WO2017013557A1

WO2017013557A1 - Anti-theft system

Info

Publication number: WO2017013557A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/054236
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo ANTONINI; Maurizio RABAIOLI
Original assignee: Antonini Paolo; Rabaioli Maurizio
Priority date: 2015-07-17
Filing date: 2016-07-15
Publication date: 2017-01-26
Also published as: ITUB20152256A1

Abstract

Anti-theft system for vehicle or building, in which upon triggering of an alarm condition a transparent layer is electronically darkened, for example a car window or an internal glass wall in a commercial building. Renders vehicle impossible to use or hides internal spaces of a building from an intruder.

Description

ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an anti-theft system, in particular to an anti- theft system for vehicles and buildings used for commercial and financial activities.

Background Art

Both in vehicles and buildings for commercial and financial activities, the transparent elements such as glazing and glazed walls are of the utmost importance in terms of use of the vehicle or premises.

Glazing, in fact, in order for the vehicle to be usable or in order for the premises to allow the normal course of business, must be integral and transparent to the extent it is necessary to ensure a certain degree of visibility through the glazing itself.

Glazing exists comprising at least a liquid crystal layer, hereinafter called for sake of simplicity LCD, which is connected to suitable electrodes that allow their darkening on command.

The application of such glazing is particularly related to the adjustment of the brightness of the rooms served by the glazing itself.

The need is particularly felt to defend one's own vehicle against theft, such as e.g. cars, trucks, etc.

The need is also known to carry out commercial (various kinds of shops) and financial (banking, insurance, etc.) activities in a secure manner, safe from robberies or other criminal actions by ill-intentioned persons.

In this regard anti-theft systems are known adapted to report a criminal event, such as the theft of a vehicle or the entry of intruders in premises used for commercial or financial activities.

Anti-theft systems are particularly known which signal this occurrence via sirens, or other high intensity acoustic signals.

A drawback of these known systems is that the acoustic signal only does not effectively prevents ill-intentioned persons from acting, but only reduces the time available to them before the owner of the anti-theft system or the authorities can intervene. Another type of anti-theft system provides that the system is connected to a remote unit connected to peripheral units available, e.g., to the authorities aimed to intervene in case of theft or intrusion in the premises.

In this case the system is equipped with special sensors that send specific signals to the remote unit.

The latter translates the signals and communicates them to the peripheral units in order to alert the authorities.

In this case too, the drawback exists that ill-intentioned persons are not prevented from committing the crime, but their time of action is only reduced, i.e. the time required for the authorities to arrive.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of this invention is to provide an anti-theft system which allows preventing ill-intentioned persons from committing thefts of vehicles or other criminal actions inside of premises used for commercial and financial activities. Another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft system which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy, effective to use and affordable solution.

The above mentioned objects are achieved by the present anti-theft system having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear better evident from the description of two preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of an anti-theft system, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting, example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the system according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such figures, reference number 1 globally indicates an anti-theft system.

The anti-theft system 1 has an alarm control unit 2 adapted to process and send an alarm signal if at least an alarm situation occurs.

In this description, by alarm situation is meant any event that may affect the safety of people and/or goods by ill-intentioned persons. For example, the situations wherein one or more thieves enter buildings used for commercial or financial activities, or wherein one or more thieves attempt to steal a vehicle are alarm situations.

The alarm control unit 2 comprises an operating unit 3 adapted to process the alarm signal.

The alarm control unit 2 also comprises an electronic control circuit 4 adapted to receive the processed alarm signal.

The system 1 also comprises at least an activation device 5 operatively connected to the alarm control unit 2 and adapted to actuate the system itself if an alarm situation occurs.

In the present embodiment, the activation device 5 comprises a plurality of sensors 6 operatively connected to the operating unit and adapted to detect parameters that typically indicate, in fact, an alarm situation.

The sensors 6 are of the type of known sensors and commonly used in known anti-theft systems such as, e.g., volumetric presence sensors, pressure sensors and other types of sensor which are able to detect anomalies and translate them into an electronic signal to be sent to the operating unit 3.

