ANTI-HIJACK SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

• US 3,665,386 A
• Filed: 12/18/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Dosch
• Original Assignee: Thomas J. Dosch
• Inventors: Dosch, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/099,354
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 340/22,23,52,53,54,56,63,64 73/178,179,180 346/8,38 180/114
• US Class Current: 180/287
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

Abstract

An anti-hijack system carried by a vehicle includes means for monitoring the route being traveled by the vehicle and means for continuously comparing the traveled route with a stored preprogrammed route. If the vehicle deviates materially from the programmed route, at any time, vehicle disabling means and an alarm means are actuated. The system includes means for determining the position of the vehicle and means for deactiviating the disabling means when the vehicle speed is below a prescribed low speed. Also included in the system is a means for deactivating the disabling means and thus permit vehicle operation at all speeds at a predetermined time after the vehicle has been disabled.

Claims

1. An anti-hijack system for a vehicle traveling a prescribed route, comprising storage means on said vehicle for storing a route program corresponding to said prescribed route;

generating means on said vehicle for generating data corresponding to the position of said vehicle a comparison means for comparing the data from said generating means with said stored route program to detect a material deviation of said vehicle from the prescribed route; and

vehicle disabling means connected in circuit with said comparison means for disabling said vehicle when said material deviation of said vehicle from said prescribed route is detected.

2. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, further comprising delay means for delaying activation of said vehicle disabling means when said vehicle deviates from said prescribed route for a distance not exceeding a predetermined distance.

3. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 2, further comprising a second delay means for deactivating said vehicle disabling means for a predetermined distance provided said vehicle travels at a speed no greater than a predetermined maximum low speed to permit said vehicle to travel off said prescribed route.

4. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, further comprising interchangeable coding means insertable in circuit with said vehicle disabling means for deactivating said vehicle disabling means, and third time delay means connected in circuit with said vehicle disabling means for deactivating said vehicle disabling means, and third time delay means connected in circuit with said vehicle disabling means to prevent deactivation of said vehicle disabling means for a predetermined time after insertion of said coding means in circuit with said vehicle disabling means.

5. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, further comprising alarm means connected in circuit with said comparison means for actuation when said vehicle is disabled by said vehicle disabling means.

6. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a tape having said route program stored in a plurality of tracks, and means for advancing said tape in coorDination with the forward distance traveled by said vehicle, said comparison means comprising means for scanning said tracks to detect key points of said stored route program thereon while said tape is advanced.

7. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1 wherein said comparing of said data with said stored route program occurs at a prescribed turning point of said vehicle, said system further comprising means for detecting any difference between the occurrence of said actual turning point of said vehicle and the turning point prescribed on said stored program, and means for resetting said stored route program so that said route program prescribed turning point occurs substantially simultaneously with said actual turning point.

8. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said key points of said stored program corresponds to a prescribed turning point of said vehicle, said system further comprising means for detecting any difference between the occurrence of said actual turning point of said vehicle and the scanning of a corresponding prescribed turning point, and means for resetting said tape so that said scanned prescribed turning point occurs substantially simultaneously with said actual turning point.

9. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 8 wherein said resetting means comprises a drive motor arranged to advance said tape independently of the forward distance traveled by said vehicle and connected in circuit with said vehicle scanning means for advancing said tape, so that the beginning of the distance traveled by said vehicle following each turn of said vehicle corresponds with the start of scanning of said corresponding portion of said route program stored on said tape.

10. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for generating data corresponding to directional headings of said vehicle comprises a gyroscopic reference device.

11. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for generating data corresponding to directional heading comprises measuring means for producing a distance data signal indicative of the distance traveled by said vehicle, transducer means for producing a steering angle signal representing the angular turning of said vehicle;

and an integrator-computer arranged to receive said distance signal data and said steering angle signal and to generate output data representing headings corresponding to an integration of said received distance data and steering angle signals.

12. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 11, wherein said storage means comprises a tape having said route program stored in a plurality of tracks, and means for advancing said tape in coordination with the forward distance traveled by said vehicle, said comparison means comprising means for scanning said tracks to detect key points of said stored route program thereon while said tape is advanced.

13. An anti-hijack system as defined in claim 12, wherein said comparison means further comprises data encoder means connected in circuit with said integrator-computer, said track scanning means being also connected in circuit with said integrator-computer to effect comparison of said key points of said stored program with corresponding key points of the route actually traveled by said vehicle.