Remote start-up control apparatus, and start-up control apparatus

• US 20040168663A1
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Akira, Yoshimura, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/179.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine

Abstract

A remote start-up control apparatus which takes in a key code outputted on the basis of insertion of a key cylinder of an ignition key, and which is mounted on a vehicle which was equipped with an immobilizer unit for enabling a start-up of an engine, in case that it was judged that the taken-in key code is in conformity with a predetermined key code, and which carries out start-up control of an engine in response to an instruction of a portable transmitter, has a unit for supplying a key code which has been stored in an EEPROM to the immobilizer, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to a remote operation, and a unit for prohibiting supply of the key code, in case that there occurred vehicle theft.

Claims

1. A remote start-up control apparatus being installed in a vehicle incorporating a start-up control apparatus for sending a key code output request to a key code output device that can output a key code based on a first predetermined operation, inputting a key code output in response to the request, determining whether or not the input key code matches a predetermined key code, and if the key codes match, enabling an engine to be started, the remote start-up control apparatus for performing start-up control of the engine by remote operation, the remote start-up control apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a key code;

a first supply unit for supplying the key code which is stored in the first storage unit to the start-up control apparatus, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to the remote operation; and

a first execution prohibition control unit for carrying out prohibition control for prohibiting execution of all or a part of a series of processes which become necessary for enabling the start-up control apparatus to start up the engine, if it is judged that vehicle theft occurred, on the basis of a signal which is obtained from a theft detection unit for detecting theft of the vehicle, or another signal which corresponds to the signal.

2. The remote start-up control apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the first execution prohibition control unit is one which prohibits supply of the key code to the start-up control apparatus according to the first supply unit.

3. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an operator qualification judgment unit for judging whether an operation to a vehicle was carried out by a qualified operator or not, after the occurrence of the vehicle theft,

wherein if it is judged that the operation to the vehicle was carried out by a qualified operator, by the operator qualification judgment unit, the first execution prohibition control unit does not carry out the prohibition control.

4. A remote start-up control apparatus being installed in a vehicle incorporating a start-up control apparatus for sending a key code output request to a key code output device that can output a key code based on a first predetermined operation, inputting a key code output in response to the request, determining whether or not the input key code matches a predetermined key code, and if the key codes match, enabling an engine to be started, the remote start-up control apparatus for performing start-up control of the engine by remote operation, and enabling an additional registration of a transmitter to instruct the start-up of the engine by an remote operation, the remote start-up control apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a key code;

a first supply unit for supplying the key code which is stored in the first storage unit to the start-up control apparatus, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to the remote operation;

an instruction source judgment unit for judging whether the start-up instruction of the engine is one which is based upon the remote operation from the transmitter which was additionally registered after a predetermined time point, and

a second execution prohibition control unit for carrying out prohibition control for prohibiting execution of all or a part of a series of processes which become necessary for enabling the start-up control apparatus to start up the engine, in case that it is judged that the start-up instruction of the engine is one which is based upon the remote operation from the transmitter which was additionally registered after the predetermined time point, by the instruction source judgment unit.

5. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second execution prohibition control unit is one which prohibits supply of the key code to the start-up control apparatus by the second supply unit.

6. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the predetermined time point is such a time point that theft of the vehicle occurred, and

the instruction source judgment unit is one which judges whether the start-up instruction of the engine is based upon the remote operation from the transmitter which was additionally registered after the time point when theft of the vehicle occurred, on the basis of a signal which is obtained from a theft detection unit for detecting theft of the vehicle, or another signal which corresponds to the signal.

7. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

a user qualification judgment unit for judging whether the transmitter which was additionally registered after the predetermined time point was used by a qualified user or not,

wherein if it is judged that the transmitter which was additionally registered was used by a qualified user, by the user qualification judgment unit, the second execution prohibition control unit does not carry out the prohibition control.

8. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

an additional registration qualification judgment unit for judging whether an additional registration of a transmitter which was carried out after the predetermined time point was carried out by a qualified registrant or not,

wherein if it is judged that the additional registration was carried out by a qualified registrant, by the additional registration qualification judgment unit, the second execution prohibition control unit does not carry out the prohibition control.

9. A remote start-up control apparatus being installed in a vehicle incorporating a start-up control apparatus for sending a key code output request to a key code output device that can output a key code based on a first predetermined operation, inputting a key code output in response to the request, determining whether or not the input key code matches a predetermined key code, and if the key codes match, enabling an engine to be started, the remote start-up control apparatus for performing start-up control of the engine by remote operation, the remote start-up control apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a key code;

a first supply unit for supplying the key code which is stored in the first storage unit to the start-up control apparatus, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to the remote operation; and

a second supply unit for supplying a first request signal for requesting for prohibition or restriction of the start-up of the engine to the start-up control apparatus, if it is judged that vehicle theft occurred, on the basis of a signal which is obtained from a theft detection unit for detecting theft of the vehicle, or another signal which corresponds to the signal.

