Wireless relay for payment enforcement devices and method of using same

• US 7,359,773 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RFC Lenders of Texas, LLC (RFC Capital Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Payment Protection Systems, Inc. (Sekurus, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Michael P., Simon, Franklin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/887,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/2, 701/35, 701/200, 701/214, 340/5.2, 340/5.3, 340/5.31, 340/5.41, 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/416.26, 340/825.36, 340/825.72, 307/10.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.6, 705/13, 705/77
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00

Abstract

A vehicle disablement device disables a vehicle if it a payment has not been received prior to a payment due deadline. The vehicle can also be disabled if it is determined that the vehicle disablement device is being tampered with. Disablement of the vehicle occurs by transmission of a wireless signal from a vehicle disablement device to a relay in a power control panel. The disablement can also occur by transmission of a second wireless signal from a tamper disabler (or a tamper receiver) to a relay in the power control panel. The critical system of the vehicle that can be disabled by the vehicle disablement device can be the same or a different critical system as that which can be disabled by the tamper disabler (or a tamper receiver).

Claims

1. A system for disabling a vehicle, the vehicle including a critical system, the system comprising:

a vehicle disablement device including a wireless transmitter, the vehicle disablement device configured to disable the critical system of the vehicle if a payment is not made on the vehicle prior to a payment due date;

a tamper transmitter configured to periodically transmit a tamper signal; and

a tamper receiver configured to disable the critical system when the tamper signal is not received from the tamper transmitter for a predetermined period of time;

wherein a disablement of the critical system prevents operation of the vehicle by transmitting a first wireless disablement signal to a relay in a power control panel, and the tamper receiver disables the critical system by transmitting a second wireless disablement signal to the relay in the power control panel, the relay disabling power to the critical system in response to either the first or second wireless disablement signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the group of signals consisting of the wireless disablement signals and the tamper signal includes an identifier associated with the relay, and the relay is responsive only to signals including the identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tamper transmitter is configured to inhibit transmission of the tamper signal when a tampering with the vehicle is detected.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the tamper transmitter is configured to detect the tampering with the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the tampering with the vehicle detected by the tamper transmitter is associated with a tampering with the vehicle disablement device.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

circuitry configured to detect a tampering with the critical system of the vehicle and configured to communicate the detected tempering with the critical system to the tamper transmitter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the circuitry is configured to detect a tampering with at least one of a starter system and an ignition system of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the critical system disabled by the vehicle disablement device and the critical system disabled by the tamper receiver are different critical systems of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the critical system disabled by the vehicle disablement device is a starter circuit of the vehicle and the critical system disabled by the tamper receiver is a fuel pump of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle disablement device is adapted to be located on the vehicle.

11. A method for disabling a vehicle comprising:

periodically sending a signal from a tamper transmitter to a tamper receiver;

determining whether the vehicle is being tampered with;

inhibiting the periodic sending of the signal if it is determined that the vehicle is being tampered with;

disabling the vehicle if the periodic sending of the signal is inhibited, wherein the vehicle is disabled by sending a wireless signal from the tamper receiver to a relay in a power control panel of the vehicle, the relay inhibiting power to a critical system of the vehicle;

determining whether a code has been entered into a vehicle disablement device prior to a payment due date; and

disabling, by the vehicle disablement device, the critical system of the vehicle if the code has not been entered prior to the payment due date by sending a wireless signal to a relay in the power control panel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tamper transmitter determines whether the vehicle is being tampered with.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein circuitry coupled to tamper transmitter and configured to detect a tampering with the critical system of the vehicle determines whether the vehicle is being tampered with.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the disabling comprises:

determining, by the tamper receiver, whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since a last periodic signal from the tamper transmitter has been received; and

disabling, by the tamper receiver, the critical system of the vehicle if it is determined that the predetermined amount of time has passed since the last periodic signal has been received.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the disabling comprises:

inhibiting power to at least one of a fuel system, a starter system, and an ignition system of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising:

including an identifier associated with the relay in the wireless signal sent from the tamper receiver;

wherein the relay only inhibits power to the critical system if the wireless signal includes the identifier.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the critical system disabled by tamper receiver and the critical system disabled by the vehicle disablement device are different systems.