Anti-theft system for automotive vehicles

• US 4,862,139 A
• Filed: 08/16/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Honda Lock Manufacturing Company Limited (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Honda Lock Manufacturing Company Limited (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akira, Nakamura, Kazuo, Fukamachi, Masaaki, Onitsuka, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/232,865
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 340/63, 340/64, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/426, 340/542, 340/543, 307/10 AT, 307/102, 307/10.5, 70/278, 361/172
• US Class Current: 340/426.35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00785 by light
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00738 sensed by Hall effect devices

Abstract

A signal is received from a key having predetermined information. A resulting output signal is discriminated as to whether it represents the predetermined information. A predetermined anti-theft operation is actuated in response to output signals from first and second detectors indicating that at least one predetermined one of the covering members is closed and locked. Operation of the actuator is disabled in response to an output signal indicating that the received signal represents the predetermined information. The key includes a magnetic element forming first predetermined information, and light emitting elements for emitting infrared ray carrying second predetermined information. The predetermined anti-theft operation is actuated in response to an output signal from a third detector indicating that the key has been removed from a predetermined key hole, in addition to the output signals from the first and second detectors.

Claims

1. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a key having predetermined information;

receiver means provided in said automotive vehicle for receiving a signal from said key;

discriminating means for receiving an output signal from said receiver means and discriminating whether or not said output signal represents said predetermined information;

first detecting means for detecting whether a plurality of covering members of said automotive vehicle are closed or open;

second detecting means for detecting whether said covering members are locked or unlocked;

operating means responsive to output signals from said first and second detecting means indicating that at least one predetermined one of said covering members is closed and locked, for performing a predetermined anti-theft operation; and

disabling means responsive to an output signal from said discriminating means indicating that the output signal from said receiver means represents said predetermined information, for disabling the operation of said operatintg means.

2. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, including a third detecting means for detecting whether said key has been removed from a predetermined key hole, said operating means being responsive to output signals from said first, second, and third detecting means indicating that said key has been removed from said predetermined key hole, and said at least one predetermined covering member is closed and locked, for performing said predetermined anti-theft operation.

3. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating means comprises alarming means responsive to an output signal from said first detecting means indicating that predetermined one of said covering members has been opened in a manner other than a predetermined opening manner, for performing a predetermined alarming operation.

4. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating means comprises means for disabling, as part of said predetermined anti-theft operation, starting of an engine installed in said automotive vehicle.

5. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, including breakage detecting means for detecting breakage of a predetermined windowpane, and wherein said operating means comprises means responsive to an output signal from said breakage detecting means indicating that said predetermined windowpane has been broken, for performing a predetermined alarming operation.

6. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said automotive vehicle has windowpanes formed of toughened glass which is pulverized when broken, said breakage detecting means comprising an electrically conductive strip provided at a location where it is invisible from outside of said automotive vehicle and adapted to be cut when said windowpane is broken, and detecting means for electrically detecting cutting of said electrically conductive strip.

7. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automotive vehicle has a lock mechanism for locking and unlocking respective one of said covering members, said lock mechanism including lever means being rotatable for locking and unlocking said respective one of said covering members, said operating means comprising means for rendering the operation of said lever means ineffective and thereby prohibiting unlocking of said respective one of said covering members.

8. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for rendering the operation of said lever means ineffective comprises an actuator, and a free rotation mechanism driven by said actuator for rendering said lever means freely rotatable whereby unlocking of said respective one of said covering members is not realized.

9. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said lock mechanism includes a cylinder lock provided in at least one of said covering members and being operatable from outside of said automotive vehicle and a lock knob provided in said at least one covering member and being operatable from inside of said automotive vehicle, said lever means of said lock mechanism comprising a first locking lever being rotatable in response to operation of at least one of said cylinder lock and said lock knob, and a second locking lever being rotatable to cause said lock mechanism to selectively assume a position in which said at least one covering member is locked or a position in which said at least one covering member is unlocked, said means for rendering the operation of said lever means ineffective comprising clutch means provided between said first locking lever and said second locking lever for interlocking said first an d second locking levers with each other such that said first and second locking levers can rotate together and for disengaging said first and second locking levers from each other.

10. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first and second locking levers each have a recess, said clutch means comprising (a) a lock cam disposed to be received in and removed from said recesses of said first and second locking levers, (b) an actuator rotatable in a first direction or in a second direction reverse thereto, depending on an output signal from said discriminating means, (c) means responsive to rotation of said actuator for linearly moving said lock cam into or out of said recesses of said first and second locking levers.

11. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, including means for suspending the operation of said discriminating means for a predetermined period of time when a signal other than a signal representing said predetermined information is inputted to said receiver means more than a predetermined number of times.

13. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said key having said predetermined information includes a magnetic element arranged at least in part thereof and forming said predetermined information.

14. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said key having said predetermined information includes infrared ray emitting means arranged at least in part thereof for emitting infrared ray carrying said predetermined information.

15. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said key having said predetermined information includes a magnetic element forming first predetermined information, and infrared ray emitting means for emitting infrared ray carrying second predetermined information, said magnetic element and said infrared ray emitting means being arranged at least in part of said key.

16. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in any of claim 1 through 5, or claim 7, wherein said operating means performs said predetermined anti-theft operation when at least predetermined one of said covering members has been locked without the use of a proper key having said predetermined information.

12. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle, said automotive vehicle having a plurality of covering members, a cylinder lock provided in each of said covering members, a lock mechanism responsive to operation of said cylinder lock for locking and unlocking said each covering member, said lock mechansim including lever means being rotatable in response to operation of said cylinder lock to render said each covering member lockable or unlockable, said anti-theft system comprising:

a key having predetermined information;

first detecting means for detecting whether said key has been removed from a predetermined key hole;

second detecting means for detecting whether said covering members of said automotive vehicle are closed or open;

third detecting means for detecting said covering members are locked or unlocked;

alarming means adapted to be set to an alarming permission mode in response to output signals from said first, second, and third detecting means indicating that said key has been removed from said predetermined key hole and that at least one predetermined one of said covering members has been closed and locked, said alarming means, when set to said alarming permission mode, being adapted to perform a predetermined alarming operation in response to an output signal from said first detecting means indicating that predetermined one of said covering members has been opened in a manner other than a predetermined opening manner;

key insertion detecting means for detecting whether a proper key having said predetermined information has been inserted into said cylinder lock provided in at least one particular one of said covering members;

means for making ineffective the operation of said lever means of said lock mechanism which corresponds to said at least one particular covering member when said alarming means is in said alarming permission mode, and making effective the operation of said lever means of said corresponding lock mechanism in response to an output signal from said key insertion detecting means indicating that a proper key having said information has been inserted into said cylinder lock of said at least one particular covering member; and

means responsive to an output signal from said key insertion detecting means indicating that said proper key has been inserted in said cylinder lock of said at least one particular covering member, for cancelling said alarming permission mode of said alarming means.

17. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in any of claims 3, 5, or 12 wherein said alarming means is adapted to be set to an alarming permission mode when at least one predetermined one of said covering members has been closed in a predetermined manner, said alarming means being adapted to execute alarming in a first predetermined manner when said at least one predetermined covering member has been closed in a manner other than said predetermined manner so that said alarming means has not been set to said alarming permission mode, and also adapted to execute alarming in a second predetermined manner when said at least one predetermined covering member has been closed in said predetermined manner so that said alarming means has been set to said alarming permission mode.

18. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first predetermined manner of execution of alarming comprises repeatedly executing alarming a predetermined number of times, and said second predetermined manner of execution of alarming comprises continuously executing alarming for a predetermined period of time.

19. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein said predetermined closing manner comprises locking said at least one predetermined covering member without using said proper key having said predetermined information.

20. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means for making ineffective and effective the operation of said lever means fo said lock mechanism comprises an actuator operable in response to an output signal from said key insertion detecting means, a free rotation mechanism driven by said actuator for causing said lever means to selectively assume a freely rotatable position in which unlocking of the corresponding covering member is not realized, and an unlocking permitting position in which unlocking of the covering member is realized.

21. An anti-theft system for an automotive vehicle, said automotive vehicle having a plurality of covering member, a cylinder lock provided in each of said covering members, a lock mechanism responsive to operation of said cylinder lock for locking and unlocking said each covering member, said lock mechanism including lever means being rotatable in response to operation of said cylinder lock to render said each covering member lockable or unlockable, said anti-theft system comprising:

a key having a magnetic element forming first predetermined information, and infrared ray emitting means for emitting infrared ray carrying second predetermined information;

first detecting means for detecting whether or not said key has been removed from a predetermined key hole;

second detecting means for detecting whether said covering members of said automotive vehicle are closed or open;

third detecting means for detecting whether said covering members are locked or unlocked;

alarming means adapted to be set to an alarming permission mode in response to output signals from said first, second, and third detecting means indicating that said key has been removed from said predetermined key hole and that at least one predetermined one of said covering members has been closed and locked, said alarming means, when set to said alarming permission mode, being adapted to perform a predetermined alarming operation in response to an output signal from said first detecting means indicating that predetermined one of said covering members has been opened in a manner other than a predetermined opening manner;

key insertion detecting means for detecting, based on a signal from said magnetic element in said key representing said first predetermined information, whether a proper key having said first predetermined information has been inserted into said cylinder lock provided in at least one particular one of said covering members;

discriminating means for discriminating whether or not said key is a proper key, based on said infrared ray from said infrared ray emitting means of said key;

means for making ineffective the operation of said lever means of said lock mechanism which corresponds to said at least one particular covering member, and making effective the operation of said lever means of said corresponding lock mechanism in response to at least one of an output signal from said key insertion detecting means indicating that a proper key having said first information has been inserted into said cylinder lock of said at least one particular covering member, and an output signal from said discriminating means indicating that said key is t he proper key; and

means responsive to at least one of an output signal from said key insertion detecting means indicating that said proper key has been inserted in said cylinder lock of said at least one particular covering member, and an output signal from said discriminating means indicating that said key is the proper key, for cancelling said alarming permission mode of said alarming means.