is walking toward the vehicle in the parking lot, or, parked in a garage as the operator is walking toward the vehicle. However, such apparatus is typically limited strictly to a line of sight situation, and the operator presses a button of a transmitter which is aimed at the vehicle whose engine is to be started.

The apparatus of the present invention allows a user to start an engine from a remote location without regard to the

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distance, by telephonically calling a pager-type receiver located in the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention described and claimed herein includes a pager located in a vehicle and an output signal from a pager is used to actuate engine starting and stopping circuitry for starting an engine. Also included in the circuitry are elements whose output is used in providing ultimate signal to the engine starting and stopping circuitry. The output from the pager is amplified and transmitted to a monostable circuit which turns off the output of the pager, and to a flip flop whose high output starts the engine and whose low output stops the engine. The monostable circuit responds to the end of the pager output signal to reset the pager. Since the flip flop has two stable outputs, a high output and a low output, the high output is used to start the engine, and a second call from the pager will reset the flip flop from its high state to its low state to stop the engine. Or, when the engine is turned off after it has been remotely started, the turning off of the engine will also reset the flip flop to its low state, and the flip flop will accordingly then be ready for the next input from the pager to start the engine.

Among the objects of the present invention are the following:

To provide new and useful apparatus for starting and stopping an engine from a remote location; To provide new and useful apparatus for telephonically providing a signal to start an engine;

To provide new and useful apparatus for telephonically starting and stopping an engine.

To provide a new and useful method for starting an engine from a remote location; and

To provide new and useful method for starting and stopping an engine by a telephonic signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of apparatus for remotely starting an engine. A telephone 2, illustrated as a

portable or cellular phone, transmits a signal 4 to a telephone receiver and switching system. A telephone transmitter 6 then transmits a radio signal 8 to a pager 12, which comprises a receiver located within a vehicle whose engine is to be started and stopped, as discussed below.

Note that while the telephone 2 is illustrated as a portable or cellular phone, any type of telephone may be used. All telephone signals to pager numbers are, of course, transmitted by radio on appropriate frequencies, etc., for specific pagers. As is weU know and understood, a telephonic radio transmission is received by a specific pager, triggering the pager to provide an appropriate output signal.

Thus far, the apparatus is well known and understood. Telephone equipment, portable, cellular, or hard wired, may be used for the telephone 2 to call the pager 12. The actual telephonic signal 8 which is received by the pager 12 is, of course, a radio signal appropriately transmitted by the telephone transmitter 6. The pager 12 s part of apparatus 10 located or installed in the veh±cle. When the pager 12 receives the telephonic signal, it provides an output on a conductor 14 to an operational amplifier 16. The operational amplifier 16 m turn provides an amplified output signal on a conductor 18 to a monostable circuit 20.

The monostable circuit 20 provides two outputs, an output on a conductor 22 to a flip flop 30, and an output on a conductor 24 through a resistor 26 to a transistor 28. The transistor 28 is an NPN transistor, and the output from the monostable circuit 20 on the conductor 24 through the resistor 22 goes to the base of the transistor 28. The collector of the transistor 28 is connected to the pager 12 by a conductor 13. When the input signal to the base of the transistor 28 turns on the transistor 28, the pager is reset. The monostable circuit 20 provides the output on the conductor 24 at the end of the output signal the pager 12. Thus, the pager 12 is reset at the end of its output transmission.

The output of the monostable circuit 20 on the conductor 22 to the flip flop 30 is at the beginning of the output signal from the pager 12.

Assuming that the flip flop 30 has been reset, the input signal on conductor 22 will set the flip flop 30, and the flip flop will then provide a high output on conductor 32 to an engine starting circuit 40. The engine starting circuit 40 then provides an output on a conductor 42 to the appropriate portion of an engine electrical system 50.

The electrical system 50 is connected to an engine 60. The engine electπca _^ system 50 is then energized to start the

engine 60. The engine starts system 40 and the associated elements of the engine electrical system 50 and of the engine 60 are well known and understood m the art.

As shown in Fig. 1, the various elements involved in the apparatus 10 are connected to the vehicle battery 70 to provide the necessary electrical current, and each is appropriately grounded. Vehicle and engine circuitry, including the ground return, is also well known and understood.

The pager 12 includes its own battery, but may, if desired, also be connected, through appropriate circuitry, to the twelve volt system of the vehicle. Such is well known and understood in the art.

The flip flop 30 may be reset to provide a low output in one of two ways. Assuming the vehicle m which the engine 60 is started will be driven, the stopping of the engine 60 by turning off the ignition key will cause engine stopping circuitry 44 to provide an output on conductor 46. The conductor 46 extends to the conductor 22, and provides a second signal to the flip flop 30. The second signal to the flip flop 30 via the conductor 46 and the conductor 22 will reset the flip flop 30 to provide a low output on a conductor 34.

The second way that the flip flop 30 will be reset is through the pager 12. If the operator decides to stop the engine from a remote location, a second telephonic transmission

to the pager receiver 12 then provide an output substantially the same as discussed above. That is, the pager 12 provides an output on the conductor 14 to the operational amplifier 16. The amplified signal is then transmitted on the conductor 18 to the monostable circuit 20. The output from the monostable circuit 20 on the conductor 22 from the flip flop 30 resets the flip flop 30. The low output on the conductor 34 provides a signal to the engine stop circuitry 44 to shut off the engine 60 tnrough the engine electrical system 50. Again, at the end of the output from the pager 12, the monostable circuit 20 provides an output on conductor 24 to the transistor 28 through the resistor 26 to reset the pager 12. This is as has been discussed above.

A second embodiment of the apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 2. The apparatus 10 in the vehicle includes essentially the same elements as illustrated in Fig. 1, but instead of having an essentially serial system shown in Fig. 1, the output from the operational amplifier on the conductor 18 is transmitted simultaneously, or in parallel, to the flip flop 30 and to the monostable circuit 20.

A conductor 19 is shown connected to the conductor 18, and the input signal to the monostable circuit 20 is from the operational amplifier on the conductors 18 and 19. The moncs able circuit 20 in Fig. 2 has only one output, namely the

output on the conductor 24 through the resistor 26 to the transistor 28 for resetting the pager 12.

The purpose of the monostable circuit 20 is to reset the pager 20 at the end of the pager' s output signal in response to a telephonic input signal to the pager.

The output from the flip flop 30 is essentially the same as discussed above. Similarly, the input to the flip flop 30 from the engine stop circuitry 44 is substantially as illustra _t e _d m Fig. 1 and as discussed above. While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately oovious to those skilled m the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of tne invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, withm the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.