Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Of burglary or unauthorized use
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-18
2001-06-19
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Of burglary or unauthorized use
C340S425500, C340S988000, C340S989000, C307S010200, C180S287000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249215
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of German patent 197 25 669.4-51, filed Jun. 18, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The use of drive-away blocking devices has altered theft methods. Thus, organized bands of thieves have become specialized in transferring vehicles by means of transporters or in forcing the driver to hand over the key (car jacking). Locating and shut-down systems have therefore been offered for combatting vehicle theft and for a targeted intervening in the case of car jacking. These known shut-down systems can operate either immediately after the emission of the corresponding signal or not before the vehicle is stationary.
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for shutting down a vehicle.
German Patent Document DE 32 25 506 A1 discloses a method for shutting down a vehicle, in which the vehicle is shut down by means of a shut-down signal which is emitted by a transmitter and is received by a vehicle-side receiver.
German Patent Document DE 195 08 369 C1 discloses a method for securing vehicles with respect to an unauthorized use, in which a vehicle is shut-down after a recognized unauthorized use. This occurs in that it is prevented that the vehicle is operated after it is next put out of operation or in that the vehicle operation is terminated by a progressive lowering of the driving performance until the vehicle is stopped.
From German Patent Document DE 195 19 681 A1, a method is known for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal as the result of a shut-down request, in the case of which a vehicle-side analysis of a current vehicle operating condition draws a conclusion concerning a permissible shut-down location according to given criteria, in which case the shut-down signal is not generated before the current vehicle operating condition represents a permissible shut-down site.
From German Patent Document DE 195 38 694 A1, a method is known for shutting down a vehicle in which the current vehicle location is determined by means of a navigation system.
It may be considered to be a disadvantage of the above-mentioned documents that no measures are indicated for ensuring a shut-down of the vehicle under the aspect of traffic safety. Under unfavorable circumstances, for example, if the shut-down takes place in the middle of an intersection or on a railroad crossing, the shut-down of the vehicle may endanger innocent bystanders or traffic participants or the potential thief.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for shutting down a vehicle which is safe with respect to the traffic and by which almost any danger to traffic is excluded.
According to the invention, this and other objects have been achieved by providing a method for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal as the result of a shut-down request, during a vehicle-side analysis of a current vehicle operating condition according to defined criteria, a conclusion being drawn concerning a traffic-safe shut-down site, a first vehicle operating condition being recognized when the vehicle is refueled and/or when oil is refilled, a second vehicle operating condition being recognized when the vehicle is parked, a third vehicle operating condition being recognized when the vehicle is transported or towed, and the shut-down signal not being generated before the current operating condition represents a traffic-safe shut-down point.
According to the invention, this and other objects have been achieved by providing a method for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal as the result of a shut-down request, characterized in that, during a vehicle-side analysis of a current vehicle location determined by a vehicle-side navigation system according to defined criteria, the current vehicle location is recognized as a traffic-safe shut-down site, the shut-down signal not being generated before the current vehicle location corresponds to a traffic-safe shut-down site.
According to the invention, this and other objects have been achieved by providing a method for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal as the result of a shut-down request, characterized in that, during a vehicle-side analysis of a current vehicle location determined by a vehicle-side navigation system according to defined criteria, the current vehicle location is recognized as a not traffic-safe shut-down site, the generating of the shut-down signal being prevented if the current vehicle location corresponds to a not traffic-safe shut-down site.
According to the invention, this and other objects have been achieved by providing an arrangement for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal at a shut-down site after a shut-down request was made, characterized in that, on the vehicle side, a recognition device for determining an unauthorized use, an analysis device and a sensor device with several sensors are provided, the recognition device activating the analysis device by means of the shut-down request, the analysis device analyzing data of the sensor device as to whether the current vehicle operating condition represents a traffic-safe shut-down site which is characterized by whether the vehicle is being fueled and/or oil is being refilled, whether the vehicle is parked, or whether the vehicle is transported or towed, and the analyzing device
1
not generating the shut-down signal for activating a drive-away blocking system before the current vehicle operating condition represents a traffic-safe shut-down site.
According to the invention, this and other objects have been achieved by providing an arrangement for shutting down a vehicle by means of a shut-down signal at a shut-down site after a shut-down request was made, characterized in that, on the vehicle side, a recognition device for determining an unauthorized use, an analysis device and a navigation system are provided, the recognition device activating the analysis device by means of the shut-down request, the analysis device analyzing a current vehicle location determined by the navigation system as to whether the current vehicle location corresponds to a traffic-safe shut-down site or a shut-down site which is not safe with respect to traffic, and the analyzing device generating the shut-down signal for activating a drive-away blocking system only when the current vehicle location coincides with a traffic-safe shut-down site.
The main idea of the invention is based on the fact that the shutting-down of the vehicle which is safe with respect to the traffic is carried out in two phases. In a first phase, an unauthorized use of the vehicle is recognized and a shut-down request is generated. However, the recognition of an unauthorized use is not the object of this invention. From the state of the art, different methods are known for the secure recognition of an unauthorized use of a vehicle. Thus, an unauthorized use can be reported to the vehicle by an external center by means of a shut-down request which is received by a vehicle-side communication device. In this case, it may also be considered to be an unauthorized use if a rightful user is to be prevented from further using the vehicle, for example, in the event of a police search, in the case of a hit-and-run driver, or in the case of delinquent leasing or financing payments, automobile taxes or automobile insurance premiums. However, an unauthorized use can also be determined by a detection device in the vehicle; for example, if, as described in German Patent Document DE 195 08 369 C1, given use limitations, such as a maximally drivable route, a limited use duration or a fixed geographical area, which must not be left, are exceeded. If an exceeding of one of the given use limitations is recognized, a shut-down request is also generated.
In a second phase, a vehicle-side analysis is activated by the shut-down request. During the vehicle-side analysis, a current vehicle operating condition is analyzed according to given criteria by means of which a conclusion can be
Dilz Bernhardt
Kollbach Dietbert
Robitschko Peter
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
Tong Nina
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