70 • AUTOLOCKSMITHS
PROUD SPONSOR OF
THE LOCKSMITH JOURNAL
Did you just supply a car thief?
» » AS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, NO
matter our age, gender, shape, size, or
religion, the vast majority of us have an
in-built capacity to recognise right from
wrong. Sadly, as locksmiths, we all-too-
often see the other side of this, especially
after a call-out to a break in or a burglary.
Our specific set of skills also means that
we could easily commit a crime, but as
professionals, and people, we know how
to use our technical ability to help people
rather than harm them.
But what of auto locksmiths? What if,
unintentionally auto locksmiths are aiding
criminals to move on stolen property,
or enabling them to commit dangerous
crimes such as robberies, joy riding, hit-
and-runs, by cutting a key for a car that
doesn’t belong to them?
Is it the auto locksmith’s responsibility
to determine whether the request is
genuine? And if so, is there a way to run
a safe and simple check to find out the
history of the car?
Motor Trade Services (MTS) answers:
“Yes and yes”.
The team also believes: “There is a
presumption that an auto locksmith will
exercise due diligence when a customer
enquires about key cutting for a vehicle.
In the past, it has been a timely and
expensive procedure, however.”
The highly experienced experts at MTS
can now provide the information an auto
locksmith, bailiff, insurance assessor, or
local authority representative would require
in an instant. Using a UK wide database,
the complete history of a vehicle can be
obtained – from its colour, fuel type, engine
size, number of owners to whether it’s been
stolen, or written off – instantly using just its
registration plate or VIN. A check can cost
as little as 12p, and be accessed by mobile
phone, tablet, or computer.
“At MTS we believe auto locksmiths
have a duty of care when supplying
keys and locks, but we also know that
locksmiths are busy people, working in
a fast-paced environment. MTS offers a
fast and efficient way for them to check a
vehicle, get the job done, and move onto
the next customer. It’s as simple as that.”
Find out more about Motor Trade
Services, and start your free trial by
visiting: motortradeservices.co.uk
READ MORE ON PAGE 6 OF THIS MONTH’S AUTO LOCKSMITH SUPPLEMENT
The Long-Ranger
» » CLARION HAS DEVELOPED THE
‘Long-Range Summon’ automatic remote
retrieval system for automobiles, which
combines unique external recognition
technology, connected technology,
position information control technology
spun off from the development of
navigation systems, and HMI with
high usability along with integrated
vehicle control technology from Hitachi
Automotive Systems, Ltd.
The envisaged usage situation is
large-scale overseas parking lots, for
example. Users can use their smartphones
to automatically call their vehicles to
their positions based on the parking
environment recorded when the vehicle
was being parked. Entering vehicles
in overt locations such as entrances of
buildings is effective in terms of preventing
crime. Furthermore, this system provides a
pleasant environment for drivers to avoid
getting cold and getting wet, when there are
low temperatures outside or storms, etc.
The flow for automatic remote retrieval is
as follows.
• When the vehicle is being parked, the
peripheral environment, route, and
external information within the lot
is recorded up to when the vehicle is
parked.
• To retrieve the vehicle, when the driver
presses the button on the smartphone
to call the vehicle, automatic retrieval
starts based on the smartphone’s
position information and the recorded
information about the vehicle.
• The drivable area is specified based
on sensor fusion technology, and the
vehicle is automatically driven within
the parking lot to the position where
the user is waiting.
• If there are obstacles in the driving
route, the sensor fusion technology is
used to avoid them.
Initially the servers will only comprise
authentication and retrieval request
notification functions, but it is possible to
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAR/APR 2019
Sponsored by ERA - Total Security
add management functions like functions
that monitor other vehicles and vehicle
operating functions.
The ‘Long-Range Summon’ system
realises long-range automatic remote
retrieval of vehicles. The main technologies
that comprise the new system are ‘sensor
fusion technology’ and ‘integrated
technology’ that combines connected
technology and position information
control technology.
Up until now, in terms of automatic
parking systems, Clarion and Hitachi
Automotive Systems have developed a
remote parking system in which users
use smartphones alongside vehicles to
park them automatically, and the Park
by Memory system that records and
reproduces the peripheral environments
and routes for parking spaces, such as
residential spaces, to automatically park
vehicles.
www.clarion.com