Anti-theft system for vehicle

• US 20070096884A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Takashi, Takashima, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/429
• 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

Abstract

In an anti-theft system for a vehicle, a tilt signal generating device outputs a tilt signal based on a tilt of the vehicle. A characteristic sensing device receives the tilt signal and detects a characteristic of the tilt signal. A computing device computes a change of a parameter based on the characteristic of the tilt signal. A state estimating device estimates a parking state of the vehicle based on the change of the parameter. A determination rule setting device sets a determination rule based on an estimation result of the state estimating device. A determining device generates an operational signal when the determining device determines that there is fear of theft by comparing the tilt and the determination rule. A warning device informs the fear of the theft of the vehicle based on the operational signal.

Claims

1. An anti-theft system for a vehicle comprising:

a tilt signal generating device that outputs a tilt signal based on the tilt of the vehicle relative to a predetermined plane;

a control device that detects the tilt of the vehicle based on the tilt signal generated by the tilt signal generating device, the control device determining whether there is fear of theft of the vehicle by comparing a tilt angle corresponding to the detected tilt and a determination rule, and the control device generating an operational signal when the control device determines that there is the fear of the theft; and

a warning device that informs the fear of the theft of the vehicle based on the operational signal generated by the control device, wherein;

the control device includes;

a determination rule setting device that sets the determination rule used for determining whether there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle;

a characteristic sensing device that receives the tilt signal generated by the tilt signal generating device and detects a characteristic of the tilt signal;

a computing device that computes a change of a parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal;

a state estimating device that estimates a parking state of the vehicle based on the change of the parameter computed by the computing device;

a determining device that generates the operational signal when the determining device determines that there is the fear of the theft by comparing the tilt angle and the determination rule; and

the determination rule setting device sets the determination rule based on an estimation result of the state estimating device.

2. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a pulse number per a predetermined period as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the pulse number per the predetermined period is larger than a threshold value such that it becomes less likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

3. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a pulse width per a predetermined period as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the pulse width per the predetermined period is larger than a threshold value such that it becomes less likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

4. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a change of the pulse as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the change of the pulse is larger than a threshold value such that it becomes less likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

5. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a change of the pulse as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal;

the determination rule setting device sets the determination rule as a first determination rule when the change of the pulse ranges from a first threshold value to a second threshold value, which is larger than the first threshold value;

the determination rule setting device sets the determination rule as a second determination rule when the change of the pulse is larger than a second threshold value; and

it becomes more likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle when the first determination rule is used for determining whether there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle than the second determination rule is used.

6. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the computing device computes the tilt angle of the vehicle as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule based on a relation between the tilt angle of the vehicle and a threshold value, which is set as the determination rule.

7. The anti-theft system according to claim 6, wherein:

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the computed tilt angle of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value, which corresponds to a predetermined ratio of the threshold value, more often than a predetermined frequency such that it becomes less likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

8. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a pulse number per a predetermined period as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the pulse number per the predetermined period is smaller than a threshold value such that it becomes more likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

9. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a pulse width per a predetermined period as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the pulse width per the predetermined period is smaller than a threshold value such that it becomes more likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

10. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a change of the pulse as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal; and

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to a reference value when the change of the pulse is smaller than a threshold value such that it becomes more likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

11. The anti-theft system according to claim 10, wherein:

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule relative to the reference value when the tilt angle of the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, which corresponds to a predetermined ratio of the threshold value, more often than a predetermined frequency such that it becomes less likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle.

12. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device generates a pulse when the tilt signal generating device senses a vibration, which vibrates in an at least one direction generally parallel to the predetermined plane;

the computing device computes a change amount of the pulse as the parameter, which is used for setting the determination rule, based on the characteristic of the tilt signal;

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule as a first determination rule when the change of the pulse ranges from a first threshold value to a second threshold value, which is larger than the first threshold value;

the determination rule setting device changes the determination rule as a second determination rule when the change of the pulse is smaller than a first threshold value; and

it becomes more likely to be determined that there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle, when the first determination rule is used for determining whether there is the fear of the theft of the vehicle than the second determination rule is used.

13. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the determination rule is a threshold value that relates to the tilt angle; and

the determining device generates the operational signal when there is a predetermined relation between the threshold value and the tilt angle.

14. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilt signal generating device includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, an air pressure sensor for a wheel, a level sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

15. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control device detects the tilt of the vehicle relative to a horizontal plane.

16. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control device detects the tilt of the vehicle relative to a vertical plane.

17. The anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined plane is renewed every predetermined interval.

18. An anti-theft system for a vehicle comprising:

a sensor that senses a tile of the vehicle relative to a predetermined plane to output a sensing amount;

a threshold value determining device that determines a threshold value based on a time change of the sensing amount; and

a determining device that determines whether the vehicle is under theft based on a relation between the sensing amount and the threshold value.