Vehicle theft protection system, a method of protecting a vehicle from theft, a vehicle-onboard device, a management station, and a program for protecting a vehicle from theft

• US 7,154,384 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nitou, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/760,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20050116816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/426.13, 340/426.14, 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.23, 340/901, 340/905, 340/928, 340/426.17, 341/50, 341/106
• US Class Current: 340/426.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1025 preventing jamming or interference of said signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

A vehicle theft protecting system includes a vehicle-onboard device mounted on a vehicle and a management station installed at a predetermined location, each including narrow area wireless communication unit capable of communication with encryption in a range of a predetermined distance to perform regular mutual communication to monitor each other'"'"'s condition. The vehicle-onboard device and the management station effect mutual verification through the narrow area wireless communication at start of the mutual communication.

Claims

1. A vehicle theft protecting system comprising:

a vehicle-onboard device to be mounted on a vehicle; and

a management station to be installed at a predetermined location, wherein each of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station comprise narrow area wireless communication means capable of communication with encryption in a range of a predetermined distance, and said narrow area wireless communication means of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station effect repeated mutual communication to monitor each other'"'"'s condition,

wherein at least one of said management station and said vehicle-onboard device detects theft of said vehicle based on a breakdown of said repeated mutual communication between the vehicle-onboard device and the management station.

2. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle-onboard device and said management station effect mutual verification through said narrow area wireless communication means of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station at start of said mutual communication.

3. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said management station includes information reading means for reading out information from an IC card storing at least first mutual verification information necessary for said mutual verification,

wherein during said mutual verification, said management station transmits said first mutual verification information read out with said information reading means from said IC card to said vehicle-onboard device with said narrow area wireless communication means and compares second mutual verification information, corresponding to said first mutual verification information, received from said vehicle-onboard device through said narrow area wireless communication means with said read first mutual verification information, and

wherein said second mutual verification information is previously registered in said vehicle-onboard device, and during said mutual verification, said vehicle-onboard device transmits said registered second mutual verification information to said management station with said narrow area wireless communication means thereof and compares said first mutual verification information received from said management station through said narrow area wireless communication means with said registered second mutual verification information.

4. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said IC card further stores first user verification information necessary for verification of a user using said vehicle-onboard device, and

wherein second user verification information corresponding to said first user verification information is previously registered in said management station, upon start of said mutual communication, said management station reads out said first user verification information from said IC card with said information reading means and compares said first user information from said IC card with said registered second user verification information.

5. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle-onboard device further includes said wide area wireless communication means of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication means thereof, when an error is detected during monitoring said each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said vehicle-onboard device transmits a notice of detection of said error with said wide area wireless communication means.

6. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle-onboard device further includes alarming means for alarming, and when an error is detected during monitoring each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said vehicle-onboard device activates said alarming means.

7. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said management station further includes said wide area communication means of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication means thereof, when an error is detected during monitoring said each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said management station transmits a notice of detection of said error with said wide area communication means.

8. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when a request for confirming a condition of said vehicle is provided said wide area communication means to said management station, said management station transmits said condition of said vehicle with said wide area communication means in response to said request.

9. The vehicle theft protecting system as claimed in claim 7,

wherein when a request for controlling said vehicle is provided through said wide area communication means, said management station requests said vehicle-onboard device to control said vehicle through said narrow area wireless communication means in response to said request, and

wherein said vehicle-onboard device further includes vehicle controlling means for controlling a predetermined operation of said vehicle, and controls said vehicle with said vehicle controlling means in response to said request from said management station.

10. A method of protecting a vehicle from theft, comprising the steps of:

effecting repeated mutual communication between a vehicle-onboard device mounted on a vehicle and a management station installed at a predetermined location through narrow area wireless communication capable of encrypted communication in a range of a predetermined distance;

monitoring mutual conditions of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station by said mutual communication; and

detecting theft of said vehicle by at least one of said management station and said vehicle-onboard device based on a breakdown of said repeated mutual communication between the vehicle-onboard device and said management station.

11. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 10, the method further comprising the step of effecting mutual verification between said vehicle-onboard device and said management station through said narrow area wireless communication at start of said mutual communication.

12. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 11, the method further comprising the steps of:

reading out first mutual verification information necessary for said mutual verification from an IC card and transmitting said read first mutual verification information to said vehicle-onboard device through said narrow area wireless communication, by said management station;

transmitting, to said management station through said narrow area wireless communication, previously registered second mutual verification information corresponding to said first mutual verification information, by said vehicle-onboard device;

comparing said second mutual verification information received from said vehicle-onboard device with said first mutual verification information read out from said IC card, by said management station; and

comparing said first mutual verification information received from said management station with said registered second mutual verification information, by said vehicle-onboard device.

13. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprising the step of:

on start of said mutual communication, reading out from said IC card first user verification information necessary for verification of a user employing said vehicle-onboard device and comparing said read first user verification information with previously registered second user verification information corresponding to said first user verification information, by said management station.

14. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 10, the method further comprising the step of:

when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual condition through said mutual communication, informing of a notice of detection of said error by said vehicle-onboard device through wide area wireless communication of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication.

15. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of:

effecting a predetermined alarming operation by said vehicle-onboard device when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual condition through said mutual communication.

16. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of:

when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual conditions through said mutual communication, informing of a notice of detection of said error by said management station through said wide area wireless communication of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication.

17. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

when a request for confirming the condition of said vehicle is provided through said wide area wireless communication to said management station, informing of the condition of said vehicle by said management station through said wide area wireless communication in response to said request.

18. The method of protecting a vehicle from theft as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

when a request for controlling said vehicle is provided through said wide area wireless communication to said management station, requesting said vehicle-onboard device to control said vehicle through said narrow area wireless communication in response to said request by said management station, and

controlling a predetermined operation of said vehicle by said vehicle-onboard device in response to said request from said management station.

19. A program used in a system comprising a vehicle-onboard device with a computer mounted on a vehicle and a management station with a computer installed at a predetermined location, said program comprising:

a process for effecting repeated mutual communication between said vehicle-onboard device mounted on said vehicle and said management station through narrow area wireless communication capable of encrypted communication in a range of a predetermined distance;

a process for mutually monitoring conditions of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station through said mutual communication, said processes being executed by said computers of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station, respectively; and

a process, executed by at least one of said computer of said vehicle-onboard device and said computer of said management station, for detecting theft of said vehicle based on a breakdown of said repeated mutual communication between the vehicle-onboard device and said management station.

20. A program as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a process, executed by said computers of said vehicle-onboard device and said management station, for effecting mutual verification between said vehicle-onboard device and said management station through said narrow area wireless communication at start of said mutual communication.

21. The program as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for reading out first mutual verification information necessary for said mutual verification from an IC card and transmitting said read first mutual verification information to said vehicle-onboard device through said narrow area wireless communication;

a process, executed by said computer of said vehicle-onboard device, for transmitting, to said management station through said narrow area wireless communication, previously registered second mutual verification information corresponding to said first mutual verification information;

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for comparing said second mutual verification information received from said vehicle-onboard device with said first mutual verification information read out from said IC card; and

a process, executed by said computer of said vehicle-onboard device, for comparing said first mutual verification information received from said management station with said registered second mutual verification information.

22. The program as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for, on start of said mutual communication, reading out, from said IC card, first user verification information necessary for verification of a user employing said vehicle-onboard device and comparing said read first user verification information with previously registered second user verification information corresponding to said first user verification information.

23. The program as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said vehicle-onboard device, for, when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual condition through said mutual communication, informing a notice of detection of said error through said wide area wireless communication of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication.

24. The program as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said vehicle-onboard device, for effecting a predetermined alarming operation when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual condition through said mutual communication.

25. The program as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for, when an error is detected during monitoring the mutual condition through said mutual communication, informing of a notice of detecting said error through said wide area wireless communication.

