Vehicle movement restrictions premised on electronic keys

A method for preventing a motor vehicle from being driven away without its associated electronic key being present, comprising:

• providing 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;
• checking for a first code authentication to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
• 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 checking of the first code authentication was successful provided that the detecting detects that the brake pedal is 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;
• 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 is able to be driven to another location different than its present location, the requiring of the second code authentication being based at least on part on the determining operating to determine that after the starting of the motor vehicle the brake pedal is no longer depressed;
• subsequently determining after the second key code authentication has been required, whether the brake pedal has been depressed while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
• checking for a second code authentication to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
• and
• subsequently, if the checking determines that the second code authentication was successful and provided that the brake pedal was determined after the second key code authentication has been required to be depressed, permitting the motor vehicle to be shifted from the park mode to a drive mode such that the motor vehicle is able to be driven to another location different than its present location.

A motor vehicle, comprising:

• a brake pedal sensor operatively connected to a brake pedal;
• a shifter lock;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the brake pedal sensor, 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:
• providing the motor vehicle in a park mode with the motor vehicle not started;
• detecting, via the brake pedal sensor, depression of the brake pedal of the motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
• checking for a first code authentication to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
• 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 checking of the first code authentication was successful provided that the detecting detects that the brake pedal is depressed;
• starting the motor vehicle if the permitting determines that the motor vehicle is permitted to be started;
• subsequently determining, via the brake pedal sensor, after the starting of the motor vehicle whether 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 is able to be driven to another location different than its present location, the requiring of the second code authentication being based at least in part on the determining operating to determine that after the starting of the motor vehicle the brake pedal is no longer depressed;
• subsequently determining, via the brake pedal sensor, after the second key code authentication has been required, whether the brake pedal has been depressed while the motor vehicle is in the park mode;
• checking for a second code authentication to determine whether a particular electronic key device linked to the motor vehicle is then present within the motor vehicle;
• and
• subsequently, if the checking determines that the second code authentication was successful and provided that the brake pedal was determined after the second key code authentication has been required to be 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 is able to be driven to another location different than its present location.