Vehicle theft prevention apparatus

• US 20080186153A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Michitaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/429
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics

Abstract

A vehicle theft prevention apparatus has a gyro, a G sensor, and a microcomputer in a case, thereby being capable of detecting a tilt of a vehicle and of detecting inertia applied to the vehicle. An outer surface of the case has a light detector that detects an approach of a suspicious person toward the vehicle. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus has an improved characteristic in terms of ease of installation in the vehicle and cost effectiveness.

Claims

1. A vehicle theft prevention apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a case;

a microcomputer;

a sensor capable of sensing a tilt of the vehicle and inertia applied to the vehicle, wherein the sensor is disposed in the case; and

a detector capable of detecting an approach of a suspicious person toward the vehicle, wherein the detector is disposed on an outer surface of the case.

2. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the detector is a light sensor.

3. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the case is in a shape of six sided box,

one of six sides of the box is configured as an installation side for installing the box, and

the detector is disposed on another side of the box that opposes the installation side.

4. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the detector has a ring shape.

5. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 3,

wherein a plurality of the detectors are disposed on the another side that opposes the installation side.

6. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the detector is disposed at a position that corresponds to each element of a polygon that defines the another side opposing the installation surface.

7. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the case is a six sided box,

one of six sides of the box is configured as an installation side for installing the box, and

the detector is disposed on one of four other sides of the box, wherein the four other sides are the sides of the box other than the installation side and another side that opposes the installation side.

8. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the detector is disposed on each of two sides out of the four other sides, and

each of the two sides opposes with each other.

9. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the detector is disposed on each of the four other sides.

10. The vehicle theft prevention apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the light sensor is at least one of an infrared sensor, an image sensor and a camera.