Arrangement for preventing a motor vehicle from passing a specific place unauthorized

• US 5,798,714 A
• Filed: 09/24/1996
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scarinus Development AB, Scarinus Development AH
• Original Assignee: Scarinus Development AB
• Inventors: Nyfelt, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/702,465
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573, 340/550, 340/988, 340/905, 340/991, 340/928, 340/539, 340/989, 340/993, 342/457, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for preventing the unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle (1) past a specific location. According to the invention the arrangement includes a transmitter (4) which delivers a specific radio signal of limited range is mounted at said specific location. The vehicle (1) has installed therein a receiver (3) which responds to the specific radio signal and which upon receipt of said specific signal activates a vehicle-mounted check means (5) which checks whether or not the vehicle is authorized to pass said specific location and which is constructed to activate one or more electronic circuits in the vehicle in a manner to render said vehicle inoperable when said vehicle is not authorized to pass said specific location.

Claims

1. A system for preventing unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle past a specific location, said system comprising:

a stationary transmitter mounted at the specific location for transmitting a first radio signal;

a receiver mounted in the vehicle for receiving the first radio signal;

check means mounted in the vehicle for checking whether the vehicle is authorized to pass the specific location and for activating at least one circuit in the vehicle to render the vehicle undrivable selectively, said receiver activating said check means upon receipt of the first radio signal, the system further comprising a vehicle-mounted transmitter for transmitting a second radio signal, wherein said stationary transmitter is a transponder that transmits the first radio signal in response to the second radio signal when said vehicle-mounted transmitter is in a range of the transponder, the first radio signal being a modulated reflected signal relative to the second radio signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle-mounted alarm circuit, said check means activating said alarm circuit when the vehicle is not authorized to pass the specific location.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle-mounted alarm circuit, said check means activating said alarm circuit when the vehicle is not authorized to pass the specific location.

4. A system for preventing unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle past a location, said system comprising:

a stationary transponder at the location;

a transceiver mounted in the vehicle for transmitting a radio signal;

said transponder for automatically transmitting to said transceiver a response signal to the radio signal;

an engine control unit mounted in the vehicle;

check means mounted in the vehicle for checking whether the vehicle is authorized to pass the location, said check means for sending a stop signal to said engine control unit to render the vehicle undrivable, when said transceiver receives the response signal and the vehicle is unauthorized to pass the location; and

a user-manipulable code unit mounted in the vehicle for selectively overriding the stop signal, thereby rendering the vehicle drivable.

5. A method of preventing unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle past a specific location, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a radio signal from a transceiver mounted in the vehicle;

automatically transmitting a response signal from a transponder at the specific location in response to the radio signal;

checking whether the vehicle is authorized to pass the location using a check means mounted in the vehicle;

sending a stop signal from said check means to an engine control means in the vehicle for rendering the vehicle undrivable, when the transceiver receives the response signal and the vehicle is unauthorized to pass the location; and

selectively overriding the stop signal using a user-manipulable code unit to render the vehicle drivable.

6. A system for preventing unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle past a specific location, said system comprising:

a stationary transmitter mounted at the specific location for transmitting a first radio signal;

a receiver mounted in the vehicle for receiving the first radio signal;

check means mounted in the vehicle for checking whether the vehicle is authorized to pass the specific location and for activating at least one circuit in the vehicle to render the vehicle undrivable selectively, said receiver activating said check means upon receipt of the first radio signal, wherein said check means has a first state and a second state, so that when said check means is in the first state, the first radio signal is forwarded to and activates a control unit which controls said at least one circuit in the vehicle, and when said check means is in the second state, the first radio signal is not so forwarded.

7. A system for preventing unauthorized passage of a motor vehicle past a specific location, said system comprising:

a stationary transmitter mounted at the specific location for transmitting a first radio signal;

a receiver mounted in the vehicle for receiving the first radio signal;

check means mounted in the vehicle for checking whether the vehicle is authorized to pass the specific location and for activating at least one circuit in the vehicle to render the vehicle undrivable selectively, said receiver activating said check means upon receipt of the first radio signal, the system further comprising a code unit mounted in the vehicle for preventing bypass of the check means.