Anti-theft car protection system

• US 5,708,307 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Takashi, Iijima, Yohichi, Onuma, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/546,800
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1-10.8, 364/424.01-424.05, 180/287, 180/167, 361/171, 361/172, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.32, 340/426, 340/425.5, 123/198 B, 123/198 DB, 123/198 DC
• US Class Current: 307/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor

Abstract

An anti-theft car protection system comprises a transmitter-receiver for receiving a code of the key, an immobilizer unit for collating said code as received with a code as registered and transmitting an engine start permission signal to an engine control unit when said code as received coincides with said code as registered, and means, cooperating with said immobilizer unit, for removing repetition of key operation upon start of the engine.

Claims

1. An anti-theft protection system for a motor vehicle having an engine and a key with a transponder comprising:

means for receiving a code of the key transmitted from the transponder;

means for controlling the engine; and

means for transmitting an engine start permission signal to said engine controlling means when said code as received coincides with code a as registered;

said engine controlling means including;

means for detecting an anomaly of one of said code receiving means, said engine controlling means and said signal transmitting means; and

means for allowing start of the engine without receiving said engine start permission signal if said anomaly is detected.

2. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said start allowing means are operative when said engine start permission signal is received and that a subsequent anomaly of said one is detected.

3. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said start allowing means are operative when said engine start permission signal is received and that a new engine start permission signal fails to be received.

4. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said start allowing means comprise:

means for setting a flag if said engine start permission signal is received when the key is operated to an ignition turn-on position

said start allowing means being operative when said engine start permission signal fails to be received while said flag is set.

5. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said start allowing means comprise:

means for resetting said flag if said anomaly fails to be detected when the key is operated to an ignition turn-off position,

said start allowing means being operative only when said new engine start permission signal is received while said flag is reset.

6. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flag is stored in a nonvolatile memory.

7. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal transmitting means comprise:

means for determining whether said code as received coincides with said code as registered when the key is operated to an ignition turn-on position.

8. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anomaly detecting means detect said anomaly when a code transmitted from said engine controlling means to said signal transmitting means fails to coincide with a code returned from said signal transmitting means to controlling means.

9. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said engine controlling means transmit to said signal transmitting means a new code corresponding to said engine start permission signal when the key is operated to said ignition turn-off position.

said signal transmitting means returning said new code to said engine controlling means,

said anomaly detecting means determining whether said new code transmitted from said engine controlling means to said signal transmitting means coincides with a new code returned from said signal transmitting means to said engine controlling means,

said anomaly detecting means detecting said anomaly when said new code transmitted from said engine controlling means to said signal transmitting means fails to coincide with said new code returned from said signal transmitting means to said engine controlling means.

10. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for determining whether a speed of the motor vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed;

means for determining whether a start operation of the engine is made by a key over a predetermined number, and

means for prohibiting start of the engine during a predetermined period of time, said start prohibiting means being operative when said speed is greater than said predetermined speed and that said start operation is carried out over said predetermined number.

11. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for stopping a collation of said code as received with said code as registered during said predetermined period of time, said collation stopping means being operative when said speed is greater than said predetermined speed and that said start operation is carried out over said predetermined number.

12. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for determining whether a noncoincidence of said code as received with said code as registered occurs over a predetermined number,

said collation stopping means being operative when said noncoincidence occurs over said predetermined number,

said start prohibiting means being operative when said noncoincidence occurs over said predetermined number.

13. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for resetting a count number of start operation of the engine and that of noncoincidence of said code to zero, and reopening said collation of said code after a lapse of said predetermined period of time.

14. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said speed determining means include a speed detector.

15. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said start operation determining means include a switch.

16. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for storing and engine start permission signal in a nonvolatile way.

17. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for detecting a stop operation of the engine made by the key; and

means for erasing said engine start permission signal as stored, said engine start permission signal erasing means being operative when said stop operation is detected.

18. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a connector arranged to connect a battery and said engine controlling means; and

means for detecting whether said connector ensures a connection between said battery and said engine controlling means.

19. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said connector detecting means include terminals and a microcomputer.

20. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said engine controlling means comprise:

means for storing a disconnection flag when said connector fails to ensure said connection,

said engine start permission signal erasing means being operative when said connector ensures said connection and that said disconnection flag is stored.

21. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for putting the motor vehicle of one of a locked and alerted state and an unlocked and unalerted state at least on condition that said code as received coincides with said code as registered;

means for ensuring, in said locked and alerted state, a predetermined alarm action even when the motor vehicle is unlocked with the key; and

means for stopping said predetermined alarm action when said code as received coincides with said code as registered.

22. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said predetermined alarm action ensuring means ensuring said predetermined alarm action when detecting one of opening of a door, a trunk and a hood, releasing of a lock, and removal of said key cylinder.

23. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said predetermined alarm action includes a visual alarm.

24. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said predetermined alarm action includes an auditory alarm.

25. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal transmitting means include a key cylinder.

26. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said code receiving means include a transmitter-receiver.

27. An anti-theft protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal transmitting means include an immobilizer unit.

28. A method of protecting a motor vehicle from a theft, the motor vehicle having an engine, a key with a transponder, a transmitter-receiver, an engine control unit and an immobilizer unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a code of the key transmitted from the transponder;

transmitting an engine start permission signal to the engine control unit when said code as received coincides with a code as registered;

detecting an anomaly of one of the transmitter-receiver, the engine control unit and the immobilizer unit; and

allowing start of the engine without receiving said engine start permission signal if said anomaly is detected.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28,

wherein said start allowing step is carried out when said engine start permission signal is received and that a subsequent anomaly of said one is detected.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said start allowing step is carried out when said engine start permission signal is received and that a new engine start permission signal fails to be received.

31. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said anomaly detecting step is carried out to detect said anomaly when a code transmitted from the engine control unit to the immobilizer unit fails to coincide with a code returned from the immobilizer unit to the engine control unit.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting from the engine control unit to the immobilizer unit a new code corresponding to said engine start permission signal when the key is operated to said ignition turn-off position;

returning said new code from the immobilizer unit to the engine control unit;

determining whether said new code transmitted from the engine control unit to the immobilizer unit coincides with a new code returned from the immobilizer unit to the engine control unit; and

detecting said anomaly when said new code transmitted from the engine control unit to the immobilizer unit fails to coincide with said new code returned from the immobilizer unit to the engine control unit.

33. A method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising the step of:

determining whether said code as received coincides with said code as registered when the key is operated to an ignition turn-on position.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising the step of:

setting a flag if said engine start permission signal is received when the key is operated to said ignition turn-on position,

said start allowing step being carried out when said engine start permission signal fails to be received while said flag is set.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising the step of:

resetting said flag if said anomaly fails to be detected when the key is operated to an ignition turn-off position,

said start allowing step being carried out only when said new engine start permission signal is received while said flag is reset.

36. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said flag is stored in a nonvolatile memory.

37. A method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a speed of the motor vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed;

determining whether a start operation of the engine is made by the key over a predetermined number; and

prohibiting start of the engine during a predetermined period of time, said start prohibiting step being carried out when said speed is greater than said predetermined speed and that said start operation is carried out over said predetermined number.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

stopping a collation of said code as received with said code as registered during said predetermined period of time, said collation stopping step being carried out when said speed is greater than said predetermined speed and that said start operation is carried out over said predetermined number.

39. A method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising the step of:

determining whether a noncoincidence of said code as received with said code as registered occurs over a predetermined number,

said collation stopping step being carried out when said noncoincidence occurs over said predetermined number.

40. A method as claimed in claim 39, further comprising the steps of:

resetting a count number of start operation of the engine and that of noncoincidence of said code to zero; and

reopening said collation of said code after a lapse of said predetermined period of time.

41. A method as claimed in claim 37, wherein said speed determining step is carried out with a speed detector.

42. A method as claimed in claim 37, wherein said start operation determining step is carried out with a switch.

43. A method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising the step of:

storing said engine start permission signal in a nonvolatile way.

44. A method as claimed in claim 43, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a stop operation of the engine made by the key; and

erasing said engine start permission signal as stored, said engine start permission signal erasing step being carried out when said stop operation is detected.

45. A method as claimed in claim 44, further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a connector ensures a connection between a battery and the engine control unit; and

storing a disconnection flag when said connector fails to ensures said connection,

said engine start permission signal erasing step being carried out when said connector ensures said connection and that said disconnection flag is stored.

46. A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein said connector detecting step is carried out with terminals and a microcomputer.

47. A method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

putting the motor vehicle in one of a locked and alerted state and an unlocked and unalerted state at least on condition that said code as received coincides with said code as registered;

ensuring, in said locked and alerted state, a predetermined alarm action even when the motor vehicle is unlocked with the key; and

stopping said predetermined alarm action when said code as received coincides with said code as registered.

48. A method as claimed in claim 47, wherein said predetermined alarm action ensuring step is carried out when detecting one of opening of a door, a trunk and a hood, releasing of a lock, and removal of a key cylinder.

49. A method as claimed in claim 48, wherein said predetermined alarm action includes a visual alarm.

50. A method as claimed in claim 49, wherein said predetermined alarm action includes an auditory alarm.