System and method for preventing unauthorized driving of a land vehicle
First Claim
1. A vehicle interlocking system for a land vehicle being susceptible to theft once the land vehicle is left idling in a park mode and readily accessible by an unauthorized driver, and the land vehicle having an engine including an automatic transmission incorporating an interlock device being connected to and controllable by an existing electronic control module (ECM), the interlock device to mechanically lock the driven wheels of the land vehicle when the automatic transmission is placed in the park mode, the vehicle interlocking system, comprising:
- a credential input device, said credential input device being mountable on said land vehicle, said credential input device being configured to accept as input a credential from an authorized driver of said land vehicle, the credential being issued to said driver to authorize use of the land vehicle by said driver;
a microcomputer (CPU) being mountable on the land vehicle;
said microcomputer (CPU) and said credential input device being operatively connectable with each other, with said credential input device being configured to transmit said credential received from the authorized driver, and said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to receive said credential from the credential input device;
a credential database stored in said microcomputer (CPU), said credential database containing preloaded credential data for said land vehicle;
said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to make a determination, based on a comparison of said credential and said preloaded credential database, whether said authorized driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle;
said microcomputer (CPU) being operatively connectable to said existing electronic control module (ECM); and
,said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to operatively interact with said interlock device of the automatic transmission via said existing electronic control module (ECM) to preclude shifting of the automatic transmission out of the park mode of the automatic transmission when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that said unauthorized driver having no credential found in said credential database attempts to engage the automatic transmission from the park mode to non-park modes and to drive said land vehicle while the engine of the land vehicle is left idling in the park mode by the authorized driver, andwhereby the chance of theft of said land vehicle by the unauthorized driver while said engine is left idling in the park mode by the authorized driver is reduced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A credential-based vehicle interlock system for preventing unauthorized driving of a land vehicle even when the vehicle is left parked with its engine running. The subject system interacts, inter alia, with the existing sensors and electronic control module of the vehicle to prevent the transmission from shifting out of the “Park” gear, unless and until the credentials of the driver are validated against a database of credentials for authorized drivers. The system can be optionally configured to initiate and execute a controlled shutdown sequence of a moving land vehicle, upon receiving a wireless remote shutdown command.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A vehicle interlocking system for a land vehicle being susceptible to theft once the land vehicle is left idling in a park mode and readily accessible by an unauthorized driver, and the land vehicle having an engine including an automatic transmission incorporating an interlock device being connected to and controllable by an existing electronic control module (ECM), the interlock device to mechanically lock the driven wheels of the land vehicle when the automatic transmission is placed in the park mode, the vehicle interlocking system, comprising:
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a credential input device, said credential input device being mountable on said land vehicle, said credential input device being configured to accept as input a credential from an authorized driver of said land vehicle, the credential being issued to said driver to authorize use of the land vehicle by said driver; a microcomputer (CPU) being mountable on the land vehicle; said microcomputer (CPU) and said credential input device being operatively connectable with each other, with said credential input device being configured to transmit said credential received from the authorized driver, and said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to receive said credential from the credential input device; a credential database stored in said microcomputer (CPU), said credential database containing preloaded credential data for said land vehicle; said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to make a determination, based on a comparison of said credential and said preloaded credential database, whether said authorized driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle; said microcomputer (CPU) being operatively connectable to said existing electronic control module (ECM); and
,said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to operatively interact with said interlock device of the automatic transmission via said existing electronic control module (ECM) to preclude shifting of the automatic transmission out of the park mode of the automatic transmission when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that said unauthorized driver having no credential found in said credential database attempts to engage the automatic transmission from the park mode to non-park modes and to drive said land vehicle while the engine of the land vehicle is left idling in the park mode by the authorized driver, and whereby the chance of theft of said land vehicle by the unauthorized driver while said engine is left idling in the park mode by the authorized driver is reduced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for preventing an unauthorized driver from operating a land vehicle being susceptible to theft once the land vehicle is left idling in park mode and readily accessible by an unauthorized driver, and the land vehicle having an engine including an automatic transmission incorporating an interlock device being connected to and controllable by an existing electronic control module (ECM), the interlock device to mechanically lock the driven wheels of the land vehicle when the automatic transmission is placed in a park mode, said method comprising:
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fitting said land vehicle by operatively connecting a microcomputer (CPU) with the existing electronic control module of said land vehicle; fitting said land vehicle with a credential input device being configured to accept as an input said credential from said at least one authorized driver of said land vehicle, and the credential being issued to said driver to authorize use of the land vehicle by said driver; operatively connecting said microcomputer (CPU) and said credential input device with each other, with said credential input device being configured to transmit said credential received from the authorized driver, and said microcomputer (CPU) being configured to receive said credential from said credential input device; preloading credential data of said one or more authorized drivers for said land vehicle into a credential database stored on said microcomputer (CPU); allowing said microcomputer (CPU) to make a determination, based on a comparison of said credential and said preloaded credential database, whether said authorized driver is authorized or not authorized to drive said land vehicle; and
,allowing said microcomputer (CPU) to operatively interact with said interlock device of the automatic transmission via said existing electronic control module (ECM) to preclude shifting of the automatic transmission out of the park mode of the automatic transmission when said microcomputer (CPU) determines that said unauthorized driver having no credential found in said credential database attempts to engage the automatic transmission from the park mode to non-park modes and to drive said land vehicle while the engine of the land vehicle is left idling in the park mode by an authorized driver, and, whereby the chance of theft of said land vehicle by the unauthorized driver while said engine is left idling in the park mode by the authorized driver is reduced. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification