Vehicle start inhibition system using a cell phone and position detection

• US 7,667,580 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Takashi, Tauchi, Nobutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US11/798,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 34042611-42634, 340/539.13, 340/426.1, 307/10.3
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle moves to and remains in an out-of-cellular coverage area for a long time period. As long as the vehicle is located within a specified range from a reference point, a time measuring unit does not start time count for forcibly operating an immobiliser provided in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A security system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a security apparatus provided in the vehicle and including

a) a position detection unit for detecting a current position of the vehicle,

b) a start inhibition unit for inhibiting a specified start of a driving source of the vehicle, the specified start being based on a specified operation for starting the driving source,

c) a communication unit for wireless communication with a base station,

d) a time measuring unit for measuring a communication-disabled time period, for which the wireless communication is disabled, and

e) a control unit for controlling the start inhibition unit; and

a mobile phone for issuing an inhibition instruction for the security apparatus via the base station, wherein the control unit causes the start inhibition unit to inhibit the specified start of the driving source (i) when the inhibition instruction is received by the communication unit or (ii) when the inhibition instruction is not received and the measured communication-disabled time period becomes longer than a specified time period,

wherein the control unit causes the start inhibition unit not to inhibit the specified start when (i) a stop point, where the vehicle stops, is where the wireless communication is disabled and (ii) a current position detected by the position detection unit exists within a specified distance from the stop point.

2. The security system of claim 1,

wherein when (i) the stop point, where the vehicle stops, is where the wireless communication is disabled and (ii) the current position detected by the position detection unit exists within a specified distance from the stop point, the time measuring unit stops measuring the communication-disabled time period.

3. The security system of claim 1,

wherein the specified operation for starting the driving source signifies a start operation using a user-owned start key that is configured to provide short-range wireless communication with the security apparatus.

4. The security system of claim 1,

wherein a user of the vehicle is allowed to determine the stop point, where the vehicle stops, by performing an authentication operation only known to the user.

5. The security system of claim 1,

wherein the communication unit further includes:

a field strength detection unit for detecting an electric field strength of a radio wave for the wireless communication with the base station; and

a communication state determining unit for determining availability of the wireless communication based on the detected electric field strength,

wherein the wireless communication is assumed to be unavailable when the communication state determining unit determines that the detected electric field strength is smaller than a specified strength.

6. The security system of claim 1,

wherein the mobile phone issues a release instruction for the security apparatus via the base station, the release instruction releasing a start inhibition state of the driving source, wherein in the start inhibition state the driving source is inhibited from starting by the start inhibition unit.

7. The security system of claim 1,

wherein a start inhibition state, where the driving source is inhibited from starting by the start inhibition unit, is released when a user of the vehicle provides to the security apparatus, an authentication operation only known to the user.

15. The security system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote service center configured to communicate with each of (i) the mobile phone and (ii) the communication unit of the security apparatus via the base station, the center providing a remote service for remotely operating the security apparatus based on an instruction issued by the mobile phone.

8. An onboard security apparatus provided in a vehicle and cooperative with a mobile phone via a base station, the apparatus comprising:

a) a position detection unit for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

b) a start inhibition unit for inhibiting a specified start of a driving source of the vehicle, the specified start being based on a specified operation for starting the driving source;

c) a communication unit for wireless communication with a base station to received an instruction;

d) a time measuring unit for measuring a communication-disabled time period, for which the wireless communication is disabled; and

e) a control unit for controlling the start inhibition unit,

wherein the mobile phone is configured to issue an inhibition instruction for the security apparatus via the base station,

wherein the control unit causes the start inhibition unit to inhibit the specified start of the driving source (i) when the inhibition instruction is received by the communication unit or (ii) when the inhibition instruction is not received and the measured communication-disabled time period becomes longer than a specified time period, and

wherein the control unit causes the start inhibition unit not to inhibit the specified start when (i) S stop point, where the vehicle stops, is where the wireless communication is disabled and (ii) a current position detected by the position detection unit exists within a specified distance from the stop point.

9. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein when (i) the stop point, where the vehicle stops, is where the wireless communication is disabled and (ii) the current position detected by the position detection unit exists within a specified distance from the stop point, the time measuring unit stops measuring the communication-disabled time period.

10. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the specified operation for starting the driving source signifies a start operation using a user-owned start key communicable though short-range wireless communication.

11. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein a user of the vehicle is allowed to determine the stop point, where the vehicle stops, by performing an authentication operation only known to the user.

12. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the communication unit further includes:

a field strength detection unit for detecting an electric field strength of a radio wave for the wireless communication with the base station; and

a communication state determining unit for determining availability of the wireless communication based on the detected electric field strength,

wherein the wireless communication is assumed to he unavailable when the communication state determining unit determines that the detected electric field strength is smaller than a specified strength.

13. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the mobile phone is configured to issue a release instruction for the security apparatus via the base station, the release instruction releasing a start inhibition state of the driving source, wherein in the start inhibition state the driving source is inhibited from starting by the start inhibition unit.

14. The onboard security apparatus of claim 8,

wherein a start inhibition state, where the driving source is inhibited from starting by the start inhibition unit, is released when a user of the vehicle provides an authentication operation only known to the user.