FR2736021A1 - Anti-theft device for motor vehicles in closed car park - Google Patents

Abstract

The anti-theft device has two parts, one fitted to the vehicle and one to the car park exit control system. The vehicle carries a high-frequency radio transmitter (1) that permanently emits a signal carrying an encrypted version of an identity code unique to that vehicle. The exit control has a receiver that accepts and decrypts the signal from the vehicle. A key pad is placed at the exit where it is accessible to the driver, who must enter correctly the unique code before the exit barrier will open. The anti-theft system can be used alongside conventional control methods such as tickets or magnetic cards. If a vehicle is not fitted with the transmitter, the exit control responds to absence of a signal by allowing exit under conventional control.

Description

ANTITHEFT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES
PARKED IN A CLOSED PARKING
The present invention relates to an anti-theft device for motor vehicles parked in a closed car park.

 It can be applied to all types of road vehicles and to all types of closed car parks or garages, whether public or private.

 Due to the permanent growth of the car fleet and the saturation of the surface available for parking, underground and covered parking lots are increasing, and thefts of vehicles committed there are more and more frequent.

 The structure of car parks, generally built on several levels, makes them difficult to keep efficiently and allows thieves to operate out of sight on a vehicle to neutralize the vehicle's locking and alarm systems.

 The anti-theft devices for vehicles produced to date consider the vehicle and the parking lot locking system independently.

On the vehicle, the anti-theft system can be constituted in various ways:
- Key contact.

 - Mechanical locking of the doors and the steering column.

 - Door opening detection, volumetric detection, shock detection, etc.

 - Preset latency time before specific action by the vehicle owner. This type of system requires specific handling by the vehicle owner before starting.

 The access and exit control of the car park is carried out using a mechanical constraint element such as a barrier or metal door, which the owner of the vehicle generally unlocks using an opening means which may consist of a ticket, a card or a key.

 There is therefore currently no simultaneous link between the vehicle, the owner and the parking lot locking system. In particular, it suffices to have in one's possession the means for opening the mechanical restraint element to remove any vehicle from the parking lot.

 The device according to the present invention eliminates all these drawbacks. In fact, it creates a link between the vehicle, the owner and the mechanical restraint system controlling the exit from the parking lot. It prohibits the opening of the mechanical system when this link is not established.

 I1 consists of the combination of a keyboard located at the exit of the car park and allowing you to enter a code specific to each vehicle, the same code being permanently transmitted in encrypted form by an HF transmitter installed on board the vehicle and picked up by a receiver connected to the car park exit control system, the non-correspondence of the code issued and the code entered preventing the opening of the mechanical exit control element closing the car park.

In the appended schematic drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example of one of the embodiments of the subject of the invention:
FIG. 1 represents a vehicle equipped with an HF transmitter

FIG. 2 is an electronic diagram of the parking lot exit control system,
and Figure 3 shows the exit from a parking lot controlled by a barrier.

 The device, Figures 1 to 3, consists of a high frequency transmitter (H.F.) mounted on the vehicle 2, and a fixed electronic module 3 installed in the parking lot and connected on the one hand to an H.F.

4, and on the other hand to the control system 5 for opening the car park, the latter itself being connected to the movable barrier 6 (the mechanical exit control element) and, where appropriate, to a device Receiver of ticket 7 or magnetic card, the garage can be closed by a simple lock doubled by a motorized locking controlled by the electronic module 3.

 The H.F. 1 transmitter of each vehicle permanently transmits a particular coded sequence known to the owner of said vehicle.

 The H.F. 4 receiver is used to extract the code sent by the transmitter. A man-machine interface 8, consisting for example of a keyboard and a display, is arranged near the parking lot exit and connected to the electronic module 3. This interface makes it possible to enter a code whose concordance with the transmitted code by the HF 1 transmitter of the vehicle is verified by said electronic module.

 When a user wants to get his vehicle out of the parking lot, he must type the code corresponding to that of the latter's H.F. If the two codes are identical, the electronic module 3 transmits to the control system 5 an authorization to leave the car park.

 This system complements the aforementioned existing systems and in particular does not replace the means allowing the opening after payment of the parking fee. When the H.F. receiver 4 of the electronic module 3 does not receive any signal, it gives or does not give the authorization to open according to the chosen option. If he gives this authorization, this allows the normal exit of unequipped vehicles. To avoid possible interference and confusion when two vehicles arrive at the same time at the exit, the HF transmitter will have a very short range, determined so that only the signal emitted by the vehicle in the exit position is received by the HF receiver 4.

 To ensure better system integrity, the transmission of the code will be encrypted and the H.F. transmitter 1 will be made inaccessible, for example by being housed in the engine compartment of the vehicle 2.

 The positioning of the various constituent elements gives the object of the invention a maximum of useful effects which had not, to date, been obtained by similar devices.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS 1. Anti-theft device for motor vehicles parked in a closed car park, applicable to all types of road vehicles and to all types of closed car parks or garages, whether public or private, characterized by the combination, on the one hand, of a man-machine interface (8) connected to a fixed electronic module (3) connected to a high frequency receiver (4) as well as to the control system (5) for opening the car park and, on the other hand, a high frequency transmitter (1) mounted on board each vehicle (2) permanently transmitting a particular coded sequence known by the vehicle owner, who must enter the same code on the man-machine interface (8) so that the electronic module (3) transmits to the control system (5) the authorization allowing the opening of the mechanical element (6) for controlling the exit from the car park.  20. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the code is transmitted in encrypted form by the high frequency transmitter (1) and decrypted by the high frequency receiver (4).  30. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the H.F. transmitter (1) is housed in an inaccessible location in the vehicle (2).  40. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the HF transmitter (1) has a determined range so that only the signal emitted by the vehicle (2) in the exit position is received by the HF receiver (4).  5. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the man-machine interface (8) consists of a keyboard and a display, and is arranged near the parking lot exit .  60. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is used in conjunction with a known output control system such as a lock or a device for receiving tickets (7) or magnetic cards.  70. Anti-theft device for a motor vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that when no signal is received by the HF receiver (4), the electronic module (3) gives the authorization to open, so as to allow normal exit of unequipped vehicles.  Motor vehicle anti-theft device according to claim 6, characterized in that when no signal is received by the H.F. receiver (4), the electronic module (3) does not give the authorization to open.