Back to results
US 12,570,236 B1Granted
Vehicle movement restrictions premised on electronic keys
AssigneeEngle Grange, LLC
InventorDonna Long
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ignition start system in which authentication of a key is carried out twice, first to activate the ignition switch to allow starting the engine and second at the time prior to moving the vehicle from a parked position. The two step authentication prevents driving off in a car that has been started without having the key for security purposes and also to avoid inconvenient situations that can otherwise occur.
Claims20
A method for preventing a motor vehicle from being driven away without its associated electronic key being present, comprising:
- placing the motor vehicle in a park mode with the motor vehicle not started;
- detecting depression of a brake pedal of the motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
- responsive to the detection of the depression of the brake pedal, perform a first code authentication using wireless signals to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
- determining whether the first code authentication was successful;
- receiving a start request initiated by a user of the motor vehicle;
- permitting, in response to the start request being received, the motor vehicle to be started if the first code authentication was determined to be successful provided that the brake pedal that was detected to be depressed has remained depressed;
- starting the motor vehicle if the permitting determines that the motor vehicle is permitted to be started;
- subsequently determining after the starting of the motor vehicle whether the brake pedal is no longer depressed;
- after the determining determines that after the starting of the motor vehicle the brake pedal is no longer depressed, requiring a second code authentication in order to permit the motor vehicle to be shifted from the park mode to a drive mode such that the motor vehicle can be driven to another location different than its present location;
- subsequently determining after the second key code authentication has been required, whether the brake pedal has been again depressed while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
- responsive to the detection of the brake pedal being again depressed, perform a second code authentication using wireless signals to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
- determining whether the second code authentication was successful;
- and
- subsequently, if the determining determines that the second code authentication was successful and provided that the brake pedal that was detected to be again depressed has remained depressed, permitting the motor vehicle to be shifted from the park mode to a drive mode such that the motor vehicle can be driven to another location different than its present location.
11 more elements
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a brake pedal application sensor operatively connected to a brake pedal;
- a push to-start button;
- a shifter lock;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the brake pedal application sensor, the push-to-start button, and the shifter lock, the controller configured to prevent a motor vehicle from being driven away without its associated electronic key being present by carrying out the operations of:
- placing the motor vehicle in a park mode with the motor vehicle not started;
- detecting, via the brake pedal application sensor, depression of the brake pedal of the motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
- responsive to the detection of the depression of the brake pedal, perform a first code authentication using wireless signals to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
- determining whether the first code authentication was successful;
- receiving, via the push to-start button, a start request initiated by a user of the motor vehicle;
- permitting, in response to the start request being received, the motor vehicle to be started if the first code authentication was determined to be successful provided that the brake pedal that was detected to be depressed has remained depressed;
- starting the motor vehicle if the permitting determines that the motor vehicle is permitted to be started;
- subsequently determining, via the brake pedal application sensor, after the starting of the motor vehicle whether the brake pedal is no longer depressed;
- after the determining determines that after the starting of the motor vehicle the brake pedal is no longer depressed, requiring a second code authentication in order to permit the motor vehicle to be shifted from the park mode to a drive mode by unlocking the shifter lock, such that the motor vehicle can be driven to another location different than its present location;
- subsequently determining, via the brake pedal application sensor, after the second key code authentication has been required, whether the brake pedal has been again depressed while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
- responsive to the detection of the brake pedal being again depressed, perform a second code authentication using wireless signals to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
- determining whether the second code authentication was successful;
- and
- subsequently, if the determining determines that the second code authentication was successful and provided that the brake pedal that was detected to be again depressed has remained depressed, permitting the motor vehicle to be shifted from the park mode to a drive mode by unlocking the shifter lock, such that the motor vehicle can be driven to another location different than its present location.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.