GB2263005A

GB2263005A - Vehicle protection system.

Info

Publication number: GB2263005A
Application number: GB9300131A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Eley
Original assignee: Vecta Ltd
Current assignee: Vecta Ltd
Priority date: 1992-01-06
Filing date: 1993-01-06
Publication date: 1993-07-07
Also published as: GB9300131D0; GB9200514D0

Abstract

A wheeled motor vehicle protection system comprises first and second detecting devices to detect unwanted intrusion at first and second items 2 and 3, respectively, of a vehicle, to actuate digital-signal transmitting means 4, 5 to give digital output signals which differ depending upon which of the first and second detecting devices has been activated, remote digital-signal receiving means 6 which serves to receive the output signals, and indicating means 7 connected to the receiving means 6 to give to a user indications which differ depending upon which of the first and second detecting devices has been activated. The system enables a driver to know immediately when an unwanted intrusion e.g. attempted theft is happening and whether at item 2 or 3. <IMAGE>

Description

"VEHICLE PROTECTION SYSTEM" According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheeled vehicle protection system, comprising first and second detecting devices which serve to detect unwanted occurrences at first wheeled vehicle means and second wheeled vehicle means, respectively, digital-signal transmitting means which is connected to said first and second detecting devices and which serves, upon unwanted occurrences being detected, to give digital output signals which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated, remote digital-signal receiving means which serves to receive said output signals, and indicating means which is connected to said receiving means and which serves, upon said receiving means receiving said output signals, to give to a user indications which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated.

The use of digital signals enables the transmitting means and the receiving means to be relatively simple and thus relatively cheap.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheeled vehicle protection system, comprising first and second detecting devices which serve to detect unwanted intrusion occurrences at first and second items, respectively, of a wheeled vehicle, transmitting means which is connected to said first and second detecting devices and which serves, upon unwanted intrusion occurrences being detected, to give output signals which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated, remote receiving means which serves to receive said output signals, and indicating means which is connected to said receiving means and which serves, upon said receiving means receiving said output signals, to give to a user indications which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated.

The system enables a driver to know immediately when an unwanted intrusion occurrence, such as an attempted theft, is happening and to which item the unwanted intrusion occurrence is happening.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a vehicle provided with a protection system, and Figure 2 shows an electrical circuit diagram of the system.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a vehicle 1 items on or in which are divided into a plurality of "zones", each zone containing at least one item and the zones themselves representing various levels of danger from a security point of view.

There may, for example, be two zones, one representing a lower security danger, and including, for example, door latches, a bonnet latch, and the passenger compartment of the vehicle, these items being diagrammatically indicated at 2 in Figure 1. The second zone represents items with a higher security danger, the items being such as an invehicle safe, a drugs box, a gun box, a glove compartment or a car boot, such items being diagrammatically indicated at 3 in Figure 1.

At the items 2 and 3 are located suitable detectors.

These detectors may be of a conventional type and may, for example, be such as to indicate the opening of latches or the presence of a person within the passenger compartment.

The protection system is in the form of a paging system and includes a transmitting unit 4 connected by electrical leads to the detectors at 2 and 3, the unit 4 being securely concealed in the vehicle and being electrically connected to a transmitting antenna 5 which is encapsulated in a clear self-adhesive tape for attachment to the inside of the windscreen of the vehicle. The system also includes a pocket-size hand-held receiving unit 6 with a visual display 7.

The paging system 4-7 is shown in more detail in Figure 2. Allocated to each zone is a multi-input/single-output connector 81, 82 etc. The outputs from the connectors 8 are fed to a central processing unit 9 which converts the analog signals received from the connectors 81, 82 etc. to a digital form and either separate digital outputs are fed to an encoder logic circuit 10 or a single digital output is fed to circuit 10, the zones being differentiated by differing digital signals. The encoder logic circuit 10 prepares the digital signal for R/F transmission and also adds an address code representing the particular vehicle in question.The vehicle 1 shown is one of a plurality of such vehicles, each with its own protection system, with each protection system having its own individual address code, so that operation of the system of one vehicle does not falsely alert the user of a receiving unit associated with another of the vehicles. The single output from the circuit 10 is fed to a transmitter 11 having the antenna 5.

