Vehicle anti-theft device

• US 5,621,380 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagai, Akira, Asakura, Suguru, Mutoh, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): GHANNAM, MOHAMM
• Application Number:
  US08/464,374
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.5, 307/10.2, 340/426, 340/825.5
• US Class Current: 340/426.35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00777 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed

Abstract

A vehicle anti-theft system in which a registration of an ID code of a new key to a vehicle side cannot easily be made by an ill-intentioned third party. Provided are a first memory for storing ID codes of operation keys and a second memory for storing an ID code of an L-key. Of a particular ID code of an inserted key has been registered as an operation key in the first memory, an immobilizer code stored in an immobllizer code memory is sent out to an engine ECU to enable the engine to be started up, and if the registered L-key is inserted, and operation keys are successively inputted, the renewal mode for the ID code is activated to rewrite the ID codes of the previously registered operation keys with ID codes of subsequently inserted operation keys in the first memory.

Claims

1. A vehicle anti-theft device comprising:

a first memory means for storing one or more first ID codes each enabling the start-up of an engine;

a second memory means for storing a second ID code that is different from the first ID codes for activating a renewal mode in which the first ID codes may be rewritten;

a registration discrimination means for comparing an inputted ID code with the first and second ID codes registered in said respective memory means thereby to determine whether or not the inputted ID code has been registered;

an enabling means for generating an enable signal when an inputted ID code is determined to be the same as any one of the first ID codes;

an engine control means responsive to the enable signal for controlling the engine so that the engine is started; and

a renewal mode activation means for activating the renewal mode when the inputted ID code is determined to be the second ID code, wherein in the renewal mode when a particular first ID code registered and at least one of other ID codes are consecutively inputted in this order, the particular first ID code and the at least one of other ID codes are registered in the first memory means as new first ID codes.

2. A vehicle anti-theft device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ID codes are individually obtained from separate keys in which said ID codes are stored, and the engine is not started up by the key having the second ID code stored therein.

3. A vehicle anti-theft device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ID codes are individually obtained from separate keys in which said ID codes are stored, the key having the first ID code stored therein and the key having the second ID code stored therein being different in appearance.

4. A vehicle anti-theft device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a display means for outputting different display patterns depending on how and/or in what order ID codes are inputted after the inputting of the second ID code.

5. A vehicle anti-theft device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enabling means creates an enable signal based on any of the first ID codes registered in a predetermined area of said first memory means.

6. A vehicle anti-theft device comprising:

a first memory means for storing one or more first ID codes each enabling the start-up of an engine;

a second memory means for storing a second ID code that is different from the first ID codes, for activating a renewal mode in which the first ID codes may be rewritten;

a means for detecting an ID code registered in each key inserted in a key cylinder of an engine;

a registration determination means for comparing the detected ID code with the first and second ID codes thereby to determine whether or not said detected ID code has been registered;

an enabling means for generating an enable signal when the detected ID code is determined to be any one of the first ID codes;

an engine control means responsive to the enable signal for controlling the engine so as to be operated;

a renewal mode activation means for activating the renewal mode when the detected ID code is determined to be the second ID code; and

an ID code revision means for revising at least a part of the first ID codes in said renewal mode, wherein

the engine cannot be operated by a second key having the second ID code stored therein, and a first key having the first ID code stored therein and the second key are different in appearance.