Vehicle security system upgrade

• US 5,850,174 A
• Filed: 10/30/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Christie, Scott, DiCroce, John
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/739,923
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/428, 340/430, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 307/10.2, 180/287, 70/256, 70/237
• US Class Current: 340/426.28
• 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

An upgrade method and apparatus for both remote and key-operated two-step vehicle security systems is disclosed. The upgrade blocks attempts to disarm the alarm circuit when the vehicle is armed and unlocked improperly.

The upgrade can be added to existing systems regardless of the polarity of the signals used therein. Improved power-up and remote control features can also be added as a part of the upgrade.

Claims

1. A security system upgrade kit for a vehicle including a door lock switch connected to provide electrical lock and unlock signals, a two-step door lock mechanism connected so as to sequentially unlock one door of the vehicle in response to a first unlock signal from the door lock switch, and then unlock a second door of the vehicle in response to a subsequent unlock signal from the door lock switch, a central control switch connected to said two-step door lock mechanism so as to provide signals to simultaneously unlock said first and second doors and an ignition switch, and to disarm a vehicle alarm, said upgrade kit comprising:

an alarm circuit having a disarm input and adapted to be connected to said vehicle alarm; and

a disarm control circuit adapted to be connected to the two-step door lock mechanism and to said disarm input of said alarm circuit so as to disarm said alarm circuit in response to activation of said two-step door lock mechanism upon which said doors are unlocked sequentially and further including inhibiting circuitry connected to said control switch to prevent said alarm circuit from disarming the vehicle alarm in response to activation of said central control switch upon which said first and second doors are unlocked simultaneously.

2. The security system upgrade of claim 1 further comprising an arming control circuit, said arming control circuit having a first input adapted to receive a binary signal when the system is to be armed, and a second input connected to a polarity-select circuit so as to selectively provide a binary 0 or 1 signal to said second input, said circuit providing an arming signal at its output in response to a simultaneous combination of a binary 0 signal provided by said polarity-select circuit and a first given signal on said first input, or of a binary 1 signal provided by said polarity-select circuit signal, and a different, second signal on said first input.

3. The security system upgrade of claim 2, wherein said arming control circuit is an EXCLUSIVE OR gate.

4. The security system upgrade of claim 2, wherein said arming control circuit is a NAND gate.

5. The security system upgrade of claim 1 further comprising first and second disarm inputs and a disarm output, said first disarm input being adapted to receive a signal when the first door is unlocked and said second disarm input being adapted to receive a signal when another door is unlocked, said first and second inputs being adapted to receive a signal when both doors are unlocked simultaneously, so as to prevent said disarm control circuit from producing a disarm signal on said disarm output when the doors are unlocked simultaneously, said disarm control circuit output being adapted to be connected to the disarm input of the alarm circuit.

6. The security system upgrade of claim 5, wherein said disarm control circuit is an EXCLUSIVE OR gate.

7. The security system upgrade of claim 5 wherein said alarm circuit is connected so as to respond to said disarm signal only when said disarm signal is applied to said disarm input for at least a predetermined time with no gaps in the signal longer than a predetermined length.

8. The security system upgrade of claim 7 wherein said alarm circuit responds to a disarm signal only when said disarm signal is applied to said disarm input for at least two hundred fifty milliseconds and has gaps no longer than one hundred milliseconds in length.

9. The security system upgrade of claim 1 further comprising a power-up circuit, said power-up circuit being connected to a power supply in the vehicle so as to disable the door lock mechanism, so that the alarm circuit is armed but the vehicle does not lock when voltage is applied by the power supply to the security system.

10. The security system upgrade of claim 9 further comprising a sensor input adapted to provide a signal to the alarm circuit indicating whether the voltage applied to the security system was lower than a predetermined voltage at a predetermined time shortly before voltage is applied to the security system.

11. The security system upgrade of claim 10 further comprising a sensor input adapted to provide a signal to the alarm circuit indicating the status of the ignition switch, said alarm circuit being connected so that when voltage is applied to the security system and the alarm circuit determines that the voltage applied to the security system was lower than a predetermined voltage at a predetermined time shortly before voltage is applied to the security system, the alarm circuit will be triggered in response to a signal indicating a given status of said switch.

12. The security system upgrade of claim 1 further comprising a three-channel remote control receiver unit wherein said alarm circuit is adapted to produce first and second outputs in response to a signal received on one of said channels when said security system is armed, and disarmed, respectively.

13. The security system of claim 11 wherein said gaps are less than half the predetermined period and no longer than the gaps produced by contact bounce in the security system.

14. The security system of claim 11 wherein said alarm circuit disarms when said disarm signal is applied to said disarm input of the alarm circuit for at least two hundred fifty milliseconds during which said disarm signal has no gaps longer than one hundred milliseconds in length.

15. The security system of claim 11, wherein the door lock switch is a mechanical key lock.

16. The security system of claim 11, wherein the door lock switch is a remote control receiver unit.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the door lock switch is an externally-mounted keypad unit.

