Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02348428 2001-06-05
1
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Method And Apparatus For Disabling Uninsured Motor
Vehicles
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a. method and apparatus
for disabling uninsured motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A study by the Insurance Research Council indicates that
14 percent of motorists in the United States are not insured.
In some States the percentage of uninsured motorists is much
higher. The five States with the highest percentages of
uninsured motorist are Colorado (32 percent), New Mexico (30
percent ) , South Carol ina ( 2 8 percent ) , A1 abama ( 2 5 percent ) and
Mississippi (25 percent). Persons operating motor vehicles
without insurance is clearly a social px-oblem that is in need
of a solution.
United States Patent 6,198,919 (Buytaert et al) discloses
a method of remotely disabling motor vehicles. Although it was
envisaged that the disabling of a motor vehicle would primarily
be done at the request of the owner, official authorities or
an insurance company when the motor vehicle was stolen; the
teachings of Buytaert could also be used to disable uninsured
motor vehicles. Employing the teachings of Buytaert to
combat the social problem of uninsured vehicles would require
that some governing body be assigned the task of disabling
vehicles on which insurance had expired. The governing body
would require access to the files of all insurance companies
in order to determine the date that insurance would normally
expire, identify premature insurance expiry occurring due to
non-payment of premiums and distinguish insurance expiry from
merely a switching of insurance companies.
S'ITMMARY OF THE INVENTION
what is required is an alternative method and apparatus
CA 02348428 2001-06-05
2
for disabling uninsured motor vehicles.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for disabling uninsured motor vehicles. A
first step involves providing a timer. ,A second step involves
setting the timer to monitor the time duration until insurance
on a motor vehicle expires. A third stEap involves connecting
the timer to an electronic control system of a motor vehicle
in such a manner that the electronic control system disables
the motor vehicle if any one of the following events occurs,
namely: the timer reports that insurance has expired, the timer
is removed, the timer is tampered with by unauthorized persons.
According to another aspect of the present invention there
is provided an apparatus for disabling uninsured motor vehicles
which includes a motor vehicle having an electronic control
system linked to a timer monitoring the time duration until
insurance on the motor vehicle expires. Means is provided for
authorized persons to reset the timer. The electronic control
system will disable the motor vehicle if any one of the
following events occurs, namely: the timer reports that
insurance has expired, the timer is removed, the timer is
tampered with by unauthorized persons.
The method and apparatus, as described above, is intended
to keep uninsured motor vehicles off the road. If the
technology is incorporated into new motor vehicles, the time
will come that it will be impossible to move a motor vehicle
with expired insurance.
It is envisaged that the primary means for authorized
persons to reset the timer will be a vehicle communications
link capable of communicating with an automotive scanner.
These are the same type of automotive scanners presently used
for diagnostic purposes. Every authorized insurance agent will
be equipped with such a device . A code wall be required so the
system can distinguish authorized reseti~ing of the insurance
CA 02348428 2001-06-05
3
timer from unauthorized tampering.
It will also be possible for the tamer to be reset via a
global mobile communications network. This enabling of the
motor vehicle will be performed in much the same manner as the
disabling of a motor vehicle is taught in the Buytaert patent.
An option which may be desirable i:~ a driver information
display of insurance status. Thi~~ will make clearly
recognizable the limitations relating to insurance that are
incorporated into the electronic control system of the motor
vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description in which reference is
made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose
of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit
the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or
embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a 'top plan view, in section, of a motor
vehicle which has been modified in accordance with the
teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic control
system for a motor vehicle that has been modified as
illustrated in FIGURE 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ED~lBODIMENT
The preferred method for disabling uninsured motor
vehicles will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 and
2.
Referring to FIGURE 2, there is provided a method for
disabling uninsured motor vehicles 10 which includes several
steps. A first step involves providing a timer 12. It is
anticipated that this will be a timing rr~odule, perhaps in the
form of a reprogrammable timing chip. A further step involves
CA 02348428 2001-06-05
4
setting timer 12 to monitor the time duration until the
insurance on motor vehicle 10 expires. A further step involves
connecting timer 12 to an electronic control system 14 of motor
vehicle 10 in such a manner that electronic control system 14
can disable motor vehicle 10 if any one of the following events
occurs, namely: if timer 12 reports that insurance has expired,
timer 12 is removed, or timer 12 is tampered with by
unauthorized persons.
Referring to FIGURE 1, in order th<~.t vehicle 10 does not
become a hazard on a roadway if vehicle 10 is being driven at
the time that the insurance expires, vehicle 10 will not
immediately cease to operate. Vehicle .LO will continue to be
operable for a period of time to give the driver an opportunity
to park vehicle 10 safely. During the period vehicle 10 is in
operation after the expiry of the in:~urance, the four-way
hazard lights 14 on vehicle 10 will automatically begin
flashing and will remain flashing until engine 16 of vehicle
10 is shut-off . In addition, horn 17 can be made to sound
either constantly or intermittently. Thereafter, once vehicle
10 is turned off, it will not restart. Hazard lights 14 will
then turn off and can be manually turned back on as required.
