United States Patent
`
`(19:
`
`Ballin
`
`4,023,138
`[11]
`[45} May 10, 1977
`
`VEHICLE THEFT PREVENTION SYSTEM
`
`Inventor:
`
`Joseph Ballin, 19-50 48th St.,
`Astoria, N.Y. 11105
`
`Filed:
`
`Nov. 17, 1975
`
`Appl. No.: 632,706
`
`US. CD. eee etesssescerensseeneene 340/64; 340/224,
`340/280; 343/225; 180/114
`Unt, Ce? ooo eeceeerereeeeeeereee B6OR 25/04
`Field of Search ................ 340/63, 64, 65, 224,
`340/276, 280; 343/225, 228; 325/364;
`180/114
`
`[54]
`
`[76]
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`[22]
`
`[21]
`
`[52]
`
`[51]
`(58)
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`11/1964 Urano asssscssesscssccvseeees 340/280
`
`3,157,871
`
`Primary Examiner—Alvin H. Waring
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hopgood, Calimafde, Kalil,
`Blaustein & Lieberman
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`A vehicle theft prevention system includes a receiver
`located in the vehicle for receiving a signal from a
`remote transmitter. When the distance between the
`receiver and transmitter exceeds a predetermined
`amount, such thatthe signal strength at the receiveris
`less than a predeterminedsignal level, a control circuit
`is actuated which upon actuation may actuate an
`alarm, deactuate the vehicle ignition system so as to
`prevent further operation of the vehicle, or both.
`
`6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures
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`DETECTOR |
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`SAMSUNG 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`May10, 1977
`
`4,023,138
`
`
`
`FIG.|
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`SENSOR 42
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`ALARM 4d
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`FULICE
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` GALAGE
`STATION
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`FIG.2
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`1
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`~ 4,023,138
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`VEHICLE THEFT PREVENTIONSYSTEM
`
`The present invention relates to an improved system
`for preventing the theft of vehicles and for providing:an
`alarm upon the occurrence of an attempted theftof a
`vehicle.
`nr
`The theft and unauthorized use of vehicles has long
`been a serious concern to owners.of vehicles. In addi-
`tion to the theft of automobiles, the hijacking of trucks
`and the theft of trucks from their garages and rental
`cars from their parking areas produce substantial and
`increasing losses each year.
`It is an object of the invention to provideanefficient,
`reliable and inexpensive system which actuates an
`alarm upon the occurrence of a theft and also may
`deactuatethe vehicle ignition system to prevent further
`operation of the vehicle. by the would-be thief.
`In the system of the invention, a receiveris located in
`the vehicle and is tuned to receive a signal from a re-
`mote transmitter. When the distance between the.re-
`ceiver and transmitter exceeds
`a predetermined
`amount, such that the signal strength at the receiveris
`less than a predeterminedsignallevel, a control circuit
`is actuated which upon actuation may actuate. an
`alarm, deactuate the vehicle ignition system so as to
`prevent further operation of the vehicle, or both.
`To the accomplishment of the above and to such
`further objects as may hereinafter appear, the inven-
`tion relates to a vehicle theft prevention system sub-
`stantially as defined in the appended claims and as
`described in the following specification taken in con-
`junction with the accompanying drawing in which:
`FIG.1 is a schematic diagram partly in block form of
`a theft prevention system according to one embodi-
`mentof the invention; and
`FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram in block form of one
`application of the theft prevention system of the inven-
`tion.
`As shown in the FIG. 1, the vehicle theft prevention
`system of the invention comprises a transmitter 10
`which includes a transmitting antenna 12. The trans-
`mitter 10 mayeither be held by the authorized driver of
`the vehicle or it may be maintainedin a fixed location
`such as a garage or car rental office.
`A receiver, whichis locatedin the vehicle, preferably
`at a location that is not apparent to an unauthorized
`user of the vehicle, includes a receiving antenna 14
`coupled to a receiver 16 tuned to the frequency of
`transmitter 10. The amplitude of the signal received by
`receiver 16 is, as is known, inversely proportional to
`the square of the distance between antennas 12 and 14,
`and is directly proportional to the amplitude of the
`transmitted signal. That is, as the antennas 12 and 14
`are movedfarther apart, the amplitude of the received
`signal at receiver 16 decreases.
`The receiver 16 is connected to a threshold detector
`18 which detects the amplitude of the received signal
`which may be at either an rf, if, or audio frequency.
`The threshold detector 18, which may be a Schmitt
`trigger of conventional design, is known to those skilled
`in the art and thus requires no further description
`herein. The threshold detector 18 is effective to pro-
`duce a control signal on a line 20 whenever the ampli-
`tude of the receiver output signal falls below’a prede-
`terminedlevel, corresponding to the distance between
`the transmitter and receiver exceeding a predeter-
`mined amount.
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`2
`The controlsignalis, in turn, applied to a control unit
`22, described:in greater detail below, which upon the
`presence of the'controlsignal, performs one or both of
`the following functions: It deactuates the vehicle igni-
`tion system as ‘shown schematically: by opening the
`normally closed ignition contacts 24, and activates an
`alarm 26 by:closing the normally-open alarm contacts
`28. . TE
`It will thus be understood that when the distance
`between the receiver antenna carried by the vehicle
`and the transmitter exceeds a predetermined distance,
`such that the signal received at the receiver and de-
`tected at threshold detector 18 is below a predeter-
`minedvalue, the vehicle ignition is deactuated prevent-
`ing its further operation, and/or an alarm is sounded.
