Method of preventing auto theft

• US 4,905,271 A
• Filed: 11/21/1988
• Issued: 02/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Namekawa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Lev, Robert
• Application Number:
  US07/274,533
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/63, 379/44, 340/529, 340/825.31, 455/343, 455/127, 455/54, 455/56, 235/385, 235/375
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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

Abstract

A method of preventing auto theft utilizes an anti-theft system and a mobile telephone system. When abnormality indicative possible auto theft occurs, the anti-theft system transmits that fact to a remote control unit, which thereby sounds an alarm. The anti-theft system at the same time turns on the power of the mobile telepone system so as to make it ready for being capable of external calls, so that the driver who is remote from the car can ascertain the state of the anti-theft system by calling the mobile telephone system before running to the car.

Claims

1. A method of preventing the theft of an automobile which is equipped with a mobile telephone system and an anti-theft system for preventing a car from being stolen, said method comprising the steps of:

providing said anti-theft system with a remote control unit which actuates said anti-theft system or releases the actuated state of said anti-theft system and which sounds an alarm when receiving the information as to the occurrence of abnormality indicative of possible auto theft from said anti-theft system; and

providing a means for ascertaining the state of said anti-theft system when said alarm is sounded by receiving a call from an external telephone to said mobile telephone system, the power of which is turned on so as to be capable of receiving external calls by said anti-theft system at the time of the occurrence of abnormality, and transmitting information corresponding to the state of said anti-theft system to said external telephone.

2. A method of preventing the theft of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said mobile telephone system reports the state of said anti-theft system to a caller under at least one condition that said mobile telephone system receives a call from said caller when the power of said mobile telephone system is on and a predetermined ID code is input.

3. A method of preventing the theft of an automobile according to claim 2, wherein codes are predetermined in accordance with various kinds of circumstances, and when one of said predetermined codes is input after inputting said ID code, the state of said anti-theft system corresponding to said code is reported to said caller.