JP2001184569A - Electronic equipment controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic equipment controller, with which the ordinary operation of electronic equipment is disabled when stolen and that electronic equipment can be prevented from being stolen as a result. SOLUTION: In engine stop, a present position is stored as position information 1 (S5) and at the next start of the engine, the present position is stored as position information 2 (S9). When a car navigation system as electronic equipment is stolen, the system is to be used at a position different from the position at the time of the last use end so that the position information 1 is not coincident with the position information 2 (S11: NO). In the case of negative judgement in S11, the input of a password is demanded (S15) and the car navigation system is prevented from being started as usual (S13). Since a person, who steals the car navigation system, can not input the correct password (S17: NO), the car navigation system is not operated and a password input picture is continuously displayed (S15).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device control device for controlling an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device control device provided with position detecting means for detecting the position of the electronic device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in electronic devices mounted on a vehicle, such as an audio device and a car navigation device, cases where the electronic device is stolen during parking have frequently occurred. Therefore, it has been considered to provide a security device for generating an alarm or making a notification in such electronic devices.

[0003]

However, since this kind of security device is already generally known, a sufficient security effect cannot be obtained. On the other hand, no attempt has been made to stop the electronic device from operating normally when stolen. Thus, the present invention provides that if an electronic device is stolen, it will not operate normally,
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic device control device capable of preventing the electronic device from being stolen.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above object, the position of the electronic device differs between the end of the previous use and the start of the current use. In such a case, the operation of the electronic device is restricted by the restricting means.

When an electronic device is stolen, the electronic device is usually used at a different position from the end of the previous use. Therefore, in this case, since the determination unit makes a negative determination, the operation of the electronic device is limited by the limiting unit, and the electronic device does not operate normally. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the commercial value of the stolen electronic device and prevent the electronic device from being stolen.

A situation in which the position of the electronic device is different between the end of the previous use and the start of the current use may occur even if the electronic device is not stolen. For example, in the case of an electronic device mounted on a vehicle, the engine and the electronic device are transported together with the vehicle stopped while the engine and the electronic device are stopped, and the engine is started and the electronic device is started after the engine trouble is resolved. . According to the second aspect of the present invention, the restriction (prohibition) of the operation by the control means is released by inputting a preset password through the password input means. Electronic equipment can be reused. On the other hand, if the electronic device is stolen, the operation of the electronic device is restricted (prohibited) unless a preset password is input, so that the electronic device has no commercial value. Therefore, according to the present invention, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, when the electronic device is moved in a state where the use of the electronic device has been completed, the electronic device can be easily reused.
When the electronic device is stolen, the commercial value of the electronic device is completely lost and the theft can be more effectively prevented.

When the electronic device is mounted on a vehicle, the position of the electronic device generally changes during operation of the engine. Therefore, in the invention according to claim 3, the position of the electronic device when the engine of the vehicle is stopped is stored in the storage means, and when the engine is started, it is determined whether or not the position at that time matches the stored position. Have judged. For this reason, when the vehicle travels without substantially using the electronic device, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the restriction by the restriction unit from being applied. Therefore, in the present invention, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the reuse of the electronic device when the vehicle runs without substantially using the electronic device is further facilitated. There is an effect that can be performed.

When a power supply voltage is continuously applied to an electronic device, the application of the power supply voltage is interrupted when the electronic device is stolen. Therefore, in the invention according to claim 4,
The limiting means limits the operation of the electronic device even when the supply of power is interrupted. For this reason, even if the stolen electronic device is reused near the theft site, the operation of the electronic device is restricted by the restricting means, and the electronic device does not operate normally. Therefore, according to the present invention, the commercial value of the stolen electronic device can be reduced in this case as well. Therefore, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, an effect that theft of an electronic device can be more effectively prevented can be prevented.

