Vehicle alarm system

• US 5,850,173 A
• Filed: 10/15/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: DiCroce, John, Christie, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/732,585
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/428, 340/430, 180/287, 307/10.2, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 340/426.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features

Abstract

A vehicle alarm system with a sensor for detecting a change in the alarm system from an armed not triggered state to an armed triggered state, an override switch operable only when the alarm system is in the armed triggered state, to stop the alarm from sounding in the armed triggered state, an ignition switch, an ignition sensor, and a controller for switching the alarm system from the armed triggered state to the disarmed state when the ignition sensor supplies a signal indicating ignition on while a timing circuit is activated and maintaining the alarm system in an armed triggered state when no ingition signal is supplied while the timing circuit is activated.

Claims

1. A vehicle security system having a settable armed state and a settable disarmed state, said vehicle including an ignition having an on state and an off state and a switch that initiates passive arming of the vehicle security system, said security system comprising:

a first sensor adapted to detect said disarmed state;

a second sensor adapted to detect the state of the vehicle'"'"'s ignition;

a third sensor adapted to detect the state of the passive arming switch;

an elapsed-time clock providing a first and a second signal at end of respective first and second predetermined time periods, said second time period being longer than said first time period;

a first device connected to said clock and to said first and second sensors so as to respond to said system being disarmed and said ignition changing from an on to an off ignition state by starting said elapsed-time clock; and

a second device responsive to said signal produced by said clock upon reaching the end of said second time period for setting said system in the armed state, and responsive to said third sensor and to said signal produced by said clock upon reaching the end of said first time period so as to respond to the actuation of said passive arming switch when said passive arming switch is actuated before the end of said first time period by setting said security system in the armed state.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second predetermined time period is approximately 10 minutes.

3. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said first device also responds to said system changing from an armed to a disarmed state while said ignition is in the off state by starting said elapsed-time clock.

4. A method of passively arming a vehicle security system comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing that the system is disarmed;

(b) sensing that the vehicle ignition is turned from on to off while the system is disarmed;

(c) starting a timing of a first time period when the vehicle ignition is turned off;

(d) stopping the timing of the first time period in response to an opening of a vehicle door, a vehicle trunk or a vehicle hood after the timing of the first time period has started;

(e) starting a timing of a second time period, which is longer than the first time period, when the vehicle ignition is turned off, the timing of the second time period continuing despite an occurrence of the opening of the vehicle door, the vehicle trunk or the vehicle hood;

(f) arming the system in response to a completion of the timing of the first time period; and

(g) arming the system after the second predetermined time period has elapsed if the system has not been armed in response to the completion of the timing of the first time period.

5. An alarm system for a vehicle having an ignition system, said alarm system having mutually exclusive states including a disarmed state in which the alarm system is not armed and is not sounding, an armed-not-triggered state in which the alarm system is armed but is not sounding, and an armed-triggered state in which the alarm system is sounding, said alarm system comprising:

(a) a state sensor for detecting a change in said alarm system from the armed-not-triggered to the armed-triggered state;

(b) an override switch being operable only when said alarm system is in said armed-triggered state, said override switch being arranged and adapted to stop the alarm from sounding when the alarm is in the armed-triggered state;

(c) a timing circuit adapted to be activated by said override switch while said alarm system is in said armed-triggered state;

(d) an ignition switch separate from said override switch and arranged to start the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system;

(e) an ignition sensor connected to said ignition switch for supplying a signal when the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system is turned on;

(f) a controller connected to said state sensor, said ignition sensor, and said timing circuit for switching said alarm system from said armed-triggered state to said disarmed state when said ignition sensor supplies a signal indicating that the ignition system is on while said timing circuit is activated and for maintaining said alarm system in the armed-triggered state when said ignition sensor fails to supply a signal indicating that the ignition system is on while said timing circuit is activated, so that only when the ignition switch is turned on within a predetermined period of time beginning when the override switch is activated, said alarm system changes from said armed-triggered state to said disarmed state.

6. The vehicle alarm system according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined time period is about 30 seconds.

7. A method of passively arming an alarm system comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing that the vehicle ignition is off;

(b) starting a timing of a first time period;

(c) starting a timing of a second time period which is longer than the first time period;

(d) arming the system in response to a completion of the timing of the first time period;

(e) continuing the timing of the second time period despite a vehicle door, a vehicle hood or a vehicle trunk being opened;

(f) arming the system after the second predetermined time period if the system has not been armed in response to the completion of the timing of the first time period.

8. A method for disarming a vehicle alarm system in response to a manual override signal, said alarm system having a controller with a plurality of inputs, a plurality of control outputs, and being activated in accordance with selected inputs, said controller having mutually exclusive disarmed, armed-not-triggered, and armed-triggered states, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing the armed-triggered state;

(b) supplying a manual-override signal to the alarm system, while said system is in said armed-triggered state;

(c) starting an interval timer to measure a predetermined time-delay period, while said system is in said armed-triggered state, wherein the start of said time-delay period is initiated by the simultaneous establishment of said armed-triggered state and the receipt of said manual override signal while said system is in said armed-triggered state;

(d) supplying an ignition-on signal to the alarm system when the ignition system is activated; and

(e) disarming said system when said ignition-on signal arrives during said time-delay period.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined time-delay period is about 30 seconds.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said signals at steps (b) and (d) are operator-initiated.