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New system provides keyless access
Picture this: You step outside after a long day of shopping. It’s raining. And hailing. And dark. There’s your car at the end of the parking lot. Right next to the burned-out streetlamp. So, you take a deep breath, juggle all your bags and begin to weave across the puddles.
But here’s where the action veers from the usual can’t-find-the-car-keys-so-you-drop-all-your bags-and-get-soaked scenario. Instead, as you approach your car, the trunk opens. And the door unlocks—simply by bringing your hand close to it.
This is the next evolution of keyless entry systems. This is the Passive Access and Start System (PASS) from two companies that collaborated to develop it—Marquardt, a leader in electronic drive authorization systems, and Johnson Controls, one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive interiors, electronics and batteries.
No Hands!
The PASS uses an identification device that the driver keeps somewhere on his or her person. Then, when the device is near the vehicle, a controller senses the presence, unlocking the doors or trunk. The system also allows the automobile to be started without a key. The PASS senses the presence of the ID device and allows the driver to start the car with the push of a “Start” button.
Unlike earlier keyless entry systems, which required keying codes or depressing buttons to access door features, the PASS includes a detection sensor that is next to or in front of the car’s door handle. This sensor can determine whether the driver’s hand is ready to lift the handle, unlocking the door. All this occurs within 140 milliseconds, so it seems as if reaching for the door handle and the unlocking of the door happens in one smooth motion. Unbelievably, the PASS can perform the function even faster if automaker specifications require it.
Simpler System
For carmakers, the PASS revolutionizes keyless entry because the system doesn’t employ a separate controller but is incorporated as a communications link into the body module. That reduces the complexity of onboard systems and diminishes the need to coordinate separate electronic components. And the PASS uses a lower radio frequency than past systems, reducing the risk of interference with other frequencies used by the automobile in component communications.
The lower frequency also provides another benefit: less receiving antennas need to be installed to read the ID device’s signal. That means less installation time and wiring, providing a savings for automakers. So, the simplicity of keyless entry means simplicity in other ways, too.
But here’s where the action veers from the usual can’t-find-the-car-keys-so-you-drop-all-your bags-and-get-soaked scenario. Instead, as you approach your car, the trunk opens. And the door unlocks—simply by bringing your hand close to it.
This is the next evolution of keyless entry systems. This is the Passive Access and Start System (PASS) from two companies that collaborated to develop it—Marquardt, a leader in electronic drive authorization systems, and Johnson Controls, one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive interiors, electronics and batteries.
No Hands!
The PASS uses an identification device that the driver keeps somewhere on his or her person. Then, when the device is near the vehicle, a controller senses the presence, unlocking the doors or trunk. The system also allows the automobile to be started without a key. The PASS senses the presence of the ID device and allows the driver to start the car with the push of a “Start” button.
Unlike earlier keyless entry systems, which required keying codes or depressing buttons to access door features, the PASS includes a detection sensor that is next to or in front of the car’s door handle. This sensor can determine whether the driver’s hand is ready to lift the handle, unlocking the door. All this occurs within 140 milliseconds, so it seems as if reaching for the door handle and the unlocking of the door happens in one smooth motion. Unbelievably, the PASS can perform the function even faster if automaker specifications require it.
Simpler System
For carmakers, the PASS revolutionizes keyless entry because the system doesn’t employ a separate controller but is incorporated as a communications link into the body module. That reduces the complexity of onboard systems and diminishes the need to coordinate separate electronic components. And the PASS uses a lower radio frequency than past systems, reducing the risk of interference with other frequencies used by the automobile in component communications.
The lower frequency also provides another benefit: less receiving antennas need to be installed to read the ID device’s signal. That means less installation time and wiring, providing a savings for automakers. So, the simplicity of keyless entry means simplicity in other ways, too.
