Antitheft device

• US 7,489,049 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shibata, Koichi, Komatsu, Hideki, Adachi, Hiroyuki, Sugiyama, Genroku, Shibamori, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAVALLARI, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US10/538,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.2, 340/426.1, 340/988, 701/213, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 307/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

An antitheft system can be provided by constructing such that, when a stop signal has been inputted from an engine 7, a main controller 2 outputs, until a first predetermined time Ts elapses, a turn-on signal to switches 8, 9 to perform a similar antitheft processing as in an operation of the engine 7 and after an elapse of the first predetermined time Ts, instructs the switch 9 to repeat a turn-on and turn-off at predetermined time intervals Δt, and, whenever the switch 9 is brought into a turned-on position, detects a position at that time by a position detecting controller 3 and compares the position with a position at the time of an engine stop to determine whether or not a theft has taken place. Owing to this construction, it is no longer necessary to always feed power to the position detecting controller 3 during the stop of the engine 7, thereby making it possible to cut down the feeding of as much power to the controller 3 as a time elapsed during which the switch 9 is kept off. The antitheft system can, therefore, minimize the power consumption of a control system during the engine stop.

Claims

1. An antitheft system provided with:

a control system arranged on a self-propelling movable object with an engine mounted thereon as a drive source and having a position detecting means for detecting a position of said movable object, a transmission/reception means for performing a transmission/reception to/from an outside and a processing means for performing predetermined processing operations including outputs of run commands to said position detecting means and said transmission/reception means, and

a control server arranged at a place different from said movable object for controlling information on said movable object, said information comprising position information detected by said position detecting means and transmitted via said transmission/reception means, characterized in that said antitheft system comprises;

a clocking means, a first power feeding means for performing feeding of power to at least said position detecting means, and a second power feeding means for performing feeding of power to at least said clocking means; and

said processing means receives signals from said clocking means, allows said first power feeding means to continuously feed power until a first predetermined time elapses from a time point at which a stop signal for said engine is inputted, and after an elapse of said first predetermined time, repeatedly outputs an instruction signal, which permits feeding of power, at predetermined time intervals to said first power feeding means; and

wherein said control system is provided with a storage means for storing said position information on said movable object as detected by said position detecting means; and

said processing means compares position information, which has been detected subsequent to said input of said stop signal for said engine, with said position information stored in said storage means and, when a distance difference of at least a predetermined value is confirmed, determines that said movable object has been stolen, and instructs said transmission/reception means to transmit a theft signal together with said position information to said control server.

2. An antitheft system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means reads said position information on said movable object as detected by said position detecting means whenever said instruction signal, which permits said feeding of power, is outputted at said predetermined time intervals to said first power feeding means, and after completion of said reading of said position information, instructs said first power feeding means to stop feeding of power.

3. An antitheft system according to claim 2, wherein, when a second predetermined time has elapsed subsequent to an elapse of said first predetermined time, said processing means instructs said transmission/reception means to transmit said position information on said movable object, which was detected lastly by said position detecting means, and a signal, which communicates that a transmission/reception to/from said outside via said transmission/reception means is disabled, to said control server.

4. An antitheft system according to claim 3, wherein, when said movable object is determined to have been stolen, said processing means outputs instruction signal, which permits continuous feeding of power, to said first power feeding means.

5. An antitheft system according to claim 1, wherein said second power feeding means is connected to perform feeding of power to said transmission/reception means;

and, when said instruction signal has been inputted from said control server via said transmission/reception means before a transmission/reception to/from said outside via said transmission/reception means is disabled, said processing means instructs said transmission/reception means to transmit at least said position information, which has been stored in said storage means, to a side of said control server.

6. An antitheft system according to claim 5, wherein, when a signal communicating that a transmission/reception is disabled has been transmitted to said control server via said transmission/reception means, said processing means instructs said second power feeding means to stop feeding of power.

7. An antitheft system provided with:

a control system arranged on a self-propelling movable object with an engine mounted thereon as a drive source and having a position detecting means for detecting a position of said movable object, a transmission/reception means for performing a transmission/reception to/from an outside and a processing means for performing predetermined processing operations including outputs of run commands to said position detecting means and said transmission/reception means, and

a control server arranged at a place different from said movable object for controlling information on said movable object, said information comprising position information detected by said position detecting means and transmitted via said transmission/reception means, characterized in that said antitheft system comprises;

a clocking means, a first power feeding means for performing feeding of power to at least said position detecting means, and a second power feeding means for performing feeding of power to at least said clocking means; and

said processing means receives signals from said clocking means, allows said first power feeding means to continuously feed power until a first predetermined time elapses from a time point at which a stop signal for said engine is inputted, and after an elapse of said first predetermined time, repeatedly outputs an instruction signal, which permits feeding of power, at predetermined time intervals to said first power feeding means;

wherein said processing means reads said position information on said movable object as detected by said position detecting means whenever said instruction signal, which permits said feeding of power, is outputted at said predetermined time intervals to said first power feeding means, and after completion of said reading of said position information, instructs said first power feeding means to stop feeding of power; and

wherein, when said command signal which permits feeding of power has been outputted a predetermined number of times at said predetermined time intervals to said first power feeding means, said processing means instructs said transmission/reception means to transmit said position information on said movable object, which was detected lastly by said position detecting means, and a signal, which communicates that a transmission/reception to/from said outside via said transmission/reception means is disabled, to said control server. signal, which communicates that a transmission/reception to/from said outside via said transmission/reception means is disabled, to said control server.

8. An antitheft system according to claim 7, wherein, when said movable object is determined to have been stolen, said processing means outputs an instruction signal, which permits continuous feeding of power, to said first power feeding means.

9. An antitheft system according to claim 7, wherein, when a second predetermined time has elapsed subsequent to an elapse of said first predetermined time, said processing means instructs said transmission/reception means to transmit said position information on said movable object, which was detected lastly by said position detecting means, and a signal, which communicates that a transmission/reception to/from said outside via said transmission/reception means is disabled, to said control server.

10. An antitheft system according to claim 9 wherein, when said movable object is determined to have been stolen, said processing means outputs instruction signal, which permits continuous feeding of power, to said first power feeding means.