JP2008062690A - Antitheft device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly reliable antitheft device allowing limited specific persons to use a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: In this antitheft device provided with a fingerprint reading sensor 11 reading fingerprint of a person intending to unlock a vehicle door lock, a memory 13 storing information on fingerprints previously registered, and a control section 15, fingerprint authentication is performed, determining whether or not there is fingerprint matched with information on fingerprints read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 among information on fingerprints stored in the memory 13 with reference to information on fingerprints read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 and information on fingerprints stored in the memory 13. As a result of fingerprint authentication, such control is executed that if there is the matched fingerprint, door opening by the person intending to unlock the vehicle door lock is allowed, and if there is no matched fingerprint, door opening by that person is not allowed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle antitheft device, and more particularly to an antitheft device that employs fingerprint authentication to identify whether or not the vehicle is an owner.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are those that mainly use an ignition key to prevent theft of a vehicle such as an automobile. In other words, when opening and closing the door, the door can be unlocked and locked with the ignition key, or the engine can be started with the ignition key, so that those who do not have the ignition key can illegally It cannot be used.

In addition, a technique for preventing theft of a vehicle by enabling a door to be unlocked or locked using a remote controller instead of an ignition key is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, the door is unlocked and locked by operating a remote controller and transmitting / receiving a predetermined ID code to / from a receiver installed in the vehicle. This prevents a person who does not have a remote controller from using the vehicle illegally.
JP-A-9-125770

  However, the conventional technology for preventing theft of the vehicle as described above has low reliability in the following points.

  With the ignition key, the door can be opened and closed and the engine can be started even if the ignition key is present, even if it is not the original owner of the vehicle. For this reason, there is a possibility that the vehicle may be used and stolen by a person who is not the original owner by illegally obtaining the ignition key or using the imitation key. Also, there is a possibility that the ignition key may be misplaced or lost. Thus, prevention of theft of the vehicle using only the ignition key is low in reliability.

  On the other hand, since a remote controller uses an ID code, there is little possibility of imitation, and it is more reliable than the above-described ignition key. However, if there is a remote controller, the door can be opened and closed even if it is not the original owner of the vehicle. For this reason, if a remote controller is obtained and used illegally, the vehicle may be used and stolen by a person who is not the original owner. In addition, the remote controller may be lost. As described above, prevention of theft of the vehicle by the remote controller is low in reliability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable antitheft device in which only a specific person can use a vehicle. And

  In the present invention, means for solving the above-described problems are configured as follows. That is, an anti-theft device that permits only a specific person to cancel the security function of the vehicle, and is a fingerprint reading means for reading the fingerprint of the person who intends to cancel the security function of the vehicle, and information on fingerprints registered in advance Storage means for storing the information and control means, wherein the control means collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means with the fingerprint information stored in the storage means, and the storage means Fingerprint authentication is performed to determine whether the fingerprint information stored in the fingerprint information matches the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means. As a result of fingerprint authentication, there is a match. The security function can be canceled by a person who intends to cancel the security function of the vehicle, and if there is no match, the security function cannot be canceled by that person. DoHere, various security functions of the vehicle include, for example, those relating to door locks, those relating to engine starting, those relating to control of the ACC line, those relating to locks such as shift knobs, those relating to sounding of speakers and horns, etc. is there.

  According to such a configuration, only the owner of the specific fingerprint stored in the storage means succeeds in the fingerprint authentication, and only the person is permitted to cancel the security function of the vehicle. On the other hand, release of the security function of the vehicle is prohibited for the owner of the fingerprint that is not stored in the storage means. In this way, when the security function of the vehicle is released, by performing fingerprint authentication, only a specific person can be permitted to release the security function of the vehicle, and other people can be stolen. Can be prevented.

