Securing vechicles

• US 20040222699A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Bottomley, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

Electronic security apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus being capable of controlling the performance of a vehicle function in response to a user attempting to start the engine of the vehicle, including an electronic security system (10) fitted to the vehicle, the system being capable of controlling the performance of the vehicle function in response to being provided with a first security code, and an electronic key (12), the key being capable of providing the first security code to the electronic security system. The security system has a secured mode of operation in which the system may be set to a limited authorisation state in which performance of the vehicle function is enabled, following which the system automatically sets an unauthorised state in an engine start attempt does not enable performance of the vehicle function. The system also has an unsecured mode of operation in which the user performing the action enables performance of the vehicle function irrespective of whether or not said one or more conditions are met.

Claims

1. Electronic security apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus being capable of controlling the performance of a vehicle function in response to a user performing a user action, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic security system (10) fitted to the vehicle, the system being capable of controlling the performance of the vehicle function in response to being provided with a first security code;

an electronic key (12), the key being capable of providing the first security code to the electronic security system in response to the user action and an electronic device (16) which is separate to the security system and separate to the key, which device is capable of providing a second security code and a third security code,

the apparatus being arranged to provide;

a secured mode of operation in which the apparatus must be set to a limited authorisation state to enable performance of the vehicle function, following which the apparatus automatically sets the apparatus to an unauthorised state in which the user performing the action does not enable performance of the vehicle function; and

an unsecured mode of operation in which the user performing the action enables performance of the vehicle function without requiring the limited authorisation state to be set., wherein in said secured mode of operation the apparatus is arranged to authenticate the second security code, and in response to said authentication, altering its mode of operation from said secured mode to said unsecured mode, and wherein in said secured mode of operation the apparatus is arranged to authenticate the third security code, and in response to said authentication, to alter its state from said unauthorised state to said limited authorisation state.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mode of operation is configurable by a user in dependence on one or more predetermined criteria being met.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the process of determining whether the predetermined criteria are met is performed by accessing remotely stored data other than data representing the predetermined criteria.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the remotely stored data includes one or more of the following:

a vehicle identifier;

temporal data;

geographical location data; and

a user identifier.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined criteria include one or more of the following:

the vehicle being a predetermined vehicle;

the time of user configuration being within a predetermined period of time;

the geographic location being within a predetermined geographic area; and

the user being a predetermined user.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the limited authorisation state the apparatus monitors for one or more conditions being met, and on detecting said one or more conditions being met, automatically sets the apparatus to the unauthorised state.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in said limited authorisation state the one or more conditions monitored include performance of the vehicle function, and wherein the unauthorised state is automatically set after n user actions have been performed resulting in the performance of the vehicle function, where n is an integer.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unsecured mode of operation is permanently configured after the apparatus has been set to the limited authorisation state a predetermined number of times and/or the vehicle has being driven a predetermined distance or after a predetermined time or period of time.

9. A method of operating electronic security apparatus being capable of controlling the performance of a vehicle function in response to a user performing a user action, the method including the steps of;

controlling the performance of the vehicle function in response to a first security code (74)

providing a secured mode of operation in which the apparatus must be set to a limited authorisation state (70) to enable performance of the vehicle function, following which the apparatus is automatically set to an unauthorised state (64) in which the user performing the action does not enable performance of the vehicle function; and

an unsecured mode of operation in which the user performing the action enable performance of the vehicle function without requiring the limited authorisation state to be set,

wherein in said secured mode, arranging the apparatus to authenticate a second security code, and in response to said authentication, altering its mode of operation from said secured mode to said unsecured mode, and wherein in said secured mode of operation arranging the apparatus to authenticate a third security code, and in response to said authentication, to alter its state from said unauthorised state to said limited authorisation state.

10. Computer software for adapting apparatus to carry out the method of claim 9.