Method for protecting hire vehicles against unauthorized use

• US 6,552,648 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1996
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Wagner, Peter, Rick, Thomas, Lenart, Siegleif
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US08/614,930
• Time in Patent Office: 2,598 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 340/5.1, 340/5.31, 340/5.8, 340/5.61, 340/426, 340/825.49, 342/450, 342/456, 342/457, 342/357, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 364/424.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 235/382, 235/382.5, 307/10.2, 180/287
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

In a method of protecting against unauthorized use of a vehicle having a communication structure for exchange of data between a receiving unit, a use protection and control unit and at least one operationally essential system control, a master station broadcasts a signal defining use restrictions applicable to the vehicle, and the use protection and control unit aboard the vehicle checks for violation of the use restrictions, and disables the at least one operationally essential system control if a violation is detected.

Claims

1. A method for protecting against unauthorized use of a vehicle having a receiving device, a communication structure for exchange of data between at least the receiving device, a use protection control unit and at least one operationally necessary control unit, the receiving device receiving data broadcast by a stationary master station which is situated at a fixed location, said method comprising the steps of:

use restrictions applicable to the vehicle are established by a controlling authority, prior to operation of the vehicle;

data which contain said use restrictions applicable to the vehicle are stored in the master station in a file assigned to the vehicle;

the master station broadcasts a coded data signal containing coded information identifying said use restrictions applicable to the vehicle;

the receiving device receives said coded data signal, including said coded information identifying said use restrictions;

the use protection control unit checks for the transgression of a use restriction contained in said data signal received by said receiving device; and

if the violation of a use restriction occurs, at the least one operationally necessary control unit is deactivated.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting device and the receiving device are combined in a mobile communication system.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

a function check at least of the communication structure, the transmitting device, the receiving device and the use protection control unit is carried out; and

a detected degradation of the system integrity is evaluated as violation of a use restriction.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein after violation of a use restriction, further operation of the vehicle is permitted for a residual use.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein during residual use of the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle is requested to establish a connection to the master station.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein during residual use of the vehicle, a connection is established between a driver of the vehicle and master station.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

if no use restrictions are signalled to the master station or to the vehicle, activating a service mode; and

prescribing a specific use restriction from among possible use restrictions during the service mode, it being impossible for the use restriction to be renewed or extended, and only brief operation of the vehicle being made possible.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a current location of the vehicle by means of a locating system in the vehicle; and

at least when a use restriction is violated, broadcasting a locating signal which represents the current location via the transmitting device.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein a locating signal is continuously broadcast while the vehicle is operating in a service mode.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein, when a residual use is taking place, current locating signals are periodically broadcast in a fixed chronological sequence.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein a violation of the use restriction comprises exceeding a prescribed time interval which is independent of the use of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein a violation of the use restriction comprises exceeding a prescribed operating period.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein a violation of the use restriction comprises exceeding a prescribed maximum distance travelled.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein a violation of the use restriction comprises exceeding a prescribed number of activations of the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein a violation of the use restriction comprises leaving or entering a specific geographical area.

17. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

when the vehicle is activated, it is checked whether a disabling signal has been received from the master station; and

if a disabling signal has been received, the activation of the vehicle is prevented by deactivation of at least one operationally necessary control unit.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

after reception of a disabling signal, a vehicle-locating process is performed; and

a locating signal is broadcast at least once.

19. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

after a violation of a use restriction, the reactivation of the vehicle is made possible by use extension signals broadcast by the master station, terminating the deactivation of the at least one operationally necessary control unit; and

the use restriction of the vehicle is extended at the same time.

20. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

if the vehicle receives an operation enabling signal broadcast by the master station, deactivation of the at least one operationally necessary control unit is cancelled by the use protection control unit via the communication structure.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein a data input interface which is connected to the use protection control unit is arranged at the vehicle end, at least the inputting of a code, which has been detected as valid, via the data input interface being required in order to reactivate the at least one operationally necessary control unit.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said master station broadcasts signals containing respective use restrictions applicable to a plurality of vehicles; and

said signals broadcast by the master station include a vehicle specific identification information for a vehicle whose use restrictions are contained in said signals.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein use of the vehicle is enabled only if a bidirectional communication takes place between the master station and the vehicle prior to an operation of the vehicle, and at a later time also.

2. A method for protecting against unauthorized use of a vehicle having a transmitting and receiving device, a communication structure for exchange of data between at least the transmitting and receiving device, a use protection control unit and at least one operationally necessary control unit, the transmitting and receiving device transmitting data to, and receiving data broadcast by, a master station situated at a fixed location remote from the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

use restrictions applicable to the vehicle are established by a controlling authority prior to operation of the vehicle;

data which contain said use restrictions are stored in the master station in station in a file assigned to the vehicle;

in accordance with set reporting criteria, the use protection control unit broadcasts a status signal via the transmitting and receiving device, said status signal including current values of vehicle operation variables which are subject to at least one of said use restrictions;

after reception of the status signal, the master station checks at least the vehicle operating variables based on the current values transmitted from the vehicle to determine if a violation of a use restriction has occurred; and

the master station broadcasts data which contain an enabling signal only if a violation of a use restriction has not occurred.

24. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said status signal is broadcast by said use protection control unit at times determined according to predetermined criteria;

operation of the vehicle is possible only when said enabling signal is received from said master station in response to said status signal; and

absence of receipt of a responsive enabling signal causes deactivation of the at least one operationally necessary control unit.