Anti-theft car protection device

• US 5,734,330 A
• Filed: 10/06/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shiroh
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/540,073
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.72, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.5, 307/9.1, 307/10.6, 364/424.045, 180/287, 180/237, 70/252
• US Class Current: 340/5.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An anti-theft car protection device includes a key having an IC-chip embedded therein, and an ignition switch that can be turned by the key to any "OFF" position, an "ACC" position and an "ON" position. The device further includes an antenna mounted near the ignition switch, and a communication module that provides a radio communication between the IC-chip of the key and the antenna. The device also includes an immobilizer controller that determines, in accordance with an instruction signal issued from the communication module, whether or not the engine should be started. The communication module includes an electric field generating circuit that energizes the IC-chip of the key by causing the antenna to emit an electromagnetic wave, a transmitting/receiving circuit that carries out exchange of ID-codes with the IC-chip through the antenna, and a system control circuit that controls both the electric field generating circuit and the transmitting/receiving circuit.

Claims

1. An anti-theft protection device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a key having an IC-chip embedded therein;

a first structure mounted in said motor vehicle, said first structure including an ignition switch that can be turned by said key to an "OFF" position, an "ACC" position and an "ON" position;

an antenna mounted on said first structure near said ignition switch;

a communication module mounted on said first structure to provide a radio communication between the IC-chip of said key and said antenna; and

an immobilizer controller mounted on said first structure to determine, in accordance with an instruction signal issued from said communication module, whether or not said engine should be started,

wherein said communication module includes an electric field generating circuit that energizes the IC-chip of said key by causing said antenna to emit an electromagnetic wave, a transmitting/receiving circuit which carries out exchange of ID-codes with said IC-chip through said antenna, and a system control circuit that controls both said electric field generating circuit and said transmitting/receiving circuit, and

wherein said system control circuit causes said electric field generating circuit to make said antenna emit the electromagnetic wave when said ignition switch is turned to the "ACC" position by said key, and said system control circuit issues an engine start permitting signal to said immobilizer controller to permit said engine to start only when an ID-code received by said transmitting/receiving circuit from said IC-chip coincides with an ID-code previously memorized in said system control circuit, and

wherein said system control circuit transmits, with an aid of said transmitting/receiving circuit, a new ID-code to said IC-chip to write the new ID-code to said IC-chip and memorizes the new ID-code in said system control circuit.

2. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 1, in which said key comprises:

a work portion which is to be inserted into a key cylinder of said ignition switch; and

a grip portion connected to one end of said work portion, said grip portion having said IC-chip embedded therein.

3. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 1, in which said electric field generating circuit of said communication module generates an electric power in a power part of said IC-chip by emitting the electromagnetic wave from said antenna.

4. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 1, in which said immobilizer controller controls at least one of a fuel pump motor, the ignition switch and a starter motor in accordance with the instruction signal issued from said system control circuit.

5. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 4, in which said immobilizer controller establishes operative conditions of said fuel pump motor, the ignition switch and the engine starter motor when said system control circuit issues the engine start permitting signal.

6. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 1, in which said system control circuit renews the ID-code written to said IC-chip and memorized therein, each time an action for starting the engine is carried out.

9. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said key further comprises memorizing means for memorizing said new ID-code transmitted from said system control circuit.

10. An anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 9, wherein, after said key has memorized said new ID-code by said memorizing means, said key outputs said new ID-code in response to all future energizing by said electric field generating circuit.

7. In an anti-theft protection device for a motor vehicle, said device comprising a key having an IC-chip embedded therein;

a first structure mounted in said motor vehicle, said first structure including an ignition switch that can be turned by said key to an "OFF" position, an "ACC" position and an "ON" position;

an antenna mounted on said first structure near said ignition switch;

a communication module mounted on said first structure to provide a radio communication between the IC-chip of said key and said antenna; and

an immobilizer controller mounted on said first structure to determine, in accordance with an instruction signal issued from said communication module, whether or not an engine of said motor vehicle should be started, wherein said communication module includes an electric field generating circuit that energizes the IC-chip of said key by causing said antenna to emit an electromagnetic wave, a transmitting/receiving circuit that carries out exchange of ID-codes with said IC-chip through said antenna, and a system control circuit that controls both said electric field generating circuit and said transmitting/receiving circuit, and wherein said system control circuit issues an engine start permitting signal to said immobilizer controller to permit said engine to start only when, with the ignition switch having been turned to said "ACC" position by said key to cause said electric field generating circuit to energize said IC-chip, an ID-code received by said transmitting/receiving circuit from said IC-chip coincides with an ID-code previously memorized in said system control circuit,

a method of initializing said anti-theft protection device, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) preparing a given key having an IC-chip fixed thereto, said IC-chip having a given ID-code written thereto;

(b) mounting said communication module on said motor vehicle without permitting said system control circuit to memorize the given ID-code;

(c) turning said ignition switch to said "ACC" position by using said key thereby to transmit the given ID-code of the IC-chip of said key to said transmitting/receiving circuit;

(d) permitting said system control circuit to memorize said given ID-code therein; and

(e) removing said key from said ignition switch.

8. A method of initializing said anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said given key is a master key having an IC-chip fixed thereto, said IC-chip having two different types of ID-codes memorized therein.

11. A method of initializing said anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(f) inserting, into said ignition switch, a duplicate key having an IC-chip affixed thereto;

(g) transmitting said given ID-code from said system control circuit to said duplicate key; and

(h) memorizing, in said IC-chip of said duplicate key, said given ID-code,

wherein said duplicate key is programmed to start said engine as a result thereof.

12. A method of initializing said anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said two different types of ID-codes include a first type of ID-code that cannot be modified by said system control circuit and that uniquely identifies the given key, and a second type of ID-code that can be modified by said system control circuit, and

wherein both said first type of ID-code and said second type of ID-code are used by said anti-theft protection device to determine whether to allow start of said engine.

13. A method of initializing said anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said IC-chip of said duplicate key has memorized therein said first type of ID-code unique to said duplicate key, as well as said second type of ID-code.

14. A method of initializing said anti-theft protection device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step (f) includes the step of turning said ignition switch to the "ACC" position, and

wherein the step (e) must be performed within a preset time with respect to the step (c) in order to allow the duplicate key to be programmed.