Vehicle antitheft device and program

• US 6,788,189 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Doi, Masakazu, Kishigami, Tomohisa, Kikkawa, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US10/279,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.11, 340/426.18, 340/506, 340/10.1, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

Code verification is executed with a surveillance target such as an engine ECU or an immobility ECU installed in a vehicle. Failure of the verification indicates that the corresponding ECU may have been replaced. No reply to the verification indicates that the corresponding ECU may have been removed. The failure or no reply causes bus interference through a bus interference generator. Specifically, the bus interference generator generates to circulate, over the bus, a signal interfering with a signal from the ECUs connected with a local area network to disable a plurality of driver/receiver ICs. This interference with the ECUs results in ceasing normal operations and reducing product value of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle antitheft device installed in a vehicle provided with a network system including a gateway, a plurality of local area networks, and a plurality of electronic control units coupled through a network, wherein the gateway mediates data communication according to diverse protocols among the plurality of local area networks, and wherein each of the plurality of local area networks is connected with at least one of the electronic control units, the device comprising:

first means for determining a hazard state, where vehicle theft possibly arises, including one of an unauthorized replacement and a removal of at least one electronic control unit; and

second means for at least partially disabling the network system by interfering with the data communication upon determining the hazard states,

wherein the first means and the second means are included in the gateway.

2. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 1,

wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic control units requires control related information transferred through the network, and

wherein the first means at least partially disables the network system as to the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units.

3. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first means further at least partially disables the network system by interfering with the data communication by short-circuiting a communication bus connected with the network system.

4. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 3,

wherein the communication bus is in the form of twisted-pair communication lines, and

wherein the communication functions are disabled by short-circuiting each party of the twisted-pair.

5. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 4,

wherein the short-circuiting of each party of the twisted-pair is executed by bridging each other of the twisted-pair.

6. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first means further at least partially disables the network system by interfering with the functions associated with the data communication between the plurality of local area networks mediated by the gateway.

7. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first means at least partially disables the network system by circulating over the network a signal interfering with signals sent from the plurality of the electronic control units.

8. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

third means for authenticating at least one of the plurality of electronic control units through an authentication process; and

fourth means for initially at least partially disabling the network system until the authentication process is successfully completed, and for returning the network system from an at least partially disabled state to a normal state after the authentication process is successfully completed.

9. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 8,

wherein the third means and the fourth means are included in the gateway.

10. A vehicle antitheft device installed in a vehicle provided with a network system combining a plurality of electronic control units through a network, the device comprising:

first means for determining a hazard state associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units, an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units, and an unauthorized manipulation of the vehicle; and

second means for at least partially disabling a function of the network system upon determining the hazard state,

wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic control units is provided with vehicle-information transmitting means which transmits, by wireless, vehicle information including a vehicle state and a vehicle position to an external information station when the hazard state is determined.

11. A vehicle antitheft device installed in a vehicle provided with a network system combining a plurality of electronic control units through a network, the device comprising:

first means for determining a hazard state associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units and an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units; and

second means for at least partially disabling a function of the network system upon determining the hazard state,

wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic control units is provided with positioning means for specifying a present vehicle position,

wherein the hazard state is further determined, based on information from the positioning means, by detecting one of a difference between a first position and a second position, and a failure in specifying the second position, and

wherein the first position includes a position where a power supplied to the least one of the plurality of electronic control units is stopped and the second position includes a position where the power supplied to the least one of the plurality of electronic control units is resumed.

12. A vehicle antitheft device installed in a vehicle provided with a network system combining a plurality of electronic control units through a network, the device comprising:

first means for determining a hazard state associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units, an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units, and an unauthorized manipulation of the vehicle; and

second means for at least partially disabling a function of the network system upon determining the hazard state,

wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic control units is provided with an alarm device configured to generate an alarm when the hazard state is determined, and

wherein the hazard state is further determined based on the alarm from the alarm device.

13. A vehicle antitheft device installed in a vehicle which is provided with a network system combining a plurality of electronic control units through a network, the device comprising:

first means for authenticating at least one of the plurality of electronic control units through a predetermined authentication process; and

second means for initially at least partially disabling the network system until the predetermined authentication process is successfully completed and for returning the network system to a normal state from an at least partially disable state after the predetermined authentication process is successfully completed.

14. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

fourth means for determining a hazard state, where vehicle theft possibly arises, including one of an unauthorized replacement and a removal of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units; and

fifth means for at least partially disabling the network system when the hazard state is determined after returning to the normal state by the successful completion of the predetermined authentication process.

15. A vehicle antitheft device as recited in claim 13,

wherein the at least partial disabling includes interfering with a communication in the network system.

16. A program instructing a computer installed in a vehicle provided with a network system including a gateway, a plurality of local area networks, and a plurality of electronic control units, wherein the gateway mediates data communication of diverse protocols among the local area networks, and wherein each of the local area networks is connected with at least one of the plurality of electronic control units the program comprising:

determining a hazard state, where vehicle theft possibly arises, including unauthorized replacement or removal of at least one electronic control unit; and

at least partially disabling the network system upon determining the hazard state.

17. A program instructing a computer installed in a vehicle provided with a network system combining a plurality of electronic control units through a network, the program comprising:

initially at least partially disabling the network system;

authenticating at least one of the plurality of electronic control units through a predetermined authenticiation process; and

returning the network system from an at least partially disabled state to a normal state after the authentication is successfully completed.

18. A program instructing a computer as recited in claim 17,

wherein the network system is at least partially disabled by interfering with a communication in the network system.

19. A vehicle antitheft system installed in a vehicle, the system comprising;

a gateway;

a network coupled to the gateway and a plurality of local area networks, the gateway configured to mediate data communication according to a diversity of protocols between the local area networks; and

a plurality of electronic control units wherein each of the plurality of local area networks is connected with at least one of the plurality of electronic control units;

wherein the gateway includes;

first means for determining a hazard state, where vehicle theft possibly arises, including one of an unauthorized replacement and a removal of at least one electronic control unit; and

second means for at least partially disabling the network system by interfering with the data communication upon determining the hazard state.

20. A vehicle antitheft device capable of being installed in a vehicle, the vehicle antitheft device having a network including a gateway, a plurality of local area networks, and a plurality of electronic control units, the gateway configured to mediate communication according to a diversity of protocols between the plurality of local area networks, each of the plurality of local area networks connected with at least one of the plurality of electronic control units, the vehicle antitheft device comprising:

a detector configured to determine a hazard state associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units and an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units; and

a function controller configured to prevent normal operation of the network system by interfering with the communication upon determining the hazard state,

wherein the detector and the function controller are included in the gateway.

21. A vehicle antitheft system capable of being installed in a vehicle, the vehicle antitheft system comprising;

a network;

a plurality of electronic control units coupled to the network; and

a vehicle antitheft device including;

a detector configured to determine a hazard state, associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units and an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units; and

a function controller configured to interfere with normal operation of the network upon determining the hazard state.

22. An article of manufacture capable of preventing theft of a vehicle having a processor and a plurality of electronic control units communicating through a network, the article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium, and

instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions capable of being read by the processor, the instructions for causing the processor to;

determine a hazard state associated with a vehicle theft possibly, the hazard state including one or more of a removal of at least one of the plurality of electronic control units and an unauthorized replacement of the at least one of the plurality of electronic control units; and

interfere with normal operation of the network upon determining the hazard state.