GB2382441A

GB2382441A - Theft deterrent system

Info

Publication number: GB2382441A
Application number: GB0128238A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy John Spriggs
Original assignee: Roke Manor Research Ltd
Current assignee: Roke Manor Research Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-24
Filing date: 2001-11-24
Publication date: 2003-05-28
Also published as: GB0128238D0; WO2003046856A1

Abstract

A deterrent system for the protection of apparatus against theft, has an apparatus operation inhibitor and interrogator 3 in operative association with the apparatus to be protected 1, and a remotely located transponder 5. Upon attempted operation of the apparatus 1, the interrogator 3 transmits an interrogation signal to the transponder 5 which responds by transmitting back to the interrogator 3 an enabling reply signal in response to reception of which by the interrogator 3, the operation inhibitor 13 is activated so as to enable the apparatus 1 to be operated successfully.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS This invention relates to theft deterrent systems.

More especially but not exclusively it relates to systems for deterring the theft of electrical consumer apparatus such as televisions or in car entertainment systems or the like. It can also be applied to portable devices, such as digital cameras, music players and the like.

Electrical consumer entertainment equipment is particularly attractive to thieves because there is a ready market, via boot sales and the like, for stolen goods of this kind, and moreover such equipment is difficult to trace.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a theft deterrent system which renders such equipment much less attractive to thieves.

According to the present invention, a deterrent system for the protection of apparatus against theft comprises, an apparatus operation inhibitor and interrogator in operative association with the apparatus to be protected, and a remotely located transponder, wherein consequent upon attempted operation of the apparatus, the interrogator is arranged to transmit an interrogation signal to the transponder which responds by transmitting back to the interrogator an enabling reply signal in response to reception of which by the interrogator, the operation inhibitor is activated so as to enable the apparatus to be operated successfully.

It will therefore be appreciated, that protected apparatus cannot be operated until an automatic interrogation cycle involving a remotely located transponder, which might conveniently be hidden, has been successfully completed.

It is desirable to mark apparatus thus protected as by means of a label, whereby use of the system is readily apparent to any potential thief, thus increasing significantly the deterrent potential.

The transponder may comprise a key ring fob or be a small device positioned at some location remote from the apparatus to be protected, but within mutual communication range of the interrogator and the transponder.

The apparatus to be protected may be electrically operated apparatus and the operation inhibitor may comprise electrical switch means.

The interrogator and the transponder may each comprise transmitter/receivers arranged for mutual communication using the same communication medium.

The communication medium may comprise electromagnetic energy or acoustic energy.

The transponder may be arranged to provide an indication that is has been interrogated.

The interrogator may comprise a code store for a predetermined identification code and may be arranged to transmit to the transponder a signal which comprises the predetermined code, to which the transponder is arranged to reply only if the code as received from the interrogator corresponds to an identification code stored in a local store.

The code as stored at the transponder and/or as stored at the interrogator may be arranged to be settable to a predetermined code.

The apparatus may comprise consumer entertainment equipment such as a television, a VCR, or a car radio for example.

A plurality of different consumer products each fitted with an interrogator and each using the same code may be arranged to be protected by apparatus comprising one transponder.

In order to provide a higher level of protection, a plurality of transponders may be provided which must all provide appropriate response signals when interrogated by the interrogator in order for the apparatus to be successfully operated.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which; Figure 1, is a generally schematic diagram of a theft deterrent system protecting two items and, Figure 2, is a block schematic circuit diagram showing in more detail a part of the system as shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, a theft deterrent system for apparatus to be protected, which in this case comprises a TV 1, and a VCR 2, comprises interrogators 3, and 4, which are integral with the TV 1, and the VCR 2, respectively and a transponder 5, which is located remotely from the TV1, and the VCR 2. Since operation and construction of the interrogators 3, and 4, are substantially the same, the construction and operation of the interrogator 3, in operative association with the TV 1, and the transponder 5, only will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

Turning now to Figure 2, the interrogator 3, comprises a transmitter 6, and a receiver 10, a comparator 11, a code store 12, and a TV operation inhibitor 13. The transmitter 6, and receiver 10, are arranged, in this example to operate at radio frequency, but they may use alternatively any medium (e. g. acoustic), or a combination of media, for communication with a complementary receiver 7, and transmitter 9, of the remotely located transponder 5, which additionally comprises a code store 8.

In operation of the system, when the TV is switched from standby to ON, a signal is sent via a line 14, to cause the interrogator transmitter

6, to transmit a predefined signal. This signal is received by the transponder receiver 7, and causes the transmitter 9 to transmit back to receiver 10 of the interrogator 3 a signal comprising a code as stored in the code store 8. Consequent upon reception of this coded signal by the receiver 10, it is compared for correspondence in the comparator 11, with a code as stored in the code store 12. Only if correspondence obtains therebetween, the comparator sends a signal to the operation inhibitor 13, which comprises electrical switch means, via a line 15, so that it operates to cause the TV 1, to switch ON. The VCR and its interrogator 4, operate in a similar manner to prevent operation in the absence of correctly coded transponder signals.

To reduce the likelihood of code capture and spoofing the code stores can store, or generate from a stored code, a sequence of codes for use with successive interrogations.

It will be appreciated that to afford a high level of security, several transponders may be used each of which must be interrogated successfully before operation of the apparatus can be effected.

It will also be appreciated that several pieces of apparatus may be protected using one transponder.

It will further be appreciated that the protected apparatus need not be consumer equipment, but may be for example work equipment or vehicles that are only required to be operated within a certain area.

Various modifications may be made to the apparatus described without departing from the invention and for example optical transponder/interrogators may be used and/or the transponder may be embodied in any device such as a pen, an ornament of some kind, as well as a key-ring fob.

Claims

1. A deterrent system for the protection of apparatus against theft comprising, an apparatus operation inhibitor and interrogator in operative association with the apparatus to be protected, and a remotely located transponder, wherein consequent upon attempted operation of the apparatus, the interrogator is arranged to transmit an interrogation signal to the transponder which responds by transmitting back to the interrogator an enabling reply signal in response to reception of which by the interrogator, the operation inhibitor is activated so as to enable the apparatus to be operated successfully.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, which is appropriately marked to indicated that the protection system is in use.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein the transponder comprises a key ring fob.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is electrically operated apparatus and the operation inhibitor comprises electrical switch means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the interrogator and the transponder each comprise transmitter/receivers arranged for mutual communication using the same communication medium.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the communication medium comprises electromagnetic energy or acoustic energy.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transponder is arranged to provide an indication that it has been interrogated.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the interrogator comprises a code store for a predetermined identification code and is arranged to transmit to the transponder a signal which comprises the predetermined code, to which the transponder is arranged to reply only if the code as received from the interrogator corresponds to an identification code stored in a local store.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the code as stored at the transponder and/or as stored at the interrogator is arranged to be settable to a predetermined code.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the code store at the transponder and the code store at the interrogator are arranged to store, or to generate, a sequence of codes that are used successively in synchronism by the transponder and the interrogator.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, which comprises consumer entertainment equipment.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of different consumer products each fitted with an interrogator and each using the same code arranged to be protected by apparatus comprising one transponder.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein in order to provide a higher level of protection, a plurality of transponders are provided which must all provide appropriate response signals when interrogated by the interrogator in order for the apparatus to be successfully operated.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10, which comprises work equipment, including vehicles.

15. A Theft deterrent system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.