In recent years, so-called AVNs and AVCNs, in which audio equipment and a car navigation device are integrated, are becoming the mainstream of car navigation devices. However, this type of device has a high commercial value and is liable to be stolen. According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is applied to such a car navigation device, the effects of the invention are more remarkably exhibited. Moreover,
In the present invention, the GP provided in the car navigation device
The position detecting means such as the S receiver can be used as it is as the position detecting means of the present invention. For this reason, in the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, an effect that the configuration can be further simplified is generated.

[0010]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a car navigation device as an electronic device to which the present invention is applied. The car navigation device according to the present embodiment is capable of receiving various data such as traffic congestion information from a road information center (not shown).
It is a compatible car navigation device. The car navigation device according to the present embodiment is a so-called AVCN integrated with a car audio device and a communication input / output device.
(AudioVisualCommunicationNavigation).

As shown in FIG. 1, a car navigation device according to the present embodiment includes a position detector 1, a map data input device 3, an operation switch device 5, an external information input / output device 7, an audio output device 9, a mobile phone. Connection device 11, display device 13, remote control sensor 15, remote control 17, external power input 19,
And a control circuit 21.

The position detector 1 includes a geomagnetic sensor 23, a gyroscope 25, a distance sensor 27, and a GPS receiver 29, and is a device for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on these various detection signals. . If the current position of the vehicle can be detected, it is not necessary to provide all of the above sensors, and it is sufficient to provide at least one of the sensors.

The map data input device 3 is composed of a DVD player, a hard disk, a CD player, etc., and stores map data corresponding to a road map. The operation switch devices 5 are switches attached to the left and right and up and down of the display device 13 composed of a liquid crystal display.
Various selections and various operation instructions can be made through the operation switch device 5.

The external information input / output device 7 inputs information from the road information center via FM multiplex broadcasting or an optical beacon, or transmits its own position data detected via the position detector 1 to the road information center. Output. The voice output device 9 utters a voice for navigating the driver and an explanation of a screen operation. The mobile phone connection device 11 is connected to the user's mobile phone 31, and transmits and receives various information and commands to and from the road information center via the mobile phone 31. The display device 13 displays a map for navigating the driver, a destination selection screen, a television image, and the like. Remote control sensor 15 receives a radio wave transmitted from remote control 17 and detects an operation state of remote control 17. The external power supply input device 19 inputs electric power for driving the car navigation device from an external power supply such as a cigarette lighter provided in the vehicle.

These position detectors 1 to external power input unit 1
9 is connected to the control circuit 21. Control circuit 21
Is a microcomputer mainly composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The remote controller 17 includes an operation state of the operation switch unit 5, and a remote controller 17 detected through the remote controller sensor 15.
Each part is controlled based on various commands corresponding to the operation state of the device. For example, the current position of the vehicle is detected via the position detector 1, and a route from the current position to the destination corresponding to the command is calculated based on the map data stored in the map data input device 3, The driver is instructed on the route to be followed by the voice output device 9 and the display on the display device 13. The navigation processing of the control circuit 21 as described above is well known and will not be described in detail here.

Next, the processing executed by the control circuit 21 of the car navigation device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The control circuit 21 is configured such that the car navigation device of the present embodiment is newly purchased and mounted on a vehicle,
This processing is started when a power supply voltage from a battery is applied (power is supplied) via the external power supply input device 19.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the process is started, the control circuit 21 first executes a password registration process in S1 (S represents a step: the same applies hereinafter). In this process, a password registration screen is displayed on the display device 13, and the password input by operating the remote controller 17 or the like is registered in a flash ROM (in the control circuit 21) (not shown). In the next S3, the ignition switch is set to O
It is determined whether or not the engine has stopped based on whether or not the state has been switched from N to OFF or ACC. Until the engine stops, the process waits in S3 (S3: N
O) When the engine stops (S3: YES), the subsequent S
Go to 5.

In S5, the current position detected by the position detector 1 at that time is used as position information (1) as the control circuit 2
1 is stored in the RAM. In S7, the process waits until the engine is started based on whether the ignition switch has been turned ON. Note that the standby in S7 does not always repeatedly execute the determination, but may store the execution position of the program using a pointer or the like and then suspend the processing until the engine is started.

