METHOD FOR PREVENTING THEFTS OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for preventing thefts of motor vehicles. The method includes detecting motor vehicles within a predetermined neighborhood of a motor vehicle to be monitored. The method further includes sending a query data record from the motor vehicle to be monitored to the detected motor vehicles. The method also includes monitoring of the motor vehicle to be monitored by the detected motor vehicles on reception of the query data record.

Claims

1. A method for preventing thefts of motor vehicles, comprising: detecting monitoring vehicles within a predetermined neighborhood of a monitored vehicle; sending a query data record from the monitored vehicle to the monitoring vehicles; and monitoring the monitored vehicle with the monitoring vehicles on reception of the query data record.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the query data record is defined by a code identifying the monitored motor vehicle, and data relating to the predetermined neighborhood and/or to a proximity zone of the monitored motor vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising requesting and evaluating the code identifying the monitored motor vehicle, and/or spacing values, position and/or status data pertaining to the predetermined neighborhood and/or to the proximity zone of the monitored motor vehicle, and/or operating-state data pertaining to the monitored motor vehicle to detect irregularities.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, in response to detected irregularities, generating an alarm signal and sending a data packet from one of the detected motor vehicles to another of the detected motor vehicle to verify the detected irregularities.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, in response to detected irregularities, starting a video recording and sending data packet from one of the detected motor vehicles to another of the detected motor vehicle to verify the detected irregularities.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, in response to unlocking of the monitored motor vehicle, requesting, via one of the detected motor vehicles, a verification of a key of a driver.

7. An anti-theft system for a vehicle to be monitored comprising: a control unit configured to, in response to an acknowledgment from a plurality of vehicles of a query data record indicative of a predetermined neighborhood, operate proximity sensors disposed on the plurality of vehicles to detect position and spacing data relative to the plurality of vehicles in the predetermined neighborhood.

8. The anti-theft system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the query data record is defined by an identifying code, and data relating to the predetermined neighborhood and a proximity zone.

9. The anti-theft system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control unit is further configured to evaluating the code, spacing values, position and status data of the predetermined neighborhood and the proximity zone, and operating state data to detect irregularities.

10. The anti-theft system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to irregularities in the code, spacing values, position and status data of the predetermined neighborhood and the proximity zone, and operating state data, generate an alarm signal and send a data packet from one of the plurality of vehicles to another of the plurality of vehicles to verify the irregularities.

11. The anti-theft system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to the irregularities, start a video recording and send a data packet from one of the plurality of vehicles to another of the plurality of vehicles.

12. The anti-theft system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to an unlock command via a key, request a verification of the key from one of the plurality of vehicles.

13. A vehicle comprising: a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of vehicles within a predetermined neighborhood; and a control unit configured to, in response to an acknowledgment from the plurality of vehicles of a query data record indicative of the predetermined neighborhood, operate proximity sensors disposed on the plurality of vehicles to detect position and spacing data relative to the plurality of vehicles in the predetermined neighborhood.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the query data record is defined by an identifying code, and data relating to the predetermined neighborhood and a proximity zone of the monitored motor vehicle.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to evaluating the code, spacing values, position and status data of the predetermined neighborhood and the proximity zone, and operating state data to detect irregularities.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to irregularities in the code, spacing values, position and status data of the predetermined neighborhood and the proximity zone, and operating state data, generate an alarm signal and send a data packet from one of the plurality of vehicles to another of the plurality of vehicles to verify the irregularities.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to the irregularities, start a video recording and send a data packet from one of the plurality of vehicles to another of the plurality of vehicles.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to an unlock command via a key, request a verification of the key from one of the plurality of vehicles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The FIGURE in schematic representation, depicts a scenario for monitoring a motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The FIGURE is not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

[0019] Reference will be made to the FIGURE.

[0020] Represented is a road section with motor vehicles A1 to A4 parked on both sides of the road. Furthermore, a motor vehicle A has been parked and locked with the key of the motor vehicle by a driver of the motor vehicle.

[0021] In the present exemplary embodiment, motor vehicle A is the motor vehicle A to be monitored, whereas motor vehicles A1 to A4 perform the role of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4, as will be elucidated in detail below.

[0022] To implement the method described below, the motor vehicle A to be monitored and the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4 may have hardware components and/or software components as well as suitable motor-vehicle sensors and communication devices for wireless transmission of data.

