Automotive vehicle panic alarm system for thwarting an attack, and method of same

• US 20060132294A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan G. Spark
• Original Assignee: Alan G. Spark
• Inventors: Spark, Alan G.
• Application Number:
  US11/294,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132294A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/1013 Alarm systems characterised by the type of warning signal, e.g. visual, audible
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/004 using portable personal devices hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellent gases or chemicals F41H9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A panic alarm system is provided for installation in a motor vehicle, the system aiding in thwarting criminal attacks against vehicle occupants as well as car hijacking of an occupied vehicle. The system triggerable by occupant use of activation switches in multiple vehicle locations, or via occupant speaking a programmed voice alarm activation phrase, or alternately remotely activated from a mobile cellular device within limited close range of the vehicle. The system designed to take advantage of government mandated national emergency call systems such as the FCC'"'"'s Enhanced 911 system and provide vehicle location to emergency call dispatchers using features of E911, or GPS global coordinates. Advantageously capturing video images to a removable flash memory card as an aid to later identification and conviction of assailant. Once the alarm is activated, the alarm can be disabled by correctly entering a secured disabling code into an alarm deactivation keypad.

Claims

1. A panic alarm system for interrupting criminal attacks against occupants of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a protective housing configured for mounting to a surface of the motor vehicle;

an electronic logic and control means mounted within said housing having;

one or more alarm activation inputs;

an alarm cancellation input; and

a plurality of digital alarm condition outputs controlled by said logic and control means, the outputs comprising;

an alarm condition output for pseudo randomly cycling vehicle courtesy lights between on and off;

an alarm condition output for pseudo randomly cycling vehicle headlights between on and off;

an alarm condition output for pseudo randomly cycling vehicle horn between on and off;

an alarm condition output for pseudo randomly cycling courtesy lights between on and off;

an alarm condition output for pseudo randomly cycling vehicle mounted panic alarm accessory lights between on and off; and

an alarm condition output for actuating a siren;

one or more alarm actuation switches electrically connected to said alarm activation input for placing the panic alarm in an alarm condition;

one or more alarm cancellation keypads for vehicle occupant to enter an alarm deactivation code to deactivate alarm condition, the keypad comprising;

a housing having a means for attaching to a surface within a vehicle cabin;

touch sensitive input keys mounted to a front face of said keypad housing, the keys comprising;

one key for each numeric digit in the set of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0; and

an enter key for indication completion of keyboard code input; and

a means for communicating input deactivation code key presses to the electronic logic and control means.

2. The panic alarm system of claim 1 further comprising one or more optional vehicle mounted panic alarm lights;

and the logic and control means further comprises an alarm condition output for cycling the one or more optional vehicle mounted panic alarm lights between off and on states.

3. The panic alarm system of claim 2 further comprising:

a non-volatile memory secured within said protective housing and electrically interfaced to, addressable from, and exchanging data with said logic and control means;

a table of phone numbers stored in said non-volatile memory, the numbers to be dialed in an emergency by the panic alarm system to initiate emergency calls to authorities and emergency call dispatchers;

a microphone secured inside said alarm cancellation keypad for recording an emergency distress message to memory;

an analog to digital voice recording means electrically interfaced to said logic and control means and said microphone, the digital voice recording means for converting an emergency distress message spoken into the microphone into a digital bit stream for storage in said non-volatile memory;

a digital to audio speech synthesis means secured within the protective housing and interfaced to said logic and control means; and

a cellular telephone device cooperatively interfaced to said logic and control means, the cellular telephone configured for connecting to a cellular network to dial emergency numbers and transmit the emergency message to a configured emergency call recipient, wherein the alarm system is configured to provide emergency call dispatcher with vehicle location using a national emergency call system standard.

4. The panic alarm system of claim 3, further comprising a GPS receiver electrically interfaced to said logic and control means, the GPS receiver providing vehicle position in global positioning system world coordinates to said logic and control means.

5. The panic alarm system of claim 3, further comprising:

one or more CCD digital cameras, said cameras mounted and concealed inside a vehicle rear view mirror behind one way mirrored glass, said cameras positioned to periodically capture images inside and around the vehicle during an alarm condition; and

a static memory card removably retained in and electrically interfaced to said logic and control means, the memory card to store periodically captured CCD camera images for later analysis by authorities for use in identification and conviction of attacker.

6. The panic alarm system of claim 5 wherein the panic alarm system is configured to transmit the CCD camera images to authorities over cellular network using cellular GSM cellular multimedia messaging capabilities of the cellular device and the cellular network.

7. The panic alarm system of claim 3, further comprising:

a short range wireless networking transceiver for receiving remote alarm activation commands from a mobile wireless device, said transceiver configured to provide alarm activation input into the alarm system.

8. The panic alarm system of claim 3, further comprising:

a means for digitally encoding and storing a user configurable spoken vocal alarm activation phrase into the non-volatile memory for later use in voice activation of the alarm system; and

a means for providing alarm activation by voice command comprising a means of receiving spoken sound, coding into digital impulses, comparing against the configured alarm activation phrase and providing alarm activation input to the alarm system when the voice alarm activation phrase is detected.

9. A method for a vehicle panic alarm system to thwart an attack against an motor vehicle occupant by calling attention to the attacker by use of bright visual lighting and a variety of loud audible means, the method comprising:

receiving an alarm activation command;

initiating pseudo random power on/off cycling of vehicle headlights;

initiating pseudo random power on/off cycling of vehicle panic alarm lights;

initiating pseudo random power on/off cycling of vehicle courtesy lights; and

activating a vehicle mounted panic alarm siren.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein after the step of activating the siren, the steps further comprise:

retrieving vehicle location coordinates from a global positioning system receiver;

reading a next emergency phone number to be called from an emergency phone number list;

commanding a cellular telephone device to dial the next emergency number over a cellular network;

retrieving a recorded emergency distress voice message from a panic alarm memory device;

playing the recorded emergency voice message to an emergency cellular call recipient;

communicating the vehicle location coordinates to the cellular call recipient;

repeating the emergency voice message and vehicle coordinates;

terminating the cellular call; and

continuing at the above step of retrieving the vehicle location and repeating until alarm condition is cancelled by occupant.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein after the step of communicating the vehicle location, the steps further comprise:

recording CCD camera graphic images to a removable flash memory card in the alarm system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein after the step of recording graphics images, the steps further comprise:

transmitting CCD camera images to call recipient.