SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED DRIVING OF A LAND VEHICLE

• US 20130090784A1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen Hibbert
• Original Assignee: Stephen Hibbert
• Inventors: Hibbert, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/08 operating on brakes or brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/14 operated upon collapse of driver deadman's devices for electrically propelled vehicles B60L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A credential-based vehicle interlock system for preventing unauthorized driving of a land vehicle even when the vehicle is left parked with its engine running. The subject system interacts, inter alia, with the existing sensors and electronic control module of the vehicle to prevent the transmission from shifting out of the “Park” gear, unless and until the credentials of the driver are validated against a database of credentials for authorized drivers. The system can be optionally configured to initiate and execute a controlled shutdown sequence of a moving land vehicle, upon receiving a wireless remote shutdown command.

Claims

1. A system for preventing unauthorized driving of a land vehicle having an owner/operator, a driver, a service brake, a brake switch, an engine control module (ECM) configured to accept an input from the brake switch, a transmission having a park mode and non-park modes, and an ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system configured to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode until the service brake is applied, said system comprising:

a credential issued to said driver by said owner/operator to authorize said driver;

a credential input device, said credential input device being mounted on said vehicle, said credential input device being capable of accepting as input said credential from said driver;

a microcomputer (CPU) mounted on the vehicle;

said microcomputer (CPU) and said credential input device being operatively connected with each other, with said credential input device being capable of transmitting, and said microcomputer (CPU) being capable of receiving said credential;

a credential database stored in said microcomputer (CPU), said credential database containing credential data preloaded by said owner/operator of said land vehicle;

said microcomputer (CPU) being capable of making a determination, based on a comparison of said credential and said preloaded credential database, whether said driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle;

said microcomputer (CPU) being operatively connected to said ECM; and

,

said microcomputer (CPU) being capable of operatively interacting with, said ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park node when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that said driver is not authorized to drive said land vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat occupancy sensor operatively connected to said microcomputer (CPU), wherein said microcomputer (CPU) is further capable of determining, based on an input from the driver'"'"'s seat occupancy sensor fitted to said vehicle, whether a driver is or is not seated in a driver'"'"'s seat, and said microcomputer (CPU) is further configured to operatively interact with said ECM-controlled brake/shirt interlock system to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that a driver is not seated in the driver'"'"'s seat.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said microcomputer (CPU) is configured to operatively interact with said ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system by controlling said input from the brake swatch to said ECM.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a vehicle “

door open”

sensor and an ECM-controlled shutdown system, wherein said ECM is capable of detecting, based on an input from the vehicle “

door open”

sensor, whether a vehicle'"'"'s door is open while the vehicle is in motion, and wherein, upon detecting chat a door of the vehicle is open while the vehicle is in motion, said ECM is configured to automatically initiate, independent of any action of the driver, a controlled vehicle shutdown and braking sequence to slow down and to bring the vehicle to a stop.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a wireless reception system fitted on said vehicle, said wireless reception system being capable of receiving a remote shutdown command and forwarding said remote shutdown command to the microcomputer (CPU) mounted on said vehicle, wherein, upon receiving a remote shutdown command, said microcomputer (CPU) is configured to operatively interact with said ECM-controlled shutdown system, by controlling said input from said vehicle “

door open”

sensor to said ECM, so as so initiate, independent of any action of the driver, a controlled vehicle shutdown and braking sequence to slow down and to bring the vehicle to a stop.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the microcomputer (CPU) is further configured to store an event log of credentials received from said credential input device and of determinations made by the microcomputer (CPU) as to whether a driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first means of wireless data transmission fitted to said vehicle, wherein said first means of wireless data transmission are capable of transmitting said event log from said vehicle to a remote recipient.

8. The system of claims 7, further comprising a video camera configured for capturing video of an area proximal to said credential input device, wherein said captured video is capable of being stored on-board the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second means of wireless data transmission fitted to said vehicle, wherein said means of wireless data transmission is capable of transmitting said captured video from, said vehicle to a remote recipient.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second means of wireless data transmission are the same means.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said credential input device is at least one of the following:

a keypad, a magnetic card reader, a smart card reader, a radio frequency identification device (RFID) controller, an audio recognition device, a biometric recognition device, and an optical reader.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein said wireless reception system is at least one of the following:

cellular, radio, infrared, laser, Wi-Fi and satellite communication.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said first means of wireless data transmission is at least one of the following:

cellular, radio, infrared, laser, Wi-Fi and satellite communication.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said second means of wireless data transmission is at least one of the following;

cellular, radio, infrared, laser, Wi-Fi and satellite communication.

15. A method for preventing an unauthorized driver from operating a land vehicle having one or more authorized drivers, a service brake, a brake switch, an engine control module (EMC) configured to accept an input from the brake switch, a transmission having a park mode and non-park modes, and an ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system configured to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode until the service brake is applied, said method comprising:

issuing a credential to said one or more authorized drivers;

fitting said vehicle with a microcomputer (CPU) operativeiy connected with the vehicle'"'"'s ECM;

fitting said vehicle with a credential input device being capable of accepting as en input said credential from said driver;

said microcomputer (CPU) and said credential input device being operativeiy connected with each other, with said credential input device being capable of transmitting, and said microcomputer (CPU) being capable of receiving said credential;

preloading credential data of said one or more authorized drivers into a credential database stored on said, microcomputer (CPU);

said driver requesting driving of said vehicle by presenting said credential to said credential input device;

said microcomputer (CPU) making a determination, based on a comparison of said credential and said preloaded credential database, whether said driver is one of said one or more drivers authorized to drive said land vehicle; and

,

said microcomputer (CPU) operatively interacting with said ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that said driver is not authorized to drive said land vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising;

said microcomputer (CPU) determining, based on an input from a driver'"'"'s seat occupancy sensor fitted to said vehicle, whether a driver is or is not seated in a driver'"'"'s seat; and

,

said microcomputer (CPU) operatively interacting with said ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that a driver is not seated in a driver'"'"'s seat.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of card microcomputer (CPU) operatively interacting with said ECM-controlled brake/shift interlock system to preclude shifting of the transmission out of its park mode comprises said microcomputer (CPU) controlling said input from said brake switch to said ECM.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

said vehicle having a vehicle “

door open”

sensor and an ECM-controlled shutdown system, wherein said ECM is capable of detecting, based on an input from the vehicle “

door open”

sensor, whether a vehicle'"'"'s door is open while the vehicle is in motion, and wherein, upon detecting that a vehicle'"'"'s door is open while the vehicle is in motion, said ECM is configured to automatically initiate, independent of any action of the driver, a controlled vehicle shutdown and braking sequence to slow down and to bring the vehicle to a stop;

said vehicle having a wireless reception system, said wireless reception system receiving a remote shutdown command;

said wireless reception system forwarding said remote shutdown command so said microcomputer (CPU) upon receiving said remote shutdown command;

said microcomputer (CPU) operatively interacting with said ECM-controlled shutdown system, by controlling the input from said vehicle “

door open”

sensor to said ECM, so as to initiate, independent of any action of the driver, said controlled vehicle shutdown and braking sequence.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of storing an event log of credentials received from said credential input device and of determinations made by the microcomputer (CPU) as to whether a driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of wirelessly transmitting said event log from said vehicle to a remote recipient via means of wireless data transmission fitted to said vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of capturing video of an area proximal to said credential input device, and storing said captured video on-board the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of wirelessly transmitting said captured video from said vehicle.