Vehicle alarm

• US 6,246,315 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bruce R. Davis, Keith A. Thomas, Timothy A. Kearnes
• Original Assignee: Bruce R. Davis, Keith A. Thomas, Timothy A. Kearnes
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce R., Thomas, Keith A., Kearnes, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/121,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/539, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 307/10.2, 180/287
• US Class Current: 340/426.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner

Abstract

A vehicle alarm system (20) includes an alert transmitter (32), alert receiver (44), alert device (46), arming unit (42), alarm unit (28), and alarm device (30). The alert transmitter (32), alert receiver (44), and alert device (46) are added to the arming unit (42), alarm unit (28), and alarm device (30) of an existing vehicle alarm system to notify a vehicle owner that an alarm condition has occurred when the vehicle owner is beyond audible range of the alarm device (30). An arming unit power source (52) and arming unit controls (54,56) are used to power and control the alert receiver (44) and alert device (46), and the arming unit (42) is coupled with an alert housing (50) to provide a unitary remote assembly (24).

Claims

1. An after-market vehicular alarm system for upgrading an existing vehicular alarm system having an on-vehicle alarm unit, said after-market alarm system comprising:

a portable arming unit having an arming unit housing with arming unit controls accessible thereon and a power source;

a portable alert unit having an alert receiver and an alert device, wherein said alert device is connected to said alert receiver, said alert receiver and said alert device located in a portable alert unit housing, wherein said alert unit housing has an opening into which said arming unit housing is installed so that said arming unit and said alert unit are coupled together such that said arming unit controls remain accessible at an exterior of said combined housings; and

said alert receiver and said alert device are electrically connected to and powered by said power source of said arming unit when said arming unit housing is installed in said alert unit housing opening; and

an on-vehicle alert transmitter, connected to said alarm unit for transmitting a wireless signal to said alert receiver when said alarm unit is triggered, wherein said alert receiver receives said wirelessly transmitted signal from said alert transmitter and activates said alert device.

2. The after-market alarm upgrade system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless signal transmission is a radio frequency signal.

3. The after-market alarm upgrade system as recited in claim 2, wherein said radio frequency is about 900 MHz.

4. The after-market alarm upgrade system as recited in claim 1, wherein said alert device comprises a beeper.

5. The after-market alarm upgrade system as recited in claim 1, wherein said alert device comprises a pager.

6. The after-market alarm upgrade system as recited in claim 1, wherein said alert device comprises a vibrator.