  In addition, the present invention is an anti-theft device that permits only a specific person to open the door of the vehicle, and is registered in advance with fingerprint reading means for reading the fingerprint of the person trying to unlock the door of the vehicle A storage unit for storing fingerprint information; and a control unit, wherein the control unit collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading unit with the fingerprint information stored in the storage unit; Fingerprint authentication is performed to determine whether or not the fingerprint information stored in the storage means matches the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means. If there is something, the person who wants to release the door lock of the vehicle can open the door, and if there is no match, the person can not open the door. And

  According to such a configuration, only the owner of the specific fingerprint stored in the storage means succeeds in fingerprint authentication, and only the person is permitted to open the door of the vehicle. On the other hand, the opening of the door is prohibited for the owner of the fingerprint not stored in the storage means. Thus, by performing fingerprint authentication when opening the door of the vehicle, only a specific person can be permitted to open the door of the vehicle, and the other person is prevented from being stolen. be able to.

  The present invention also relates to an anti-theft device that allows only a specific person to start the engine of the vehicle, the fingerprint reading means for reading the fingerprint of the person trying to start the engine of the vehicle, and a fingerprint registered in advance. Storage means for storing the information, and control means, the control means collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means with the fingerprint information stored in the storage means, The fingerprint information stored in the storage means is subjected to fingerprint authentication to determine whether there is a match with the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means. If there is a match, the engine can be started by a person who tries to start the engine of the vehicle, and if there is no match, the engine cannot be started by that person. To.

  According to such a configuration, only the owner of the specific fingerprint stored in the storage means succeeds in the fingerprint authentication, and only that person is permitted to start the vehicle engine. On the other hand, starting of the engine is prohibited for the owner of the fingerprint not stored in the storage means. In this manner, by performing fingerprint authentication when starting the vehicle engine, only a specific person can be allowed to start the vehicle engine, and other people can be prevented from being stolen. be able to.

  Here, a plurality of fingerprint information may be registered in the storage means. As a result, in addition to the information on the fingerprint of the original owner of the vehicle, there is a person other than the owner who is authorized to use the vehicle (eg, the owner's family, company employees, etc.) Can store the fingerprint information of the person.

  The fingerprint information stored in the storage means may be encrypted. Thereby, safety can be improved.

  The storage means may be a non-volatile semiconductor storage device. For example, by storing fingerprint information in a non-volatile semiconductor storage device such as an EPROM, the stored fingerprint information can be reliably stored without being lost even if power is not supplied. .

  In the antitheft device of the present invention, the vehicle is provided with human body detection means for detecting the approach of a person, and when the approach of the person is detected by the human body detection means, the sleep state is changed to the standby state. When the fingerprint reading operation is not performed within a predetermined time after the transition to the standby state, the standby state is shifted to the sleep state. Here, the standby state is a state in which the anti-theft function can be exhibited and various processes can be performed, and the sleep state is a power saving state in which various processes cannot be performed. State. According to such a configuration, when there is no human approach, power consumption can be saved by setting the sleep state.

  By using the fingerprint reading means also as the human body detecting means, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Specifically, the fingerprint reading unit / human body detection unit can be a capacitance type sensor.

  Further, in the anti-theft device of the present invention, when the number of times the fingerprint authentication has failed as a result of the fingerprint authentication by the control means has reached a predetermined number, the control means performs the fingerprint reading means until a predetermined time elapses. It is characterized by prohibiting acceptance of fingerprint information read by.

  According to such a configuration, even if a person other than a specific person (a person other than the original owner of the vehicle or the like) tries to steal the vehicle, the fingerprint information is prohibited from being accepted during a predetermined time. It is trying to give up theft of vehicles by wasting time. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the prohibition of accepting fingerprint information is lifted, and the fingerprint can be read again. Therefore, even if a specific person (the original owner of the vehicle, etc.) fails in the fingerprint authentication a predetermined number of times, if the user waits for the predetermined time, the fingerprint is read again to open the door or start the engine. It becomes possible.

  Further, the anti-theft device may be automatically operated from when the vehicle door is locked. Thus, not only the setting of the operation of the antitheft device is not required, but also the setting of the operation of the antitheft device is not forgotten, and the reliability of the antitheft device can be improved.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, only the owner of the specific fingerprint stored in the storage means succeeds in the fingerprint authentication, and only that person is permitted to open the vehicle door and start the engine. The On the other hand, the opening of the door and the starting of the engine are prohibited for the owner of the fingerprint not stored in the storage means. In this way, by performing fingerprint authentication when the vehicle door is opened or the engine is started, only a specific person can be permitted to open the vehicle door or start the engine. Can be prevented from being stolen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention. In addition, the following embodiment is an example which actualized this invention, Comprising: The thing of the character which limits the technical scope of this invention is not.

  An anti-theft device that allows only a specific person to cancel the security function of a vehicle will be described. Here, various security functions of the vehicle include, for example, those relating to door locks, those relating to engine starting, those relating to control of the ACC line, those relating to locks such as shift knobs, those relating to sounding of speakers and horns, etc. is there. In the following, the first example of the anti-theft device will be described with respect to the door lock, and further, the second example will be described with respect to the engine start, but the same applies to the other examples.

  A first example of the antitheft device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the anti-theft device of this example, only a specific person is allowed to open the door of the vehicle, thereby preventing the vehicle from being stolen.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the anti-theft device 10 includes a fingerprint reading sensor (fingerprint reading means) 11, an proximity sensor (human body detecting means) 12, a memory (storage means) 13, a timer 14, and a control unit (control means) 15. I have. The antitheft device 10 is connected to a door lock device 20 that unlocks and locks the door of the vehicle. The anti-theft device 10 is provided at a position where the fingerprint reading sensor 11 can read a fingerprint of a person who intends to release the door lock, and the proximity sensor 12 can detect a person approaching the vehicle. As long as it is provided, it may be provided in any place of the vehicle. The fingerprint reading sensor 11 or the like may be provided on the remote controller, and the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 may be transmitted to the control unit 15 provided on the vehicle via the transmission / reception unit of the remote control.

  The fingerprint reading sensor 11 is provided for reading a fingerprint of a person who intends to release the door lock of the vehicle. The fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is sent to the control unit 15. As the fingerprint reading sensor 11, for example, a capacitance type sensor can be used, but other than this, a pressure type sensor, an optical sensor, a conductive sensor, and a thermal sensor may be used. . Also, a method of pressing a finger or a method of sliding may be used.

  The proximity sensor 12 is provided to detect a person approaching the vehicle. When the approaching sensor 12 detects a person approaching the vehicle, the antitheft device 10 enters a standby state. As the proximity sensor 12, for example, a sensor that captures changes in the surrounding electrostatic capacity due to the approach of the human body can be used, but other configurations (for example, sensors that use infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or lines of magnetic force) can be used. Good. In addition, when the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is an electrostatic capacitance type sensor, the fingerprint reading sensor 11 can also be used as an proximity sensor. For this reason, it is not necessary to separately provide the proximity sensor 12, and the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  The memory 13 stores pre-registered fingerprint information. The memory 13 is configured as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device such as an EPROM. As described above, by using the non-volatile semiconductor memory device as the memory 13, the stored fingerprint information can be reliably stored without being lost even if power is not supplied. Note that the security of the fingerprint can be improved by encrypting the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13. The fingerprint information can be encrypted by, for example, a checksum method, null point control, data conversion using a mathematical expression, or the like.

  The memory 13 can store information on a plurality of fingerprints. Therefore, in addition to the fingerprint information of the original owner of the vehicle, if there is a person other than the owner who is authorized to use the vehicle (for example, the owner's family, company employee, etc.) The fingerprint information of the person can be stored. The information on the fingerprint of the original owner of the vehicle may be registered in advance when the vehicle is purchased. Moreover, what is necessary is just to register the information of the fingerprint of the person other than the owner who is permitted to use the vehicle as needed. If a person who is permitted to use the vehicle is not allowed to use the vehicle thereafter, the information on the fingerprint of the person may be deleted as needed.

  The timer 14 measures time. In the case where the control unit 15 also has a timer function, it is not necessary to provide the timer 14 separately, and the timer function of the control unit 15 is used as a timer.

  As will be described later, the control unit 15 performs various processes in the anti-theft device 10. The control unit 15 is connected to a door lock device 20 that unlocks and locks the door of the vehicle.

  In the antitheft device 10 configured as described above, when a vehicle door is opened, fingerprint authentication is performed to allow only a specific person to open the vehicle door. Hereinafter, the processing procedure in the anti-theft device 10 when the door of the vehicle is opened will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the proximity sensor 12 detects that a person has approached the vehicle (step S1), the control unit 15 receives a detection signal from the proximity sensor 12. The control unit 15 shifts the anti-theft device 10 from a sleep state to a standby state (that is, a state in which the anti-theft function of the anti-theft device 10 can be performed and a process described later) can be performed, The timer 14 is started (step S2). Next, the control unit 15 determines whether or not a fingerprint reading operation has been performed by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 within a predetermined time after shifting to the standby state (step S3). That is, it is determined whether or not a person who intends to release the door lock of the vehicle has caused the fingerprint reading sensor 11 to read the fingerprint. When the fingerprint reading operation is not performed within a predetermined time, the control unit 15 switches the antitheft device 10 from the standby state to the sleep state (that is, in the power saving state and cannot perform the processing described later). The timer 14 is stopped, the time count of the timer 14 is reset (step S4), and this control is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the fingerprint reading operation is performed within a predetermined time, the control unit 15 acquires the information of the fingerprint read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11, stops the timer 14, and resets the time measurement of the timer 14. (Step S5). Thereby, the information of the fingerprint read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is sent to the control unit 15. Next, the control unit 15 performs fingerprint authentication processing (step S6). Specifically, the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 and the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13 are collated, and the fingerprint reading sensor is stored in the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13. 11 determines whether or not there is a match with the fingerprint information read in step 11.

  If there is a match as a result of the fingerprint authentication process, the control unit 15 determines that the fingerprint authentication is successful and transmits a release signal to the door lock device 20. Thereby, the door lock device 20 is driven and the door lock of the vehicle is released (step S7), that is, the door is unlocked, and the person who performed fingerprint reading can open the door. In this case, if the person who intends to release the door lock of the vehicle is the original owner of the vehicle or a person authorized to use the vehicle, the fingerprint authentication is successful and the door can be opened.

  On the other hand, if there is no match, the control unit 15 determines that the fingerprint authentication has failed, and counts the number of fingerprint authentication failures (referred to as “NG count”) (step S8). . Here, a process of adding “1” to the current NG count is performed. In this case, since it is the first fingerprint reading operation after entering the standby state, “1” is counted as the number of NG times. At this time, the control unit 15 does not transmit a release signal to the door lock device 20. For this reason, the door lock device 20 is not driven, and the door lock of the vehicle is not released. Therefore, if fingerprint authentication fails, the person who has read the fingerprint cannot open the door. In this case, if the person trying to release the door lock of the vehicle is a person other than the original owner of the vehicle and a person other than the person authorized to use the vehicle, fingerprint authentication fails and the door cannot be opened. It becomes possible.

  Next, the control unit 15 determines whether or not the number of NG times has reached a predetermined number (step S9). As a result, if the number of NGs does not reach the predetermined number, the control unit 15 prompts the person who has performed fingerprint reading to read the fingerprint again by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 (step S10), and then the fingerprint. The fingerprint information read again by the reading sensor 11 is acquired (step S11), and the process proceeds to step S6. Then, when the number of NG reaches the predetermined number, or in the determination of step S6, the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13 matches the fingerprint information read again by the fingerprint reading sensor 11. Until there is, the processes of steps S10, S11, S6, S8, and S9 are repeated.

  On the other hand, when the NG count reaches the predetermined count, the control unit 15 starts the timer 14 (step S12). Then, until a predetermined time elapses, the control unit 15 prohibits acceptance of the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 (steps S13 and S14). That is, fingerprint information is not input to the control unit 15 for a predetermined time. Accordingly, processing such as fingerprint authentication (step S6) is not performed. Thereafter, the timer 14 is stopped, the time count of the timer 14 is reset, the number of NG times is further reset, and this control is terminated.

  According to the anti-theft device 10 of this example, as described above, as a result of fingerprint authentication, only the owner of a specific fingerprint registered in advance, that is, the original owner of the vehicle or a person authorized to use the vehicle. It succeeds in fingerprint authentication and only the person is allowed to open the door. On the other hand, the opening of the door is prohibited for the owners of fingerprints not registered in advance, that is, persons other than the original owner of the vehicle and persons permitted to use the fingerprint. In this way, when the door of the vehicle is opened, fingerprint authentication is performed in the anti-theft device 10 so that only a specific person can be permitted to open the door of the vehicle, and the vehicle is stolen by other persons. Can be prevented. Also, since fingerprint authentication is performed, unlike conventional ignition keys and remote controllers, there is no possibility of loss or the like. Therefore, as described above, the reliability of the antitheft device 10 can be improved.

