ENGINE CONTROL UNIT

• US 20100005507A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: KISHIMOTO, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Provided is an engine control unit, which supports an antitheft system outputting, when a key ID registered in a portable device matches an authentication-purpose key ID registered in a receiver, a receiver status signal that contains information indicating that the portable device has been authenticated, and which is initiated in response to an initiating instruction has not been issued from an external, includes: starting control unit for controlling a starting operation of an engine in response to a start permission signal; storage unit registered with an authentication-purpose receiver ID for authenticating the receiver; and antitheft function install/non-install judging unit for judging whether or not the antitheft function is installed to the moving object, in which, when the authentication-purpose receiver ID is not registered in the storage unit and the receiver status signal is not entered, the antitheft function install/non-install judging unit judges that the antitheft function is not installed, and outputs the start permission signal to the starting control unit.

Claims

1. An engine control unit, which supports an antitheft system outputting, when a key ID registered in a portable device carried by a user of a moving object matches an authentication-purpose key ID registered in a receiver provided in the moving object, a receiver status signal that contains information indicating that the portable device has been authenticated, and which is initiated in response to an initiating instruction has not been issued from an external, the engine control unit comprising:

starting control means for controlling a starting operation of an engine in response to a start permission signal;

storage means registered with an authentication-purpose receiver ID for authenticating the receiver; and

antitheft function install/non-install judging means for judging whether or not an antitheft function is installed to the moving object,

wherein, when the authentication-purpose receiver ID is not registered in the storage means and the receiver status signal is not entered, the antitheft function install/non-install judging means judges that the antitheft function is not installed, and outputs the start permission signal to the starting control means.

2. An engine control unit according to claim 1, further comprising registering communication means for registering the authentication-purpose receiver ID in the storage means, wherein, when the authentication-purpose receiver ID is not registered in the storage means and the receiver status signal is inputted, the registering communication means confirms that a system ID registered in the receiver and a system ID registered in the storage means each registered as a commonly used ID in the antitheft system match each other, and then registers a receiver ID registered in the receiver as the authentication-purpose receiver ID.

3. An engine control unit according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the authentication-purpose receiver ID is registered in the storage means, even if the receiver status signal is inputted, the registering communication means avoids registering again the authentication-purpose receiver ID.

4. An engine control unit according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating communication means for authenticating the receiver,

wherein, when the authentication-purpose receiver ID is registered in the storage means and authentication of the portable device is finished by the receiver, the authenticating communication means compares a receiver ID registered in the receiver with the authentication-purpose receiver ID, and outputs the start permission signal when the registered receiver ID matches the authentication-purpose receiver ID.

5. An engine control unit according to claim 1, further comprising initializing communication means for erasing the authentication-purpose receiver ID registered in the storage means,

wherein, when an erasing request signal of the authentication-purpose receiver ID is entered from the receiver, the initializing communication means confirms that a system ID registered in the receiver and a system ID registered in the storage means each registered as a commonly used ID in the antitheft system match each other, and then erases the authentication-purpose receiver ID.

6. An engine control unit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engine control units are connected to the one receiver.