Engine start controlling device

• US 6,043,568 A
• Filed: 02/24/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoru, Hayashi, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US09/028,764
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1-10.6, 180/287, 701/1, 701/36, 701/29, 340/429.5, 340/426, 340/825.3-825.32, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 340/825.54, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/430
• 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 engine start controlling device prevents an engine from starting with exchanged ECUs. In a non-volatile memory 20f of an engine control ECU 20, information regarding whether or not an immobilizer function is used is stored, while a judging unit 20e interprets signals from input terminals 40-1-40-n and judges whether or not an immobilizer function is available. Only when the signals from the input terminals 40-1-40-n show immobilizer function unavailableness does the ECU operate as an ECU without the immobilizer function.

Claims

1. An engine start controlling device comprising:

receiving means for receiving setting information regarding unavailableness of an immobilizer function, the information being input from an external source;

judging means for interpreting and judging the setting information received by the receiving means and for judging whether or not an engine starting operation is appropriate; and

immobilizer function availableness or unavailableness information storing means for storing information regarding whether or not an immobilizer function for controlling engine start is used, based on a result of the judgment by the judging means;

wherein

permission or prohibition of engine start is controlled based on both the information stored in the immobilizer function availableness or unavailableness information storing means and the setting information received by the receiving means.

2. The engine start controlling device according to claim 1 wherein the immobilizer function availableness or unavailableness information storing means stores information showing immobilizer function unavailableness only when the receiving means have received setting information regarding unavailableness of the immobilizer function.

3. An engine start controlling device comprising:

means for receiving setting information regarding unavailableness of an immobilizer function, the information being input from an external source;

means for interpreting and judging the setting information and for judging whether or not an engine starting operation is appropriate;

means for storing information regarding whether or not an immobilizer function for controlling engine start is used, based on a result of the judgment; and

means for controlling permission or prohibition of the engine start based on both the information regarding whether or not the immobilizer function is used and the setting information input from the external source regarding the immobilizer function unavailableness.