Theft prevention apparatus of leisure vehicle

• US 7,656,278 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Onishi, Yoji, Furuhashi, Kenichi, Kawamura, Naoki, Watabe, Satoru, Takahashi, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/112,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 3404261-42623, 340/427
• US Class Current: 340/426.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which opens outside is disclosed. The theft prevention apparatus typically includes a portable transmitter configured to transmit a user identification code by radio at predetermined intervals during travel of the vehicle, a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and configured to receive the user identification code which is transmitted by radio from the portable transmitter, a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio, and an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the user identification code transmitted from the transmitter within a predetermined time during travel of the vehicle, and to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm when the controller determines that the receiver does not receive the user identification code within the predetermined time.

Claims

1. A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which is open to the outside, the theft prevention apparatus comprising:

a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and including a vehicle transmitter configured to transmit a request signal by radio at predetermined travel distance intervals during travel of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter including a transmitter receiver configured to receive the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter of the receiver, the portable transmitter being configured to transmit a reply signal by radio to the vehicle receiver in response to the request signal, the reply signal being received by the vehicle receiver;

a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio; and

an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the reply signal transmitted from the portable transmitter within a predetermined time after the vehicle receiver has transmitted the request signal by radio to the portable transmitter, and to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal within the predetermined time; and

wherein the controller is configured to reduce a transmission interval of the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter, when the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal which is to be transmitted in response to the request signal.

2. A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which opens outside, the theft prevention apparatus comprising:

a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and including a vehicle transmitter configured to transmit a request signal by radio at predetermined time intervals during a stopped state of the vehicle or at predetermined travel distance intervals during travel of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter including a transmitter receiver configured to receive the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter of the receiver, the portable transmitter being configured to transmit a reply signal by radio to the receiver in response to the request signal, the reply signal being received by the vehicle receiver;

a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio; and

an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the reply signal transmitted from the portable transmitter within a predetermined time after the vehicle receiver has transmitted the request signal by radio to the portable transmitter, and to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal within the predetermined time; and

wherein the controller is configured to reduce a transmission interval of the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter, when the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal which is to be transmitted in response to the request signal.

3. A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which is open to the outside, the theft prevention apparatus comprising:

a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and including a vehicle transmitter configured to transmit a request signal by radio at predetermined travel distance intervals during travel of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter including a transmitter receiver configured to receive the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter of the receiver, the portable transmitter being configured to transmit a reply signal by radio to the vehicle receiver in response to the request signal, the reply signal being received by the vehicle receiver;

a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio;

an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost; and

an engine mounted in the vehicle and configured to generate a driving power for driving the vehicle;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the reply signal transmitted from the portable transmitter within a predetermined time after the vehicle receiver has transmitted the request signal by radio to the portable transmitter, and in response to the controller determining that the receiver does not receive the reply signal within the predetermined time, the controller is further configured to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm and not to execute control of the engine based on the determination; and

wherein the controller is configured to reset, to a value that is substantially equal to a travel distance from a first detection that the reply signal is not received, a travel distance meter equipped in the vehicle or data regarding an elapse of time, (to enable the rider to easily find where the portable transmitter has fallen off), when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal in response to the request signal.

5. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the request signal is a user identification code request signal and the reply signal is a user identification code;

and

wherein the controller is configured to, upon reception of the user identification code, compare the received user identification code to a correct user identification code stored therein to determine whether or not the received user identification code matches the correct user identification code.

7. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal when the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal which is to be transmitted in response to the request signal which has been transmitted plural times.

10. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the portable transmitter includes a self-indicator configured to operate when determining that the transmitter receiver does not receive the request signal.

4. A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which opens outside, the theft prevention apparatus comprising:

a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and including a vehicle transmitter configured to transmit a request signal by radio at predetermined time intervals during a stopped state of the vehicle or at predetermined travel distance intervals during travel of the vehicle;

a portable transmitter including a transmitter receiver configured to receive the request signal which is transmitted by radio from the vehicle transmitter of the receiver, the portable transmitter being configured to transmit a reply signal by radio to the receiver in response to the request signal, the reply signal being received by the vehicle receiver;

a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio;

an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost; and

an engine mounted in the vehicle and configured to generate a driving power for driving the vehicle;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the reply signal transmitted from the portable transmitter within a predetermined time after the vehicle receiver has transmitted the request signal by radio to the portable transmitter, and in response to the controller determining that the receiver does not receive the reply signal within the predetermined time, the controller is further configured to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm and not to execute control of the engine based on the determination; and

wherein the controller is configured to reset, to a value that is substantially equal to a travel distance from a first detection that the reply signal is not received, a travel distance meter equipped in the vehicle or data regarding an elapse of time, (to enable the rider to easily find where the portable transmitter has fallen off), when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal in response to the request signal.

6. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the request signal is a user identification code request signal and the reply signal is a user identification code;

and

wherein the controller is configured to, upon reception of the user identification code, compare the received user identification code to a correct user identification code stored therein to determine whether or not the received user identification code matches the correct user identification code.

8. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the reply signal which is to be transmitted in response to the request signal which has been transmitted plural times.

9. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the travel distance meter is a trip meter.

11. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the portable transmitter includes a self-indicator configured to operate when determining that the transmitter receiver does not receive the request signal.

12. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the self-indicator is a light emitting device or an alarm sound emitter.

13. A theft prevention apparatus of a leisure vehicle equipped with a rider'"'"'s seat which is open to the outside,

the theft prevention apparatus comprising:

a portable transmitter configured to transmit a signal by radio at intervals during travel of the vehicle;

a vehicle receiver mounted in the vehicle and configured to receive the signal which is transmitted by radio from the portable transmitter;

a controller coupled to the vehicle receiver through a signal line or by radio;

an alarm device mounted in the vehicle and configured to indicate an alarm to inform the rider that the portable transmitter has been lost; and

an engine mounted in the vehicle and configured to generate a driving power for driving the vehicle;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle receiver has received the signal transmitted from the portable transmitter during travel of the vehicle, and in response to the controller determining that the vehicle receiver does not receive the signal, the controller is further configured to execute control to cause the alarm device to indicate the alarm and not to execute control of the engine based on the determination, and

wherein the controller is configured to reset, to a value that is substantially equal to a travel distance from a detection that the signal is not received, a travel distance meter equipped in the vehicle or data regarding an elapse of time, when the controller determines that the vehicle receiver does not receive the signal.

14. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the controller is configured to determine that the vehicle receiver does not receive the signal when the vehicle receiver does not receive the signal a predetermined number of times, and

wherein the travel distance is a distance from a first detection that the signal is not received.

15. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the portable transmitter includes a self-indicator configured to operate when determining that a transmitter receiver does not receive a request signal.

16. The theft prevention apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the self-indicator is a light emitting device or an alarm sound emitter.