When the engine is started (S7: YE
S) Then, the process proceeds to S9, in which the current position detected by the position detector 1 at that time is stored in the RAM as position information (2). Further, in the subsequent S11, the stored position information (1) and the stored position information (2) are compared, and it is determined whether or not both match. If they match (S1
1: YES), the apparatus of the car navigation device is started normally in S13, and the process proceeds to S3. As a result, the navigation process by the car navigation device can be executed until the engine stops next (S3: NO).

On the other hand, if the position information (1) and the position information (2) do not match (S11: NO), the process proceeds to S15, where a password input screen is displayed on the display device 13, and the remote controller 17 responds accordingly. Read the entered password. In subsequent S17, it is determined whether or not the password matches the password registered in S1, and if they match (S17: YES), the process goes to S13 described above, and if they do not match (S17: NO), the process goes to S15. Transition.

That is, if the car navigation device is stolen, the car navigation device is used at a position different from the position (S5) at the end of the previous use. In this case, the position information (1) does not match the position information (2) (S11: NO). Therefore,
In the present embodiment, when a negative determination is made in S11, the input of the password is requested (S15), and the starting of the car navigation device as usual (S13) is prevented. In this case (S17: NO), the person stealing the car navigation device cannot enter the correct password.
The car navigation device does not operate, and the password input screen is continuously displayed on the display device 13 (S15). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the commercial value of the stolen car navigation device can be completely lost, and the stolen vehicle navigation device can be prevented well.

The number of repetitions of the loop of S15 and S17 may be counted by a counter or the like, and the car navigation device may not operate at all if an incorrect password is input a predetermined number of times or more. Also, the situation where the position information (1) and (2) do not match,
This can occur even when the car navigation device is not stolen. For example, when the engine stops due to an engine trouble or the like and the entire vehicle is transported by a tow truck or the like, the position information (1) corresponds to the position of the vehicle at the time of the engine trouble, and the position information (2) corresponds to the position of the maintenance shop or the like. Will correspond. Even in such a case, the user (original owner) enters the password registered in advance in S1 (S17: YE
S), the car navigation device can be reused (S13). Note that, in addition to the position information (1), position information of a maintenance shop or the like is stored in advance, and an affirmative determination is made in S17 also when the position information matches the position information (2). Good. In this case, if the engine is started at the maintenance shop after the engine trouble has been resolved, the car navigation device starts normally without entering a password (S13).

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments. In the above-described embodiment, among the processing of the position detector 1 and S5, the processing relating to the detection of the current position is the position detection. In the means, the RAM and the processing related to the storage of the position information (1) among the processing in S5 are stored in the storage means.
The processing in S11 corresponds to the determination means, the processing in S15 and S17 corresponds to the restriction means, and the remote controller 17 corresponds to the password input means.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment at all, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the position information (1) when the engine is stopped and the position information (2) when the engine is started are compared. May be compared with the position when it was started. However,
Since the car navigation device is mounted on the vehicle,
Generally, the position changes while the vehicle is running.
Therefore, in the above embodiment, the position information (1) when the engine of the vehicle is stopped and the position information (2) when the engine is started are compared. Therefore, in the above embodiment, even when the vehicle is driven without substantially using the car navigation device, it is possible to further easily reuse the car navigation device.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the position information (1) and the position information (2) do not match, (S1
1: NO), the password input screen is kept displayed without the operation of the car navigation device, but various other forms of restricting the operation of the car navigation device are conceivable. For example, the operation may not be performed at all without displaying the password input screen. Such processing can be realized by shifting to S7 when NO is determined in S11. In this case, when the car navigation device stops operating due to the engine trouble or the like, the vehicle may be returned to the place where the engine trouble has occurred and the engine may be restarted. Then
Since the position information (1) and the position information (2) match, the car navigation device starts normally.