  Further, as described above, when the approach sensor 12 detects the approach of a person, the antitheft device 10 changes from the sleep state to the standby state, and after the transition to the standby state, the fingerprint reading operation is performed within a predetermined time. If not, the standby state is changed to the sleep state. Thus, when there is no person approaching, power consumption can be saved by putting the antitheft device 10 into a sleep state.

  In addition, as described above, when the number of NG times reaches a predetermined number, the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is prohibited from being accepted for a predetermined time so that fingerprint authentication is not performed. ing. Note that the fingerprint reading sensor 11 may not perform the fingerprint reading operation for a predetermined time.

  As a result, even if a person other than a specific person such as the original owner of the vehicle tries to steal the vehicle, it will waste time for a predetermined time during which the acceptance of fingerprint information is prohibited. In order to give up vehicle theft. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the prohibition of accepting fingerprint information is lifted, and the fingerprint can be read again. Therefore, even if a specific person such as the original owner of the vehicle fails the fingerprint authentication a predetermined number of times, if the user waits for the predetermined time, the fingerprint can be read again to open the door. In addition, when a communication function is provided and the number of NG times reaches a predetermined number, that fact may be transmitted by communication, or an alarm function may be provided and an alarm may be sounded. Even without providing a function or an alarm function, as described above, by prohibiting acceptance of fingerprint information, it is possible to give up vehicle theft and effectively exert the anti-theft function.

  The anti-theft function as described above by the anti-theft device 10 can be started when the vehicle door is locked. In this case, for example, the following processing is performed. When the door of the vehicle is closed and the door is locked, a door lock detection signal is sent from the door lock device 20 to the control unit 15. Then, the control unit 15 first sets the anti-theft device 10 to the standby state, and from the standby state to the sleep state unless the fingerprint reading sensor 11 performs the fingerprint reading operation for a predetermined time. Thus, by making the anti-theft device 10 automatically operate when the vehicle door is locked, it is not only necessary to set the operation of the anti-theft device 10 but also set the operation of the anti-theft device 10. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of the anti-theft device 10.

  Next, a second example of the anti-theft device applied for engine start will be described with reference to FIGS. In the anti-theft device of this example, only a specific person is allowed to start the engine to prevent the vehicle from being stolen.

  The anti-theft device 110 of this example has substantially the same configuration as the anti-theft device 10 of the first example shown in FIG. Therefore, portions having the same configuration as the anti-theft device 10 of the first example are given the same numbers as in the case of the first example, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the anti-theft device 110 includes a fingerprint reading sensor (fingerprint reading means) 11, a memory (storage means) 13, a timer 14, and a control unit (control means) 15. The anti-theft device 110 is connected to the door lock device 20 and an engine starter 120 that starts the engine. The anti-theft device 110 may be provided at any location on the vehicle as long as the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is provided at a location where the fingerprint of a person who is going to start the engine can be read. Note that since the engine is started in a state where there is a person in the driver's seat, unlike the first example, no proximity sensor is provided.

  In the anti-theft device 110 configured as described above, when a vehicle engine is started, fingerprint authentication is performed to allow only a specific person to start the vehicle engine. Hereinafter, the processing procedure in the anti-theft device 110 when starting the vehicle engine will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the door of the vehicle is opened and the opening of the door is detected (step S101), the control unit 15 receives a detection signal from the door lock device 20. The control unit 15 shifts the anti-theft device 110 from the sleep state to the standby state and starts the timer 14 (step S102). Next, the control unit 15 determines whether or not a fingerprint reading operation has been performed by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 within a predetermined time after shifting to the standby state (step S103). That is, it is determined whether or not the person who is going to start the engine of the vehicle has caused the fingerprint reading sensor 11 to read the fingerprint. When the fingerprint reading operation is not performed within a predetermined time, the control unit 15 shifts the anti-theft device 110 from the standby state to the sleep state, stops the timer 14, and resets the time count of the timer 14. (Step S104), and this control is finished.

