Anti-thief owner notification alarm system for a two-wheeled vehicle, and method of same

• US 7,468,667 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Moffett
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Moffett
• Inventors: Moffett, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/437,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 340/571, 340/429, 340/566, 340/426.19, 340/432, 340/539.13, 333/55.R
• US Class Current: 340/571
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• 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 25/102 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 5/20 indicating unauthorised use, e.g. acting on signalling devices alarm locks in general E05B45/00, e.g. alarm cable or chain lock E05B45/005

Abstract

A tamper and theft detection alarm system is provided for a motorcycle, bicycle or other two-wheeled vehicle. The alarm system is configured to detect vehicle movement or theft by monitoring the tilt angle of the vehicle, and once a change in the tilt angle is detected, notifying the rider or owner by wireless cellular telephone. In certain embodiments the motorcycle or bicycle alarm system is additionally provided with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to receive signals from the United States govemment'"'"'s Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites or other similar global position locating systems and then interpreting the satellite signals to calculate the vehicle location in global coordinates and then providing these coordinates via synthesized speech to the owner via wireless cellular telephony.

Claims

1. An anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle, bicycle or other two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:

a weather tight protective housing having mounting tabs for mounting the alarm to a surface of the vehicle;

a key operated alarm system power switch secured to a front face of the protective housing;

an electronic logic and control means mounted within said housing having one or more alarm activation inputs;

a non-volatile memory electrically interfaced to, addressable from, and exchanging data with said logic and control means, the non-volatile memory for storing one or more phone numbers to be dialed by the alarm system in response to detecting an alarm condition;

a cellular telephone device secured within said housing, the cellular device electronically interfaced to said logic and control means, the cellular device configured for initiating and receiving calls on a cellular network under the direction of the logic and control means;

a means of generating an audible alarm, the alarm generation means electrically interfaced to the logic and control means and to the cellular device, the audible alarm for transmission by the cellular device;

a DTMF tone decoder electrically interfaced to the logic and control means and the cellular device, the tone decoder configured to interpret certain telephone keypad frequencies received by the cellular device as commands to enable or disable the alarm;

an electronic alpha-numeric display screen secured to a front face of the protective housing, the display electrically interfaced to the logic and control means;

a tilt angle detector having an alarm activation contact output electrically interfaced to the logic and control means, wherein the motorcycle sits at an angle while resting on the side stand, and wherein moving the bike to an upright position for riding or moving the bike activates the contact output; and

a plurality of touch sensitive input keys mounted to a front face of said protective housing and electrically interfaced to the logic and control means, the keys comprising;

one key for each digit in the set of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0*, #, the touch sensitive input keys for entering the phone number to be dialed in an alarm condition, wherein when the tilt detector alarm activation output triggers the logic and control means to command the cellular device to dial the one or more stored numbers to notify the owner.

2. The anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle or bicycle of claim 1, wherein the one or more phone numbers is one phone number.

3. The anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle or bicycle of claim 1, wherein means of generating an audible alarm comprises a digital speech synthesizer, the speech synthesizer programmed to create a spoken language alarm message for transmission by the cellular device.

4. The anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle or bicycle of claim 3, wherein the tilt angle detector comprises an electrically conductive metal ball rolling within a curved tubular housing having two electrodes, wherein raising the cycle off its side stand rolls the ball within the tube according to the change in the tilt angle and when it reaches within 2 degrees of vertical relative to the artificial horizon, the ball rolling on the electrodes conducts current triggering the alarm.

5. The anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle or bicycle of claim 3, wherein the tilt angle detector comprises a mercury type tilt sensor consisting of a sealed transparent tube having two electrodes and a drop of mercury free to roll within, wherein raising the cycle off its side stand rolls the mercury ball within the tube according to the change in the tilt angle and when it reaches within 2 degrees of vertical relative to the artificial horizon the mercury ball rolling on the electrodes conducts current triggering the alarm.

6. The anti-theft owner notification alarm system for a motorcycle or bicycle of claim 4, further comprising a GPS receiver electrically interfaced to said logic and control means, the GPS receiver providing vehicle position in global positioning system world coordinates to said logic and control means.

7. A method of detecting when a motorcycle, bicycle or other two-wheeled vehicle is moved or stolen and then notifying the owner, the method comprising:

keying in a phone number to be called in the event of an alarm situation;

detecting a change in the tilt angle of the vehicle to within 2 degrees of vertical;

retrieving a phone number to be called from non-volatile memory;

commanding a cellular telephone device to dial the phone number over a cellular network;

waiting for a cellular call connection to be made;

generating an audible alarm signal over the cellular call connection;

terminating the cellular call connection;

delaying a pre-defined wait time period; and

continuing at the above step of retrieving the phone number until alarm deactivation command is received.

8. The method of detecting when a motorcycle, bicycle or other two-wheeled vehicle is moved or stolen of claim 7, wherein the generating an audible alarm step comprises generating a spoken language alarm message over the cellular call connection.

9. The method of detecting when a motorcycle, bicycle or other two-wheeled vehicle is moved or stolen of claim 8, the method further comprising:

after the retrieving step, reading vehicle location coordinates from a global positioning system receiver;

after the generating an audible alarm step, vocally communicating the vehicle location coordinates to the cellular call recipient.