Vehicle anti-theft system and method

• US 20030128104A1
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technologie Kolombo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Technologie Kolombo Incorporated
• Inventors: Gros-Louis, Eric, Lessard, Hugo
• Granted Patent: US 7,015,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key

Abstract

An anti-theft system comprises a digital code in a key ring. The code is transmitted to a client box installed in a car. The box analyses the code and, in the case of theft, transmits a distress signal to a police car. The police car is equipped with a receiver and a display to display information concerning the stolen vehicle. The police officer can stop the stolen vehicle or can use a switch on the police car unit that sends a signal to a receiver in the client box and thus turns off the fuel pump of the car.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a stolen vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a usage of said vehicle for its transportation from one location to another;

requesting, at a vehicle unit, an identification from an identification device;

if said identification is received automatically and without user intervention, comparing said identification with an internal identification setting;

if said internal identification setting does not match said received identification or if said identification is not received, emitting an alert message comprising information concerning said vehicle in a predetermined range of said vehicle;

receiving said alert message at a police car unit installed in a displaceable police car, when said police car is within said predetermined range of said vehicle; and

indicating said information concerning said vehicle at said police car unit;

whereby a thief of said vehicle is unaware of the request for said identification and the stolen vehicle is identified and can be stopped by a police officer circulating in said displaceable police car without an intervention of an owner of said stolen vehicle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after said step of identifying:

identifying the stolen vehicle to be stopped at said police car;

sending a power supply shut-down message to said vehicle unit from said displaceable police car;

shutting down a power supply of said vehicle,

whereby said police officer can choose to stop said stolen vehicle by shutting down its power supply.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power supply is an electrical power supply to a gas pump of said vehicle.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power supply is a gas supply to a gas pump of said vehicle.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power supply is an electrical power supply to an onboard computer of said vehicle.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein said step of detecting comprises detecting a powering on of an onboard computer of said vehicle.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 6, wherein said identification is coded using four bytes.

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 7, wherein said step of requesting comprises starting a wireless communication and emitting a request message.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein said receiving said identification comprises said identification device sending a response to said request, said response comprising said identification and said vehicle unit receiving said response.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 9, wherein said alert message comprises at least a color, a make and a model of said vehicle.

11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 10, wherein said alert message is wirelessly broadcasted and said predetermined range is a range of 100 m.

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 11, wherein said identification is factory encoded into said identification device.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 12, wherein said information is programmed into said vehicle unit using an external user interface.

14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 13, wherein said usage is an ignition of a motor of said vehicle.

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 14, wherein said usage is a motion of said vehicle.

16. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 15, wherein said usage is a towing of said vehicle.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 16, wherein said method is prompted by receiving a beacon from said police car unit.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said beacon is a wireless emission of a signal requesting a response from said stolen vehicle.

19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 18, further comprising a self-test of said emitting by receiving, at said vehicle unit, said emitted alert message and extracting the information.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 19, wherein said requesting is done via an RF identification module.

21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 20, wherein said identification device is a key ring equipped with a transponder having an encoded identification.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 through 21, further comprising a step of verifying a status of said vehicle prior to said step of shutting down to ensure that said shutting down is not done on a vehicle which is not stolen.

23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 22, further comprising a step of checking a battery status of said identification device and emitting a warning if a power remaining in said battery is below a predetermined threshold.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said emitting a warning comprising lighting up a light-emitting diode (LED).

25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 24, further comprising a step of supplying power to said identification device by connecting said identification device to an external power supply.

53. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, further comprising installing said police car unit in a fleet of said police car.

54. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said receiving said alert message comprises receiving at least two alert messages concurrently and wherein said indicating comprises indicating information concerning each stolen vehicle concurrently, said sending comprises selecting and sending said power supply shut-down message with a code for said selected vehicle.

