Vehicle theft prevention system

• US 7,545,258 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/401,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.11, 340/426.12, 340/426.35, 340/5.6, 340/5.7, 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/043 by blocking the exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine

Abstract

A vehicle theft prevention system switches an engine from an immobilized state to a mobilized state when an ID code received from a mobile device carried by a user matches an ID code registered in advance, and keeps the engine in the immobilized state when the ID code received from the mobile device does not match the ID code registered in advance. Further, when a disable command is received from the center and it is detected that the vehicle is in an unused state based on a state of a predetermined signal indicative of states of the vehicle, the system immobilizes the engine and prevents the engine from being switched from the established immobilized state to a mobilized state even if the ID code included in the signal received from the mobile device matches the ID code registered in advance by invalidating the ID code of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A vehicle theft prevention system which prevents theft of a vehicle, comprising:

a controller which disables a predetermined electrical component mounted in the vehicle such that the predetermined electrical component is immobilized in response to a disable command received from a center,

wherein when the disable command is received from the center, the controller waits to disable the predetermined electrical component until the controller determines that the vehicle is in an unused state, wherein the controller determines that the vehicle is in the unused state when the controller determines that a power supplied to the vehicle from a first onboard battery is interrupted.

2. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal indicative of an opening and closing operation of any door of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 2, wherein the door is a door next to a driver'"'"'s seat.

4. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal from any of a seat sensor, a seat belt, and a camera in a cabin of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal indicative of a locking operation of a door of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the unused state of the vehicle includes a state in which a driver is not in the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped.

7. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a timer, and the unused state of the vehicle includes a state in which a period of time that is timed by the timer has become equal to or greater than a predetermined period of time after a driving source of the vehicle has been switched from an operative state to a stopped state.

8. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 7, wherein the timer measures the period of time during which the first onboard battery is used as a power source.

9. The vehicle theft prevention system which accordingly to claim 1, wherein the controller determines the power supplied to the vehicle from the first onboard battery is interrupted by performing a data check of a RAM which receives the power from the first onboard battery, wherein the controller determines the power supplied to vehicle from the first onboard battery is interrupted when the data check returns an abnormal result that indicates when the RAM has lost power from the first onboard battery, and wherein when the controller determines that the first onboard battery is disconnected, the disable command is executed by the controller using a second onboard battery.

10. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 9, wherein when the disable command is received from the center, the controller disables the predetermined electrical component when the controller determines that the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal indicative of an opening and closing operation of any door of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 9, wherein when the disable command is received from the center, the controller disables the predetermined electrical component when the controller determines that the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal from any of a seat sensor, a seat belt, and a camera in a cabin of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 9, wherein when the disable command is received from the center, the controller includes a timer, and the controller disables the predetermined electrical component when the controller determines that a period of time that is timed by the timer has become equal to or greater than a predetermined period of time after a driving source of the vehicle has been switched from an operative state to a stopped state.

13. A vehicle theft prevention system which prevents theft of a vehicle, comprising:

a mobile device which transmits a command signal, wherein the command signal includes a transmitted ID code and a command code; and

a controller which receives the command signal and which selectively switches a predetermined electrical component from an immobilized state to a mobilized state in response to the command signal

wherein the controller compares the transmitted ID code received from the mobile device to a stored ID code that was registered in the controller in advance,

wherein the controller executes the command code when the transmitted ID code received from the mobile device matches the stored ID code that was registered in the controller in advance,

wherein the controller keeps the predetermined electrical component in the immobilized state when the transmitted ID code received from the mobile device does not match the stored ID code that was registered in the controller in advance,

wherein when the controller receives a disable command from a center and it is detected that the vehicle is in an unused state based on a generating state of a predetermined signal indicative of a variety of states of the vehicle, the controller immobilizes the predetermined electrical component, and prevents the predetermined electrical component from being switched from the immobilized state to the mobilized state even if the controller receives the command signal including;

the transmitted ID code which matches the stored ID code that was registered in the controller in advance and the command code, such that the command code is a re-enable command code.

14. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 13, wherein the controller determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal indicative of an opening and closing operation of any door of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 14, wherein the door is a door next to a driver'"'"'s seat.

16. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 13, wherein the controller determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal from any of a seat sensor, a seat belt, and a camera in a cabin of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 13, wherein the controller determines whether the vehicle is in the unused state based on an ignition signal indicative of a driving source of the vehicle being switched from an operative state to a stopped state, and a signal indicative of a locking operation of a door of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 13, wherein the unused state of the vehicle includes a state in which a driver is not in the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped.

19. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 13, wherein the controller includes a timer, and the unused state of the vehicle includes a state in which a period of time that is timed by the timer has become equal to or greater than a predetermined period of time after a driving source of the vehicle has been switched from an operative state to a stopped state.

20. The vehicle theft prevention system according to claim 19, wherein the timer measures the period of time during which the first onboard battery is used as a power source, and the controller determines the unused state of the vehicle includes a state in which a power supplied from the onboard battery to the vehicle is interrupted.