26. The program as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for, when a request for confirming the condition of said vehicle is provided through said wide area wireless communication to said management station, informing of the condition of said vehicle through said wide area wireless communication in response to said request.

27. The program as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

a process, executed by said computer of said management station, for, when a request for controlling said vehicle is provided through said wide area wireless communication to said management station, requesting said vehicle-onboard device to control said vehicle through said narrow area wireless communication in response to said request, and

a process, executed by said computer of said vehicle-onboard device, for controlling a predetermined operation of said vehicle in response to said request from said management station.

28. A management station comprising:

narrow area wireless communication means for encryption-communicating with a vehicle-onboard device on a vehicle in a range of a predetermined distance; and

control means for effecting repeated mutual communication with said vehicle-onboard device with said narrow area wireless communication means to monitor each other'"'"'s condition; and

wherein at least one of said management station and said vehicle-onboard device detects theft of said vehicle based on a breakdown of said repeated mutual communication between the vehicle-onboard device and the management station.

29. The management station as claimed in claim 28, wherein said control means effects mutual verification through said narrow area wireless communication means at start of said mutual communication.

30. The management station as claimed in claim 29, further comprising information reading means for reading out information from an IC card storing at least first mutual verification information necessary for said mutual verification,

wherein during said mutual verification, said management station transmits said first mutual verification information read out with said information reading means from said IC card to said vehicle-onboard device with said narrow area wireless communication means and compares second mutual verification information, corresponding to said first mutual verification information, received from said vehicle-onboard device through said narrow area wireless communication means with said read first mutual verification information.

31. The management station as claimed in claim 30,

wherein said IC card stores first user verification information necessary for verification of a user employing said vehicle-onboard device, and

wherein second user verification information, corresponding to said first user verification information, is previously registered in said control means, upon start of said mutual communication, said control means compares said first user verification information read out from said IC card using said information reading means with said registered second user verification information corresponding to said first user verification information.

32. The management station as claimed in claim 28, further comprising wide area communication means of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication means, when an error is detected during monitoring said each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said control means transmits a notice of detection of said error with said wide area communication means.

33. The management station as claimed in claim 32, wherein when a request for confirming a condition of said vehicle is provided through said wide area communication means to said management station, said control means informs of said condition of said vehicle with said wide area communication means in response to said request.

34. The management station as claimed in claim 32, wherein when a request for controlling said vehicle is provided through said wide area communication means to said management station, said control means requests said vehicle-onboard device to control said vehicle through said narrow area wireless communication means in response to said request.

35. A vehicle-onboard device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

narrow area wireless communication means capable of encrypted communication with a management station in a range of a predetermined distance; and

control means for effecting repeated mutual communication with said management station to monitor each other'"'"'s condition; and

wherein at least one of said management station and said vehicle-onboard device detects theft of said vehicle based on a breakdown of said repeated mutual communication between the vehicle-onboard device and the management station.

36. The vehicle-onboard device as claimed in claim 35, wherein said control means effects mutual verification through said narrow area wireless communication means at start of said mutual communication.

37. The vehicle-onboard device as claimed in claim 36, wherein during said mutual verification, said control means transmits previously registered first mutual verification information to said management station with said narrow area wireless communication means and compares second mutual verification information, corresponding to said first mutual verification information, received from said management station through said narrow area wireless communication means with said registered first mutual verification information.

38. The vehicle-onboard device as claimed in claim 35, further comprising wide area wireless communication means of which communicable distance is larger than that of said narrow area wireless communication means, wherein when an error is detected during monitoring said each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said control means transmits a notice of detection of said error with said wide area wireless communication means.

39. The vehicle-onboard device as claimed in claim 35, further comprising alarming means for alarming, and when an error is detected during monitoring each other'"'"'s condition through said mutual communication, said control means activates said alarming means.

40. A vehicle-onboard device as claimed in claim 35, further comprising vehicle controlling means for controlling a predetermined operation of said vehicle, and controlling said vehicle with said vehicle controlling means in response to a request from said management station.