Vehicle security device having pre-warn features and related methods

• US 20050046552A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features

Abstract

A pre-warn vehicle security device is for a vehicle including a data communications bus, an alert indicator, and an alarm controller. The alarm controller may interface with the data communications bus and, when in an armed mode, may cause the alert indicator to generate an alarm indication responsive to a high security threat level. More particularly, the pre-warn vehicle security device may include a pre-warn vehicle security sensor for sensing a threat level lower than the high security threat level and a pre-warn emulator. Responsive to the pre-warn vehicle security sensor, the pre-warn emulator may generate at least one signal on the data communications bus so that the alarm controller causes the alert indicator to generate an emulated pre-warn indication different from the alarm indication.

Claims

1. A pre-warn vehicle security device for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus, an alert indicator, and an alarm controller interfacing with the data communications bus and when in an armed mode causing the alert indicator to generate an alarm indication responsive to a high security threat level, the pre-warn vehicle security device comprising:

a pre-warn vehicle security sensor for sensing a security threat level lower than the high security threat level; and

a pre-warn emulator for generating at least one signal on the vehicle data communications bus responsive to said pre-warn vehicle security sensor so that the alarm controller causes the alert indicator to generate an emulated pre-warn indication different from the alarm indication.

2. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein said pre-warn emulator, responsive to said pre-warn vehicle security sensor, sequentially generates a high security threat level signal and a disarmed mode signal on the data communications bus.

3. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 2 wherein said pre-warn emulator sequentially generates the high security threat level signal and the disarmed mode signal less than about five seconds apart.

4. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein said pre-warn emulator, responsive to said pre-warn vehicle security sensor, generates a plurality of armed mode signals on the data communications bus.

5. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein the pre-warn indication has a shorter duration than the alarm indication.

6. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein the pre-warn indication is audible and has a lesser volume than the alarm indication.

7. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein said pre-warn vehicle security sensor also senses the high security threat level for causing the alarm indicator to generate the alarm indication.

8. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 further comprising a housing carrying said pre-warn vehicle security sensor and said pre-warn emulator.

9. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 further comprising a signal enabler for enabling said pre-warn emulator to operate using a desired set of signals for communicating with the alarm controller via the data communications bus from a plurality of sets of signals for different alarm controllers.

10. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 1 wherein said pre-warn vehicle security sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor and a shock sensor.

11. A pre-warn vehicle security device for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus, an alert indicator, and an alarm controller interfacing with the data communications bus and when in an armed mode causing the alert indicator to generate an alarm indication responsive to a high security threat level, the pre-warn vehicle security device comprising:

a pre-warn vehicle security sensor for sensing the high security threat level, and for sensing a low security threat level lower than the high security threat level; and

a pre-warn emulator for generating a high security threat level signal on the data communications bus responsive to the sensed high security threat level, and for sequentially generating the high security threat level signal and a disarmed mode signal on the data communications bus responsive to the sensed low security threat level so that the alarm controller causes the alert indicator to generate an emulated pre-warn indication different from the alarm indication.

12. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 11 wherein said pre-warn emulator sequentially generates the high security threat level signal and the disarmed mode signal less than about five seconds apart.

13. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 11 wherein the pre-warn indication has a shorter duration than the alarm indication.

14. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 11 further comprising a housing carrying said pre-warn vehicle security sensor and said pre-warn emulator.

15. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 11 further comprising a signal enabler for enabling said pre-warn emulator to operate using a desired set of signals for communicating with the alarm controller via the data communications bus from a plurality of sets of signals for different alarm controllers.

16. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 11 wherein said pre-warn vehicle security sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor and a shock sensor.

17. A pre-warn vehicle security device for a vehicle comprising a data communications bus, an alert indicator, and an alarm controller interfacing with the data bus and when in an armed mode causing the alert indicator to generate an alarm indication responsive to a high security threat level, the pre-warn vehicle security device comprising:

a pre-warn vehicle security sensor for sensing the high security threat level, and for sensing a threat level lower than the high security threat level; and

a pre-warn emulator for generating a high security threat level signal on the data communications bus responsive to the sensed high security threat level, and for generating at least one armed mode signal on the data communications bus responsive to the sensed low security threat level so that the alarm controller causes the alert indicator to generate at least one armed mode indication as an emulated pre-warn indication.

18. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 17 wherein the pre-warn indication has a shorter duration than the alarm indication.

19. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 17 wherein the pre-warn indication is audible and has a lesser volume than the alarm indication.

20. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 17 further comprising a housing carrying said pre-warn vehicle security sensor and said pre-warn emulator.

21. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 17 further comprising a signal enabler for enabling said pre-warn emulator to operate using a desired set of signals for communicating with the alarm controller via the data communications bus from a plurality of sets of signals for different alarm controllers.

22. The pre-warn vehicle security device of claim 17 wherein said pre-warn vehicle security sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor and a shock sensor.

23. A method for upgrading a vehicle security system in a vehicle comprising a data communications bus, the vehicle security system comprising an alert indicator and an alarm controller interfacing with the data communications bus and when in an armed mode causing the alert indicator to generate an alarm indication responsive to a high security threat level, the method comprising:

installing a pre-warn vehicle security sensor in the vehicle for sensing a threat level lower than the high security threat level; and

interfacing a pre-warn emulator with the vehicle data communications bus which, responsive to the pre-warn vehicle security sensor, generates at least one signal on the data communications bus so that the alarm controller causes the alert indicator to generate an emulated pre-warn indication different from the alarm indication.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn emulator, responsive to the pre-warn vehicle security sensor, sequentially generates a high security threat level signal and a disarmed mode signal on the data communications bus.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the pre-warn emulator sequentially generates the high security threat level signal and the disarmed mode signal less than about five seconds apart.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn emulator, responsive to the pre-warn vehicle security sensor, generates a plurality of armed mode signals on the data communications bus.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn indication has a shorter duration than the alarm indication.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn indication is audible and has a lesser volume than the alarm indication.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn vehicle security sensor also senses the high security threat level for causing the alarm indicator to generate the alarm indication.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn vehicle security sensor further comprises a housing carrying the pre-warn vehicle security sensor and the pre-warn emulator.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn vehicle security sensor further comprises a signal enabler for enabling the pre-warn emulator to operate using a desired set of signals for communicating with the alarm controller via the data communications bus from a plurality of sets of signals for different alarm controllers.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the pre-warn vehicle security sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor and a shock sensor.