Security apparatus

• US 7,224,263 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Maehara, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US10/774,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 340/429, 340/426.25, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/467, 307 101- 103
• US Class Current: 340/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• 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 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers

Abstract

An IG key monitor sends out an anti-theft instruction to a GAIN switching part, in case that an IG key SW (ignition key switch) was turned to an OFF state. The GAIN switching part receives the anti-theft instruction from the IG key monitor, and then, switches detection sensitivity of an acceleration sensor to second detection sensitivity (which is detection sensitivity available for inclination judgment of a vehicle, and for example, is approximately ±2 G). An inclination judgment part judges whether or not a vehicle is inclined on the basis of a detection result of the acceleration sensor whose detection sensitivity was switched as described above, and outputs an anti-theft alarm through an alarm part, in case that an output of the acceleration sensor exceeds 0.1 G.

Claims

1. An anti-theft apparatus comprising:

an acceleration detection unit mounted on a vehicle for detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, whose detection result in a first detection sensitivity is used for a predetermined vehicle control;

a sensitivity switching unit for switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity when it received an anti-theft instruction for instructing prevention of theft; and

a theft judgment unit for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection unit which was switched to the second detection sensitivity by the sensitivity switching unit;

wherein the acceleration detection unit is an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a front collision air bag ECU and/or an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a side collision air bag ECU.

2. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensitivity switching unit switches respective detection sensitivities of a plurality of acceleration detection units which are mounted on the vehicle when it receives the anti-theft instruction; and

the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of respective detection results of the plurality of acceleration detection units.

3. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges that the vehicle is in the theft state, in case that acceleration which was detected by any one of acceleration detection units out of the plurality of acceleration detection units exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

4. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges that the vehicle is in the theft state, in case that respective accelerations which were detected by a plurality of acceleration detection units for detecting acceleration in the same direction out of the plurality of acceleration detection units exceed a predetermined threshold value.

5. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of inclination of the vehicle.

6. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of vibration of the vehicle.

7. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of a detection result of an acceleration detection unit which was disposed at an outer edge part of the vehicle.

8. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the sensitivity switching unit switches each detection sensitivity in such a maimer that the second detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit which was disposed at a central part of the vehicle becomes higher than the second detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit which was disposed at the outer edge part of the vehicle.

9. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a noise elimination unit for eliminating noise from the detection result of the acceleration detection unit,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of the detection result from which noise was eliminated by the noise elimination unit.

10. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the noise elimination unit eliminates the noise by switching a cutoff frequency of a filter which is additionally disposed in the acceleration detection unit to a frequency which corresponded to theft judgment of the vehicle.

11. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the acceleration detection unit is contained in a predetermined unit together with various devices, and power is supplied thereto from a battery which was mounted on the vehicle or a cell which was contained in the predetermined unit, in the same manner as in the various devices;

the acceleration detection unit includes a power supply control unit for controlling the power source only to the acceleration detection unit in the predetermined unit; and

the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection unit which was controlled so as to supply the power source by the power supply control unit.

12. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the power supply control unit controls so as to intermittently supply the power source from the battery or cell to the acceleration detection unit.

13. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the power supply control unit controls so as to stop supply of the power source to the acceleration detection unit, in case that a voltage of the battery or cell became a predetermined voltage and below.

14. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a monitoring unit for monitoring a state of the vehicle and for sending out the anti-theft instruction,

wherein the sensitivity switching unit switches detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit to detection sensitivity which is available for theft judgment of the vehicle, when it receives the anti-theft instruction which was sent out by the monitoring unit.

15. The anti-theft apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the monitoring unit monitors an ON-OFF state of an ignition key, and sends out the anti-theft instruction, in case that the ignition key was turned to the OFF state.

16. An anti-theft apparatus comprising:

an acceleration detection unit mounted on a vehicle for detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, whose detection result in a first detection sensitivity is used for a predetermined vehicle control;

a sensitivity switching unit for switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity when it received an anti-theft instruction for instructing prevention of theft;

a theft judgment unit for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection unit which was switched to the second detection sensitivity by the sensitivity switching unit; and

a noise elimination unit for eliminating noise from the detection result of the acceleration detection unit,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of the detection result from which noise was eliminated by the noise elimination unit,

wherein the noise elimination unit eliminates the noise, by periodically integrating the detection result of the acceleration detection unit.

17. An anti-theft apparatus comprising:

an acceleration detection unit mounted on a vehicle for detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, whose detection result in a first detection sensitivity is used for a predetermined vehicle control;

a sensitivity switching unit for switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity when it received an anti-theft instruction for instructing prevention of theft;

a theft judgment unit for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection unit which was switched to the second detection sensitivity by the sensitivity switching unit; and

a noise elimination unit for eliminating noise from the detection result of the acceleration detection unit,

wherein the theft judgment unit judges whether or not the vehicle is in the theft state on the basis of the detection result from which noise was eliminated by the noise elimination unit,

wherein the noise elimination unit eliminates the noise by switching a cutoff frequency of a filter which is additionally disposed in the acceleration detection unit to a frequency which corresponded to theft judgment of the vehicle, and by periodically integrating the detection result of the acceleration detection unit.

18. An anti-theft method comprising:

an acceleration detection step of detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, a result of the detection in a first detection sensitivity being used for a predetermined vehicle control;

a sensitivity switching step of switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection step to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity when an anti-theft instruction for instructing prevention of theft was received; and

a theft judgment step of judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection step which was switched to the second detection sensitivity by the sensitivity switching step;

wherein the acceleration detection unit is an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a front collision air bag ECU and/or an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a side collision air bag ECU.

19. An anti-theft program for having a computer executed program on a computer readable medium, comprising:

an acceleration detection step of detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, a result of the detection in a first detection sensitivity being used for a predetermined vehicle control;

a sensitivity switching step of switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection step to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity when an anti-theft instruction for instructing prevention of theft was received; and

a theft judgment step of judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection step which was switched to the second detection sensitivity by the sensitivity switching step;

wherein the acceleration detection unit is an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a front collision air bag ECU andlor an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a side collision air bag ECU.

20. An anti-theft apparatus mounted on a vehicle that includes an acceleration detection unit for detecting acceleration in a predetermined direction, the anti-theft apparatus comprising

a theft judgment unit for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a theft state on the basis of the detection result of the acceleration detection unit,

wherein the acceleration detection unit includes a sensitivity switching unit for switching the detection sensitivity of the acceleration detection unit to a second detection sensitivity which is different from the first detection sensitivity and the acceleration detection unit is an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a front collision air bag ECU and/or an acceleration sensor which was disposed in a side collision air bag ECU.