Method and system for alarming against theft and/or towing of a vehicle that utilizes a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system)

• US 20050093683A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Kim, Seong Tae, Wee, Sung Don
• Application Number:
  US10/975,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20050093683A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner

Abstract

A method and system for alarming against theft and/or towing of a vehicle that utilizes a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) for detecting internal air pressures of tires in a real time and a vehicle theft. In addition, the theft and/or towing alarms are determined by detecting change (drop) of the air pressures of the tires and the alarm system is turned on by a determination thereof, and simultaneously informed the determination through a wireless terminal of an owner or a manager of the vehicle. Therefore, with preventing of the vehicle theft by an operation of the alarm system, the present invention is for dealing with the vehicle theft and towing by the owner or the manager of the vehicle positively and for improving a confidence to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for alarming against theft and/or towing of a vehicle, comprising;

detecting internal pressures of tires mounted on the vehicle;

comparing the detected pressures with a predetermined pressure value;

operating a timer if at least one of differences between the detected pressures and the predetermined pressure value is within a scope of a predetermined allowable error; and

generating an alarm message in the case that a state that at least one of the differences between the detected pressures and the predetermined pressure value is within the scope of the predetermined allowable error and is maintained for a predetermined period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pressure value is a pressure of the tires when a load of the vehicle does not act on the tires.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the internal pressures of the tires is performed by a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System).

4. A system for alarming against theft and/or towing of a vehicle, comprising;

an input device for detecting pressures of tires and for outputting a pressure signal corresponding to the detected pressures;

a control device for receiving the pressure signal from the input device and for outputting a control signal for alarming against theft and/or towing of the vehicle based on a comparison between the pressure value according to the received pressure signal and the predetermined pressure value;

an alarm device operated by the control signal from the control device; and

a terminal for receiving an alarm message according to the control signal of the control device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pressure value is a pressure of the tires when a load of the vehicle does not act on the tires;

and wherein the control device outputs the control signal for alarming against theft and/or towing of the vehicle in the case that a state that at least one of the differences between the detected pressures and the predetermined pressure value is in a scope of a predetermined allowable error and is maintained for a predetermined period.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the input device is a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System).

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the control device comprises:

a receiving portion receiving the pressure signal from the input device and converting the pressure signal into processable data;

a storing portion for storing the predetermined pressure value, the scope of the predetermined allowable error, and the predetermined period;

a processing portion for comparing the pressure signal with the data stored in the storing portion and for transmitting a result thereof;

a control portion for transmitting a control signal according to the result transmitted from the processing portion;

a switch portion for operating the alarm device by the control signal transmitted from the control portion; and

a transmitting portion for transmitting an alarm message to a terminal according to the control signal transmitted from the control portion.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control device further comprises the timer operated by the result made by the processing portion.

9. A system for alarming against theft and/or towing of a vehicle comprising;

an input device for detecting pressures of tires and for outputting a pressure signal corresponding to the detected pressures;

a control device for receiving the pressure signal from the input device and for outputting a control signal for alarming against theft and/or towing of the vehicle based on a comparison between pressure values of the pressure signal and a predetermined pressure value; and

an alarm device operated by the control signal from the control device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to transmit a signal for alarming against theft and/or towing of the vehicle to a mobile communication terminal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined pressure value is a pressure of the tires when a load of the vehicle does not act on the tires;

and

wherein the control device outputs the control signal for alarming against theft and/or towing of the vehicle in the case that a state that at least one of the differences between the detected pressures and the predetermined pressure value is in a scope of a predetermined allowable error and is maintained for a predetermined period.