Antitheft device for an automobile

• US 5,041,810 A
• Filed: 01/29/1990
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motohiro Gotanda
• Original Assignee: Motohiro Gotanda
• Inventors: Gotanda, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/471,920
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/542, 340/528, 340/543, 340/825.31, 307/10.1, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.5, 307/10.6, 361/171, 361/172, 180/271, 180/279, 180/283, 180/287, 180/173, 180/174
• US Class Current: 340/426.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor

Abstract

Automobiles such as a cash carrying car, truck, police car and so on, are prevented from being ridden away during loading or unloading cash or goods or being robbed by robbers after having been forcibly stopped on road. When a door of the automobile is opened, a opened-door detection switch operates and a first-control means stores in its memory the switch'"'"'s action and cuts off an engine start-up circuit. The engine can be restarted when a registered password is entered into the device through a password inputting means, whereby a second-control means stores the signal and enters a resetting signal into the first control means to restore the engine start-up circuit. At the same time, a resetting signal produced by a reset signal generating means is inputted into the second control means which is thereby restored to the initial state.

Claims

1. An antitheft device for an automobile, comprising;

a plurality of opened-door detection switches for detecting the opening of door of the automobile;

an engine start up circuit connected to inhibit the starting of the engine of the automobile in a cut-off state of the start up circuit;

a first-control means comprising a memory for storing the operation (ON state) of any of said detecting switches and holding said engine start up circuit in said cut-off state until a resetting signal has been inputted thereto;

a password inputting means for generating an identifying signal in response to the input of a password thereto;

a second-control means connected to be responsive to the generation of said identifying signal for generating a resetting signal and for applying the resetting signal to the first control means for thereby removing said engine start up circuit from said cut-off state; and

a reset signal generating means connected to be responsive to the generation of said resetting signal for controlling said second control means to stop the generation of said resetting signal.

2. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, further comprising a warning means and an opened-bonnet detection switch connected to actuate said warning means when said open-bonnet detection switch and the opened-door detection switch are operated.

3. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said reset signal generating means comprises means for resetting the second control means with a certain delay time after activation of the second control means by said identifying signal.

4. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the password inputting means comprises a keyboard or a magnetic card or an IC card or an electronic key.

5. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the opened-door detection switch consists of a reed switch installed on the door frame of said automobile and a permanent magnet installed on the door of said automobile.

6. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the opened-door detection switch is mounted to be actuated when the door of said automobile is opened to such a degree that a person may pass therethrough.

7. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said password inputting means comprises a password memory and a matching means connected to compare a password inputted through the password inputting means with a password stored in the password memory and, when both passwords are matched with each other, to generate said identifying signal.

8. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 7, wherein said password memory has a plurality of passwords stored therein adapted to be sequentially compared with input passwords in a given order.

9. An antitheft device for an automobile according to claim 8, comprising means for giving the identification of a password to be used to a driver of the automobile by radio-communication from a control center.