Vehicle site protection system

• US 5,612,668 A
• Filed: 07/22/1993
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forecourt Security Developments Limited
• Original Assignee: Forecourt Security Developments Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US08/075,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/429, 340/540, 340/541, 340/545, 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 307/10.2, 180/287
• US Class Current: 340/426.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/1016 Remote signals alerting owner or authorities, e.g. radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots

Abstract

A vehicle protection system comprises a sensor, a transmission unit, a control unit and an alarm signalling unit. The sensor is mountable on and capable of detecting interference with a vehicle, and the transmission unit is also mountable on the vehicle and is activated in response to detection by the sensor of interference with the vehicle to transmit a signal to the control unit. The control unit is located remotely from the vehicle and is arranged to activate the alarm signalling unit in response to receipt of the signal, there being no physical connection between the control unit and the transmission unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle site protection system for use in protecting a plurality of parked vehicles on said site from unlawful activity, the system comprising a control unit located remotely from the vehicles and arranged to activate an alarm signalling means in response to receipt of a signal from one of a plurality of free-standing wireless sensor units, each sensor unit being placed entirely within the interior of a respective one of the vehicles, each sensor unit comprising a piezocrystal motion and shock sensor, at least one of an ultrasonic scanner and an infrared detector capable of detecting motion of an object within the vehicle, a power supply, and a transmission means which is activated to send an identifying coded signal to the control unit in response to an output from the sensor, the control unit having readily programmable means for storing information relating to the vehicle'"'"'s location wherein a sensor unit is located, the control unit further having display means for displaying information relating to the vehicle'"'"'s location in response to an output from the sensor unit, there being no physical connection between the control unit and the transmission means, characterized in that each sensor unit is self-contained and self-powered and further characterized by each sensor unit being portable and thus readily transferable, requiring no external or internal connections, from one vehicle to another as vehicles enter and leave the site.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means comprises a store for storing an identifying code and means for including said code in the transmitted signal, and the control unit comprises means for detecting the code in the received signal and for activating the alarm signalling means in response to detection of the code.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the control means comprising a store for storing a plurality of different codes, and means for comparing the detected code with the stored codes and for activating the alarm signalling means only when the detected code matches one of the stored codes.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission means and the control unit each comprise means for entering an identifying code into the respective store.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each code entering means comprises a keypad.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the code entering means also comprises a display means.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission means comprises means for scrambling the code before its inclusion in the transmitted signal, and the detection means in the control unit comprises means for unscrambling the received signal to produce the code.

8. A system according to claim 2, wherein the alarm signalling means is arranged to activate an audible alarm.

9. A system according to claim 2, wherein the alarm signalling means is arranged to activate a visible warning device.

10. A system according to claim 2, wherein the alarm signalling means is arranged to activate a telephone dialling and messaging device.

11. A system according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of said control units, each arranged to receive signals from any of a plurality of sensor units within a respective zone, and each capable of communicating with a control alarm signalling means in a manner not requiring a physical connection between the control unit and the control alarm signalling means.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein each control unit is adapted to transmit an identifying signal to the central alarm signalling means comprising a first code identifying the control unit and a second code identifying the sensor signalling.