Further, a configuration may be adopted in which a part of the operation of the car navigation apparatus is permitted even when the car is stolen. For example, in some cases, the function of periodically outputting the current position of the user to the road information center is easier to find after theft if permission is given. In the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle is stolen, not only the operation as a car navigation device but also the operation as a car audio device or a communication input / output device (including an automatic receiving device of the mobile phone 31) is stopped. Therefore, by notifying this to the public in advance,
Theft can be prevented very well.

Further, the present invention is not limited to a car navigation device, but may be a position detecting means such as a GPS receiver and a storage means such as a non-volatile RAM which can store the position detected by the position detecting means even after the end of use. If it is provided, it can be applied to various electronic devices. For example, the present invention can be easily applied to a personal computer or the like having a built-in GPS receiver. However, so-called AVNs and AVCNs in which an audio device and a car navigation device are integrated have a high commercial value, and are liable to be stolen. In the above-described embodiment, since the present invention is applied to such an apparatus, the effects of the present invention are more remarkably exhibited. Moreover, in the above embodiment, since the position detector 1 originally provided in the car navigation device is used as it is as the position detecting means of the present invention, the configuration can be further simplified.

Further, a power supply voltage from a battery is continuously applied to the car navigation device, and when the car navigation device is stolen, the application of the power supply voltage is interrupted. Therefore, even when the application of the power supply voltage is interrupted, the processing may shift to the loop processing of S15 to S17. In this case, even if the stolen car navigation device is reused in the vicinity of the theft site, the car navigation device will not operate and will continue to display the password input screen, thereby further preventing theft. be able to. In addition, when such a configuration is employed, even if the accuracy of the position detector 1 is not sufficient and the position detector 1 is determined to be the same position even at a distance, theft can be satisfactorily prevented.

With such a configuration, for example, when the engine is started (S7: YES), it is determined from the state of the RAM whether or not the power supply voltage has been interrupted up to that time. If there is, it can be realized by shifting to S15 respectively. Further, such a configuration can be applied to the personal computer and the like. For example, when a personal computer is normally connected to an outlet of a commercial power supply, a similar configuration can be considered because application of a voltage from the commercial power supply is interrupted when the personal computer is stolen.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a car navigation device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a control circuit of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Position detector 3. Map data input device
5 operation switch device 7 external information input / output device 9 audio output device
11 mobile phone connection device 13 display device 15 remote control sensor
17 remote control 19 external power input device 21 control circuit
23 ... geomagnetic sensor 25 ... gyroscope 27 ... distance sensor
29 ... GPS receiver

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/44 H04N 5/44 Z 9A001 F term (Reference) 2F029 AA02 AB01 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC14 AC18 AC19 AC20 5C025 AA25 AA30 BA14 BA27 CA01 CA02 CA09 CB07 CB10 DA07 5C084 AA03 AA09 BB04 BB31 CC23 DD07 GG43 GG54 HH12 HH13 HH17 5H180 AA01 BB02 BB04 BB05 BB13 EE07 EE18 FF04 FF05 FF10 FF12 FF13 FF13 FF13 FF13 FF13 AFFH

Claims (5)

[Claims] An electronic device control device for controlling an electronic device, comprising: a position detecting means for detecting a position of the electronic device; and a position detected by the position detecting device at the end of use of the electronic device. Storage means for storing; after starting use of the electronic device, determination means for determining whether or not the position detected by the position detection means matches the position stored in the storage means; and If we determine that the locations do not match,
An electronic device control device, comprising: a limiting unit configured to limit an operation of the electronic device. 2. A password input means capable of inputting a password, wherein the restricting means validates the operation of the restricted electronic device until a preset password is input by the password input means. The electronic device control device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The electronic device is mounted on a vehicle, wherein when the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the storage means performs the storage when the use of the electronic device ends, and when the engine is started. 3. The electronic device control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination when the electronic device is started to be used. 4. The electronic device is capable of continuously supplying power even when it is not in use, and the limiting means controls the operation of the electronic device even when the power supply is interrupted. The electronic device control device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device control device is limited. 5. The electronic device control device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a car navigation device integrated with an audio device.