Card-operated control system for vehicle components

• US 4,477,874 A
• Filed: 11/24/1981
• Issued: 10/16/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Denso Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Takaaki, Ikuta, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malamud, Ronni S.
• Application Number:
  US06/324,572
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 364/425, 364/424, 340/64, 340/825.31, 307/10 AT
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0278 using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A card-operated system for controlling vehicle components is responsive to a magnetic card exclusively used by a particular user to control actuators associated with the vehicle components such as driver'"'"'s seat position and the like. In the card is magnetically stored a set of driver'"'"'s personal drive position data and security data which are read out by a magnetic card reader into a microprocessor-based controller. The controller analyzes the input data to operate the actuators according to the drive position data so that the driver is in an optimum drive position. The security data is also analyzed to identify the card if it represents the vehicle owner'"'"'s card or a common user'"'"'s who is authorized by the owner to use the vehicle but not authorized to have an access to a storage place where the owner'"'"'s personal goods are stored. The vehicle engine is placed in a state of readiness for operation in response to the controller detecting an engine start code stored in the card as a security measure against vandalism to exclusively allow the user of the card to start the engine.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle having a lock-controlled engine and a lock-controlled trunk lid, comprising:

a first card bearing security data items for authorizing a vehicle owner to unlock said lock-controlled engine and trunk lid;

a second card bearing security data items for authorizing a user other than said vehicle owner to unlock said engine and unauthorizing the user to unlock said trunk lid;

a card reader for receiving said cards one at a time to detect the data items from a said received card; and

a controller for checking the detected engine and trunk-lid security data items against stored engine and trunk-lid authorize data items to detect a match therebetween and unlocking said engine and trunk lid when the detected engine and trunk-lid security data items match the stored authorize data items and keeping said trunk lid locked when the detected trunk-lid security data item mismatches the stored authorize data item.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said cards bears a parity check code and said controller is arranged to detect an error in said detected data items, and a display unit is provided to provide a visual display of said error.

3. A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of actuators including a mirror actuator and a seat actuator and a plurality of lock-controlled units including a lock-controlled engine and a lock-controlled trunk lid, comprising:

a first card bearing personal data items of a vehicle owner indicating a seat position and a mirror position and security data items for authorizing the vehicle owner to unlock said lock-controlled units;

a second card bearing personal data items of a user other than said vehicle owner indicating a seat position and a mirror position and security data items for authorizing the user to unlock said engine and unauthorizing the user to unlock said trunk lid;

a card reader for receiving said cards one at a time to detect the data items from a said received card; and

a controller for providing seat position and mirror position control signals to said seat and mirror actuators respectively in response to the detected personal data items and checking the detected engine and trunk-lid security data items against stored engine and trunk-lid authorize data items to detect a match therebetween and unlocking said engine and trunk lid when the detected engine and trunk-lid security data items match the stored authorize data items and keeping said trunk lid locked when the detected trunk-lid security data item mismatches the stored authorize data item.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said cards bears a parity check code and said controller is arranged to detect an error in said detected data items, and a display unit is provided to provide a visual display of said error.