`-_As’shownin the embodimentof the invention herein
`specifically described, the control circuit may include a
`transistor 30 having a base terminal connectedto line
`20 and receiving the control signal thereon whenit is
`produced by detector 18. A resistor 32 is connected
`between: the base of the transistor and ground and the
`emitter is connected directly to ground. The collector
`of.the transistor 30 is connected: through a relay ener-
`gizing coil 34 to a voltage source 36.
`In operation, when a controlsignal is present on line
`20 as a result of the receiver having been separated
`from the transmitter by the predetermined distance,
`such.as by 100 yardsorso,transistor 30, which may be,
`as shown, normally in the “off” or nonconductive con-
`dition, is rendered ‘“‘on”’ or conductive so that currentis
`caused to flow in the collector circuit of the transistor
`throughrelay coil 34 to energize the latter. The energi-
`zation of coil 34 in this mannercan either open ignition
`contacts 24 or close alarm contacts 28, or both, to
`either deactuate the vehicle and/or actuate the alarm as
`described above or activate the horn andflasher.
`If it is desired to be able to override the theft preven-
`tion system, the collector of transistor 30 may be con-
`nected to ground by a line 38 so that the relay coil is
`deenergized by the operation of a switch 40, which may
`be advantageously key operated. In this manner, the
`control unit is either maintained or returnedto its nor-
`mal or nonconductive condition upon the operation of
`the key. Thus, when an authorized driver of the vehicle
`removes the vehicle from a garage, for example, at
`which the transmitteris located and travels farther than
`the predetermined distance to produce a control or
`alarm signal, the driver, simply by operating switch 40
`by the use of a special key, may override the system and
`continue to operate the vehicle withoutinterruption of
`the ignition system or the sounding of an alarm.
`It will thus be appreciated that the system of the
`presentinvention effectively prevents the unauthorized
`removal of a vehicle beyond a predetermined distance
`from the location of a transmitter. The transmitter may
`be held on the person of the authorized driver when he
`leaves his vehicle such as at a diner or motel parking
`lot, such that the subsequent removal of the vehicle
`from its parking place will actuate the theft prevention
`system. Alternatively, the transmitter may be located in
`a garage, such as for trucks ortaxis, or at a car rental
`agency where the vehicle is parked when not on the
`road. In this case, should the vehicle be removed from
`the garage or rental agency by a thief, the vehicle
`would travel only a short distance before the alarm was
`activated and the ignition disabled.
`If desired, and as shownin FIG.2, a sensor 42 may be
`provided in the garage whichis responsive to the acti-
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`4,023,138
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`10
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`between the transmitter and receiver exceeding a pre-
`vation of the alarm 26. The sensor 42 may be con-
`determined amount, switch means connected to said
`nected to a remote control alarm system 44 located in
`control signal producing means and operated between
`a central station 46, such asa policestation or a private
`a first condition to a second condition by said control
`security office. When the alarm 26 is actuated as de-
`signal, and theft inhibiting means including means for
`scribed above, the sensor 42 is actuated to sendasignal
`disabling the vehicle ignition system operatively con-
`to the alarm 44 at the central station 46, thereby to
`inform the authorities there that a vehicle has been
`nected to said switch means and actuated upon the
`stolen from the garage. When the vehicle is removed
`operation of said switch means.
`2. The theft prevention system of claim 1, further
`from the garage by an authorized driver, all that he
`need do is actuate the override switch 40 so that the
`comprising means for actuating said disabling means
`whensaid switch meansis in said second condition.
`theft prevention system is disabled.
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`3. The theft prevention system of claim 1, in which
`It is to be understood that the vehicle alarm system of
`the invention may be used with any type of vehicle
`said theft inhibiting means further includes an alarm,
`and meansfor actuating said alarm when said switch
`other than trucks and automobiles, such as golf carts,
`meansis in said second condition.
`motorcycles, motors scooters, and snowmobiles. More-
`over, although the system has been herein specifically
`4. The theft prevention system of claim 1, further
`described with respect to one embodimentthereof, it
`comprising meansoperatively connected to said switch
`will be understood that modifications may be made
`meansfor overriding the actuation of said switch means
`by said control signal, thereby to maintain said switch
`therein, such as in the design of the controlcircuit, all
`meansin said first condition irrespective of whether or
`without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope
`of the invention. For example, as will be recognized by
`not a controlsignal is applied to said control unit.
`5. The theft prevention system of claim 4, in which
`those skilled in the art, the transmitter and receiver
`said theft inhibiting means comprises an alarm means
`may each be coded (for example, by pulse code modu-
`and meansfor disabling the vehicle ignition system.
`lation signals) to assure individual control of vehicles.
`Whatis claimedis:
`6. The theft prevention system of claim 1, in which
`1. A vehicle theft prevention system comprising a
`.said ignition disabling actuating means comprises a
`contact meansoperated betweena first condition when
`receiver adapted to receive a signal from a transmitter
`said relay is not energized and a second condition to
`located remotely therefrom, means coupled to said
`receiver for producing a control signal when the signal
`actuate said disabling means when said relay coil is
`received at said receiver from the transmitter is below
`energized.
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`a predetermined level corresponding to the distance
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