A remote access device and methods of operation thereof are provided for accessing a physical object or location. The remote access device includes an accelerometer, a wireless transmitter, and control circuitry. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a first change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a second change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry further causes the wireless transmitter to transition between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a third change in motion states of the remote access device.

A key fob including at least one wireless communication circuit, a power supply node coupled to provide power to the at least one wireless communication circuit, a battery node, a battery power circuit, and an inductive power circuit. The battery power circuit provides power when a battery with sufficient charge is provided. The inductive power circuit only provides power when energized with inductive power when the battery is not provided or is not sufficiently charged. The inductive power circuit may include a rectifier circuit and an inductor and may further include regulator circuitry. The inductive power circuit does not perform wireless communications thereby simplifying circuitry and operation of the key fob and a corresponding access system. Since only configured to transfer power, the inductive power circuit may be optimized for power transfer. The access system inductively couples power to the key fob when within a predetermined coupling zone distance.

An apparatus includes a vehicle control system (VCS) coupled to a computer of a vehicle via a CAN bus and configured to present selectively appearance of a presence in the vehicle of a smartkey, e.g., by energizing and de-energizing an actual smartkey of the vehicle. The VCS includes a VCS and a Bluetooth® VCS transceiver. The VCS stores VCS software. The apparatus also includes a smartphone with a Bluetooth® transceiver, and storing an app. The mobile device is paired with the VCS to communicate with the VCS via a Bluetooth® link. The app configures the smartphone to receive menu selections from a user, to generate communications that identity smartkey-enabled features of the VCS that correspond to the selections, and to send to the VCS the communications through the link. The VCS software configures the VCS to receive the communications and cause the vehicle to perform actions corresponding to live communications.

A remote access device and methods of operation thereof are provided for accessing a physical object or location. The remote access device includes an accelerometer, a wireless transmitter, and control circuitry. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a first change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry causes the wireless transmitter to transition between a first operating mode and a second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a second change in motion states of the remote access device. The control circuitry further causes the wireless transmitter to transition between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to receiving signals from the accelerometer indicating a third change in motion states of the remote access device.

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for reducing power consumption in a smart key of a vehicle. In an exemplary method, an accelerometer in the smart key detects that the smart key is moving. For example, an individual may be carrying the smart key in his/her pocket and walking towards the vehicle. However, an RF transceiver circuit of the smart key may be out of range of a communication system in the vehicle. A processor in the smart key may place some circuits, such as a wakeup receiver, in a power-down condition, based on detecting the moving state of the smart key and a lack of communications between the Bluetooth® transceiver circuit and the communication system of the vehicle. The wakeup receiver typically has a smaller operating range than the RF transceiver circuit and is therefore unnecessary when the smart key is far from the vehicle.

A convenient electronic circuit in which a switch can be switched through electric power obtained using weak radio waves is provided. An electronic circuit includes: a power supply configured to output direct current (DC) electric power; a switch which switches a connection state between the power supply and a load; a first power conversion circuit which converts electric power obtained using first radio waves received by a first antenna capable of receiving the first radio waves in a first direction into DC electric power and which outputs the converted DC electric power from a first DC power output terminal; a second power conversion circuit which converts electric power obtained using second radio waves received by a second antenna capable of receiving the second radio waves in a second direction different from the first direction into DC electric power and outputs the converted DC electric power from a second DC power output terminal; and a control circuit which controls a connection state of the switch such that it is in a conduction state when the first power conversion circuit outputs DC electric power due to the reception of the first radio waves by the first antenna and controls the connection state of the switch such that it is in a non-conduction state when the second power conversion circuit outputs DC electric power due to the reception of the second radio waves by the second antenna.

A convenient electronic circuit in which a switch is able to be switched through electric power obtained by weak radio waves is provided. An electronic circuit includes: a power supply configured to output direct current (DC) electric power; a switch connected between the power supply and a load driven by DC electric power supplied from the power supply and configured to switch a connection state between the power supply and the load from a non-conduction state to a conduction state; an power input terminal to which electric power obtained by radio waves received by an antenna capable of receiving the radio waves is input; a DC power output terminal configured to output DC electric power, a power conversion circuit configured to convert electric power input to the power input terminal into DC electric power and output the converted electric power from the DC power output terminal; an input terminal connected to the DC power output terminal of the power conversion circuit; an output terminal connected to the switch and configured to control a connection state of the switch; and a control circuit configured to control a connection state of the switch to be in a conduction state when the power conversion circuit outputs DC electric power due to the reception of radio waves by the antenna.

A vehicle theft-prevention apparatus can include a wireless transceiver, a plurality of sensors configured to sense measurements proximate to a vehicle, and at least one computing device coupled to the plurality of sensors and the wireless transceiver. The at least one computing device can be configured to read a plurality of measurements of the plurality of sensors and determine that at least one event has occurred based on the plurality of measurements. The at least one computing device can store data corresponding to the at least one event on a local storage coupled to the at least one computing device and can transmit, via the wireless transceiver, the data corresponding to the at least one event to a remote service.

A vehicle key capable of generating electrical energy by itself through energy harvesting, and a method of manufacturing the vehicle key are provided. The vehicle key includes a power generator including an energy generation module configured to generate electrical energy using energy harvesting and an electric condenser configured to store the generated electrical energy; an inputter configured to receive a user input; a communicator configured to communicate with the vehicle; and a controller configured to control the communicator to transmit a control signal corresponding to the received user input to the vehicle. At least one of the inputter, the communicator, and the controller may be configured to receive power from the power generator.

Access control equipment for vehicles with an electronic remote key which is accommodated in a housing, includes a controller that is designed for temporary activation of the remote key. The controller has an interface for wireless communication and is designed to cause an activation of the remote key in dependence on a wireless communication. A voltage supply is coupled to the controller and the remote key. The voltage supply, under actuation from the controller, applies an electrical breakdown voltage via at least one contact of the remote key for at least a first predetermined duration, which is greater than a designated operating voltage for the remote key, in order to destroy the remote key by the resulting current flow.