The signals emitted by the antenna 5 are received by a receiving antenna 12 and fed to R/F circuitry 13 of the receiving unit 6. The output from the circuitry 13 is supplied to a decoder logic circuit 14 which accepts or rejects the signal depending upon whether the correct address code has been received for that particular receiving unit 6. The circuit 14 outputs the zonal digital signal to a zone logic circuit 15 which determines whether the signal is from the lower-level zone or the higher-level zone and emits an appropriate output to an LED/sounder logic circuit 16 which, depending upon the signal input thereto, energises either the indicating apparatus 171 or the indicating apparatus 172.

Power for the detecting, processing and transmitting side of the circuitry is provided by the vehicle's own battery. The transmitter 11 is provided with a reassurance power LED (not shown) to confirm that that side is under power. To prevent an intruder from negating the system by disconnecting the vehicle battery therefrom, the transmitter 11 is provided with its own battery re-charged from the vehicle's battery. That side is also electrically linked to the ignition circuit so that, during the time that the ignition is energised, that side is de-energised. When the ignition is switched off, that side is automatically switched on after a predetermined delay to allow the driver to leave the vehicle and lock it.

Activation of any one of the detectors of the lowerlevel zone will cause the encoder logic circuit 10 to emit a signal corresponding to that zone and thus cause the receiving unit 6 to energise the indicating apparatus 171.

This indicating apparatus may consist of a sound alarm and a first alarm LED. If one of the detectors relating to the higher-level zone is activated, the encoder logic circuit 10 supplies to the transmitter 11 a corresponding signal, different from that supplied in respect of the lower-level zone, to cause the receiving unit 6 to operate the indicating apparatus 172, which may provide a much more strident sound alarm and the energisation of a second alarm LED. The central processing unit 9 causes any input from the connector 82 to override any input from the connector 81.

The receiving unit 6 may include a tri-state LED device providing visual indication of three differing states of the protection system, for example a steady green state would indicate that the protection system is armed; a flashing amber state would indicate that a detector in the lowerlevel zone has been activated, whilst a flashing red state would indicate that a detector in the higher-level zone has been activated.

A press-to-test button may be provided at the unit 4 to allow installing personnel to test the system without activating an alarm.

The receiving unit 6 may be such that, when initially switched-on, it performs a function-checking test, by flashing its LEDs and activating its sounder(s) for a very short time.

The current supply for the receiving unit 6 may take the form of an on-board rechargeable battery.

The paging system is advantageously so arranged that, aithough it operates on a single transmission frequency, easy migration to various frequencies for use in various countries is possible.

Arrangement of the antenna 5 on the inside of the windscreen at the front passenger side has the advantages of preventing disabling of the protection system from externally of the vehicle by ripping off the transmitting antenna, of minimising interference with the vehicle radio receiving circuit and of allowing relatively easy installation of the antenna 5.

Claims

1. A wheeled vehicle protection system, comprising first and second detecting devices which serve to detect unwanted occurrences at first wheeled vehicle means and second wheeled vehicle means, respectively, digital-signal transmitting means which is connected to said first and second detecting devices and which serves, upon unwanted occurrences being detected, to give digital output signals which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated, remote digital-signal receiving means which serves to receive said output signals, and indicating means which is connected to said receiving means and which serves, upon said receiving means receiving said output signals, to give to a user indications which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first wheeled vehicle means and the second wheeled vehicle means are first and second items of a wheeled vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second detecting devices serve to detect unwanted intrusion occurrences at said first and second items, respectively.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said first item is included in a lower security danger zone and said second item is included in a higher security danger zone.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said lower security danger zone comprises door latches, a bonnet latch and a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

6. A system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said higher security danger zone comprises an in-vehicle safe, a drugs box, a gun box, a glove compartment, or a boot of the vehicle.

7. A wheeled vehicle protection system, comprising first and second detecting devices which serve to detect unwanted intrusion occurrences at first and second items, respectively, of a wheeled vehicle, transmitting means which is connected to said first and second detecting devices and which serves, upon unwanted intrusion occurrences being detected, to give output signals which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated, remote receiving means which serves to receive said output signals, and indicating means which is connected to said receiving means and which serves, upon said receiving means receiving said output signals, to give to a user indications which differ depending upon which of said first and second detecting devices has been activated.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said first item is included in a lower security danger zone and said second item is included in a higher security danger zone.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said lower security danger zone comprises door latches, a bonnet latch and a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

10. A system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said higher security danger zone comprises an in-vehicle safe, a drugs box, a gun box, a glove compartment, or a boot of the vehicle.