  On the other hand, when the fingerprint reading operation is performed within a predetermined time, the control unit 15 acquires the information of the fingerprint read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11, stops the timer 14, and resets the timing of the timer 14. (Step S105). Thereby, the information of the fingerprint read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is sent to the control unit 15. Next, the control unit 15 performs fingerprint authentication processing (step S106). Specifically, the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 and the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13 are collated, and the fingerprint reading sensor stored in the memory 13 11 determines whether or not there is a match with the fingerprint information read in step 11.

  If there is a match as a result of such fingerprint authentication processing, the control unit 15 determines that the fingerprint authentication has succeeded, and transmits a start signal to the engine start unit 120. As a result, the engine starter 120 is driven, the vehicle engine is started (step S107), and the vehicle can be used by a person who has performed fingerprint reading. In this case, if the person who intends to start the engine of the vehicle is the original owner of the vehicle or a person authorized to use the vehicle, the fingerprint authentication is successful and the engine can be started.

  On the other hand, if there is no match, the control unit 15 determines that the fingerprint authentication has failed, and counts the number of fingerprint authentication failures (referred to as “NG count”) (step S108). . Here, a process of adding “1” to the current NG count is performed. In this case, since it is the first fingerprint reading operation after entering the standby state, “1” is counted as the number of NG times. At this time, the control unit 15 does not transmit a start signal to the engine start unit 120. For this reason, the engine starting part 120 is not driven and the engine of the vehicle is not started. Therefore, when fingerprint authentication fails, a person who has performed fingerprint reading cannot use the vehicle. In this case, if the person who tries to start the engine of the vehicle is a person other than the original owner of the vehicle and a person who is authorized to use the vehicle, fingerprint authentication fails and the engine cannot be started. It becomes.

  Next, the control unit 15 determines whether or not the number of NG times has reached a predetermined number (step S109). As a result, if the number of NG times has not reached the predetermined number, the control unit 15 urges the person who has read the fingerprint to read the fingerprint again by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 (step S110), and then the fingerprint. Information on the fingerprint read again by the reading sensor 11 is acquired (step S111), and the process proceeds to step S106. Then, when the number of NG reaches the predetermined number, or in the determination of step S106, the fingerprint information stored in the memory 13 matches the fingerprint information read again by the fingerprint reading sensor 11. Until there is, the process of steps S110, S111, S106, S108, and S109 is repeated.

  On the other hand, when the NG count reaches the predetermined count, the control unit 15 starts the timer 14 (step S112). Then, until a predetermined time elapses, the control unit 15 prohibits acceptance of information on the fingerprint read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 (steps S113 and S114). That is, fingerprint information is not input to the control unit 15 for a predetermined time. Therefore, processing such as fingerprint authentication (step S106) is not performed. Thereafter, the timer 14 is stopped, the time count of the timer 14 is reset, the number of NG times is further reset, and this control is terminated.

  According to the anti-theft device 110 of this example, as described above, as a result of fingerprint authentication, only the owner of a specific fingerprint registered in advance, that is, the original owner of the vehicle or a person authorized to use the vehicle. The fingerprint authentication is successful and only the person is allowed to start the engine. On the other hand, starting of the engine is prohibited for owners of fingerprints not registered in advance, that is, persons other than the original owner of the vehicle and persons who are permitted to use the fingerprint. In this way, when the vehicle engine is started, fingerprint authentication is performed in the anti-theft device 110 so that only a specific person can be allowed to start the vehicle engine, and the vehicle is stolen by other persons. Can be prevented. Also, since fingerprint authentication is performed, unlike conventional ignition keys and remote controllers, there is no possibility of loss or the like. Therefore, as described above, the reliability of the antitheft device 110 can be improved.

  In addition, as described above, when the number of NG times reaches a predetermined number, the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 is prohibited from being accepted for a predetermined time so that fingerprint authentication is not performed. ing. Note that the fingerprint reading sensor 11 may not perform the fingerprint reading operation for a predetermined time.

