Patent ID: 6271745
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: G07C

Abstract:
A system for identifying a user of a vehicle and providing a level of authorization for the operation of a plurality of vehicle locks as a function of the identification, said system comprising:(a) at least two fingerprint reading means for scanning the fingerprint of a user of the vehicle wherein at least one of said fingerprint reading means is located on the exterior of the vehicle and at least one of said fingerprint reading means is located in the interior of the vehicle;(b) control means coupled to said fingerprint reading means for receiving the output thereof and for comparing and matching the scanned fingerprint with fingerprints previously enrolled therein and for providing a signal indicative of a level of authorization as a function of the enrolled fingerprint with which the scanned fingerprint is matched, wherein more vehicle lock operations are authorized by the fingerprint reading means in the interior of the vehicle than by the fingerprint reading means on the exterior of the vehicle and wherein only the interior fingerprint reading means can authorize starting the vehicle; and(c) vehicle lock means for enabling and disabling the operation of a plurality of vehicle locks, wherein the output of said control means is coupled to said vehicle lock means and wherein the vehicle lock operations are enabled and disabled as a function of the level of authorization of the user.