Anti-theft System for disabling a vehicle engine that includes a multi-contact switch for disconnecting the battery and loading the vehicle electrical system
First Claim
1. In a vehicle having an engine, a battery and an electrical system with an alternator that produces an alternator voltage, a improvement characterized by an anti-theft system to disable the engine for theft deterrent purposes, the anti-theft system comprising:
- a resistive element;
a switch having a first position in which the electrical system is connected to the battery, a second position in which the electrical system is connected to the resistive element to electrically dissipate the alternator voltage through the resistive element and stall the engine, and a third position in which the electrical circuit is disconnected from both the battery and the resistive element; and
a control system establishing an armed state and a disarmed state of the anti-theft system, the control system including a detection system that detects whether the engine is running and whether the engine has been recently started, the control system moving the switch into the second position to disconnect the battery from the electrical system and connect the resistive element to the electrical system when the engine is started while the anti-theft system is armed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle anti-theft system that disables a vehicle engine upon detection of an unauthorized vehicle start-up, after the engine is running, by disconnecting the vehicle battery and draining the vehicle electrical system voltage to ground through a resistor. When the system is armed, it monitors whether the engine is running and has been recently started by detecting vibrations, fluctuations in the VES voltage, and the actual VES voltage. The system includes an electro-mechanical switch that has a battery internal contact, a vehicle electrical system, the standard battery external terminal, contact and a disconnect contact. When the switch is connected to the battery contact, the vehicle battery is connected in the circuit. When the switch is connected to the vehicle electrical system contact, the system is connected to ground through a resistance and the battery is disconnected from circuit. When the switch is connected to the disconnect contact, the battery is disconnected and the vehicle electrical system is not connected to ground. When the switch is not energized, it is either connected to the battery contact or the disconnect contact. When the switch is energized, the switch will switch to the vehicle electrical system contact, and then when it is deenergized, it will switch to the opposite battery contact or disconnect contact. The system includes logic so that if the engine is running and has been recently started when it is armed, the system will energize the switch to disconnect it from the battery contact and connect it to the vehicle electrical system contact for a predetermined time to drain the electrical system voltage to ground.
137 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. In a vehicle having an engine, a battery and an electrical system with an alternator that produces an alternator voltage, a improvement characterized by an anti-theft system to disable the engine for theft deterrent purposes, the anti-theft system comprising:
-
a resistive element; a switch having a first position in which the electrical system is connected to the battery, a second position in which the electrical system is connected to the resistive element to electrically dissipate the alternator voltage through the resistive element and stall the engine, and a third position in which the electrical circuit is disconnected from both the battery and the resistive element; and a control system establishing an armed state and a disarmed state of the anti-theft system, the control system including a detection system that detects whether the engine is running and whether the engine has been recently started, the control system moving the switch into the second position to disconnect the battery from the electrical system and connect the resistive element to the electrical system when the engine is started while the anti-theft system is armed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. In a vehicle having an engine, a battery and an electrical system with an alternator that produces an alternator voltage, a improvement characterized by an anti-theft system to disable the engine for theft deterrent purposes, the anti-theft system comprising:
-
a resistive element; an electro-mechanical switch including a coil, said switch having a first position in which the electrical system is connected to the battery, a second position in which the electrical system is connected to the resistive element to electrically dissipate the alternator voltage through the resistive element and stall the engine, and a third position in which the electrical circuit is disconnected from both the battery and the resistive element, wherein the switch is placed in the second position when the coil is energized and the switch is in one of the first and third positions when the coil is deenergized, said switch moving to the third position when the switch is in the first position and the coil is energized and then deenergized, and said switch moving to the first position when the switch is in the third position and the coil is energized and then deenergized; and a control system which selectively energizes the coil to move the switch from the first position to the second position when an unauthorized vehicle start is detected, thereby electrically disconnecting the vehicle battery from the electrical system and electrically connecting the resistive element to the electrical system to drain the alternator voltage. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An anti-theft system for disabling an engine of a vehicle for theft deterrent purposes the vehicle having a battery and an electrical system, said anti-theft system comprising:
-
a resistive element electrically connected to a vehicle electrical system of the vehicle; a first set of switch contacts electrically connected to the resistive element and being opened and closed to disconnect and connect the resistive element to the vehicle electrical system; and a control system closing the first set of switch contacts to electrically dissipate a VES voltage of the vehicle electrical system through the resistive element to ground when the engine is started, said control system determining whether the VES voltage is below a predetermined level a predefined time after the first set of switch contacts is closed, said control system opening the first set of switch contacts if the VES voltage is not below the predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
-
21. An anti-theft system for disabling an engine of a vehicle for theft deterrent purposes the vehicle having a battery and an electrical system, said anti-theft system comprising:
-
a first set of switch contacts being electrically connected to the battery and being closed to connect the battery to the electrical system and being opened to disconnect the battery; a resistive element; a second set of switch contacts electrically connected to the resistive element and being closed to connect the resistive element to the electrical system and being opened to disconnect the resistive element; and a control system establishing an armed state and a disarmed state of the anti-theft system, said control system including a detection system that detects whether the engine is running and whether the engine has been recently started, said control system opening the first set of switch contacts to electrically disconnect the vehicle battery and closing the second set of switch contacts to electrically connect the electrical system to ground through the resistive element when the engine is started while the anti-theft system is armed. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification