Vehicle security system

• US 20060071763A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Mazur, Maria L., Ramos, Abigail Z., Fieldman, Cy M., Raisinghani, Vijay S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.120
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• 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 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A system and method is described for alerting authorities during a vehicle carjacking or carnapping. The method includes a first step of providing a vehicular radiotelephone communication system with speech recognition and a controller operable to monitor at least one vehicular system. A next step includes defining at least one predetermined sequence of operation of the at least one vehicular system for triggering a silent alert. The sequence can include spoken words or vehicle control operation. A next step includes monitoring the at least one vehicular system for the defined at least one predetermined sequence, such as a hidden switch activation for example. A next step includes activating a silent alert upon detection of the at least one predetermined sequence.

Claims

1. A method of covertly alerting authorities from within a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicular radiotelephone communication system with a controller operable to monitor at least one vehicular system;

defining at least one predetermined sequence of operation of the at least one vehicular system for triggering a silent alert;

monitoring the at least one vehicular system for the defined at least one predetermined sequence; and

triggering a silent alert upon detection of the at least one predetermined sequence in the monitoring step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined sequence of the defining step includes a user speaking a predefined sequence of words, and wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring an audio input from a cabin of the vehicle using a speech recognition system coupled to the controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sequence of the defining step includes operating at least one of the vehicle controls in a prescribed manner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering step includes activating the communication system of the vehicle wherein audio from the cabin is transmitted out to authorities, and audio into the cabin from the communication system of the vehicle is muted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step includes providing at least one hidden switch in a cabin of the vehicle, and further comprising the step of operating the at least one hidden switch, such that operating the hidden switch triggers the monitoring step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering step includes displaying a false indication of a vehicle problem.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining step includes defining a prerecorded message associated with each predetermined sequence of words, and wherein the activating step includes sending the prerecorded message associated with the monitored predetermined sequence of words to the authorities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring the at least one vehicular system for at least two predetermined sequences;

and the triggering step includes activating a silent alert upon detection of the at least two predetermined sequences.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering step includes giving a silent indication in the cabin of the vehicle that the authorities are being contacted.

10. A method of covertly alerting authorities from within a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicular radiotelephone communication system with a controller operable to monitor audio from the vehicle cabin;

defining at least one predetermined audio sequence for triggering a silent alert and at least one predetermined message to be sent to authorities upon triggering a silent alert;

monitoring the audio from the vehicle cabin for the defined at least one predetermined audio sequence; and

triggering a silent alert upon detection of the at least one predetermined audio sequence in the monitoring step wherein the at least one predetermined message is sent to authorities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one predetermined audio sequence of the defining step includes a user speaking a predefined sequence of words, and wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring an audio input from a cabin of the vehicle using a speech recognition system coupled to the controller.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the triggering step includes activating the communication system of the vehicle wherein audio from the cabin is transmitted out to authorities, and audio into the cabin from the communication system of the vehicle is muted.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing step includes providing at least one hidden switch in a cabin of the vehicle, and further comprising the step of operating the at least one hidden switch, such that operating the hidden switch triggers the monitoring step.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a prerecorded message of the defining step is associated with each predetermined audio sequence, and wherein the activating step includes sending the prerecorded message associated with the monitored predetermined audio sequence to the authorities.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of disabling the vehicle by the authorities.

16. A system for covertly alerting authorities from within a vehicle, the system comprising:

a network access device within the vehicle that can provide a radio communication link to authorities;

a microphone; and

a controller coupled to the microphone and network access device and including a speech recognition engine, the controller operable to compare audio from the microphone with at least one predetermined audio sequence for triggering a silent alert, wherein upon a match between the audio from the microphone and the at least one predetermined sequence the controller triggers a silent alert and directs the network access device to send at least one predetermined message to authorities.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one predetermined audio sequence includes a user speaking a predefined sequence of words.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein, upon a silent alert, audio from vehicle microphone is transmitted out to authorities over the network access device, and audio from the network access device into the vehicle is muted.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a hidden switch in the vehicle wherein the controller will not trigger a silent alert unless the hidden switch is activated.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a prerecorded message is associated with each predetermined audio sequence, and wherein the controller directs the network access device to send the prerecorded message associated with the predetermined audio sequence to the authorities upon a silent alert.