  As a result, even if a person other than a specific person such as the original owner of the vehicle tries to steal the vehicle, it will waste time for a predetermined time during which the acceptance of fingerprint information is prohibited. In order to give up vehicle theft. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the prohibition of accepting fingerprint information is lifted, and the fingerprint can be read again. Therefore, even if a specific person such as the original owner of the vehicle fails the fingerprint authentication a predetermined number of times, if the user waits for the predetermined time, the fingerprint can be read again and the engine can be started. In addition, when a communication function is provided and the number of NG times reaches a predetermined number, that fact may be transmitted by communication, or an alarm function may be provided and an alarm may be sounded. Even without providing a function or an alarm function, as described above, by prohibiting acceptance of fingerprint information, it is possible to give up vehicle theft and effectively exert the anti-theft function.

  The anti-theft function as described above by the anti-theft device 110 can be started when the vehicle door is locked. In this case, for example, the following processing is performed. When the door of the vehicle is closed and the door is locked, a door lock detection signal is sent from the door lock device 20 to the control unit 15. Then, the control unit 15 first sets the anti-theft device 110 to the standby state, and from the standby state to the sleep state if no fingerprint reading operation is performed by the fingerprint reading sensor 11 for a predetermined time. Thus, by making the anti-theft device 110 automatically operate when the vehicle door is locked, not only is the operation set of the anti-theft device 110 unnecessary, but the operation of the anti-theft device 110 is set. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of the anti-theft device 110.

It is a block diagram which shows the 1st example of an antitheft device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in the antitheft device at the time of opening the door of a vehicle. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd example of an antitheft device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in the antitheft device at the time of starting the engine of a vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Antitheft device 11 Fingerprint reading sensor 12 Proximity sensor 13 Memory 14 Timer 15 Control part 20 Door lock device

Claims (10)

An anti-theft device that allows only a specific person to cancel the security function of a vehicle,
A fingerprint reading means for reading a fingerprint of a person who intends to release the security function of the vehicle, a storage means for storing information of a fingerprint registered in advance, and a control means,
The control means collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means with the fingerprint information stored in the storage means, and the fingerprint information stored in the storage means Perform fingerprint authentication to determine whether there is a match with the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means,
If there is a match as a result of fingerprint authentication, the security function can be canceled by a person who intends to cancel the security function of the vehicle. If there is no match, the security function by that person can be canceled. An anti-theft device characterized in that release is impossible. An anti-theft device that allows only a specific person to open the door of the vehicle,
A fingerprint reading means for reading a fingerprint of a person who intends to release the door lock of the vehicle, a storage means for storing information of a fingerprint registered in advance, and a control means,
The control means collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means with the fingerprint information stored in the storage means, and the fingerprint information stored in the storage means Perform fingerprint authentication to determine whether there is a match with the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means,
If there is a match as a result of fingerprint authentication, the person who wants to release the door lock of the vehicle can open the door, and if there is no match, the person can open the door. An anti-theft device characterized by being impossible. An anti-theft device that allows only a specific person to start the engine of a vehicle,
A fingerprint reading means for reading a fingerprint of a person who intends to start an engine of the vehicle, a storage means for storing information of a fingerprint registered in advance, and a control means;
The control means collates the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means with the fingerprint information stored in the storage means, and the fingerprint information stored in the storage means Perform fingerprint authentication to determine whether there is a match with the fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading means,
If there is a match as a result of fingerprint authentication, the engineer can start the engine of the vehicle. If there is no match, the engineer cannot start the engine. An anti-theft device characterized by enabling.   The antitheft device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein information of a plurality of fingerprints can be registered in the storage means.   The antitheft device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fingerprint information stored in the storage means is encrypted.   6. The antitheft device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the storage means is a non-volatile semiconductor storage device.   The vehicle is provided with human body detection means for detecting the approach of a person.When the approach of a person is detected by the human body detection means, the sleep state is shifted to the standby state, and after the transition to the standby state, The antitheft device according to any one of claims 2 and 4 to 6, wherein when the fingerprint reading operation is not performed within a predetermined time, the standby state is shifted to the sleep state.   The anti-theft device according to claim 7, wherein the fingerprint reading means is also used as the human body detecting means.   When the number of failed fingerprint authentications by the control unit reaches a predetermined number, the control unit prohibits acceptance of fingerprint information read by the fingerprint reading unit until a predetermined time elapses. The antitheft device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   The anti-theft device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the anti-theft device operates automatically from the time of door lock of the vehicle.

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