Modern vehicles and other equipment are often equipped for remote entry control using a fob-type key device. A fob-type key device is a small, pocket-sized, radio-frequency (RF) signaling device, usually attached to the same key ring holding the mechanical ignition key or other control key. By pressing a switch button on the fob-type key, the user is able to remotely open one or more of the doors and/or turn on a portion of the vehicle or other equipment without having to insert a mechanical key in a mechanical lock. This is a great convenience and an attractive safety feature. The fob-type keyless entry works by sending a coded RF signal to a receiver-decoder-actuator in the vehicle. This in-car system unlocks the door and/or performs other predetermined functions when it detects a valid “OPEN” code or equivalent on the RF signal received from the fob.
A disadvantage of such arrangement is that the fob-type key must be brought into the vicinity of the vehicle for it to function. Thus, the user must carry the fob-type key with him or her in order to be able to use it. Under these circumstances, the physical security of the fob-type key is essential for preventing unauthorized entry into the vehicle. If the fob is lost or stolen, vehicle security is compromised.
Sometimes vehicles are provided with key-less entry systems where the user only needs to remember a door code (e.g., a vehicle PIN number) and need not carry the electronic or mechanical key along. This eliminates the security risk arising from having to carry the key. Such key-less entry systems usually have the form of a small keypad built into the door of the car. To gain access to the vehicle, the user merely enters his or her personal entry code into the keypad and the door is automatically unlocked by the vehicle electronic system. A physical key or remote fob-type key is not needed. This arrangement is well known and very useful. However such keyless entry systems are still only in limited use and are usually available only as a hard-wired, “factory installed” option. “Factory installed” means that the components needed to provide the key-less entry function are hard-wired into the car at the time of construction and cannot be easily added afterward, for example, as a “dealer installed” or “after-market” option. This is a significant limitation.
In the Reference Application there is described a keyless entry or activation system that is easily installed after a vehicle or other equipment or structure is manufactured and that does not depend on a factory installed keypad or keypad wiring harness. However, a more flexible means of attaching the keyless entry system to the vehicle is desired, one that permits the keyless entry module to be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the vehicle by the user, rather than a service mechanic. It is further desired that the mounting means and method be secure, that is, such that once the vehicle or equipment is locked, the keyless entry module is accessible from the exterior of the vehicle but cannot be removed until the vehicle is again unlocked. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.