[0023] In response to the locking of motor vehicle A, during an activation procedure, motor vehicle A generates a random key that has been assigned to a key of the motor vehicle, or to a smartphone of the driver of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, with its sensors—such as, for example, cameras, capacitive sensors, radar sensors or ultrasound sensors—motor vehicle A scans its neighborhood C in the predetermined zone for parked motor vehicles, such as motor vehicles A1 to A4. The disclosure may provide for making a selection from a plurality of detected motor vehicles A1 to A4 by random function. In the present exemplary embodiment, the detected motor vehicles A1 to A4 were selected and form a group, whereas the other motor vehicles represented in the FIGURE were not selected. Moreover, motor vehicle A begins the monitoring of a proximity zone B, which in comparison with the neighborhood C has distinctly smaller dimensions, and extends, for example, into a zone with a range of 20 cm from motor vehicle A.

[0024] In an initialization step, motor vehicle A sends a query data record to the detected motor vehicles A1 to A4 by means of wireless transmission of data. The query record may contain the generated random key, and data that define the scanned neighborhood C and/or the proximity zone B, and the status thereof.

[0025] In response to the reception of the query data record, the detected motor vehicles A1 to A4 reply with wireless transmission of an acknowledgement data record to the motor vehicle A to be monitored. Furthermore, the detected motor vehicles A1 to A4 begin the monitoring of the motor vehicle A to be monitored. For this purpose, with their motor-vehicle sensors, which may be identical to the motor-vehicle sensors of the motor vehicle A to be monitored, they detect the position of the motor vehicle A to be monitored, and/or their spacing from the motor vehicle A to be monitored. Furthermore, they monitor the status of the proximity zone B. In addition, the disclosure may provide for transmitting the generated random key to the key of the motor vehicle, or to a smartphone of the driver of the motor vehicle for the purpose of identifying the driver of the motor vehicle prior to a renewed start-up.

[0026] In a following monitoring step, the random key, for example, of the motor vehicle A to be monitored is requested periodically within predetermined intervals by one or all the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4. Furthermore, the position data and spacing data relating to the motor vehicle A to be monitored are updated by a renewed measurement. In addition, the disclosure may provide for detecting the status of the proximity zone C by the vehicle sensors of the motor vehicle A to be monitored, and/or by the motor-vehicle sensors of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4. Furthermore, status data pertaining to the motor vehicle A to be monitored can be queried, such as, for example, an operating state of the engine, a loading or locking state of a central locking system.

[0027] If irregularities—such as, for example, the expected transmission of the random key does not occur—are detected during the monitoring step, the disclosure may provide that a further query data record is sent from one of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4 to the other monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4. With the query data record, sensor data pertaining to the motor vehicles A1 to A4 being addressed may be requested. By comparison of the sensor data, the captured data can be verified. Alternatively, a further query data record can be sent from one of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4 to the motor vehicle A to be monitored. In this way, further information such as sensor data, pertaining to the motor vehicle A to be monitored can be requested for the purpose of verification, or in response to reception of an alarm signal from the motor vehicle A to be monitored, warning measures are initiated, such as, for example, switching on the lighting of the motor vehicle, starting the engine, and generating a visual and/or acoustic warning signal. Finally, the disclosure may provide for starting a video recording by a camera of one of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4.

[0028] If, on the other hand, the aforementioned verification procedures confirm the output data, and a predetermined threshold value for assessing a threat of theft is exceeded, upon reception of an alarm signal, all the motor vehicles—that is to say, the motor vehicle A to be monitored and the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4—can generate acoustic and/or visual alarm signals, and simultaneously notify the police and/or security services.

[0029] If the driver of the motor vehicle would like to unlock his/her motor vehicle again and put it into operation, the disclosure may provide that in response to a corresponding notification, the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4 request and verify the random key generated at the outset, and conclude the monitoring of the motor vehicle A to be monitored only in response to a positive verification.

[0030] Furthermore, the disclosure may provide that, in response to the detection, one of the monitoring motor vehicles A1 to A4 is put into operation. Putting one of the monitoring motor vehicle A1 to A4 is detected by the motor vehicle A to be monitored, for example with its sensing technology, and, thereupon, the motor vehicle A to be monitored scans the predetermined neighborhood C for motor vehicles that might be utilized for the purpose of monitoring. If one or more motor vehicles are detected, the motor vehicle A to be monitored sends a query data record to the newly detected motor vehicles.

[0031] Consequently, several motor vehicles that monitor each other reciprocally form a group, and the protection against theft has been improved.

[0032] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the disclosure. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosure.