Automotive security system with discrimination between tampering and attack

• US 5,181,010 A
• Filed: 02/13/1991
• Issued: 01/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James S. Chick
• Original Assignee: James S. Chick
• Inventors: Chick, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/656,113
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/428, 340/429, 340/521, 340/522, 340/517, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/426.25
• 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: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems

Abstract

A vehicle security system provided with a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors determines the number of environmentally sensitive sensors that are activated, and generates an attack alarm signal when at least a predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are activated, the predetermined number being greater than one, and generates a tamper alarm signal when a number of environmentally sensitive sensors less than the predetermined number are activated. In a system having one or more environmentally insensitive sensors and a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, an attack alarm signal is generated when an environmentally insensitive sensor is activated or at least a predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are activated, the predetermined number being greater than one, and a tamper alarm signal is generated when no environmentally insensitive sensor is activated and a number of environmentally sensitive sensors less than the predetermined number are activated. The attack alarm signal is used to activate a first alarm indicator, and the tamper alarm signal is used to activate a second alarm indicator.

Claims

1. A vehicle security system, comprising:

a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, each to the ambient environment and generating an output signal when activated;

at least one environmentally insensitive sensor, insensitive to the ambient environment and generating an output signal when activated.

alarm signal generating means for generating one of plural types of alarm signals in response to activation of said environmentally sensitive sensors and said at least one environmentally insensitive sensor; and

control means for controlling the type of alarm signal generated by said alarm signal generating means, wherein said control means said alarm signal generating means to generate an attack alarm signal when said at least one environmentally insensitive sensor is activated and an attack alarm signal when a predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, and further wherein said control means control said alarm generating means to generate a tamper alarm signal when a number of environmentally sensitive sensor less than said predetermined number are activated.

2. The vehicle security system of claim 1 wherein

all sensors are first synchronized together to ensure overlapping sensor detection signals to any sensor activation by prolonging the duration of each sensor'"'"'s output signal by a predetermined amount.

3. The vehicle security system of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises combinational logic and timing elements.

4. The vehicle security system of claim 1 further including a first alarm indicator that is activated by said attack alarm signal and a second alarm indicator that is activated by said tamper alarm signal.

5. The vehicle security system of claim 2 wherein the quantity of activated sensors necessary to generate the attack alarm signal can be manually selected.

6. The vehicle security system of claim 2 wherein the quantity of activated sensors necessary to generate the attack alarm signal can be automatically adjusted by said control means so as to prevent a continuous attack alarm signal.

7. The vehicle security system of claim 1 further comprising automatic means for removing any sensor from operation if said sensor continues to generate an output signal for a predetermined time interval such that said removal will not adversely affect the operation of said control means for generating an attack alarm or tamper alarm signal.

8. The vehicle security system of claim 2 wherein said attack alarm signal is generated whenever a predetermined quantity of synchronized output signals stay active for a predetermined time interval.

9. A vehicle security system which detects a disturbance to a vehicle or the environment of the vehicle and generates an alarm signal representative of a type of disturbance, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensors, comprising at least one environmentally insensitive sensor which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance to the vehicle and plural environmentally sensitive sensors each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance to the ambient environment of the vehicle; and

control means for detecting output signals of said sensors and discriminating a disturbance as one of attack and tamper and generating one of an attack signal and a tamper signal, respectively, in accordance with detected output signals of said sensors, said attach signal initiating an attack deterrent response and said tamper signal initiating a tamper warning response;

wherein all sensors initially are synchronized by prolonging the duration of each output signal of each activated sensor to synchronize said output signals of said activation sensors such that overlapping output signals of activated sensors are designated for a single detected disturbance;

and further wherein said control means discriminates between an attack and a tamper type disturbance by qualifying a disturbance as said attack type disturbance if an output signal from any environmentally insensitive sensor is detected, said attack type disturbance if output signals from a first predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are detected, and said tamper type disturbance if output signals from a second predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are detected wherein said second predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors corresponding to said tamper type disturbance is less than said first predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors corresponding to said attack type disturbance.

10. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein an attack deterrent response is generated whenever a predetermined quantity of synchronized output signals stays active for a predetermined time interval.

11. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein an attack qualification threshold can be manually adjusted to require any quantity of synchronized output signals.

12. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein a tamper qualification threshold can be manually adjusted to require any quantity of synchronized output signals.

13. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein after an alarm signal has been generated, a predetermined time interval must pass to allow the system to stabilize before any of the detection sensors are permitted to cause a new alarm signal to be generated.

14. A vehicle security system of claim 13 wherein, upon completion of an attack deterrent response, the attack signal is recycled if the quantity of active sensors does not fall below said second predetermined number.

15. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein said first predetermined number can be automatically adjusted so as to prevent a continuous attack deterrent response.

16. The vehicle security system of claim 9 wherein said second predetermined number can be automatically adjusted so as to prevent a continuous tamper warning response.

17. The vehicle security system of claim 9 further comprising a manual control means for removing any sensor from operation wherein removal will not adversely affect attack versus tamper type disturbance discrimination.

18. The vehicle security system of claim 9 further comprising automatic means for removing any sensor from operation if said sensor continues to generate an output signal for a predetermined time interval wherein removal will not adversely affect attack versus tamper type disturbance discrimination.

19. The vehicle security system of claim 9 further comprising a first indicator that is activated by an attack alarm signal and a second indicator that is activated by a tamper alarm signal.

20. The vehicle security system of claim 19 wherein the second indicator is activated whenever the first indicator is activated.

21. A vehicle security system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, comprising at least one environmentally insensitive sensor, each generating an output signal when activated, and plural environmentally sensitive sensors, each generating an output signal when activated;

an alarm signal generator which generates one of plural types of alarm signals in response to activation of said sensors, said alarm signal generator being capable of generating an attack alarm signal and a tamper alarm signal; and

a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said alarm signal generator in accordance with output signals of said sensors, said controller controlling said alarm signal generator to generate said attack alarm signal when at least one environmentally insensitive sensor is activated and controlling said alarm signal generator to generate said attack alarm signal when a predetermined number of said environmentally sensitive sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller controls said alarm signal generator to generate said tamper signal when a number of environmentally sensitive sensors less than said predetermined number are activated.

22. The vehicle security system of claim 21 further comprising a first alarm indicator that is activated by the attack alarm signal and a second alarm indicator that is activated by the tamper alarm signal.

23. A system for controlling a type of alarm generated by a self-contained vehicle security alarm, comprising:

a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance in the ambient environment of a vehicle; and

a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said vehicle security alarm in response to output signals of said sensors, said controller outputting an attack control signal when a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller outputs a tamper control signal when a number of sensor less than said predetermined number are activated, and wherein the quantity of activated sensors necessary to generate the attack control signal can be automatically adjusted by said controller; and

wherein said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate an attack alarm when said controller outputs said attack control signal and said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate a tamper alarm when said controller outputs said tamper control signal, said tamper alarm being representative of a less intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to said attack alarm.

24. A system for controlling a type of alarm generated by a self-contained vehicle security alarm, comprising:

a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance in the ambient environment of a vehicle; and

a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said vehicle security alarm in response to output signals of said sensors, said controller outputting an attack control signal when a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller outputs a tamper control signal when a number of sensor less than said predetermined number are activated; and

automatic means for removing any sensor from operation if said sensor continues to generate an output signal for a predetermined time interval wherein removal does not adversely affect the operation of said controller to generate a control signal;

wherein said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate an attack alarm when said controller outputs said attack control signal and said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate a tamper alarm when said controller outputs said tamper control signal, said tamper alarm being representative of a less intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to said attack alarm.

25. A method of generating one of an attack alarm signal and a tamper alarm signal in a self-contained vehicle security system, the tamper alarm signal being representative of a lesser intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to the attack alarm signal, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of vehicle security sensors responsive to changes in the ambient environment of the vehicle;

generating an attack alarm signal when at least a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one.

enabling the generation of a tamper alarm signal when a number of said sensors less than said predetermined number are activated; and

removing from operation any sensor which generates an output signal for a predetermined time, wherein removal does not adversely affect generation of an alarm signal.