Capacitance-based vehicular component protection systems and configurations

• US 9,631,541 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Price, Don David, Reed, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US14/666,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 3404261-428, 34053923, 34053931, 3405454, 340562, 340429, 340541, 3405681, 340571, 70 571, 70273, 422199
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/00 Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus , e.g. for catalytic activity safety, indicating or supervising devices for internal combustion engines F02B77/08; testing of machines G01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/00 Exhaust or silencing apparatus characterised by constructional features ; Exhaust or silencing apparatus, or parts thereof, having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01N1/00 - F01N5/00, F01N9/00, F01N11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/008 Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2260/22 for preventing theft of exhaust parts or devices, e.g. anti-theft arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/12 Other sensor principles, e.g. using electro conductivity of substrate or radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/08 for rendering innocuous using electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01; chemical aspects B01D53/92

Abstract

A vehicular component protection system is provided that includes: a controller and a vehicular component; two electrodes electrically coupled to the controller and near the component; a shorting element coupled to the component; and a resistor electrically coupled to the element and controller. The controller activates an alarm upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes or continuity between the element and the resistor. Further, the controller may activate the alarm upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds the predetermined capacitance over a predetermined time threshold. In addition, the predetermined capacitance and time threshold can be set to filter false positives caused by one or more of weather conditions, wind-driven objects, and animals.

Claims

1. A resistance- and proximity-based vehicular component anti-theft system, comprising:

a controller and a vehicular component;

two electrodes electrically coupled to the controller and near the vehicular component;

a jumper element attached directly to the component; and

a resistor electrically coupled to the jumper element and controller,

wherein the controller activates an alarm upon separately detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes, or continuity between the element and the resistor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller activates the alarm upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds a predetermined capacitance or a loss in continuity between the element and the resistor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller activates the alarm element upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds the predetermined capacitance over a predetermined time threshold or a loss in continuity between the element and the resistor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined capacitance and time threshold are set to filter false positives from a change in capacitance between the electrodes caused by one or more of weather conditions, wind-driven objects, and animals.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller activates the alarm element to a first output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds the predetermined capacitance over a first predetermined time threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller activates the alarm element to a second output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds a second predetermined capacitance over a second predetermined time threshold or a loss in continuity between the element and the resistor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first state is a warning indication and the second state is an alarm indication.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source that is electrically coupled to the controller;

a pair of power source electrodes that are electrically coupled to the controller and located in proximity to the power source,

wherein the controller also monitors capacitance between the power source electrodes to detect movement near the power source and external to a vehicle containing the system.

8. A resistance- and proximity-based catalytic converter anti-theft system, comprising:

a controller;

a jumper element attached directly to a catalytic converter;

a resistor electrically coupled to the element and controller; and

two electrodes electrically coupled to the controller and near the converter,

wherein the controller activates an alarm upon separately detecting a change in continuity between the jumper element and the resistor, or capacitance between the electrodes above a predetermined capacitance over a predetermined time threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the alarm is a variable-output alarm element selected from the group consisting of an audible alarm element, a visual alarm element, and a wireless alarm transmitter element.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller activates the alarm to a first output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds the predetermined capacitance over a first predetermined time threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller activates the alarm to a second output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds a second predetermined capacitance over a second predetermined time threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first state is a warning indication and the second state is an alarm indication.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a power source that is electrically coupled to the controller; and

a pair of power source electrodes that are electrically coupled to the controller and located in proximity to the power source,

wherein the controller also monitors capacitance between the power source electrodes to detect movement near the power source and external to a vehicle containing the system.

14. A resistance- and proximity-based vehicular component anti-theft system, comprising:

a controller;

a jumper element attached directly to a vehicular component;

a resistor electrically coupled to the jumper element and controller; and

two electrodes electrically coupled to the controller and near the component,

wherein the controller activates an alarm upon separately detecting a change in continuity between the element and the resistor, or capacitance between the electrodes above a predetermined capacitance over a predetermined time threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the alarm is a variable-output alarm element selected from the group consisting of an audible alarm element, a visual alarm element, and a wireless alarm transmitter element.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller activates the alarm to a first output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds the predetermined capacitance over a first predetermined time threshold.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller activates the alarm to a second output state upon detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes that exceeds a second predetermined capacitance over a second predetermined time threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first state is a warning indication and the second state is an alarm indication.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a power source that is electrically coupled to the controller; and

a pair of power source electrodes that are electrically coupled to the controller and located in proximity to the power source,

wherein the controller also monitors capacitance between the power source electrodes to detect movement near the power source and external to a vehicle containing the system.