Vehicle intruder alarm

• US 20050219042A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trucksafe Europe Limited
• Original Assignee: Trucksafe Europe Limited
• Inventors: Thomson, Ian Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/098,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

A vehicle alarm system that detects changes in weight of a load carried by the vehicle. Weight changes are detected by a sensor which measures the pressure within air suspension units, this pressure being a function of the weight carried.

Claims

1. A vehicle alarm system comprising means for generating an alarm signal in response to a weight change characterised in that the means for generating the alarm includes a sensor mounted upon or within an air suspension unit of the vehicle.

3. An alarm system according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is designed to activate the alarm in response to a weight change caused by an intruder entering the vehicle.

4. An alarm system according to claim 1 for a vehicle comprising a tractor (27) and trailer wherein the sensor is linked via an air line to air suspension units of the trailer so as to detect changes of weight of a load carried by the trailer.

5. An alarm system according to claim 1 wherein a low pass filter is arranged to remove, from a sensor output signal, unwanted signal components arising from vehicle dynamics.

6. An alarm system according to claim 1 wherein a high pass filter is arranged to remove, from the sensor output signal, unwanted DC signal variations.

2. A vehicle alarm system comprising means for generating an alarm signal in response to a weight change wherein the means for generating the alarm includes a sensor for sensing the pressure within an air suspension unit of the vehicle.