Communications: electrical – Selective – Intelligence comparison for controlling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-27
2004-11-09
Zimmerman, Brian (Department: 2635)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Intelligence comparison for controlling
C340S426110, C307S010200, C307S010300, C307S010400, C307S010500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816059
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-012854 filed on Jan. 21, 2000, including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an anti-theft system for a moving object.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-244853 discloses an example of an anti-theft system for a moving object such as a vehicle. The anti-theft system disclosed in this publication includes a plurality of lock devices, collators and a lock-device controller. The lock devices are included in the moving object and can be switched between their locked states, where operation of a plurality of components required to move the moving object (the components required to move the moving object will hereinafter be referred to simply as mobile-purpose devices) is prohibited, and their unlocked states, where operation of the mobile-purpose devices is permitted. The collators collate (i.e., compare) identifying information in the moving object and a portable object. The lock-device controller maintains the locked devices in their locked states if identifying informations do not coincide with each other in one of the collators. In the anti-theft system described in this publication, the lock devices are maintained in their locked states if the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in one of the collators, and all the lock devices are unlocked if the identifying informations coincide with each other in one of the collators.
In this manner, according to the anti-theft system described in this publication, all the lock devices are unlocked if the identifying informations coincide with each other in one of the collators. Thus, it is impossible to guarantee sufficient security.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to improve the security of an anti-theft system for a moving object.
An anti-theft system for a moving object according to a first aspect of the invention includes a lock device, a plurality of collators, and a lock-device controller. The lock device is included in the moving object and can be switched between a locked state where operation of a component required to move the moving object is prohibited, and its unlocked state where operation of the component is permitted. The plurality of collators collate (i.e., compare) identifying informations of the moving object and a portable object. The lock-device controller maintains the lock device in its locked state if the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in any of the collators.
In the aforementioned anti-theft system, a plurality of collators are provided, and identifying informations are collated with each other in each of the collators. Therefore, it is possible to reinforce security in comparison with the case where identifying informations are collated with each other in only one of the collators. This technique is acceptable as long as only one lock device is included in the aforementioned anti-theft system. However, a plurality of lock devices may be provided and maintained in their locked states if the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the collating devices. In this case, it becomes possible to further reinforce security.
The lock device can be switched between its locked state where operation of the mobile-purpose device (i.e., the component) is prohibited and its unlocked state where operation of the mobile-purpose device is permitted. The lock device may be designed to prohibit or permit operation of the mobile-purpose device either through hardware (mechanically) or through software. In the latter case, for example, a controller that controls the mobile-purpose device is provided with a lock portion that can be switched between its locked state where control of the mobile-purpose device is prohibited and its unlocked state where control of the mobile-purpose device is permitted. Even if the lock portion has been put into its unlocked state where control of the mobile-purpose device by the controller is permitted, control of the mobile-purpose device by the controller is not always started immediately. In some cases, the control is started if a predetermined condition has been satisfied.
The portable object is normally carried by the driver of the moving object. For example, the portable object can be a key for permitting the starting of the driving source of the moving object. An identifying information stored in the portable object (hereinafter referred to as the portable-object-side identifying information) is read by the moving object and collated with an identifying information stored in the moving object (hereinafter referred to as the moving-object-side identifying information). The portable-object-side identifying information is read either in a contact state where the portable object is in physical contact with the moving object or in a non-contact state where the portable object is out of physical contact with the moving object. In any case, the portable-object-side identifying information is often read through communication between the portable object and the moving object. A plurality of communication devices may be provided separately for the collators, or a single communication device may commonly be provided for the collators.
The identifying informations in the moving object and in the portable object coincide either in a case where the portable-object-side identifying information is identical to the moving-object-side identifying information or in a case where a predetermined relation between that information is established. Furthermore, the lock-device controller may either be formed together with at least one of the collators or may be provided separately from the collators.
The lock-device controller may maintain the lock device in its locked state if the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the collators.
If the lock device is maintained in its locked state in the case where the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the collators, it is possible to reinforce security.
An anti-theft system for a moving object according to a second aspect of the invention includes a plurality of lock devices, a plurality of collators and a lock-device controller. The plurality of lock devices are included in the moving object and can be switched between locked states where operation of a plurality of components required to move the moving object is prohibited and unlocked states where operation of the components is permitted. The plurality of collators collate identifying informations of the moving object and a portable object. The lock-device controller controls at least one of the lock devices based on collation results in two or more of the collators.
In the aforementioned anti-theft system, the lock devices are controlled based on the collation results of two or more of the collators. It is possible to reinforce security in comparison with the case where the lock devices are controlled based on the collation result of only one collator.
The lock-device controller may maintain all the lock devices in their locked states if the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the collators.
If the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in all the collators, none of the lock devices are unlocked. Therefore, it becomes possible to reinforce security.
The collators may be provided so as to correspond in number to the number of lock devices respectively.
In the aforementioned aspect, the anti-theft system may be constructed such that one of the lock devices is a first lock device that can be switched between its locked state where operation of a driving source of the moving object is prohibited, and its unlocked state where operation of the driving source is permitted. Another one of the lock devices can be a second lock device that is
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
Yang Clara
Zimmerman Brian
LandOfFree
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