Authorized Operation of Vehicles

Abstract

A system for starting a vehicle has a first apparatus having a microprocessor, a first data repository, a normally open electrical imposed between positive vehicle battery voltage and a keyed ignition switch, and a second electronic apparatus comprising a second microprocessor executing second coded instructions from a non-transitory medium, the second microprocessor coupled with the first microprocessor, a second data repository coupled to the second microprocessor and storing a list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle, and an input mechanism enabling a candidate driver to identify to the second microprocessor. The candidate driver identifies to the second microprocessor by the input mechanism, the second microprocessor, executing the second coded instructions, determines if the driver identity matches an identity on the list drivers authorized to operate the vehicle, and if so, causes the first microprocessor to close the normally open contact.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for enabling a user to start and operate a vehicle, comprising:
 a first electronic apparatus comprising:
 a first microprocessor executing first coded instructions from a non-transitory medium; 
 a first data repository coupled to the first microprocessor; and 
 a normally open electrical contact controlled by the first microprocessor, the normally open electrical contact imposed between positive vehicle battery voltage and a keyed ignition switch of the vehicle, such that the vehicle cannot be started and operated with the normally open electrical contact open; 
   a second electronic apparatus comprising:
 a second microprocessor executing second coded instructions from a non-transitory medium, the second microprocessor coupled for communication with the first microprocessor; 
 a second data repository coupled to the second microprocessor and storing a list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle; and 
   an input mechanism enabling a candidate driver to identify to the second microprocessor;   wherein the candidate driver identifies to the second microprocessor by the input mechanism, the second microprocessor, executing the second coded instructions, determines if the driver identity matches an identity on the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle, and if so, causes the first microprocessor to close the normally open contact, enabling the vehicle to be started and operated.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second microprocessors are in direct wired communication. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism is an interactive interface displayed on a touchscreen. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first microprocessor senses when the keyed ignition switch is open or closed. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  further comprising an electrical contact in the ignition circuit after the keyed ignition switch, connected back to the first microprocessor, enabling the first microprocessor to sense when the keyed ignition switch is open or closed. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising wireless cellular circuitry enabled to connect the first microprocessor to a wide-area network through a wireless gateway. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the wide-area network is the well-known Internet network, further comprising an Internet connected server executing coded instructions providing an interactive interface enabling a user to edit the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle, stored in the second data repository coupled to the second microprocessor. 
     
     
         8 . A system for enabling a user to start and operate a vehicle, comprising:
 a first electronic apparatus comprising:
 a first microprocessor executing first coded instructions from a non-transitory medium; 
 a first data repository coupled to the first microprocessor, the data repository storing at least a unique vehicle identification number; 
 a normally open electrical contact controlled by the first microprocessor, the normally open electrical contact imposed between positive vehicle battery voltage and a keyed ignition switch of the vehicle, such that the vehicle cannot be started and operated with the normally open electrical contact open; 
 a first near-field wireless communication circuit; and 
   a mobile communication device enabled to operate on a cellular network comprising:
 a second microprocessor executing a mobile application providing interactive interfaces on a touchscreen; 
 a second data repository coupled to the second microprocessor and storing a list of identities of drivers authorized to operate individual ones of a plurality of vehicles; 
 a second near-field wireless communication circuit, compatible with the first near-field wireless communication circuit; and 
 an input mechanism enabling a candidate driver to identify to the second microprocessor; 
   wherein the mobile communication device pairs with the first electronic apparatus through the near-field communication circuits, the first microprocessor causes the vehicle identification code to be transmitted to the mobile communication device, the candidate driver identifies to the second microprocessor by the input mechanism, the mobile application determines if the driver identity matches an identity on the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle identified by the vehicle identification number, and is so, the mobile application causes a code to be sent by the near-field communication circuit, causing the first microprocessor to close the normally open contact, enabling the vehicle to be started and operated.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the input mechanism is an interactive interface displayed on the touchscreen of the mobile communication device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the first microprocessor senses when the keyed ignition switch is open or closed. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising an electrical contact in the ignition circuit after the keyed ignition switch, connected back to the first microprocessor, enabling the first microprocessor to sense when the keyed ignition switch is open or closed. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising wireless cellular in the mobile communication device enabled to connect the first microprocessor to a wide-area network through a wireless gateway. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the wide-area network is the well-known Internet network, further comprising an Internet connected server executing coded instructions providing an interactive interface enabling a user to edit the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle, stored in the second data repository coupled to the second microprocessor. 
     
     
         14 . A method for enabling operation of a vehicle, comprising:
 imposing a first electronic apparatus having a first microprocessor executing first coded instructions from a non-transitory medium, a first data repository coupled to the first microprocessor, the data repository storing at least a unique vehicle identification number, and a normally open electrical contact controlled by the first microprocessor between positive vehicle battery voltage and a keyed ignition switch of the vehicle, such that the vehicle cannot be started and operated with the normally open electrical contact open;   identifying by a candidate driver through an input mechanism to a second microprocessor executing second coded instructions from a non-transitory medium, the second microprocessor coupled to a second data repository storing a list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle;   determining by the second microprocessor if the driver identity matches an identity on the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle; and   if the driver identity matches an identity on the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle sending a signal to the first microprocessor to close the normally open contact, enabling the vehicle to be started and operated.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the second microprocessor is connected to the first microprocessor and the signal is a digital code recognized and acted upon by the first microprocessor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the input mechanism is presented on a touchscreen of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first electronic apparatus has a first near-field communication circuit, and the first data repository stores a vehicle identification code unique to the vehicle, and the second microprocessor is a part of a mobile communication device having a second near-field communication circuit, a touchscreen display and executes a mobile application, and wherein the mobile communication device pairs with the first electronic apparatus through the near-field communication circuits, the first microprocessor causes the vehicle identification code to be transmitted to the mobile communication device, the candidate driver identifies to the second microprocessor by the input mechanism, the mobile application determines if the driver identity matches an identity on the list of identities of drivers authorized to operate the vehicle identified by the vehicle identification number, and is so, the mobile application causes a code to be sent by the near-field communication circuit to the first microprocessor in the first electronic apparatus, causing the first microprocessor to close the normally open contact, enabling the vehicle to be started and operated.