Electronic vehicle security system

• US 5,157,375 A
• Filed: 01/04/1991
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DEI Headquarters Inc (DEI Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Clifford Electronics, Inc. (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Drori, Ze'ev
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/637,378
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/430, 340/429, 340/527, 340/528, 340/539, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 341/176, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2225/00 Means indicating the functioning state of the alarm system, e.g. indicating arming, using leds
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00261 the keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits

Abstract

A multi-featured electronic vehicle security system is disclosed. The system is controlled by an electronic controller such a microcomputer. To reduce noise pollution due to false alarms caused by repetitive tripping of the system sensor devices, the system will not respond to more than a defined number of successive trippings of the same sensor device to initiate an alarm condition. The system includes a user-enabled feature wherein a first alarm signal generator is activated by a sensor tripping, and a second, distinct alarm signal generator is activated when a trigger device has been tripped. When the system is passively armed, active sensors and triggers are automatically diagnosed and bypassed, permitting the system to be passively armed even if one or more trigger or sensor is active. The system can be programmed so that if the system is disarmed by a remote control and the doors are automatically unlocked, the system will automatically rearm and relock the doors if a door is not opened within a predetermined time interval after disarming with the remote control.

Claims

1. A vehicle security system comprising means for detecting attempted intrusions to a vehicle when the system is put into the armed mode, means responsive to indications of a detected intrusion for activating an audible signal generating device for a predetermined alarm cycle duration, said means responsive to indications of a detected intrusion resetting after expiration of said duration so as to be activated again in the event of another intrusion after the first of said detected intrusions, and means for disabling, until said system has been disarmed and rearmed, further operation of said audible signal generating device in response to indications of a detected intrusion from said detecting means after said audible signal generating device has been activated by said detecting means a predetermined cumulative time interval after the system has been put into the armed mode, said cumulative time interval being longer than said alarm cycle duration, thereby reducing the noise pollution which might otherwise be created by a repetitive alarm condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined time interval is the time duration of a predetermined number of successive alarm cycles.

3. A vehicle security system which does not continuously cycle through alarm cycles due to a constantly or repetitively active sensor or trigger device, comprising:

at least one sensor or trigger device for sensing an intrusion event and providing a device activated signal when the event is detected;

means for generating audible alarm alert signals in response to appropriate alert control signals;

a controller for controlling the operation of said security system so that said system may be operated in an armed mode wherein said controller monitors said at least one sensor or trigger device and generates the appropriate alert control signals to cause said audible alert generating means to issue an audible alarm alert signal of an alarm cycle duration in response to said device activated signal, or in a disarmed mode wherein said system is disabled from generating said alarm alert signals, said controller comprising;

means for monitoring the number of alarm cycles activated since the system was placed in the armed mode and preventing said audible alert generating means from activating further audible alarm alert signals after said number exceeds a predetermined number;

wherein said means for preventing said audible alert generating means from activating further audible alarm alert signals comprises means for monitoring the number of consecutive times one of said sensor or trigger devices is tripped and disabling said sensor or trigger device from thereafter activating said means for activating the audible alert generating means, without disabling the other of said sensor or trigger devices from thereafter activating said means for activating the audible alert generating means.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one sensor or trigger device includes a door trigger for generating a trigger device active signal when a door is open, whereby a continuous defect in said trigger, or the leaving of said door open, will, after activating said audible alert generating means said predetermined number of alarm cycles, no longer result in activation of said audible alert generating means, thereby minimizing noise pollution which would otherwise result from further activation and conserving battery power of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one sensor or trigger device includes a vibration sensor device, whereby repeated activations of the vibration sensor device will, after activating said audible alert generating means said predetermined number of alarm cycles, no longer result in activation of said audible alert generating means, thereby reducing the attendant noise pollution and conserving battery power of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one sensor or trigger device comprises:

a sensor device for sensing an intrusion event and providing a sensor device activated signal when said event is detected; and

a trigger device for indicating the open/close status of one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s accessible compartments and providing a trigger device activated signal when said one or more compartments are open;

wherein said controller generates said appropriate alert control signals in response to either said sensor device activated signal or said trigger device activated signal; and

wherein said means for preventing said audible alert generating means from activating further audible alarm alert signals comprises means for monitoring the number of consecutive times one of said sensor or trigger devices is tripped and disabling said sensor or trigger device from thereafter activating said means for activating the audible alert generating means, without disabling the other of said sensor or trigger devices from thereafter activating said means for activating the audible alert generating means.

7. A vehicle security system which may be armed or disarmed by a remote control transmitter, and which is operable to automatically rearm the system a predetermined time interval after disarming by remote control if none of the vehicle doors has been opened, comprising:

vehicle antitheft means;

a remote control transmitter for generating an encoded signal;

means operable when the system is armed and responsive to receipt of said encoded signal for disarming said system; and

means for automatically rearming said system in the event none of the vehicle doors is opened during a time interval of predetermined length after said system is disarmed by said remote control transmitter.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said means responsive to receipt of said encoded signal for disarming said system further comprises means for automatically unlocking one or more of the vehicle doors, and said means for automatically rearming said system further comprises means for automatically locking said one or more vehicle doors when said system is automatically rearmed.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said system further comprises means for arming said system in response to receipt of said encoded signal generated by said transmitter, and means for locking one or more of the vehicle doors when the system is armed in response to receipt of said encoded signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein receipt of said encoded signal when the system is in the disarmed state results in the arming of the system, and wherein receipt of said encoded signal when the system is in the armed state results in the disarming of the system.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said system further comprises means for arming said system in response to receipt of a second encoded signal generated by said transmitter, and means for locking one or more of the vehicle doors when the system is armed in response to receipt of said second encoded signal.

12. A vehicle security system, comprising:

at least one sensor device for sensing attempted tampering with said vehicle and generating a "sensor active" signal when the sensor device is tripped;

at least one trigger device for monitoring the open/closed status of one or more of the vehicle access locations, and providing a "trigger active" signal when said location has an opened status;

a first alert means for generating a first type of alarm alert signal in response to a first alarm event signal;

a second alert means for generating a second type of alarm alert signal in response to a second alarm event signal;

means for selectively arming or disarming said security system; and

an electronic controller for controlling the operation of said security system, said controller responsive to said "sensor active" and "trigger active" signals while said system is armed for generating said first and second alarm event signals under predetermined conditions, said controller comprising;

means responsive to receipt of the first said "sensor active" signal after said system is armed for activating said first alert means to generate said first type of alert signal for a limited time duration;

means responsive to at least said first "sensor active" signal after said system is armed for activating said second alert means for a limited time duration if said "trigger active" signal is generated within a predetermined time interval after receipt of said first "sensor active" signal.

13. The security system of claim 12 wherein said first alert means comprises a siren.

14. The security system of claim 12 wherein said second alert means comprises means for generating a voice synthesized message.

15. The security system of claim 12 wherein said controller further comprises means for bypassing said sensor device after receipt of said first "sensor active" signal so that second and subsequent receipts of said "sensor active" signal do not result inactivation of said first alert means.