Vehicle starting control device

• US 5,801,614 A
• Filed: 05/28/1997
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kokubu, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/849,088
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.34, 340/825.61, 340/825.72, 307/10.2, 307/10.4, 307/10.5, 180/287, 70/252, 70/278
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/021 restraining movement of the steering column or steering wheel hub, e.g. restraining means controlled by ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/248 Electronic key extraction prevention

Abstract

A vehicle starting control device which implements inhibiting/enabling of the rotation of a steering shaft when a storing medium is used as an ignition key. A system ECU 19 reads an ID code stored in an IC card 2 via a communication means 24, outputs a permission code to a knob rotation inhibiting means 27 at the time when the system ECU 19 determines that the IC card 2 is an ordinary one, and, when an ignition knob 23 has been set to the LOCK position in an outputting state of the permission code, terminates outputting of the permission code. The knob rotation inhibiting means 27 basically inhibits the rotation of the ignition knob 23, and enables the rotation of the ignition knob 23 in a state in which the permission code is being input. A steering lock means 28 cancels a rotation-inhibiting state of the steering shaft due to a steering lock means 29 in a state that the ignition knob 23 has been set to positions other than the LOCK position.

Claims

1. A vehicle starting control device, comprising:

a storing medium which stores a specific identification code;

media accommodating means which is provided at a vehicle and can accommodate said storing medium thereinto;

communication means which can communicate with said storing medium in a state in which said storing medium has been accommodated in said media accommodating means;

operation means which is operable between a run-inhibiting position which inhibits the running of the vehicle and a run-enabling position including an engine starting position, and which has a verification position between the run-inhibiting position and the run-enabling position so as to judge true or false for said storing medium;

steering lock means which inhibits the rotation of a steering shaft in a state in which said operation means has been set to the run-inhibiting position;

steering lock cancellation means which cancels a state inhibiting the rotation of the steering shaft due to said steering lock means in a state in which said operation means has been set to said run-enabling position;

operation-inhibiting means which inhibits said operation means from changing a position between said run-inhibiting position and said run-enabling position; and

identification-enabling means which, when said operation means has been set to the verification position, reads an identification code stored in said storing medium via said communication means, identifies whether or not the identification code read and a register code which has been registered previously correspond to each other, and, when said identification code read and the register code correspond to each other, permits to effect a position changing operation between said run-inhibiting position and said run-enabling position.

2. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, wherein, when said operation means has been set to the run-inhibiting position in a state in which a position changing operation has been enabled, said identification-enabling means cancels the permission of the position changing operation.

3. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

operation position detecting means for detecting which of the run-inhibiting position and the run-enabling position said operation means has been set to.

4. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

media detecting means which detects that said storing medium has been accommodated in said media accommodating means, wherein

said identification-enabling means reads said identification code at the time when said media detecting means has detected that said storing medium has been accommodated in said media accommodating means, and identifies whether or not the identification code read and the register code correspond to each other.

5. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, wherein said communication means communicates with said storing medium via an electromagnetic coupler.

6. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, wherein said identification-enabling means encrypts an operation enabling signal indicating the permission of the operation due to said operation means, and outputs the encrypted operation enabling signal.

7. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 2, wherein said identification-enabling means inhibits the permission of said position changing operation from being canceled while a vehicle is in a running state.

8. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 3, wherein said operating position detecting means encrypts an operating position signal indicating an operating position due to said operation means, and outputs the encrypted operating position signal.

9. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 3, wherein said identification-enabling means, said operation-inhibiting means, and said operating position detecting means are installed in a closed housing body.

10. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 1, wherein said operation means and/or said operation-inhibiting means and said steering lock means and/or steering lock cancellation means are connected to each other by flexible connecting means with flexibility so as to be connectable to each other regardless their orientation.

11. A vehicle starting control device according to claim 10, wherein, when said operation means has been operated, the operation as a rotational force is transmitted to said steering lock means and/or said steering lock cancellation means by said flexible connecting means.