Security authorization system

• US 8,749,345 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milton Thompson
• Original Assignee: Milton Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US10/550,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,730 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.64, 340/426.12, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers

Abstract

An authorization system for permitting an apparatus to function normally in the presence of an authorized user includes complementary apparatus and user parts of a wireless communication device, which communicate within a spatial envelope defining a permissible working relationship and communication link for authorizing normal functioning of the apparatus. The system responds to interruption of the communications link with the apparatus inhibited from normal functioning after a delay, as measured in time or distance, that permits a separation to be established between the user and the apparatus, so that if the apparatus is forcibly taken from the authorized user, the user'"'"'s safety is not jeopardized by the proximity of the non-functional apparatus. Inhibition of functionality may include a vehicle, or any apparatus, becoming immobile or constrained as to maximum operating speed.

Claims

1. An authorization system for permitting functional control of an apparatus only in the presence of an authorized user, said system being provided distinct from normal key means authorizing the possessor of the key means to initiate the operation of said apparatus, the system comprising complementary parts of wireless communication means, which parts are arranged to be carried by the apparatus and by the authorized user, and are operable to effect a communication link, within a spatial envelope defining a predetermined permissible working relationship between the complementary parts, said communication link being defined by continual transfer with reference to a temporal envelope of identifying information comprising a rolling digital code based upon at least one random or pseudo-random number generated within the apparatus part and/or the user part and/or encrypted and decrypted in accordance with algorithms stored in said parts, said temporal envelope comprises a time window of predetermined duration in each of a plurality of sequential time intervals for pairing the complementary parts, said communication means effecting operative control of said apparatus in existence of said communication link, and said communication link being interrupted as the complementary parts are departed outside the spatial envelope, said complementary parts carried by the apparatus comprising means for inhibiting normal functioning of said apparatus during or after a delay interval on interruption of said communication link, whereas said delay interval is measured by acceleration responsive means and/or pedometer means which is representative to a predetermined distance travelled between the authorized user and the apparatus.

2. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is embodied in a vehicle having a cab and an engine, said cab being normally occupied by a driver, and wherein the spatial envelope is substantially co-extensive with the cab, and the apparatus part is arranged to form a communication link with a user part carried by the driver and to be operably coupled to the vehicle engine to authorize or inhibit functioning of the vehicle engine by the driver.

3. An authorization system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the apparatus or the communication means is arranged to be operably coupled to the vehicle engine to authorize the vehicle to travel at any speed demanded by the driver or to inhibit the vehicle from travelling in excess of a speed set by the system at the end of the delay interval.

4. An authorization system as claimed in claim 3 in which the apparatus or communication means part includes means for deriving a speed function related to any speed achieved during the delay interval and at the end of the delay interval to inhibit the vehicle from exceeding a speed that is a fraction of any speed represented by said speed function.

5. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 adapted for permitting use of apparatus comprising a vehicle having its engine supplied with fuel by way of a fuel delivery system and the apparatus part of the system is arranged to be operably coupled to the vehicle to authorize or inhibit delivery of fuel to the engine and to effect said inhibition of normal functioning after a said delay interval by progressively reducing the delivery of fuel to the engine during said interval.

6. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use with apparatus in which operation of the apparatus is initiated by the operator prior to effecting control of functioning thereof, wherein the apparatus part is responsive to initiation of operation of the apparatus by the operator to initiate establishment of the communication link prior to, or contemporaneously with, functioning of the apparatus.

7. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the communication means comprises user transmission means carried by the user part and apparatus reception means carried by the apparatus part, having therein means to produce a first identity reference unique to the pair, the user transmission means being operable to transmit radiation modulated in accordance with said first identity reference and the apparatus reception means being responsive to receipt of said modulated radiation to confirm by transfer of identifying information including said first identity reference existence of a communication link between them.

8. An authorization system as claimed in claim 7 in which the communication means further comprises apparatus transmission means in the apparatus part and user reception means in the user part arranged to effect bi-directional communications between the apparatus part and the user part and the user and apparatus parts each have therein means to produce a second identity reference unique to the pair, the apparatus transmission means being operable to transmit radiation modulated in accordance with said second identity reference and the user reception means being responsive to receipt of said modulated radiation to confirm existence of a communication link between them.