18. A vehicle security system, comprising:

a door lock switch connected to provide electrical lock and unlock signals;

a two-step door lock mechanism connected so as to sequentially unlock one door of the vehicle in response to a first unlock signal from the door lock switch, and then unlock a second door of the vehicle in response to a subsequent unlock signal from the door lock switch;

a central control switch connected to said two-step door lock mechanism so as to provide signals to simultaneously unlock said first and second doors;

a disarm control circuit connected to said two-step door lock mechanism so as to disable said disarm control circuit in response to activation of said central control switch upon which said doors are unlocked simultaneously rather than sequentially, so as to prevent said disarm control circuit from producing a disarm signal when said central control switch is activated;

an alarm circuit connected to said disarm control circuit so as to be disarmed in response to a disarm signal from said disarm control circuit;

a door lock control circuit having a first output connected to provide the first door unlock control signal when the first door is unlocked;

a second output connected to provide the second door unlock control signal when another door is unlocked, and

first and second inputs connected to the door lock switch and the central control switch so as to provide said first and second outputs in response to the unlocking of the first door and the unlocking of another door, respectively;

wherein

said first and second unlock signals on respective first and second inputs produce respective first and second unlock signals on respective outputs.

19. The security system of claim 18 wherein said disarm control circuit has first and second disarm control inputs connected to said first and second door lock control circuit outputs, respectively.

20. The security system of claim 18, wherein said disarm control inputs are connected to respective inputs of an EXCLUSIVE OR gate and an output of said EXCLUSIVE OR gate provides said disarm signal.

21. The security system of claim 18, wherein said door lock control circuit further comprises a third input connected to the door lock switch and to said central control switch, and a third output providing a door lock control signal so as to lock said doors in response to a lock signal from said door lock switch or said central control switch, whereby the vehicle doors are locked, and an arming control circuit having a first arming input connected to said third output, a second arming input connected to a polarity-select circuit, and an arming control output provide an arming signal in response to signals applied to said first and second arming inputs, said output being connected to the alarm circuit so as to arm said system.

22. The security system of claim 19 wherein said polarity-select circuit selectively connects said second arming input to a given logic level.

23. The security system of claim 19 wherein said arming control circuit comprises an EXCLUSIVE OR gate, and said polarity-select circuit comprises a switch having a first terminal connected so as to apply a first reference potential to said arming control circuit, and a second terminal connected so as to apply a second reference potential to said arming control circuit through a resistor.

24. The security system of claim 21 wherein said first and second reference potentials are ground and a voltage provided by a battery, respectively.

25. The security system of claim 18, wherein said alarm circuit includes a disarm unit, and said alarm circuit is connected so as to respond to a disarm signal from said disarm unit only when said disarm signal is applied to said disarm input for at least a predetermined time with no gaps in the signal longer than a predetermined length.

26. A method of upgrading a vehicle security system, said security system having a two-step door lock mechanism connected so as to sequentially unlock one door of the vehicle in response to a first unlock signal from the door lock switch, and then unlock a second door of the vehicle in response to a subsequent unlock signal from the door lock switch, a central control switch connected to said two-step door lock mechanism so as to provide signals to simultaneously unlock said first and second doors and an ignition switch and to disarm a vehicle alarm, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting one input of a disarm control circuit to receive the unlock-first-door signal;

connecting another input of the disarm control circuit to receive the unlock-second-door signal; and

connecting an output of the disarm control circuit to the disarm input of an alarm circuit of the vehicle alarm, said output providing a signal so as to disarm said alarm circuit in response to activation of said two-step door lock mechanism upon which said doors are unlocked sequentially and further connecting said central control switch to inhibiting circuitry to prevent said alarm circuit from disarming the vehicle alarm in response to activation of said central control switch upon which said first and second doors are unlocked simultaneously.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of programming the alarm circuit to respond to a disarm signal from the disarm control circuit, only if said disarm signal is applied to said disarm input for at least a predetermined time with no gaps in the signal longer than a predetermined length.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

connecting one input of an arming control circuit to the lock-all-doors signal output;

setting a switch to select the polarity of a signal applied to another input of the arming control circuit so that a signal having a desired polarity is provided at an output of the arming control circuit in response to the lock-all-doors signal; and

connecting an output of the arming control circuit to an arming input of the alarm circuit.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

connecting a first-channel output of a remote control receiver to a first-channel input on the alarm circuit; and

connecting a first and a second first-channel output on the alarm circuit to respective device drivers so that a first driver is activated by a signal on the first channel when the alarm circuit is armed and a second driver is activated by a signal on the first channel when the alarm circuit is disarmed, respectively.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

connecting the starter motor driver to the alarm circuit, so that the starter motor is disabled when the alarm circuit is armed.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the steps of:

connecting a power-up control circuit to a Power supply in the vehicle; and

connecting the door lock signal output to a power-up control circuit so that the door lock signal output is disabled for a predetermined period when voltage is applied by the power supply to the security system.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the steps of:

connecting an ignition sensor input to the alarm circuit so that the alarm system will be triggered when voltage is applied to the security system if the ignition system is active.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

sensing if an ignition key of said vehicle is on, and impeding at least one audible output from said triggered alarm system when said key is on.

34. A method of upgrading a vehicle security system including a door lock control circuit having first- and second-door-unlock control signal outputs and an alarm control circuit, said alarm control circuit having a disarm input, said method providing improved vehicle security, said method comprising the steps of:

disconnecting the disarm input of the alarm control circuit from any connections external to the alarm control circuit;

connecting a first of two inputs of an EXCLUSIVE OR gate to the first-door-unlock control signal output;

connecting a second of said two inputs of said EXCLUSIVE OR gate to the second-door-unlock control signal output; and

connecting the disarm input of the alarm control circuit to an output of said EXCLUSIVE OR gate so that said alarm control circuit is disarmed when one but not two signals are provided to said two inputs of the EXCLUSIVE OR gate.