Anti-theft system for vehicles having remote-controlled enginge starting function

• US 20020003472A1
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Haruna, Katsutoshi, Shimomura, Toshio, Kumazaki, Takeshi, Goto, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,639,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

When starting an engine using its remote engine starter function in a guard mode, an engine control ECU outputs an engine status signal at H level prior to driving a starter motor. An anti-theft control device, upon reception of the signal, stores the engine operating status in a mode storage device and lower the detection sensitivity of sensors. This allows no false alarm to be generated, if the anti-theft system is initialized by the decreased voltage of battery at the time of driving the starter motor. In addition, the detection sensitivity of the sensors is low until the engine stops running, so that the sensors do not have risks torroneously detect the vibration of vehicle as an intruder.

Claims

1. An anti-theft system for vehicles, the system being mounted on a vehicle having a remote starter control device for starting an engine in response to a turning-on instruction transmitted from an external transmitter and being initialized by a predetermined operating voltage supplied from a power supply to start a system operation, the system comprising:

an operation mode setting means for setting an operation mode into either one of a guard mode and a guard-free mode in response to an operation of a user;

an operation mode storage means for storing the operation mode;

an alarm generating means for generating an alarm outwardly when an unauthorized operation of a vehicle is detected;

a normal operation alarm control means for operating the alarm generating means if a predetermined unauthorized operation is done when the operation mode is the guard mode;

a starting operation alarm control means for loading the operation mode before initialization stored in the operation mode storage means at the time of starting a system operation and for operating the alarm generating means if the operation mode is the guard mode; and

a starting operation alarm inhibiting means for determining whether the remote starter control device is operating and for preventing the alarm generating means from generating the alarm by the starting operation alarm control means if the remote starter control device is determined to be operating at the time of starting the system operation.

2. The anti-theft system as in claim 1, wherein:

the starting operation alarm inhibiting means causes the starting operation alarm control means to prevent the alarm generating means from generating the alarm if the engine is running by the operation of the remote starter control device, even when the remote starter control device has completed its operation at the time of starting the engine.

3. The anti-theft system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an engine running status check means for determining whether the remote starter control device is operating when the operation mode is the guard mode; and

an engine running status storing means for storing the status that the engine is running,

wherein the starting operation alarm inhibiting means checks whether the remote starter control device is operating based on content stored in the engine running status storing means.

4. The anti-theft system as in claim 3, w herein:

the engine running status storing means retains the stored content until the engine is stopped once the status that the engine is running is stored.

5. The anti-theft system as in claim 1, further comprising an alarm device, wherein the alarm device includes:

a built-in auxiliary memory;

a first storage control means for storing the operation mode set by the operation mode setting means into the built-in auxiliary memory;

an alarm generating means for determining whether an operating voltage falls below a predetermined voltage threshold value and for generating a predetermined alarm sound if the operating voltage falls below the predetermined threshold when the operation mode of the system stored in the built-in auxiliary memory is the guard mode;

an alarm inhibiting means for determining whether the remote starter control device is operating and for inhibiting the alarm sound by the alarm means if the device is determined to be operating.

6. The anti-theft system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an unauthorized operation sensor for detecting any unauthorized operation on the vehicle,

wherein the normal operation alarm control means determines a predetermined unauthorized operation if the unauthorized operation is detected by the unauthorized operation sensor, and includes a detection sensitivity reducer means for checking whether the remote starter control device is in operation and reducing detection sensitivity of the unauthorized operation sensor.

7. The anti-theft system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an unauthorized operation sensor for detecting any unauthorized operation on the vehicle,

wherein the normal operation alarm control means determines a predetermined unauthorized operation if the unauthorized operation is detected by the unauthorized operation sensor, determines whether the remote starter control device is in operation, and prevents the alarm generating means from generating the alarm even if the unauthorized operation sensor detects the unauthorized operation when the remote starter control device is determined to be in operation.

8. The anti-theft system as in claim 7, wherein:

the normal operation alarm control means prevents the alarm generating means from generating the alarm if the unauthorized operation sensor detects the unauthorized operation during running of the engine by the operation of the remote starter control device even if the remote starter control device has completed its operation.

9. An anti-theft system for vehicles, the system being mounted on a vehicle having a remote starter control device for starting an engine in response to a turning-on instruction transmitted from an external transmitter, the system comprising:

an operation mode setting means for setting an operation mode into either one of a guard mode and a guard-free mode in response to the operation of a user;

an operation mode storage means for storing the operation mode;

an unauthorized operation sensor for detecting any unauthorized operation on the vehicle;

an alarm generating means for generating an alarm outwardly when detecting the unauthorized operation of the vehicle;

an alarm control means for operating the alarm generating means if the unauthorized operation is detected by the unauthorized operation sensor when the operation mode is the guard mode; and

a detection sensitivity reducer means for checking whether the remote starter control device is in operation and reducing detection sensitivity of the unauthorized operation sensor if the device is determined to be in operation.

10. The anti-theft system as in claim 9, wherein:

the detection sensitivity reducer means continues to reduce the detection sensitivity of the unauthorized operation sensor as along as the engine is in operation, even when the remote starter control device has stops operating.

11. An anti-theft system for vehicles, the system being mounted on a vehicle having a remote starter control device for starting an engine in response to a turning-on instruction transmitted from an external transmitter, the system comprising:

an operation mode setting means for setting an operation mode into either one of a guard mode or a guardfree mode in response to an operation of a user;

an operation mode storage means for storing the operation mode;

an unauthorized operation sensor for detecting any unauthorized operation on the vehicle;

an alarm generating means for generating an alarm outwardly when the unauthorized operation of the vehicle is detected; and

an alarm control means for operating the alarm generating means if the unauthorized operation is detected by the unauthorized operation sensor when the operation mode is the guard mode,

wherein the alarm control means checks whether the remote engine starter control device is in operation, and prevents the alarm generating means from generating the alarm if the unauthorized operation sensor detects the unauthorized operation if the remote engine starter control device is determined to be in operation.

12. The anti-theft system as in claim 11, wherein:

the alarm control means prevents the alarm generating means from generating the alarm if the unauthorized operation sensor detects the unauthorized operation during running of the engine by the operation of the remote starter control device even if the remote starter control device has completed its operation.

13. The anti-theft system as in claim 11, wherein:

the unauthorized operation sensor includes an intruder sensor for detecting an intruder attempting to intrude in the vehicle.