Multi-user vehicle access control

• US 20030189482A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan D. Berger, Mohammad J. Arshad, Peter J. Dix
• Original Assignee: Alan D. Berger, Mohammad J. Arshad, Peter J. Dix
• Inventors: Dix, Peter J., Berger, Alan D., Arshad, Mohammad J.
• Application Number:
  US10/406,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A system and method for permitting different authorized degrees of access to two or more users of a vehicle in a fleet of vehicles. Each user has a radio (RF) transponder coupled to an ignition key that operates the ignition switch of the vehicle. The transponder stores data indicating the degree of operating access authorized to each user for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for permitting a plurality of users of a vehicle to have different degrees of operating access to the vehicle, each of the users having an operating key for operating the vehicle and a radio transponder coupled to the operating key for storing data indicative of the authorized degree of operating access to the vehicle for each user, the method comprising:

transmitting first data indicative of a first authorized degree of operating access to a vehicle control system on the vehicle from a first transponder coupled to a first operating key for the vehicle;

comparing the first transmitted data with data stored in the vehicle control system to determine the first authorized degree of access and to provide a first user with the first authorized degrees of access;

using the first operating key to operate the vehicle;

transmitting second data indicative of a second authorized degree of operating access to the vehicle control system from a second transponder coupled to a second operating key for the vehicle;

comparing the second transmitted data with data stored in the vehicle control system to determine the second authorized degree of access and to provide a second user with the second authorized degree of access;

using the second operating key to operate the same vehicle at a time different than when the first operating key is being used;

wherein the first authorized degree of access and the second authorized degree of access are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second authorized degrees of access are different according to at least one of the following characteristics:

total distance of authorized operation, geographical areas of authorized operation, specific hours during a day when the vehicle may be operated, dates or days of the week when the vehicle may be operated, total time of authorized operation, and access to subsystems of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein access is permitted to a user for one or more of the following vehicle subsystems:

an engine ignition subsystem, an engine fuel pump subsystem, an engine starting subsystem, and an auxiliary hydraulic subsystem.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an auxiliary hydraulic controller is provided to control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the auxiliary hydraulic subsystem, and wherein the user is authorized to operate the hydraulic subsystem based upon data in the user'"'"'s transponder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein data indicative of the first and the second authorized degree of access includes conditional limits that prevent the use of the vehicle if the conditional limits are exceeded.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein data indicative of the conditional limits are communicated from the transponder and include data indicative of one or more of the following:

the total hours of authorized use, the total distance of authorized travel, the maximum speed of authorized operation, the maximum load on the engine and the geographical area in which the vehicle is authorized to operate.

7. A system for permitting different authorized degrees of access for a plurality of users of a vehicle, comprising:

a first radio transponder storing data indicative of a first authorized degree of access to the vehicle;

a second radio transponder storing data indicative of a second authorized degree of access to the vehicle, wherein said first authorized degree of access is different from the second authorized degree of access; and

an electronic control system mounted on the vehicle and configured to provide different authorized degrees of access to the vehicle to a first user and a second user based on the data indicative of the first and second authorized degree of access stored in the first and second transponders.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an operating switch and first and second operating keys configured to operate the operating switch, wherein the first and second operating keys are coupled to the first and second transponders.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic control system includes a radio transmitter configured to energize the first transponder when the first operating key is located proximate to the operating switch, and to energize the second transponder when the second operating key is located proximate to the operating switch.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic control system enables access to subsystems of the vehicle in response to data received from the first transponder that is different than access to subsystems in response to data received from the second transponder.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data received from the first transponder and the data received from the second transponder both include data indicative of at least one of the following:

an authorized geographical area of operation, days of the week that are authorized for operation, specific hours during the day when the vehicle may be operated, specific dates on which the vehicle may be operated, the total time of authorized operation, and subsystems of the vehicle authorized for use.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data received from the first and second transponders authorizes use of at least one of the following:

an engine ignition subsystem, an engine fuel delivery subsystem, and an engine starting subsystem.

13. A method of providing different authorized degrees of access to a plurality of users for a vehicle in a fleet of vehicles, each of the users having a radio transponder coupled to an ignition key for the vehicle'"'"'s ignition switch, the radio transponder storing data indicative of each user'"'"'s authorized degree of access to said vehicle, the method comprising:

inserting a first ignition key into said ignition switch;

transmitting first data to a vehicle control system on the vehicle from a first transponder coupled to the first ignition key;

comparing the first transmitted data with data stored in the vehicle control system to determine the first authorized degree of access and to provide the a user with the first authorized degree of access;

inserting a second ignition key into the ignition switch at a time different than when the first key is inserted;

transmitting second data to the vehicle control system from a second transponder coupled to the second ignition key of the vehicle;

comparing the second transmitted data with data stored in the vehicle control system to determine the second authorized degree of access and providing a second user with the second authorized degree of access;

wherein the first authorized degree of access and said second authorized degree of access are different and wherein the vehicle control system can be configured simultaneously with the first authorized degree of access and with the different second authorized degree of access.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second authorized degrees of access differ by at least one characteristic selected from the group of characteristics including:

allowed times and dates of operation, hours during the day when the vehicle may be operated, total time of authorized operation, and vehicle subsystems that the operator is authorized to operate.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of controlling access to one or more subsystems selected from the group including the following subsystems:

an engine ignition subsystem, an engine fuel supply subsystem, an engine starting subsystem, and an auxiliary hydraulic subsystem, wherein the hydraulic subsystem is configured differently for the first user than for the second user based at least partly upon the different first and second authorized degrees of access.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the auxiliary hydraulic subsystem includes an auxiliary hydraulic controller that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to at least a lift cylinder and a bucket cylinder, and further wherein the vehicle control system permits the first user and the second user to differently operate the cylinders based upon data in at least one of the first and second transponders that is transmitted to the vehicle control system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and the second authorized degree of access include conditional limitations that limit the use of a portion of the vehicle if the conditional limitations are exceeded.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein data indicative of the conditional limitations are downloaded from at least one of the first and second transponders to the vehicle control system and permit the vehicle control system one or more of the following:

the number of hours of authorized use, the total distance of authorized travel, the maximum speed of authorized operation, the maximum load on an engine and a geographical area in which the vehicle is authorized to operate.