Antitheft system

Abstract

In an antitheft system for preventing an equipment comprising moving objects such as electric vehicles or operating machine such as lawnmower from theft, an electronic key is prepared to be carried by an operator of the equipment and stores authenticating data for identifying the operator who carries the electronic key. An authenticator is installed at the equipment and performs authentication check as to whether the electronic key is an authorized key using stored key-checking data, when the authenticating data is outputted from the electronic key, whereas an electronic key copier is provided separately from the equipment and copies the electronic key, thereby enabling to make a copy of the electronic key without activating equipment, while ensuring to prevent the equipment from theft.

1 . A system for preventing an equipment from theft, comprising:
 an electronic key that is adapted to be carried by an operator of the equipment and stores authenticating data for identifying the operator who carries the electronic key;   an authenticator that is installed at the equipment and performs authentication check as to whether the electronic key is an authorized key using stored key-checking data, when the authenticating data is outputted from the electronic key; and   an electronic key copier that is provided separately from the equipment and copies the electronic key.   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic key comprises at least one of a first electronic key and a second electronic key copied from the first electronic key by the electronic key copier, and the electronic key copier inhibits additional copying of the second electronic key. 
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the equipment comprises a moving object or an operating machine, and the electronic key stores authenticating data in a same number as that of the equipment. 
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1 , further including:
 a memory that is installed at the equipment and stores information on at least one of operating history and failure of the equipment;   and the authenticator copies the information to the electronic key, when performing the authentication check.   
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the authenticator copies the information to the electronic key when the electronic key is authenticated to be an authorized key, whereas the authenticator does not copy the information to the electronic key when the electronic key is not authenticated to be an authorized key. 
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 4 , further including:
 an informer that informs the failure of the equipment to the operator when the information on the failure of the equipment is copied to the electronic key.   
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 4 , further including:
 an analyzer that is provided separately from the equipment and reads the information copied in the electronic key to analyze.   
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic key copier comprises a terminal device, and a reader/writer that is connected to the terminal device and reads the authenticating data outputted from the electronic key and writes the authenticating data to the electronic key. 
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the equipment comprises an electric vehicle. 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the equipment comprises a lawnmower. 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic key comprises an IC card.