Anti-theft apparatus for a vehicle

• US 5,796,178 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Onuma, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/807,779
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.2-10.6, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/430, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 340/825.36, 340/825.54, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 123/198 B, 123/198 DB, 123/198 DC, 361/171, 361/172, 180/287, 70/256, 70/257, 364/423.098, 364/423.099, 364/424.027, 364/424.034, 364/424.037, 364/424.045, 364/424.059
• US Class Current: 307/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

An anti-theft device memorizes the location of the vehicle when the engine stops, receives a signal peculiar to a vehicle (for example, from a key having a transmitter), and permits starting the engine when the received signal is identical with a predetermined code and the memorized location and the current location where the vehicle exists are within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. An anti-theft apparatus for a vehicle having an engine therein, comprising:

a detector to detect the location of said vehicle;

a memory to memorize the location of said vehicle where the engine of said vehicle stops; and

a controller to permit starting said engine when said location memorized by said memory and the location where said vehicle exists are within a predetermined range and to inhibit starting said engine when said location memorized by said memory and the location where said vehicle exists are not within said predetermined range.

2. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a signal peculiar to a vehicle;

wherein

said controller permits starting said engine when said signal from said transmitter is identical with a predetermined code and said location memorized by said memory and the location where said vehicle exists are within a predetermined range.

3. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a key being operated in order to start and to stop said engine of said vehicle;

wherein

said transmitter is disposed on said key to transmit a signal peculiar to said key;

said memory memorizes the location of said vehicle where said key is operated in order to stop said engine; and

said controller permits starting said engine when said signal from said transmitter is identical with a predetermined code and said location memorized by said memory and the location where said key is operated in order to start said engine are within a predetermined range.

4. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing for containing said memory and said controller together therein.

5. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said memory is composed of a memory chip disposed on a board; and

said controller is composed of a micro computer chip, said micro computer chip is disposed on a same board as said memory chip is disposed thereon.

6. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said controller is composed of a micro computer chip and a memory chip; and

said memory is disposed in said memory chip.

7. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said detector comprises a global positioning system.

8. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a key being operated in order to start and to stop said engine of said vehicle;

wherein

said memory memorizes the location of said vehicle where said key is operated in order to stop said engine; and

said controller permits starting said engine again when said location memorized by said memory and the location where said key is operated in order to start said engine are within said predetermined range.

9. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

an engine controller to control said engine;

a pair of code memories one disposed on said engine controller and one disposed on said controller to memorize a code of said engine controller; and

wherein said controller permits starting said engine when said signal from said transmitter is identical with a predetermined code, when said location memorized by said memory and the location where said vehicle exists are within said predetermined range, and when said codes memorized by both code memories are identical with each other.

10. The anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a code establisher to establish said code when said engine of said vehicle stops, said code establisher sending said code to said pair of code memories so that said established code is memorized by said code memories.

11. A method for avoiding a theft of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting the location of said vehicle;

memorizing the location of said vehicle when an engine of said vehicle stops; and

permitting starting said engine only when said location memorized is close to a current location of said vehicle.

12. The method for avoiding a theft as defined in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal peculiar to a vehicle; and

permitting starting said engine only when said received signal is identical with a predetermined code and said location memorized is close to the current location of said vehicle.

13. A vehicle with an anti-theft apparatus, said vehicle comprising:

detecting means for detecting the location of said vehicle;

memory means for memorizing the location of said vehicle where an engine of said vehicle stops; and

controlling means for permitting energization of said engine when said location memorized by said memory means and a current location of said vehicle are within a predetermined range and for inhibiting energization of said engine when said location memorized by said memory means and said current location of said vehicle are not within said predetermined range.

14. The vehicle with an anti-theft apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a signal peculiar to said vehicle;

wherein

said controlling means permits energizing said engine when said signal from said transmitting means is identical with a predetermined code and said location memorized by said memory means and a current location of said vehicle are within a predetermined range.