Structure and Relationship of Part;:
Referring to FIGURE 2, there is provided an apparatus 18
for disabling uninsured motor vehicles 10 which includes motor
vehicle 10 with electronic control system 20 that is linked to
timer 12 that monitors the time duration until insurance on
motor vehicle 10 expires. A vehicle communications link 22
is provided which is capable of cc>mmunicating with an
automotive scanner 24 for authorized persons to reset timer 12.
In the illustrated embodiment, electric control system 20 of
motor vehicle 10 includes body control module 26, security
system module 28, keyless entry module 30, and power train
module 32 which interface with each another, however it will
be appreciated that any variety of types of electric modules
could be included in electronic control ~~ystem 20. Electronic
control system 20 disables motor vehicle 10 if timer 12 reports
CA 02348428 2001-06-05
that insurance has expired, timer 12 i~~ removed, or if timer
12 is tampered with by unauthorized persons. It will be
appreciated that there are other means, :such as a global mobile
communications network that can be used for communicating with
5 automotive scanner 24 so that authori:~ed persons can reset
timer 12. Referring to FIGURE 1, a driver information display
34 is provided in motor vehicle 10 for' displaying insurance
status. Driver information display 34 displays the limitations
relating to insurance that are incorporated into electronic
control system 20 of motor vehicle 1.0, such as the time
remaining before expiry of insurance.
Operation:
The use and operation of apparatus 18 will now be
described with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2. Referring to
FIGURE l, the method as described above, is intended to keep
uninsured motor vehicles 10 off the road. V~Then a vehicle 10
becomes insured, an authorized person can activate timer 12 on
vehicle 10 which allows vehicle 10 to become operable.
Referring to FIGURE 2, the primary means for authorized persons
to set timer 12 is though vehicle communications link 22 which
is in communication with automotive scanner 24. Scanner 24 is
of the same type of scanner 24 used for' diagnostic purposes.
The authorized person would enter a code into automotive
scanner 24 so apparatus 18 can distinguish authorized setting
of insurance timer 12 from unauthorized tampering. Vehicle l0
will remain operable till insurance expires. If timer 12 is
removed or tampered with, motor vehicle 10 will be disabled.
Driver information display 34 will display the time remaining
before the insurance expires every time the key is turned on.
There would initially be a monthly count down (11 months of
insurance, 10 months of insurance, etc). During the last month
of insurance there would be a daily count down (30 days of<
insurance, 29 days of insurance, etc). During the last 24
hours of insurance there would be an hourly count down (23
hours of insurance, 22 hours of insurance, etc). If desired,
a global positioning system can be programmed to provide a
' CA 02348428 2001-06-05
6
warning which can be transmitted through the systems in the
vehicle to the driver as an audible message.
Upon expiry of the insurance, removal of timer 12, or if
timer 12 is tampered with, vehicle 10 will be disabled through
any one or more of body control module 26, security system
module 28, keyless entry module 30 or power train module 32
which comprise electronic control system 20 of vehicle 10. As
described above, if vehicle 10 is being driven at the time that
the insurance expires, vehicle 10 will continue to be operable
for a period of time. However, in order to warn the operator
of the motor vehicle and alert authorities when timer 12 goes
to zero, four-way hazard lights 14 on vehicle 10 will flash and
the horn 17 will sound at 10 second intervals. After vehicle
10 is shut off, hazard lights 14 will operate normally, but
vehicle 10 will not restart.
Once insurance is renewed, timer 12 can be reset by
authorized person using automotivE: scanner 24 or,
alternatively, timer 12 can be reset via communications link
36 which allows communication with electronic control system
20 via the global mobile communications network. Without
renewing the insurance, uninsured vehicle 10 cannot be
operated.
It is envisaged that timer 12 wil_L be or be part of a
timer module that will interface with some of the existing
modules of the automobile in such a manner that the other
modules will not permit the vehicle t;o operate, unless a
required communication is received from the insurance module.
In order to shut down the vehicle, the :insurance module must
be interfaced with an existing module in the vehicle that is
capable of performing fuel or ignition stmt off to the engine.
Although a "module" is envisaged, the invention need not be
through a "module" as there are various other ways of
electronically creating a "timer" to achieve the desired
result.
~ CA 02348428 2001-06-05
7
The technology to allow communication by satellite to the
vehicle exists and should be able to bE: modified without too
much difficulty to fulfill for the intended purpose. An
example of such a system is one currently being operated by
General Motors under the Trade Mark "ONSTAR".
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in
its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word
are included, but items not specifica7.ly mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by i~he indefinite article
"a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the
element is present, unless the context clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elemeni~s.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
hereinafter defined in the Claims.