The activation device 5 also comprises a command device 7 adapted to allow the manual activation/adjustment of the system 1.

The command device 7 is of the type of a remote control, or of a button, or of other similar devices, and is such as to allow one or more operators to manually intervene for the activation of the system or for an adjustment of the operation of the same.

Solutions cannot be ruled out wherein the activation device 5 comprises only sensors 6 or only a command device 7.

According to the invention, the system 1 comprises at least a substantially transparent layer 8 and at least an electronically-controlled darkening layer 9 and applied on the same substantially transparent layer 8.

The darkening layer 9 is operatively connected to the alarm control unit 2 for receiving the alarm signal.

The substantially transparent layer 8 is of the type of a glass sheet.

Alternative solutions cannot be ruled out wherein, instead of glass, a substantially different transparent material is used such as, e.g., Plexiglas.

The darkening layer 9 is of the type of a liquid crystal film (LCD) applied on the glass layer 8.

Different embodiments cannot be ruled out wherein the darkening layer 9 is made of electro-optical films of different type.

Depending on the type of signal, the darkening layer 9 is variable between a first configuration, wherein it is substantially transparent, and a second configuration, wherein it is substantially made dark.

In particular, it is the alarm control unit 2 which sends the signal so as to vary the darkening layer 9 from the first configuration to the second configuration and vice versa.

The liquid crystals, in fact, depending on the signal sent by the alarm control unit 2 are polarized so as to take a different orientation depending on whether the light is made to pass through the darkening layer 9 or not.

In the first configuration the liquid crystals are oriented so as to make the light pass through, making the darkening layer 9 substantially transparent.

In the second configuration the liquid crystals are oriented so as to reflect and diffract the light, making the darkening layer 9 substantially opaque.

This way, by applying the system 1, it is possible to make a vehicle unusable, or to visually isolate a room thus safeguarding, in both cases, the security thereof. In the present embodiment the darkening layer 9 is placed between a first and a second substantially transparent layer.

Solutions cannot be ruled out wherein the darkening layers 9 and the substantially transparent layers 8 are different in number or are assembled with different arrangements relative to one another.

The system 1 also comprises a battery 10 connected to the alarm control unit 2 and to a power supply line 11.

This way the operation of the alarm control unit 2 is ensured both when it is possible to directly access the power supply line 11, and when it is not possible to access the line itself, in the latter case using the battery 10.

The battery 10, in fact, accumulates electric energy when it is connected to the power supply line 11 so as to be able to provide such energy in case of fault of direct supply to the network.

Conveniently, the battery 10 is of the type of rechargeable batteries currently on the market, such as, e.g., lead-acid battery, lithium batteries (lithium-ion, lithium polymer, solid lithium, etc.), nickel-cadmium batteries (NiCD), nickel- metal hydride batteries (NiMH), etc.

The system 1 also comprises adjustment/control ancillary units 12 operatively connected to the operating unit 3.

In particular, the ancillary units 12 comprise an acoustic signaling device 13 adapted to emit an alarm acoustic signal.

The acoustic signaling device 13 is of the type of a siren which, receiving the signal from the operating unit 3, emits a sound having an intensity such as to attract the attention of the bystanders in order to discourage ill-intentioned persons to carry out their actions.

The ancillary units 12 also comprise other useful devices to ensure safety.

For example, in the case of a vehicle, there is an ancillary unit 12 of the type of a motor locking device 14 or "immobilizer" which, receiving the signal from the operating unit 3, locks the engine of the vehicle making it unusable.

The use of other ancillary units 12 different to those described above and adapted to make the system 1 more efficient cannot be ruled out.

In a first embodiment, the system 1 has an operating unit 3 which is of the type of an electronic control unit of a vehicle.

In this case, the darkening layer 9 can be applied to the vehicle glazing so as to apply the system 1 as an anti-theft system of the vehicle.

The electronic control unit 3, therefore, is connected to the electronic control circuit 4 and is adapted to send the signal to the darkening layer 9 and to the ancillary units 12 in the event of the sensors 6 detecting an alarm situation.

