Data carrier system

• US 6,269,292 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Mizuno, Takashi, Aoki, Hisashi, Koga, Shinichi, Kokubu, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/331,084
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/29, 701/32, 235/380, 235/382.5, 235/382, 235/379, 235/375, 235/384, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 340/825.72, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/505, 307/9.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A data carrier system is comprised of a vehicle-side controller 12 mounted at a vehicle 11, keys 19A and 19B, and an R/W device 31 installed in an office 29. A transponder 20 is built into each of the keys 19A and 19B. In this structure, after operational data has been transmitted from the vehicle-side controller 12 and written in a nonvolatile memory of the transponder 20, when the keys 19A and 19B are inserted in the R/W device 31 by a vehicle driver, the R/W device 31 reads the operational data from the transponder 20 and gives the same to a personal computer 30. Accordingly, an inconvenience of the vehicle driver carrying an IC card for recording operational data is removed.

Claims

1. A data carrier system characterized by comprising:

a vehicle-side control device installed in a vehicle, which transmits operational information of the vehicle, the operational information indicating operational history of how the vehicle has been operated previously;

a data carrier device which is provided in a vehicle key and which records the operational information transmitted from the vehicle-side control device; and

a reading device provided separately from the vehicle, which reads out the operational information from the data carrier device, accompanying supplying thereto of a command signal from an external control device, and which can conduct data processing on the read operational information.

2. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle-side control device permits starting of the vehicle when it is determined that a key is that registered based on key information transmitted from the data carrier device.

3. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that the reading device has a read/write function in which user information is supplied to and recorded in the data carrier device and the user information is read from the data carrier device.

4. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the vehicle-side control device, the data carrier device, and the reading device each have an antenna coil;

communication between the vehicle-side control device and the data carrier device and communication between the data carrier device and the reading device are each effected via the antenna coil in a non-contacting state;

when communication is effected between the vehicle-side control device and the data carrier device, operating power is supplied in a non-contacting state from the antenna coil of the vehicle-side control device to the data carrier device via the antenna coil of the data carrier device; and

when communication is effected between the data carrier device and the reading device, operating power is supplied in a non-contacting state from the antenna coil of the reading device to the data carrier device via the antenna coil of the data carrier device.

5. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that the operational information includes at least day, time, and operational mode data.

6. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that the data carrier device records user information in addition to the operational information.

7. A data carrier system according to claim 1, characterized in that the reading device, in addition to a read-out function for the operational information, has an accumulation processing function for the read operational information, a storage function for the accumulated information and a deletion function for the operational information.

8. A data carrier system according to claim 6, characterized in that the user information includes an ID code, a security function of the vehicle being released on a basis of the ID code.

9. A data carrier system according to claim 6, characterized in that the user information includes an ID code and data proper to the vehicle.

10. A data carrier system according to claim 6, characterized in that the user information includes an ID code, the ID code being used as a basis when releasing a security function of the vehicle and to distinguish the vehicle key with the reading device.