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Anti-theft battery system for vehicles

  • US 5,404,129 A
  • Filed: 07/27/1993
  • Issued: 04/04/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An anti-theft battery system for a vehicle having a battery and a starting circuit including a starter motor which is adapted to be connected to the battery of the vehicle to be energized by current from the battery for starting an engine of the vehicle, said system comprising:

  • switching means connected in the starting circuit and operable between a first condition in which said switching means permits current sufficient to operate the starter motor to flow in the starter circuit and a second condition in which said switching means limits current in the starter circuit to a value that is insufficient to operate the starter motor;

    control means including a current monitoring circuit operable between set and reset states, said control means being coupled to said switching means for operating said switching means to said first condition when said current monitoring circuit is operated from said set state to said reset state, and for operating said switching means to said second condition when said current monitoring circuit is operated from said reset state to said set state,said current monitoring circuit being coupled to the starting circuit for monitoring current flowing in the starting circuit and being operated from said reset state to said set state when current flowing in the starting circuit exceeds a set point value, and said current monitoring circuit being latched in said set state until reset;

    a reset circuit for operating said current monitoring circuit from said set state to said reset state, said reset circuit including an input stage and an output stage, said input stage being coupled to an output of said control means to permit said reset circuit to generate a reset signal in response to an enabling signal produced at said output of said control means when said current monitoring means is operated from said reset state to said set state, said output stage being coupled to a reset input of said control means to apply said reset signal to said reset input of said control means for operating said current monitoring circuit from said set state to said reset state, andoverride means manually operable by an operator of the vehicle to prevent said control means from responding to current flowing in the starting circuit and being operated to said set state, interrupting the starting circuit when the current flowing through the starting circuit exceeds said set point value, thereby permitting the vehicle engine to be started.

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