Vehicle anti-theft system and method

• US 7,782,178 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Kuo-Rong, Lee, Chun-Chung, Yang, Ming-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US12/155,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.11, 340/426.12, 340/426.13, 340/426.34, 340/425.5, 340/568.1, 340/463, 340/438, 340/539.1, 340/539.16, 340/539.18, 340/539.19, 340/539.13, 340/5.73, 340/5.22, 340/5.54, 307 102- 105, 180/270, 180/167, 701/1, 701/2, 701/32
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• 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 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018

Abstract

In a vehicle anti-theft system, a vehicle-mounted mainframe downloads a sole identification code, serving as a control identification code, and transfers the sole identification code into a part as a part identification code. The vehicle-mounted mainframe determines if the control identification code is obtained when the vehicle is activated. If yes, the vehicle-mounted mainframe sends a request command to the part to obtain the part identification code. The vehicle-mounted mainframe determines if the part identification code meets with the control identification code. If yes, the vehicle-mounted mainframe produces a normal operation signal to enter a normal operational mode and feedbacks the identification code to the customer service center. The customer service center checks with a database for stolen events. If an event of vehicle stolen is found, subsequent procedures are taken; otherwise, the vehicle-mounted mainframe transfers an abnormal signal to the customer service center for proceeding with subsequent procedures.

Claims

1. A vehicle anti-theft system, comprising:

a customer service center, including a mainframe and a first transceiver device, in which the customer service center transfers a sole identification code through the mainframe and the first transceiver device via a radio channel;

a vehicle-mounted mainframe, installed on a vehicle and having a second transceiver device and a first memory, in which the vehicle-mounted mainframe receives the sole identification code through the second transceiver device and stores the code into the first memory;

a transmission bus, connected to the vehicle-mounted mainframe; and

at least a part, having a second memory and connected to the transmission bus;

wherein the vehicle-mounted mainframe transfers the sole identification code to the at least a part through the transmission bus and the at least a part stores the sole identification code into the second memory for subsequent inspection by the vehicle-mounted mainframe.

2. The vehicle anti-theft system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second transceiver device is one of the following:

a GSM transceiver device, a GPRS transceiver device, a WCDMA transceiver device, a CDMA 2000 transceiver device and a WiMax transceiver device.

3. The vehicle anti-theft system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission bus is one of the following:

a CAN interface bus, an LIN interface bus, an SPI interface bus and an I2C interface bus.

4. The vehicle anti-theft system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least a part is one of the following:

a vehicle-controlled transmission system, a vehicle air conditioning system, a vehicle battery system, a vehicle meter panel system, a vehicle navigation system and a vehicle video and audio system.

5. The vehicle anti-theft system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customer service center further comprises a vehicle identification database and a database for stolen events to be based for determining a stolen vehicle or a component.

6. The vehicle anti-theft system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted mainframe further comprises a GPS satellite positioning module.

7. A vehicle anti-theft method, in which a vehicle-mounted mainframe downloads from a customer service center a sole identification code, serving as a control identification code, and transfers and stores the sole identification code into at least a part as a part identification code, and the vehicle-mounted mainframe and the at least a part are installed in a vehicle and interconnected with other through a transmission bus, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) the vehicle-mounted mainframe determining if the control identification code is obtained when the vehicle is activated;

(B) sending a request command to the at least a part as the vehicle-mounted mainframe determines that the control identification code is obtained;

(C) the at least a part determining if the format of the request command is correct;

(D) the at least a part determining if a part identification code is provided thereon as the format of the request command is determined correct;

(E) transmitting the part identification code to the vehicle-mounted mainframe as the at least a part determines that the part identification code is provided thereon;

(F) the vehicle-mounted mainframe determining if the part identification code transmitted by the at least a part meets with the control identification code pre-stored in the vehicle-mounted mainframe; and

(G) as the vehicle-mounted mainframe determines that the part identification code transmitted by the at least a part meets with the control identification code pre-stored in the vehicle-mounted mainframe, the vehicle-mounted mainframe entering into a normal operational mode and transmitting the identification code to the customer service center;

if not, the vehicle-mounted mainframe producing an abnormal signal and transmitting the abnormal signal to the customer service center.

8. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(H) after the vehicle-mounted mainframe enters into a normal operational mode and transmits the identification code to the customer service center, the customer service center verifying if a vehicle is stolen by checking a database for stolen events, and if not, ending the method; and

(O) if the customer service center verifies that a vehicle is stolen by checking the database for stolen events, producing a signal of being stolen, and tracking the current running route of the vehicle and reporting to the police.

9. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps:

of

(G′

) after the vehicle-mounted mainframe transmits the abnormal signal to the vehicle-mounted mainframe, transmitting the sole identification code of the at least a part to the customer service center;

(I) the customer service center determining if a part is stolen by checking the database for stolen events, and if yes, proceeding with step (O); and

(I′

) if step (I) determines that no part is stolen, producing an alarm signal according to the abnormal signal and the sole identification code of the at least a part.

10. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

(J) if the at least a part determines in the step (D) that the part identification code is not provided thereon, transmitting a signal indicating no sole identification code to the vehicle-mounted mainframe;

(K) the vehicle-mounted mainframe transmitting and storing the sole identification code pre-stored thereon to the at least a part; and

(L) after completion of storing, the at least a part responding a signal indicating completion of storing, and a normal operation mode being entered.

11. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of:

(C′

) as the at least a part determines in the step (C) that the format of the request order is incorrect, the at least a part entering into an abnormal operation mode.

12. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(M) as the vehicle-mounted mainframe determines in the step (A) not obtaining the sole identification code, the vehicle-mounted mainframe transmitting a download identification code signal to the customer service center and downloads the sole identification code from the customer service center.

13. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the customer service center comprises a first transceiver device and the vehicle-mounted mainframe comprises a second transceiver device such that the customer service center uses the first transceiver device to communicate with the second transceiver device of the vehicle-mounted mainframe via a radio channel.

14. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second transceiver device is one of the following:

a GSM transceiver device, a GPRS transceiver device, a WCDMA transceiver device, a CDMA 2000 transceiver device and a WiMax transceiver device.

15. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmission bus is one of the following:

a CAN interface bus, an LIN interface bus, an SPI interface bus and an I2C interface bus.

16. The vehicle anti-theft method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least a part is one of the following:

a vehicle-controlled transmission system, a vehicle air conditioning system, a vehicle battery system, a vehicle meter panel system, a vehicle navigation system and a vehicle video and audio system.