Vehicle security apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Anti-theft apparatus adapted to interconnect with an electronic control circuit of a motor-powered vehicle and operative to selectively disrupt the control circuit to disable said vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a transmitter adapted to be carried by a driver of the vehicle and operative to produce a broadcast signal of selected frequency;
(b) a receiver adapted to be carried by said vehicle and operative to receive the broadcast signal when said transmitter is within a communication range, said receiver including timer circuitry and operative to produce an out-of-range signal when said receiver fails to receive the broadcast signal only after said receiver fails to receive said broadcast signal for a selected time duration; and
(c) a switch circuit including a switch element interposed in the control circuit of said vehicle, said switch element having a switch active state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is operative and a switch inactive state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is disrupted, said switch circuit operative in response to said out-of-range signal to cause said switch element to change from the switch active state to the switch inactive state thereby disrupting said control circuit to disable said vehicle.
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0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
An anti-theft apparatus to prevent "car jacking" includes a transmitter carried by the driver and a receiver and a switch circuit installed in the vehicle such that, when the receiver fails to detect the signal broadcast by the transmitter, the switch circuit disables the vehicle for operation. Timer circuitry is disclosed to cause the disablement only after a selected period that the broadcast signal is lost. An event detector, such as a switch circuit connected to the door light switch circuit of the vehicle, may be used to arm the disable circuit for a selected period so that disablement occurs only when the transmitter and receiver are separated beyond their communication range during a defined time interval following the occurrent of the event.
84 Citations
26 Claims
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1. Anti-theft apparatus adapted to interconnect with an electronic control circuit of a motor-powered vehicle and operative to selectively disrupt the control circuit to disable said vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter adapted to be carried by a driver of the vehicle and operative to produce a broadcast signal of selected frequency; (b) a receiver adapted to be carried by said vehicle and operative to receive the broadcast signal when said transmitter is within a communication range, said receiver including timer circuitry and operative to produce an out-of-range signal when said receiver fails to receive the broadcast signal only after said receiver fails to receive said broadcast signal for a selected time duration; and (c) a switch circuit including a switch element interposed in the control circuit of said vehicle, said switch element having a switch active state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is operative and a switch inactive state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is disrupted, said switch circuit operative in response to said out-of-range signal to cause said switch element to change from the switch active state to the switch inactive state thereby disrupting said control circuit to disable said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Anti-theft apparatus adapted for use with a motor-powered vehicle including an operator compartment with an access door and that has an electronic control circuit and an electronic door monitoring circuit operative to sense an opening of said door, said apparatus operative to disrupt said control circuit to disable said vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter adapted to be carried by a driver of the vehicle and operative to produce a broadcast signal of selected frequency; (b) a receiver adapted to be carried by said vehicle and operative to receive the broadcast signal when said transmitter is within a communication range, said receiver operative to produce an out-of-range signal when said receiver fails to receive the broadcast signal; (c) a switch circuit including a switch element interposed in the control circuit of said vehicle, said switch element having a switch active state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is operative and a switch inactive state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is disrupted; and (d) a detector circuit interconnected to said door monitoring circuit and operative in response to the opening of said door to produce an arming signal, said switch circuit operative in response to a presence of both said arming signal and said out-of-range signal to produce a disable signal, said switch element responsive to said disable signal to change from the switch active state to the switch inactive state thereby disrupting said control circuit to disable said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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- 13. In a motor-powered vehicle adapted to be operated by an operator and having an electronic control circuit that allows said vehicle to function and that disables said vehicle when disrupted, the improvement comprising a switch element interposed in the control circuit and having an active state whereby said control circuit is operative and an inactive state whereby said control circuit is disrupted, a transmitter adapted to be carried by the operator of the vehicle and operative to produce a broadcast signal of selected frequency, a receiver adapted to be carried by said vehicle and operative to receive the broadcast signal when said transmitter is within a communication range, said receiver operative to produce an out-of-range signal when said receiver fails to receive the broadcast signal, an event detector operative to sense an occurrence of a selected event and to produce an arming signal in response to the occurrence, and a switch circuit operative in response to said out-of-range signal to cause said switch element to change from said active state to said inactive state thereby disrupting said control circuit to disable said vehicle only when said arming signal is present.
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18. A method of protecting a motor vehicle from theft accomplished by usurping operation of the vehicle from an operator thereof, displacing the operator out of the vehicle and removing the vehicle away from the operator wherein said vehicle is motor-powered and has an electronic control circuit that allows said vehicle to function and that disables said vehicle when disrupted, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing first means carried by the operator of said vehicle and second means carried by said vehicle, said first and second means for detecting a distance of separation between said operator and said vehicle; (b) interposing a switch element in said control circuit wherein said switch element has a switch active state whereby said control circuit is operative and a switch inactive state whereby said control circuit is disrupted; and (c) monitoring the distance of separation between said operator and said vehicle and changing said switch element from the switch active state to the switch inactive state when the distance of separation exceeds a threshold distance continuously for a selected time duration. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. Anti-theft apparatus adapted to interconnect with an electronic control circuit of a motor-powered vehicle and operative to selectively disrupt the control circuit to disable said vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter adapted to be carried by a driver of the vehicle and operative to produce a broadcast signal of selected frequency; (b) a receiver adapted to be carried by said vehicle and operative to receive the broadcast signal when said transmitter is within a communication range, said receiver operative to produce an out-of-range signal when said receiver fails to receive the broadcast signal; (c) an event detector operative to sense an occurrence of a selected event and to produce an arming signal in response to the occurrence; and (d) a switch circuit including a switch element interposed in the control circuit of said vehicle, said switch element having a switch active state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is operative and a switch inactive state wherein the control circuit of said vehicle is disrupted, said switch circuit operative in response to said out-of-range signal to cause said switch element to change from the switch active state to the switch inactive state thereby disrupting said control circuit to disable said vehicle only when said arming signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification