Vehicle safety device with electronically coded access authorization

• US 5,596,317 A
• Filed: 05/24/1995
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Hense, Bernd, Brinkmeyer, Horst, Daiss, Michael, Schwegler, Gunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/449,000
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.54, 340/426, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.5, 180/287
• US Class Current: 340/5.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

In the new vehicle safety device according to the invention, random code information used to control the release of an electronic drive-away block arrangement consists of a combination of a plurality of partial information generated separately in operationally essential vehicle units which are separated from one another. The partial information is combined in a linking unit connected with these units for total random code information. Even after a code data exchange protocol has been intercepted by an unauthorized person, the latter, because of the structure of the safety device, can operate the vehicle only by replacing all of these units, which renders such unauthorized use by strangers unattractive because of the manipulations and expense required for this purpose.

Claims

1. In a vehicle safety device with electronically encoded access authorization, having a vehicle transmitter for transmitting random code information generated by the vehicle, a user unit for receiving said transmitted random code information, generating specific user code information based on the received random code information, and transmitting the user code information, and a vehicle user code evaluating unit for receiving user code information, extracting random code information contained therein, comparing the latter with corresponding random code information generated by the vehicle, and generating vehicle operation authorizing information only when the comparison result is positive, the combination comprising:

a plurality of control devices, each having a random number generator for generating random code partial information, one such control device being arranged in and controlling operability of each of a plurality of vehicle systems whose function is required for operation of the vehicle; and

a random code partial information linking device having an input coupled to receive random code partial information from each of said control devices and an output coupled to the vehicle transmitter, which linking device links said random code partial information received from each of said control devices in a predetermined manner to form said random code information transmitted by said vehicle transmitter.

2. Safety device according to claim 1 wherein:

said user code evaluating unit comprises a plurality of decoders for extracting random code information contained in user code information, one such decoder being located in a control device unit in each of said vehicle systems;

the random code information is transmitted from the random code partial information linking device to each of said systems; and

each of said control devices contains a first comparator for comparing the random code information transmitted by the random code partial information linking device with the random code information extracted by the control device, means for communicating a result of said comparison to each other control device, and means for generating a vehicle operation releasing information only when a positive comparison result is achieved in all of said control devices.

3. Safety device according to claim 1 wherein:

random code information is transmitted from random code partial information linking device to said control devices; and

each control device has a comparator for comparing the random code partial information produced in this control device with the random code partial information recognized from the transmitted random code information as belonging to this control device, with generation of the vehicle operation authorization information occurring only when a positive comparison result is achieved in all of these control devices.

4. Safety device according to claim 2 wherein:

each control device has a second comparator for comparing the random code partial information produced in this control device with the random code partial information recognized from the transmitted random code information as belonging to this control device, with generation of the vehicle operation authorization information occurring only with a positive comparison result in all control devices.

5. Safety device according to claim 3 wherein each control device also has a decoder for extracting random code information contained in the user code information, and an additional comparator for comparing the random code information transmitted by the random code partial information linking device with the random code information extracted by the control device, with the outputs of the comparator and the additional comparator being connected with respective inputs of an AND linking unit connected downstream.

6. Safety device according to claim 2 wherein each of said control devices has a second comparator for comparing the random code partial information produced in this control device with random code partial information recognized from the transmitted random code information as belonging to this control device, and said control devices are connected with one another for supplying comparison result information from each control device to all the other control devices, each of the control devices incorporating means for generating vehicle operation authorization information when comparison result information from all control devices indicates a positive comparison result in both of said first and second comparators.