Method and system for preventing vehicle thefts

• US 20050007242A1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tag Tracking Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jason Gallovich
• Inventors: Gallovich, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,049,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1025 preventing jamming or interference of said signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

There is described a system for preventing vehicle theft, the system comprising: a plurality of signal emitting devices placed and camouflaged among various parts of a vehicle, each of the plurality of signal emitting devices being independent of the vehicle'"'"'s power source; readers placed at a plurality of locations in a geographical area and connected to a network having a central location, the readers receiving signals from the plurality of signal emitting devices and transferring reader data to the central location; and a central database at the central location comprising registration data for each vehicle equipped with the signal emitting devices, and whereby the central database is correlated with the reader data to identify vehicles that have been stolen.

Claims

1. A method for locating stolen vehicles and preventing vehicle theft, the method comprising:

providing each of said vehicles with a plurality of signal emitting devices, each of said plurality of signal emitting devices being independent of said vehicle'"'"'s power source and camouflaged among said vehicles'"'"' various parts;

registering each of said vehicles in a central database;

placing readers for receiving signals from said plurality of signal emitting devices at a plurality of locations in a geographical area;

connecting said readers to a network having a central location such that all information being processed by said readers is transferred to and accessible by said central location; and

correlating said information being processed by said readers with said central database to identify vehicles that have been reported stolen.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said signal emitting devices will emit in response to a request from at least one of said readers and said network.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said signal emitting devices operates at different frequencies.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said signal emitting device operates at a varying signal strength.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said signal emitting devices emits a signal at a different time.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of signal emitting devices comprises a number of functional devices and a number of non-functional devices.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camouflaging said devices among said various parts comprises color matching said device with a part in which said device is to be placed.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camouflaging said devices among said various parts comprises emulating a vehicle component on a part in which said device is placed.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said readers are fixed readers having a specific location.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said fixed readers periodically verify said specific location to ensure said fixed readers have not been moved.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said fixed readers are located in an enclosed area where vehicles regularly circulate.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said fixed readers are TAG certified by TAG personnel to ensure that said fixed readers are positioned in a manner to scan all vehicles which enter said enclosed area.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one insurance company providing incentives to vehicle owners who use said signal emitting devices.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of said plurality of locations for said readers is a scrap yard, and vehicles entering said scrap yard are automatically read by said readers.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said scrap yard having a reader is certified by said at least one insurance company.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said vehicle is provided with several of said signal emitting devices.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of said signal emitting devices is provided in substantially all major body parts of said vehicle.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least some of said signal emitting devices emit signals at a frequency of once every few hours.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal emitting devices are embedded in said vehicle in a manner such that close inspection cannot detect a presence of said signal emitting devices.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal emitting devices are embedded in said vehicle in a manner such that removal would damage said vehicle.

21. A system for preventing vehicle theft, the system comprising:

a plurality of signal emitting devices placed and camouflaged among various parts of a vehicle, each of said plurality of signal emitting devices being independent of said vehicle'"'"'s power source;

readers placed at a plurality of locations in a geographical area and connected to a network having a central location, said readers receiving signals from said plurality of signal emitting devices and transferring reader data to said central location; and

a central database at said central location comprising registration data for each vehicle equipped with said signal emitting devices, and whereby said central database is correlated with said reader data to identify vehicles that have been stolen.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of said signal emitting devices operates at a different frequency.

23. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of said signal emitting device operates at a varying signal strength.

24. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of said signal emitting devices emits a signal at a different time.

25. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said plurality of signal emitting devices comprises a number of functional devices and a number of non-functional devices.

26. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of said plurality of locations for said readers is a scrap yard, and vehicles entering said scrap yard are automatically read by said readers.

27. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of said locations is an enclosed area where vehicles regularly circulate.

28. A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said readers in said enclosed area are TAG certified by TAG personnel to ensure that all vehicles which enter said enclosed area are scanned.

29. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said readers transmit requests to said signal emitting devices and said signal emitting devices receive said requests and emit signals in response to said requests.

30. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said database is accessible by various agencies for consultation.

31. A system as claimed in claim 30, wherein said database is accessible by various agencies for updating.

32. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said various parts of a vehicle are substantially all major body parts of said vehicle.

33. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said network is a wireless network.

34. A method for preventing vehicle thefts, the method comprising:

at least one insurance company encouraging vehicle owners to install a vehicle theft prevention system in a vehicle by providing incentives to said vehicle owners having installed said system, said vehicle theft prevention system comprising a plurality of signal emitting devices placed among various parts of said vehicle;

said insurance company mandating vendors wishing to do business with said insurance company to install readers for receiving signals from said plurality of signal emitting devices and transferring reader data to a central location; and

correlating said information being processed by said readers with a central database to identify vehicles that have been reported stolen.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said providing incentives comprises offering preferential insurance rates to said vehicle owners having installed said vehicle theft prevention system.

36. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said at least one insurance company provides a free installation of said vehicle theft prevention system.

37. A method as claimed in claims 34, wherein said at least one insurance company provides said vehicle theft prevention system free of cost to said vehicle owners.

38. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said at least one insurance company refuses to do business with vendors who do not install said readers.

39. A method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising indicating on vehicles having been installed with said vehicle theft prevention system the presence of said system.

40. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said database is updated to associate a vehicle part with a vehicle when a part legally changes owner.

41. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said vendors are TAG certified by TAG personnel to ensure that said readers are positioned in a manner to scan all vehicles which enter said vendors'"'"' area of business.