This first form of application allows darkening the vehicle glazing, making the vehicle itself unusable in case of an attempt of theft by ill-intentioned persons.

In a second embodiment, the operating unit 3 is of the type of an anti-theft control unit for buildings.

This second form of application allows using the system 1 as an anti-theft system in various types of building, especially in buildings used for commercial and financial purpose where it is common to find glass partitions.

In this case, the darkening layer 9 is applied to bank window glasses that divide public rooms from staff private rooms.

The anti- theft control unit for buildings 3, therefore, being connected to the electronic control circuit 4 and adapted to send the signal to the darkening layer 9, determines the darkening of the glasses if an alarm situation occurs.

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

The electronic control unit 2, powered by the battery 10 or directly by the power supply line 11, receives an alarm signal from the activation device 5.

In particular, this signal is processed by the operating unit 3 and sent to the electronic control circuit 4 which, in turn, commands the darkening of the darkening layer 9.

At the same time, the alarm signal is also sent to the ancillary units 12 so as to make the system 1 more effective.

In the previously described first embodiment, it is the electronic control unit of the vehicle on which the system 1 is installed to receive the signal and send it to the darkening layer 9.

Since the darkening layer 9 is applied on the vehicle glazing, the vehicle is in fact unusable.

In the previously described second embodiment, it is the anti-theft control unit of a building in which the system 1 is installed to receive the signal and send it to the darkening layer 9.

This way, the building glazing on which the darkening layer 9 is applied creates a visual separation of environments at risk, allowing people in danger to protect their safety, e.g. by running away or hiding or taking time to make a call in their defense.

It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects and the fact is particularly emphasized that the anti-theft system allows preventing ill-intentioned persons from committing thefts of vehicles or other criminal actions inside of premises used for commercial and financial activities.

The application of the darkening layer on vehicle glazing, in fact, allows making the vehicles unusable in case of theft.

The application of the darkening layer on the glazing used to separate the different premises in buildings used for commercial or financial activities facilitates in the same way the protection of people in danger by darkening the view to ill-intentioned persons and allowing those who are threatened to gain valuable, possibly vital time.

The characteristics of the system provided make it perfectly integrable with known anti-theft systems so as to give them greater effectiveness.

Claims

1) Anti-theft system (1) having:

at least one alarm control unit (2), able to process and send an alarm signal in the presence of at least an alarm situation;

- at least one activation device (5) operatively connected to said alarm control unit (2) and able to actuate said system (1) in the presence of said alarm situation;

characterized in that it comprises:

at least one substantially transparent layer (8); and

- at least one electronically-controlled darkening layer (9) and applied on said substantially transparent layer (8);

said darkening layer (9) being operatively connected to said alarm control unit (2) for receiving said alarm signal and varying between a first configuration, wherein it is substantially transparent, and a second configuration, wherein it is substantially darkened.

2) System (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said alarm control unit (2) comprises:

at least one operating unit (3) able to process said alarm signal;

at least one electronic control circuit (4) able to receive said processed alarm signal and to vary said darkening layer (9) from said first configuration to said second configuration and vice versa.

3) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said operating unit (3) is the type of an electronic control unit of a vehicle.

4) System (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said operating unit (3) is the type of an anti-theft control unit for buildings.

5) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said activation device (5) comprises at least one sensor (6) operatively connected to said operating unit (3) and able to detect said alarm situation.

6) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said activation device (5) comprises at least a command device (7) able to allow the manual activation/adjustment of said system (1). 7) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a battery (10) connected at least to said alarm control unit (2) and to a power supply line (11).

8) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said darkening layer (9) is placed between a first glass layer and a second glass layer.

9) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises adjustment/control ancillary units (12) operatively connected to said operating unit (3).

10) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said ancillary units (12) comprise at least an acoustic signaling device (13) able to emit an alarm acoustic signal.

11) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said ancillary units (12) comprise at least one motor locking device (14) able to lock the motor of a vehicle.