Security system

• US 5,319,698 A
• Filed: 02/11/1992
• Issued: 06/07/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boat Buddy Sentry Limited
• Original Assignee: Boat Buddy Sentry Limited
• Inventors: Glidewell, William E., Furr, Eddie F. III, Witham, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/833,949
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 340/984, 340/986, 340/541, 340/539, 340/426, 379/40, 379/42, 379/44, 379/39
• US Class Current: 379/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech

Abstract

A security system for detecting and signalling the presence of abnormal security or hazardous conditions, such as unauthorized entry, glass breakage, fire, smoke, high water level, in individual units, such as a boat, a recreational vehicle, an automobile, which are located or stored in a given security area.. The security system comprises sensor units which, when actuated, transmit coded signals through the atmosphere which identifies each sensor unit and the individual unit on which it is located. A receiver on the individual unit recognizes only the coded signals from sensor units which are on the same individual unit as the receiver. A coded output signal is provided to a slave transmitter on the individual unit which identifies the particular sensor unit which was actuated. The slave transmitter provides a coded transmission signal to a local security station which identifies the particular sensor unit which was actuated and the individual unit where the actuated sensor unit resides. The local security station activates an alarm and dials a sequence of telephone numbers to provide a verbal alarm.

Claims

1. A security system for a plurality of individual vehicles congregated together in a given security area, said security system comprises:

a plurality of individual vehicle security systems and a central unit;

wherein each of said individual vehicle security systems is associated with a respective one of said individual vehicles;

wherein each of said individual vehicle security systems comprises;

(a) a plurality of sensor means, each sensor means being operatively mounted at the respective individual vehicle and structured to be actuated by the occurrence of a respective predetermined event associated with the respective individual vehicle, each sensor means including means for producing an encoded sensor signal upon the occurrence of the predetermined event for that sensor means such that the encoded sensor signal identifies the respective sensor means producing the encoded sensor signal and the respective individual vehicle with which the respective sensor means is associated, each sensor means including a transmitter for transmitting the thus produced encoded sensor signal through the atmosphere;

(b) a receiving means located at the respective individual vehicle, each receiving means including means for receiving the transmitted encoded sensor signals from the plurality of sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system as well as from sensor means of individual vehicle security systems for other individual vehicles in the given security area, each receiving means including means for recognizing an encoded sensor signal transmitted by a sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system and for producing an output signal only upon receipt and recognition of an encoded sensor signal transmitted by a sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system;

(b) a slave transmitter means operatively coupled to the receiving means for the respective individual vehicle security system to receive an output signal from the receiving means of the respective individual vehicle security system, the slave transmitter means including means for producing an encoded vehicle signal upon the receipt of an output signal from the receiving means of the respective individual vehicle security system such that the encoded vehicle signal identifies the respective sensor means producing the encoded sensor signal and the respective individual vehicle with which the respective sensor means is associated, each salve transmitter means including a transmitter for transmitting the thus produced encoded vehicle signal through the atmosphere;

and

wherein said central unit comprises;

(a) a central receiver means positioned to receive an encoded vehicle signal transmitted by the slave transmitter means of any of said individual vehicle security systems, to decode the thus received encoded vehicle signal and provide a control signal in response thereto;

(b) a master control unit to receive a control signal from said central receiver means and provide output functions in response to the receipt of a control signal from said central receiver means.

2. A security system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said individual vehicle security systems further comprises:

a keypad and display means located at the respective individual vehicle and operatively coupled to the receiving means of the respective individual vehicle security system to exchange coded signals with that receiving means for selectively activating individual sensor means in the plurality of sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system; and

an alarm unit located at the respective individual vehicle and connected to the keypad and display means of the respective individual vehicle security system to receive a signal from that keypad and display unit upon the occurrence of the actuation of a sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system.

3. A security system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of boats in a marine.

4. A security system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of recreational vehicles in a storage area.

5. A security system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said central unit further comprises:

a central processing means operatively coupled to said central receiver means to receive a control signal outputted by said central receiver means;

a display unit operatively coupled to said central processing means; and

a message unit and an auto dialer operatively connected in parallel between said central processing means and a connector for connecting to a telephone line.

6. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of boats in a marine, with each individual vehicle being a boat in a slip in the marina.

7. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of boats in a marina, with each individual vehicle being a boat in a dry stack in the marina.

8. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of vehicles in a storage area.

9. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein at lest one of the sensor means in each individual vehicle security system includes a magnetic switch.

10. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein at least one of the sensor means in each individual vehicle security system includes an infrared sensor.

11. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the plurality of sensor means in each individual vehicle security system comprise at lest two sensors selected from the group consisting of a sensor to detect smoke, a sensor to detect the presence of carbon monoxide, a sensor to detect the presence of LP gas, a sensor to detect the presence of water, a sensor to detect glass breakage, a sensor to detect an opened window, a sensor to detect an opened door, and a sensor to detect motion.

12. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the plurality of sensor means in each individual vehicle security system comprise a sensor to detect smoke, a sensor to detect the presence of motion, and a sensor to detect the presence of water.

13. A security system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means for producing a encoded sensor signal includes switches to set the encoding.

14. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said central unit further comprises:

a central processing means operatively coupled to said central receiver means to receive a control signal outputted by said central receiver means;

a display unit operatively coupled to said central processing means; and

a message unit and an auto dialer operatively connected in parallel between said central processing means and a connector for connecting to a telephone line.

15. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of boats in a marina, with each individual vehicle being a boat in a slip in the marina.

16. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of boats in a marina, with each individual vehicle being a boat in a dry stack in the marina.

17. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual vehicles in a given security area comprises a plurality of vehicles in a storage area, with each individual vehicle being a boat.

18. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensor means in each individual vehicle security system includes a magnetic switch.

19. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensor means in each individual vehicle security system includes an infrared sensor.

20. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensor means in each individual vehicle security system comprise at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of a sensor to detect smoke, a sensor to detect the presence of carbon monoxide, a sensor to detect the presence of LP gas, a sensor to detect the presence of water, a sensor to detect glass breakage, a sensor to detect an opened window, a sensor to detect an opened door, and a sensor to detect motion.

21. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensor means in each individual vehicle security system comprise a sensor to detect smoke, a sensor to detect the presence of motion, and a sensor to detect the presence of water.

22. A security system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for producing a encoded sensor signal includes switches to set the encoding.

23. A method of monitoring a plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in a given security area, which method comprises:

providing an individual vehicle security system for each individual vehicle, each individual vehicle security system comprising;

(a) a plurality of sensor means, each sensor means being operatively mounted at the respective individual vehicle and structured to be actuated by the occurrence of a respective predetermined event associated with the respective individual vehicle;

(b) a receiving means located at the respective individual vehicle; and

(c) a slave transmitter means operatively coupled to the receiving means for the respective individual vehicle security system to receive an output signal from the receiving means of the respective individual vehicle security system;

producing a encoded sensor signal upon the occurrence of the predetermined event for a respective sensor means such that the encoded sensor signal identifies the respective sensor means producing the encoded sensor signal and the respective individual vehicle with which the respective sensor means is associated;

transmitting the thus produced encoded sensor signal through the atmosphere to the receiving means of each of the plurality of individual vehicle security systems;

causing the receiving means for the respective individual vehicle security system to receive the transmitted encoded sensor signals from the plurality of sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system as well as from sensor means of individual vehicle security systems for other individual vehicles in the given security area,

causing the receiving means for the respective individual vehicle security system to recognize only encoded sensor signals transmitted by sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security systems;

causing the receiving means for the respective individual security system to produce an output signal only upon receipt and recognition of an encoded sensor signal transmitted by a sensor means of the respective individual vehicle security system;

causing the slave transmitter means of the respective individual vehicle security system to produce an encoded vehicle signal upon the receipt of an output signal from the receiving means of the respective individual vehicle security system such that the encoded vehicle signal identifies the respective sensor means producing the encoded sensor signal and the respective individual vehicle with which the respective sensor means is associated;

transmitting the thus produced encoded vehicle signal through the atmosphere;

receiving the thus transmitted encoded vehicle signal at a central unit;

decoding the thus received encoded vehicle signal and providing a control signal in response thereto;

actuating an alarm at the central unit in response to said control signal;

recording the date, the time, an identification of the individual vehicle at which an encoded sensor signal was produced, and the type of sensor means which produced the encoded sensor signal; and

if the thus actuated alarm is not deactivated within a predetermined period of time, dialing at least one preset telephone number and providing a recorded message when the first one of said at least one preset telephone number is answered, and if an acknowledgment of the recorded message is received, recording the time the recorded message was acknowledged.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, further comprising the step of storing in the central unit instructions to shut down the central unit after a set period of time unless the central unit receives activation instructions.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, further comprising the step of transmitting activation instructions to the central unit during the set period of time to activate the security system for an additional time period.