System for commonly utilizing vehicle

• US 7,271,701 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uehara, Takashi, Kokubu, Mamoru, Uehara, Yuji, Hayase, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US10/484,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/5.9, 340/10.3, 340/825.28, 705/5
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A system for commonly utilizing a vehicle in which illegal use of the vehicle can be surely prevented. In the system for lending a shared vehicle, which is parked in a parking area and of which the use information concerning lending and returning is managed, to a user after confirming permission to utilize the vehicle based on previously registered personal identification information, the shared vehicle is provided in the control section thereof with a popup key which can control whether a mechanical switch unit for starting the driving of the vehicle can be operated or not, and with an ignition mechanism control mean which permits starting operation of an ignition mechanism when personal cipher information inputted by the user matches personal cipher information imparted to the user in association with the personal identification information and the user sets a destination, and permits returning operation of the ignition mechanism when arrival at the set destination is detected.

Claims

1. A system for commonly utilizing a vehicle in which vehicle use information relating to lending and returning of a vehicle parked in a parking area is managed, and the vehicle is lent to a user by confirming permission to utilize the vehicle based on preregistered personal identification information,

wherein the vehicle comprises:

a mechanical switch device, which is used to start a driving device of the vehicle, and an ignition mechanism which is capable of controlling an operation of the mechanical switch device, the ignition mechanism including an operation knob, which is adjustably disposed in a protruded state and in a pushed-down state; and

an ignition mechanism controlling means which permits a starting operation of the driving device using the ignition mechanism by setting the operation knob in the protruded state, when information input by the user matches personal cipher information imparted to the user in association with the personal identification information and the user sets a destination, and which permits a returning operation of the vehicle using the ignition mechanism and permits the operation knob to be in a pushed-down state when arrival at the set destination is detected.

2. A system for commonly utilizing a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprising:

a use information controlling means which starts measurement of the vehicle use information when the starting operation of the driving device using the ignition mechanism is permitted, and which stops the measurement of the vehicle use information when the returning operation of the vehicle using the ignition mechanism is permitted.