In-transitcar alarm

• US 8,049,602 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alan Joseph Bauer, Dorit Shiff, Philippe Daniel Blumenthal
• Original Assignee: Alan Joseph Bauer, Dorit Shiff, Philippe Daniel Blumenthal
• Inventors: Bauer, Alan Joseph, Shiff, Dorit, Blumenthal, Philippe Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ott; Frederick
• Application Number:
  US12/288,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.23, 362/501
• US Class Current: 340/426.23
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics

Abstract

The present invention describes a car anti-theft system. Specifically, the present invention has an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) patterned onto a visible surface of a vehicle. Vehicle theft is recognized when an unauthorized driver fails to enter a predetermined code, resulting in lighting of OLED. Lighted OLED may be seen by passers-by who may then alert police that a car is in the process of being stolen. Alternatively and additionally, OLED'"'"'s may be integrated into primary car alarm systems so as to add an additional, visual, layer of car protection.

Claims

1. A car anti-theft system activated against the will of a driver, comprising:

a vehicle surface;

an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) patterned on said vehicle surface,

wherein said OLED spells out a word pattern that said car is being stolen;

a human interface keypad within arm'"'"'s reach of said driver, controlling lighting of said OLED;

an accelerometer, said accelerometer activating said human interface keypad when said car is moving;

a battery that is in electrical contact with said organic light-emitting diode, said accelerometer, and said human interface keypad; and

,

prompting said driver to interact with said human interface keypad after said accelerometer has determined that said car is moving,

wherein said driver interaction includes entering a proper numeric or alphanumeric code in a predetermined period of time, will cause said OLED to not spell out said word pattern; and

,

wherein said driver interaction includes not entering the proper numeric or alphanumeric code in the predetermined period of time or attempting to disable the keypad, will cause said OLED to spell out said word pattern.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said organic light-emitting diode minimally includes a cathode, an anode and one organic light-emitting material.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said organic light-emitting diode forms said word pattern that can be read outside of said car window.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said word pattern formed reads “

CALL 911”

or “

STOLEN”

.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle surface is realized as a car windshield.

6. A method of activating a car anti-theft system against the will of a driver including the steps of:

providing a car window;

patterning an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) on the inner face of said car window,

wherein said OLED spells out a warning that said car is being stolen;

coupling said OLED electrically to a battery;

providing a human interface keypad activated by an associated accelerometer;

linking said battery to said human interface keypad,

wherein said keypad is within arm'"'"'s reach of said driver, controlling lighting of said OLED; and

,

prompting said driver to interact with said human interface keypad after said accelerometer has determined that said car is moving,

wherein said driver interaction includes entering a proper numeric or alphanumeric code in a predetermined period of time, will cause said OLED to not spell out said warning; and

,

wherein said driver interaction includes not entering the proper numeric or alphanumeric code in the predetermined period of time or attempting to disable the keypad, will cause said OLED to spell out said warning.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said OLED is minimally comprised of a cathode, an organic light emitting material and an anode.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said electrical coupling is performed by separately attaching said cathode and said anode with wires to a battery.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said car window is the front car windshield.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said human interface keypad is placed on a dashboard of said car.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein said OLED is composed of multiple colors.

12. The method according claim 6, wherein said OLED is realized as a plurality of unique OLED'"'"'s.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein said anti-theft system is used in conjunction with a different anti-theft system.