Vehicle electronic key system

• US 7,375,440 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Suyama, Terumasa, Ichikawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/649,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.2, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.21
• US Class Current: 307/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A vehicle electronic key system that may be lent to a third person without having to worry about how the key would be used. The key system includes a portable key and a control unit installed in a vehicle. When the vehicle owner does not want the third person to use a certain accessory, the owner registers a restriction code in the key. The restriction code is registered only when a fingerprint input from an input device matches the owner'"'"'s fingerprint that is pre-registered in the key. The registration of the restriction code prohibits operation of the accessory.

Claims

1. An electronic key system for use in a vehicle having an accessory, the electronic key system comprising:

an electronic key;

a control unit arranged in the vehicle to perform wireless communication with the electronic key;

an user operable input device arranged in one of the electronic key and the vehicle to input identification information to the electronic key;

a first verification device arranged in the electronic key and operable to compare the input identification information with pre-registered identification information;

a restriction information generation device arranged in the electronic key and connected to the first verification device, wherein when the input identification information matches the pre-registered identification information, operation restriction information for designating an operation of the vehicle and the accessory that is to be restricted is registerable by a user in the restriction information generation device, and wherein the restriction information generation device generates specific code corresponding to the operation restriction information registered in the electronic key, and the electronic key wirelessly outputs the specific code corresponding to the operation restriction information registered in the electronic key regardless of what person is carrying the electronic key;

a second verification device arranged in the control unit and storing reference specific code, wherein the second verification device receives and compares the specific code registered in the electronic key with the reference specific code; and

a restriction control device for restricting the operation designated by the operation restriction information corresponding to the specific code when the specific code matches the reference specific code.

2. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the input device is an individual identification device for detecting a distinctive bodily feature of an individual, and the pre-registered identification information is a pre-registered distinctive bodily feature, and wherein the first verification device compares the distinctive bodily feature detected by the individual identification device with the pre-registered distinctive bodily feature to determines whether the detected distinctive bodily feature matches the pre-registered distinctive bodily feature.

3. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the distinctive bodily feature is a fingerprint.

4. The electronic key system according to claim 2, wherein the electronic key system included a master key and a sub-key, which is used in lieu of the master key.

5. The electronic key system according to claim 4, wherein the sub-key includes the restriction information generation device.

6. The electronic key system according to claim 5, wherein the sub-key includes the individual identification device and the first verification device.

7. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the user operable input device is arranged in the vehicle.

12. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the accessory is arranged in the vehicle and connected to a vehicle local area network (LAN), and the restriction control device sends access right information via the vehicle LAN.

13. The electronic key system according to claim 1, wherein the specific code is one of a plurality of specific codes, each specific code depending on a combination of restriction codes registered in the electronic key, and wherein when no restriction code is registered the restriction control device outputs access right information to permit use of the vehicle and the accessory.

8. An electronic key system for use in a vehicle having a plurality of accessories, the electronic key system comprising:

a communication circuit arranged in the vehicle to output a request signal by means of wireless communication;

an electronic key that wirelessly communicates with the communication circuit;

an user operable input device arranged in the electronic key for inputting individual identification information to the electronic key;

a first verification device arranged in the electronic key and connected to the input device, the first verification device being configured to store registered individual identification information of an authorized owner, receive the input individual identification information, and to verify the input individual identification information with the registered individual identification information of an authorized owner;

a restriction information generation device arranged in the electronic key and connected to the first verification device, wherein operation restriction information for designating at least the operation, which is to be restricted, among operations of the vehicle and the accessories is registerable by a user in the restriction information generation device when the input individual identification information and the registered individual identification information match, the operation restriction information being output by means of wireless communication from the electronic key the restriction information generation device generating specific code corresponding to the operation restriction information registered in the electronic key and the electronic key wirelessly outputting the specific code corresponding to the operation restriction information registered in the electronic key in response to the request signal regardless of what person is carrying the electronic key; and

a restriction control device arranged in the vehicle and connected to the communication circuit and the accessories to receive the specific code corresponding to operation restriction information via the communication circuit and restricting the at least one operation designated by the operation restriction information corresponding to the specific code.

9. The electronic key system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic key has an ID code and outputs the ID code by means of wireless communication when receiving the request signal, and the restriction control device unlocks a door of the vehicle when the door of the vehicle is locked and the received ID code is an authorized one.

10. The electronic key system according to claim 8, wherein the individual identification information is a fingerprint.

11. The electronic key system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic key is a sub-key, which is used in lieu of a master key.

14. The electronic key system according to claim 8, wherein the accessories are arranged in the vehicle and connected to a vehicle local area network (LAN), and the restriction control device sends access right information via the vehicle LAN.

15. The electronic key system according to claim 8, wherein the specific code is one of a plurality of specific codes, each specific code depending on a combination of restriction codes registered in the electronic key, and wherein when no restriction code is registered the restriction control device outputs access right information to permit use of the vehicle and the accessions.