Steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system

• US 7,411,484 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chen-Kuei Hsieh
• Original Assignee: Chen-Kuei Hsieh
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chen-Kuei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/429,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.11, 340/426.24, 340/426.28, 340/426.33, 702/197, 702/184
• US Class Current: 340/426.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/066 Locking of hand actuated control actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1009 Sonic sensors; Signal treatment therefor

Abstract

A steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system includes a lock main body to be mounted on a steering wheel so that the rotation of the steering wheel is constrained and an anti-theft alarm circuit located within an outer shell of the lock main body, which is activated upon the engagement of the lock main body and the steering wheel. The anti-theft alarm circuit further includes at least a set of detecting unit and a central processing unit (CPU) for detecting a moving body in the automobile. The detecting unit consists of an ultrasonic wave emitter for sending ultrasonic waves toward the inner space of the automobile and an ultrasonic wave receiver for receiving and treating the reflected waves. The treated signals are sent to the CPU for recognition. If the signals are anomalous, the anti-theft alarm circuit will start a predetermined alarming process to scare away suspicious people and to notify the automobile owner.

Claims

1. A steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system, comprising:

a mechanical lock to be mounted on a steering wheel so that the rotation of said steering wheel is limited; and

an anti-theft alarm circuit located within a top shell of said lock, said anti-theft alarm circuit being activated upon the engagement of said lock and said steering wheel, said anti-theft alarm circuit further including at least a set of detecting unit and a central processing unit for detecting moving objects inside an automobile, said detecting unit consisting of an ultrasonic wave emitter for sending ultrasonic waves outwardly and an ultrasonic wave receiver for receiving/treating ultrasonic waves reflected back, said reflected waves being sent to said central processing unit for recognition, whereby signals being recognized as anomalous will trigger a predetermined alarming process.

2. The steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic wave emitter further comprises a high-frequency signal generating circuit loop and an emitting unit, said high-frequency signal generating circuit loop generating periodic ultrasonic signals with predetermined frequencies, said detecting unit sending said generated ultrasonic signals toward an inner space of said automobile;

and wherein said ultrasonic wave receiver further comprises an ultrasonic-wave receiving unit and a signal amplifying circuit loop for receiving and treating said reflected ultrasonic waves, said treated signals being sent to said central processing unit for recognition.

3. The steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system of claim 2 wherein said signal amplifying circuit loop consists of a mixer/amplifier loop, a detection loop, a low-pass filter, a low-frequency amplifier, a low-pass loop, a high-pass loop and signal-comparison loop, thereby said reflected signals being amplified by said mixer/amplifier loop, treated by said detection loop and said low-pass filter, further amplified at low-frequency part by said low-frequency amplifier, attenuated at high-frequency part by said low-pass loop and attenuated at high-frequency part by said low-pass loop;

said processed signals being sent to said signal-comparison loop and then said central processing unit for recognition;

said central processing unit using algorithms judging the effectiveness of a signal peak and the number of counts of effective signals within a predetermined period to enhance the precision of the ultrasonic anti-theft detection.

4. The steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system of claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic wave receiver further includes an adjusting loop for adjusting the sensitivity of receiving signals.

5. The steering wheel lock having an ultrasonic-wave alarm system of claim 4 wherein said adjusting loop mainly comprises a variable resistor.