26. A vehicle anti-theft system comprising:

an identification device comprising

an identification request receiver for receiving an identification request;

an identification store having a stored identification;

an identification provider for retrieving said stored identification and sending said stored identification in response to said request automatically and without user intervention;

a vehicle anti-theft unit comprising

a usage detector for detecting a usage of said vehicle for its transportation from one location to another;

a vehicle transmitter for requesting an identification of a driver of said vehicle once said usage is detected from said identification device;

a vehicle receiver for receiving a response to said request for said identification from said identification device;

an information store having information concerning said vehicle and an internal identification setting;

an owner detector for detecting if said internal identification setting matches an identification received in said response;

an information emitter for emitting said information concerning said vehicle if said identification received does not match said internal identification setting in a predetermined range of said vehicle;

whereby said information concerning said vehicle is received by a displaceable patrol car when said patrol car is within said predetermined range of said vehicle and said vehicle is identified as being stolen by an officer circulating in said patrol car and can be stopped without an intervention of an owner of said stolen vehicle.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising,

in said vehicle unit,

a power supply shut-down receiver for receiving a command to shut down a power of said vehicle from said patrol car;

a power shut-down circuit to shut-down a power of said vehicle;

whereby an officer can choose to stop said stolen vehicle by shutting down its power supply.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said power supply is an electrical power supply to a gas pump of said vehicle.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said power supply is a gas supply to a gas pump of said vehicle.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said power supply is an electrical power supply to an onboard computer of said vehicle.

31. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 30, wherein said usage detector detects a powering on of an onboard computer of said vehicle.

32. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 31, wherein said identification is coded using four bytes.

33. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 32, wherein said vehicle transmitter starts a wireless communication and emits a request message.

34. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 33, wherein said information concerning said vehicle comprises at least a color, a make and a model of said vehicle.

35. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 34, wherein said information emitter wirelessly broadcasts said information and said predetermined range is a range of 100 m.

36. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 35, wherein said identification is factory encoded into said identification device.

37. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 36, wherein said information is programmed into said vehicle unit using an external user interface.

38. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 37, wherein said usage is an ignition of a motor of said vehicle.

39. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 37, wherein said usage is a motion of said vehicle.

40. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 37, wherein said usage is a towing of said vehicle.

41. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 40, wherein said usage detector is prompted by receiving a beacon from a patrol car unit.

42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein said beacon is a wireless emission of a signal requesting a response from said vehicle.

43. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 42, further comprising a self-test module for testing said vehicle unit, said self-test module emitting said information and receiving, at said vehicle unit, said emitted information and extracting said information.

44. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 43, wherein said vehicle transmitter requests said identification via an RF identification module.

45. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 44, wherein said identification device is a key ring equipped with a transponder having an encoded identification.

46. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 27 through 45, further comprising a status verifier for verifying a status of said vehicle prior to activating said shutting down circuit to ensure that said shutting down is not done on a vehicle which is not stolen.

47. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 46, further comprising a battery checker for checking a battery status of said identification device and emitting a warning if a power remaining in said battery is below a predetermined threshold.

48. An apparatus as claimed in claim 47, wherein said emitting a warning comprising lighting up a light-emitting diode (LED).

49. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 26 through 48, further comprising an external power supply connector on said identification device for supplying power to said identification device by connecting said identification device to an external power supply.

50. A vehicle anti-theft surveillance apparatus to be installed in a displaceable patrol unit comprising:

an alert message receiver for receiving an alert message indicating that a vehicle is stolen, said alert message comprising information concerning said vehicle, when said patrol unit is within a predetermined range of said vehicle;

a stolen vehicle indicator for indicating said information concerning said vehicle at said patrol unit;

a stolen vehicle chooser for identifying the stolen vehicle to be stopped and determining a time to stop said vehicle;

a shut-down transmitter for sending a power supply shut-down message to said vehicle to stop said vehicle;

whereby the stolen vehicle is identified by and can be stopped by a police officer at said displaceable patrol unit without an intervention of an owner of said stolen vehicle.

51. An apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein said apparatus is installed in a fleet of patrol units.

52. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 50 and 51, wherein said alert message receiver receives at least two alert messages concurrently and wherein said indicator indicates information concerning each stolen vehicle concurrently.