2011 Buick LaCrosse knows when to lock car doors
General Motors has developed an advanced keyless entry on the 2011 Buick LaCrosse that automatically knows when to lock and unlock the doors.
Keyless entry just got smarter. The 2011 Buick LaCrosse CSX will feature a smarter keyless entry that anticipates when the driver, or passengers, want the cars doors locked and unlocked.
With new key fob technology, the driver is able to program which doors are to be locked and unlocked and when. The key fob can be carried in a pocket, purse or briefcase. It sends a signal that opens the driver's side door, or all of the doors, as the driver approaches. After the car is parked, and the driver and passengers leave the car, the key fob will lock the doors automatically. When the key fob is inside the car, it allows the car to start with the push of a button.
If the key fob is left in the car, the car will alert the driver with three rapid horn chirps and it will keep the driver's-side door unlocked.
"It does a lot of the thinking for you," said Dave Proefke, a technical fellow at General Motors. "It tries to determine your intended action and perform that action for you."
The Buick LaCrosse will come with two key fobs that can be configured through the vehicle's radio controls, Proefke said. There is still a key, as a backup entry, in the event of a dead battery, Profke explained.
The key fob technology also makes it more difficult for the LaCrosse to be stolen. When the key fob is inside the car, it sends an encrypted signal that changes each time it's used. Stealing signals is virtually impossible, GM said in a press release.
Push-button start will be available for the CXL and standard on the CXS, GM revealed.
"In the future, the functions that are on the key fob could be built into smartphone apps," Proefke said. "Also, key fobs will become smaller and more jewelrylike and could even be worn."