9. An authorization system as claimed in claim 7 in which the communication means is arranged to change at least the carrier frequency of the modulated radiation in accordance with a digital code during communication.

10. An authorization system as claimed in claim 9 in which the communication means is arranged to effect a communication link in accordance with the Bluetooth wireless specification.

11. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus part being responsive to receipt of identifying information from the user part within each time window to provide authorization of the apparatus until the next time window and responsive to absence of identifying information to determine cessation of the communication link.

12. An authorization system as claimed in claim 11 in which the apparatus part is responsive to the absence of receipt of identifying information within a predetermined number of consecutive time windows to determine cessation of the communication link.

13. An authorization system as claimed in claim 11 in which the sequential communication intervals are contiguous.

14. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the communication means includes a relay part arranged to be disposed, in respect of the communication link, between the user part and apparatus part and wherein at least the user part is arranged to transfer identifying information by way of the relay part in preference to establishing a communication link with the apparatus part directly.

15. An authorization system as claimed in claim 14 in which the communication means is arranged to attempt to establish a communication link including the relay part and in absence thereof to establish a communication link directly between the user part and the apparatus part.

16. An authorization system as claimed in claim 14 in which the relay part is arranged to be carried by the user in operation.

17. An authorization system as claimed in claim 14 in which the relay part includes additional functional apparatus under the control of the authorized user and the relay part is arranged to effect in response to cessation of an existing communication link with the user part of the communication means during functioning of the additional apparatus inhibition of normal functioning after a delaying interval.

18. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the user part comprises a plurality of physically discrete modules comprising a master module operable to effect a said communication link with the apparatus part and at least one supplementary module operable to effect a communication link with the master module, each said supplementary module having associated therewith a specific functional feature of the functioning apparatus, said communication means being responsive to absence of a communication link between a said supplementary module and master module to inhibit function of said feature within the functioning apparatus.

19. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the user part comprises a plurality of physically discrete modules comprising a master module operable to effect a said communication link with the apparatus part and at least one supplementary module operable to effect a supplementary communication link with the apparatus part, each said supplementary module having associated therewith a specific supplementary functional feature of the functioning apparatus not critical to its normal functioning, said communication means being responsive to absence of a communication link between a said supplementary module and the apparatus part to inhibit operation of the associated supplementary functional feature.

20. An authorization system as claimed claim 1 in which the apparatus part of the communication means is arranged to be removably carried by the apparatus in functioning and includes apparatus operation initiation means operable to permit initial operation of the apparatus.

21. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 for apparatus having a telephone communication ability, in which the apparatus part is operable during said delay interval to effect a telephone call to a predetermined recipient.

22. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use with moveable apparatus susceptible to being taken from the possession of the authorized user whilst functioning, in which the apparatus or the communication means includes means for measuring distance travelled and the communication means is operable to effect the delay interval as a function of distance travelled by the apparatus.

23. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the acceleration responsive means is responsive to movement of the apparatus or communication means to effect a determination of distance travelled by the apparatus at least during the delay interval.

24. An authorization system as claimed in claim 23 for use with moveable apparatus capable of being carried by, and susceptible of being taken from the possession of the authorized user, wherein the pedometer means is operable to recognize movement steps of the carrier of the apparatus and to compute from a number of recognized steps at least an approximate distance travelled by the apparatus.

25. An authorization system as claimed in claim 24 in which the pedometer means includes calibration means arranged to calibrate the pedometer means to the stride pattern of the authorized user and the apparatus includes means to provide to the authorized user on demand distance travelled by apparatus carried by the authorized user during normal functioning of the apparatus.

26. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use with moveable apparatus susceptible to being taken from the possession of the authorized user whilst functioning, in which the apparatus or the communication means includes means for measuring speed of the apparatus and at least one of the time and distance of travel of the apparatus and the communication means is operable to effect the delay interval as a function of said speed and at least one of said time and distance of travel of the apparatus during the delay interval.

27. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the apparatus or the communication means includes timing means and the communication means is operable to effect the delay interval as a time delay.

28. An authorization system as claimed in claim 1 in which the apparatus part is operable in the delay interval to effect temporary or permanent inhibition of multiple functional aspects of the apparatus during said delay interval to disguise responsibility of any particular functional aspect for non-functioning of the apparatus.