Antitheft device for a vehicle or the like

An antitheft device for a vehicle which is propelled by a driving force of an engine,

• said device comprising:
• an operation-equipment limiting part for limiting the operation of operation equipment for said vehicle through external operation;
• a first switch adapted to be turned on from the outside to send a first prescribed ID code;
• an operation-equipment operation determining part that receives said first ID code to generate permission information for releasing a limited state of said operation equipment caused by said operation-equipment limiting part;
• a nonvolatile memory for storing said permission information;
• and
• an engine operation limiting part that permits the operation of said engine in response to said permission information, and limits the operation of said engine based on an operating state of said engine;
• wherein said operation-equipment operation determining part stores in advance a second ID code corresponding to said first ID code, collates said first ID code with said second ID code, and generates said permission information thereby to permit the operation of said operation equipment as well as to make said permission information stored in said nonvolatile memory, when the collation result of said first and second ID codes indicates coincidence therebetween,
• and said antitheft device further comprising a second switch adapted to be turned on from the outside to send a third prescribed ID code;
• wherein said operation-equipment operation determining part stores in advance a fourth ID code corresponding to said third ID code, collates said third ID code with said fourth ID code, generates limitation information for limiting the operations of said engine and said operation equipment and deletes the permission information in said nonvolatile memory, when the collation result of said the third and fourth ID codes indicates coincidence therebetween, and
• said operation-equipment operation determining part permits the operation of said engine by using said permission information in said nonvolatile memory, when said engine is restarted in a predetermined time after generation of said permission information,
• wherein said permission information is deleted when use of said vehicle is stopped;
• and
• wherein said engine operation limiting part limits the operation of said engine in response to said limitation information.