An antitheft security system for a motor vehicle includes a license plate locking mechanism and a control module. The license plate locking mechanism functions to secure a license plate to the motor vehicle. The control module includes a controller configured to interrupt power from a power source of the motor vehicle in response to disconnection of the license plate from the motor vehicle. A related antitheft method is also disclosed.

An antitheft security system for a motor vehicle includes a license plate locking mechanism and a control module. The license plate locking mechanism functions to secure a license plate to the motor vehicle. The control module includes a controller configured to interrupt power from a power source of the motor vehicle in response to disconnection of the license plate from the motor vehicle. A related antitheft method is also disclosed.

An apparatus and operational method are disclosed that use control hardware resident in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle. The control hardware includes a processor configured to interface with a wireless network and the vehicle through, respectively, a wireless network interface and a vehicle interface. A plurality of CAN (control area network) bus transceivers may exist within the vehicle interface operable to allow the processor to interface with multiple vehicle types. The processor may then be configured to automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle though the vehicle interface and automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier. The processor can then communicate with the vehicle's CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver.

An apparatus and operational method are disclosed that use control hardware resident in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle. The control hardware includes a processor configured to interface with a wireless network and the vehicle through, respectively, a wireless network interface and a vehicle interface. A plurality of CAN (control area network) bus transceivers may exist within the vehicle interface operable to allow the processor to interface with multiple vehicle types. The processor may then be configured to automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle though the vehicle interface and automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier. The processor can then communicate with the vehicle's CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver.

A method is provided for preventing the driving of an electrically driven vehicle, having an electrical energy source and at least one electrical machine for a driving operation of the vehicle, between which there is arranged at least one switch, wherein electrical energy is exchanged between the electrical energy source and the electrical machine when the at least one switch is closed, includes, in the event that the driving of the vehicle is to be prevented, relaying a command designed for this purpose to a controller of the vehicle and receiving the command, by the controller, whereupon the at least one switch is opened by the controller if the vehicle is in a safe, nonmoving condition.

A method is provided for preventing the driving of an electrically driven vehicle, having an electrical energy source and at least one electrical machine for a driving operation of the vehicle, between which there is arranged at least one switch, wherein electrical energy is exchanged between the electrical energy source and the electrical machine when the at least one switch is closed, includes, in the event that the driving of the vehicle is to be prevented, relaying a command designed for this purpose to a controller of the vehicle and receiving the command, by the controller, whereupon the at least one switch is opened by the controller if the vehicle is in a safe, nonmoving condition.

Credit information is obtained from an operational status of a vehicle, for example, and a credit limit is increased based on this credit information. A credit screening support system includes a vehicle-mounted device configured to acquire operational information on the vehicle and a server configured to compute the credit information on a user of the vehicle based on the operational information received from the vehicle-mounted device. The server includes an input element for inputting the operational information acquired by the vehicle-mounted device, a credit information computing element for computing credit information on the user based on the operational information input by the input element, and an output element for outputting the credit information on the user computed by the credit information computing element.

Credit information is obtained from an operational status of a vehicle, for example, and a credit limit is increased based on this credit information. A credit screening support system includes a vehicle-mounted device configured to acquire operational information on the vehicle and a server configured to compute the credit information on a user of the vehicle based on the operational information received from the vehicle-mounted device. The server includes an input element for inputting the operational information acquired by the vehicle-mounted device, a credit information computing element for computing credit information on the user based on the operational information input by the input element, and an output element for outputting the credit information on the user computed by the credit information computing element.

A method for operating a vehicle includes monitoring for a presence of an assigned authorization element in the vehicle during operating the vehicle and operating the vehicle in a secure state when the assigned authorization element is not detected, where a performance parameter of the vehicle is at least temporarily modified in the secure state.

A driving authentication system is presented for a vehicle. The system includes: a dongle interfaced with a battery of the vehicle and an authenticator configured to receive a discharge current from the battery. The dongle operates to modulate discharge current from the battery with an input code; and the authenticator demodulate the input code from the discharge current, compares the input code to the one or more known authentication codes and, in response to the input code matching one of the one or more known authentication codes, controls power capacity of the battery.