Advanced method of indicating incoming threat level to an electronically secured vehicle and apparatus therefor

• US 5,990,786 A
• Filed: 11/26/1996
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Directed, LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DEI Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Birchfield, Jerry W., Issa, Darrell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Glen
• Application Number:
  US08/753,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 340/429, 340/566
• US Class Current: 340/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00238 the transmittted data signal containing a code which is changed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/26 by updating and storing reference thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0074 Code shifting or hopping

Abstract

A method of indicating a degree of incoming threat to an electronically secured area comprising the steps of sensor sensing a degree of threat delivered to a secured area and generating an electric signal proportional to the degree of threat; analyzing the signal to determine if it is a low degree of threat or a high degree of threat; and producing either a first pulse representing low degree of threat or separately producing the first pulse and a second pulse representing a signal having both low degree of threat and high degree of threat.

Claims

1. A method of indicating a threat level of an incoming shock to an electronically secured vehicle comprising the steps of:

sensing a shock delivered to the vehicle;

generating a signal in response to said shock;

analyzing said signal to determine whether the signal has a low, generally non-threatening intensity or a higher, generally security-threatening intensity; and

producing an output identifying whether said signal has said low intensity or said higher intensity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said output is a pulse having a first width when said signal has said low intensity and having a second width when said signal has said high intensity.

3. A method of indicating a threat level of an incoming shock to an electronically secured vehicle comprising the steps of:

sensing a shock delivered to the vehicle;

generating a signal in response to said shock;

analyzing said signal in first and second signal analyzing circuit paths to determine whether the signal has a low, generally non-threatening intensity or a higher, generally security threatening intensity; and

producing a first pulse output, representing that said signal has said low intensity, or a second pulsewidth output, representing that said signal has said higher intensity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of analyzing said signal includes the steps of:

amplifying said signal to produce an amplified signal;

applying said amplified signal simultaneously to said first and second signal analyzing paths;

activating a first pulse generator in one of said paths if the signal reaches a first predetermined level; and

activating a second pulse generator in the other of said paths if the signal reaches a second predetermined level.

5. An electronic vehicle security system for indicating a threat level of an incoming shock to an electronically secured vehicle comprising:

a shock sensor mounted on said vehicle producing a signal in response to the intensity of the shock sensed by said sensor;

signal analyzing circuitry producing an output pulse having a first pulsewidth if said sensor signal represents a shock of low, generally non-threatening intensity, and producing an output pulse having a second pulsewidth if said sensor signal represents a shock of a higher, generally security-threatening intensity.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said signal analyzing circuitry includes:

a signal amplifier providing an amplified sensor signal;

first and second pulse generators responsive to said amplified sensor signal, said first pulse generator producing the output pulse having said first pulsewidth, said second pulse generator producing the output pulse having said second pulsewidth.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said first pulse generator includes a voltage integrator connected to the output of said amplifier, said integrator having a sensitivity for responding to said lower intensity signal, said first pulse generator further including a voltage comparator connected to said voltage integrator for comparing integrated voltages produced from said integrator with a reference level and providing said first pulse representing said low intensity signal.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said second pulse generator includes a voltage integrator connected to the output of said amplifier, said integrator having a sensitivity for responding to said higher intensity signal, said second pulse generator further including a voltage comparator connected to said voltage integrator for comparing integrated voltages produced from said integrator with a reference level and providing said second pulse representing said high intensity signal.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said first pulse generator includes a first voltage integrator connected to the output of said amplifier, said first integrator having a first sensitivity for responding to said lower intensity signal, said first pulse generator further including a first voltage comparator connected to said first voltage integrator for comparing integrated voltages produced from said first integrator with a reference level and providing said first pulse representing said low intensity signal, said second pulse generator includes a second voltage integrator connected to the output of said amplifier, said second integrator having a second sensitivity for responding to said higher intensity signal, said second pulse generator further including a second voltage comparator connected to said second voltage integrator for comparing integrated voltages produced from said integrator with said reference level and providing said second pulse representing said high intensity signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said second pulsewidth is greater than said first pulsewidth.