Vehicle antitheft device

• US 20070182250A1
• Filed: 12/25/2003
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shinichi, Ozawa, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A vehicle antitheft device prevents an erroneous activation of a theft preventing function due to an activation of a system, which is capable of starting an engine in a state where a key is not inserted in an ignition key cylinder. A power source control device causes a starter motor to start the engine when the key is inserted into the ignition key cylinder or an authentication collation through a radio communication is completed. The vehicle antitheft device activates an alarm when an IG signal from the power source control device becomes an ON signal in an uninserted state of the key into the ignition key cylinder. A push start switch, which is push-operated at a time of an engine start, is connected to the power source control device and the vehicle antitheft device. The power source control apparatus turns an ACC signal and the IG signal supplied to the vehicle antitheft device to an ON state in that order when the collation with the portable equipment through a radio communication is completed after an operation of the push start switch. The vehicle antitheft device changes a security function to an unvigilant state when the ACC signal is changed to an ON state.

Claims

1. A vehicle antitheft device mounted on a vehicle having a start device that starts an engine when a collation between an in-vehicle equipment and a portable equipment through a radio communication is completed and an operation of a start operation means is performed, the vehicle antitheft device actuating a predetermined theft preventing function so as to prevent the vehicle from being thieved, the vehicle antitheft device comprising:

in-vehicle equipment current supplying means for supplying an electric current to an in-vehicle electric equipment under a condition where said collation is completed before an engine start is performed by said start device in the vehicle; and

activation limiting means for limiting an activation of said predetermined theft preventing function when a current supply to said in-vehicle electric equipment by said in-vehicle equipment current supplying means is started.

2. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said start operation means is a start switch that is operated to be a current supply permitting state to said in-vehicle electric equipment and a start permitting state of the-engine stepwisely in that order;

said in-vehicle equipment current supplying means permits a current supply to said in-vehicle electric equipment by being operated to be in the current supply permitting state to said in-vehicle electric equipment; and

said activation limiting means limits said predetermined theft preventing function when the current supply to said in-vehicle electric equipment by said in-vehicle equipment current supplying means is started within a predetermined time period after said start operation means is operated to be in the current supply permitting state to said in-vehicle electric equipment.

3. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said start operation means is a push-type start switch, provided in the vehicle, which is pressed down by a vehicle driver.

4. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a mechanical start device that starts the engine when an ignition operation is performed in a state where a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder, and said predetermined theft preventing function includes at least a function to give warning when a turn-on of an ignition is detected in a state where said key is not inserted in said ignition key cylinder.

5. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said start operation means is a push-type start switch, provided in the vehicle, which is pressed by a vehicle driver.

6. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a mechanical start device that starts the engine when an ignition operation is performed in a state where a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder, and said predetermined theft preventing function includes at least a function to give warning when a turn-on of an ignition is detected in a state where said key is not inserted in said ignition key cylinder.

7. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a mechanical start device that starts the engine when an ignition operation is performed in a state where a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder, and said predetermined theft preventing function includes at least a function to give warning when a turn-on of an ignition is detected in a state where said key is not inserted in said ignition key cylinder.

8. The vehicle antitheft device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a mechanical start device that starts the engine when an ignition operation is performed in a state where a key is inserted in an ignition key cylinder, and said predetermined theft preventing function includes at least a function to give warning when a turn-on of an ignition is detected in a state where said key is not inserted in said ignition key cylinder.