10. A remote start-up control apparatus being installed in a vehicle incorporating a start-up control apparatus for sending a key code output request to a key code output device that can output a key code based on a first predetermined operation, inputting a key code output in response to the request, determining whether or not the input key code matches a predetermined key code, and if the key codes match, enabling an engine to be started, the remote start-up control apparatus for performing start-up control of the engine by remote operation, and enabling an additional registration of a transmitter to instruct the start-up of the engine by an remote operation, the remote start-up control apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a key code;

a first supply unit for supplying the key code which is stored in the first storage unit to the start-up control apparatus, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to the remote operation;

an additional registration existence judgment unit for judging whether there exists a transmitter which was additionally registered after a predetermined time point; and

a third supply unit for supplying a second request signal for requesting for prohibition or restriction of the start-up of the engine, in case that it was judged that there exists the transmitter which was additionally registered after the predetermined time point, by the additional registration existence judgment unit.

11. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the predetermined time point is such a time point that theft of the vehicle occurred, and

the additional registration existence judgment unit is one which judges whether there exists the transmitter which was additionally registered after the time point when the theft of the vehicle occurred, on the basis of a signal which is obtained from a theft detection unit for detecting theft of the vehicle, or another signal which corresponds to the signal.

12. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

a user qualification judgment unit for judging whether the transmitter which was additionally registered after the predetermined time point was used by a qualified user or not,

wherein if it is judged that the transmitter which was additionally registered was used by a qualified user, by the user qualification judgment unit, the third supply unit does not supply the second request signal to the start-up control apparatus.

13. The remote start-up control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

an additional registration qualification judgment unit for judging whether the additional registration of the transmitter which was additionally registered after the predetermined time point was carried out by a qualified registrant or not,

wherein if it is judged that the additional registration was carried out by a qualified registrant, by the additional registration qualification judgment unit, the third supply unit does not supply the request signal to the start-up control apparatus.

14. A remote start-up control apparatus being installed in a vehicle incorporating a start-up control apparatus for sending a key code output request to a key code output device that can output a key code based on a first predetermined operation, inputting a key code output in response to the request, determining whether or not the input key code matches a predetermined key code, and if the key codes match, enabling an engine to be started, the remote start-up control apparatus for performing start-up control of the engine by remote operation, the remote start-up control apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a key code;

a first supply unit for supplying the key code which is stored in the first storage unit to the start-up control apparatus, when it received a start-up instruction of the engine according to the remote operation;

a first setup unit for setting a state for prohibiting on the basis of a second predetermined operation, supply of the key code to the start-up control apparatus by the first supply unit; and

a third execution prohibition control unit for carrying out prohibition control for prohibiting execution of all or a part of a series of processes which become necessary for enabling the start-up control apparatus to start up the engine, when the state was set up by the first setup unit.

15. A start-up control apparatus equipped in a vehicle, which has a second storage unit for storing a key code, and requests a key code output device which can output a key code for an output of a key code on the basis of a first predetermined operation, and takes in the key code which is outputted in response to the request, and judges whether the taken-in key code is in conformity with a predetermined key code which is stored in the second storage unit, and has a function for enabling a start-up of an engine, in case that it was judged that these key codes are in conformity with each other, comprising:

a fourth execution prohibition control unit for carrying out prohibition control for prohibiting execution of all or a part of a series of processes which become necessary for enabling the start-up control apparatus to start up the engine, when it receives a first prohibition request signal for requesting for prohibition of the start-up of the engine, or another signal which corresponds to the first prohibition request signal.

16. A start-up control apparatus equipped in a vehicle, which has a third storage unit for storing a plurality of key codes, and requests a key code output device which can output a key code for an output of a key code on the basis of a first predetermined operation, and takes in the key code which is outputted in response to the request, and judges whether the taken-in key code is in conformity with a predetermined key code which is stored in the third storage unit, and has a function for enabling a start-up of an engine, in case that it was judged that these key codes are in conformity with each other, comprising:

a fifth execution prohibition control unit for giving no permission of the start-up of the engine, by a key code which was supplied from the remote start-up control apparatus, when it receives a second prohibition request signal for requesting for prohibition of the start-up of the engine, or another signal which corresponds to the second prohibition request signal, wherein

the third storage unit is configured so as to distinguish a key code which is in conformity with a key code which is supplied from a remote start-up control apparatus for carrying out start-up control of the engine on the basis of a remote operation from another key code and for storing them.

17. A start-up control apparatus equipped in a vehicle, which has a second storage unit for storing a plurality of key codes, and requests a key code output device which can output a key code for an output of a key code on the basis of a first predetermined operation, and takes in the key code which is outputted in response to the request, and judges whether the taken-in key code is in conformity with a predetermined key code which is stored in the second storage unit, and has a function for enabling a start-up of an engine, in case that it was judged that these key codes are in conformity with each other, further comprising:

a second setup unit for setting a state for giving no permission of the start-up of the engine, on the basis of a third predetermined operation; and

a sixth execution prohibition control unit for carrying out prohibition control for prohibiting execution of all or a part of a series of processes which become necessary for enabling the start-up control apparatus to start up the engine, when the state is set up by the second setup unit.