The present invention relates to an active anti-theft device for any single or multiple movable property items such as boats, cars, planes, trailers, heavy equipment, other vehicles, and the like. More particularly, the active anti-theft device protects movable property so that the movable property cannot be stolen. In the case of motorized property, the property cannot be moved without removal of the anti-theft device. The anti-theft device is an active alarm system which attaches to the battery of the property or a stationary structure containing or attached to a suitable power source.
Theft of property, especially under the cover of night, is a problem that owners face because of the lack of noise and light. A thief can steal the property away without anyone noticing. Theft of property is a problem that property owners potentially face, especially owners of expensive or luxury items. Accordingly, a property owner often purchases an alarm system for protecting the property, but many of these systems are passive. In a passive system, a thief can simply roll, float or carry away the property under the cover of night or when the owner is away. Additionally, most alarm systems are designed specifically for automobiles and not for other property or vehicles such as boats, campers, motor homes, planes, trailers, heavy equipment or the like. Additionally, a thief often learns how to get around and disarm an alarm system and steals the property anyway. As such, alarm systems are continually being designed to try to deter a thief and/or prevent the theft of the property.
While many alarm systems exist, most are directed for use with only automobiles. As such, a need exists for an anti-theft device that can be used for various property items including, but not limited to, boats, automobiles, campers, small planes, trailers, heavy machinery or equipment or the like. While alarm systems are applicable to a diverse and wide range of property items and can protect them, the securing of a boat is one illustrative example for using an alarm system.
Most existing alarm systems do not prevent the theft of a boat while the boat motor is off. Many of the known alarm systems only protect the boat from having the motor started and the boat driven away. While this is beneficial, an alarm system also needs to protect the boat when the motor is not started. For example, an alarm may protect a boat from being started, but does not protect the boat from being untied from the dock and floated away to a remote location where the thief can start the engine or tow the boat to a safe location in order to have a new key made, sell the boat or parts thereof or the like.
Accordingly, the need exists for an active anti-theft device to protect property, such as a boat, from theft by preventing the motor from being started and protect the property from being stolen without the thief starting the property and moving, e.g., rolling, towing or floating, the property to a remote location before starting the motor.
The present invention relates to an active anti-theft device for movable property which is self-propelled such as boats, automobiles, motorcycles, motor homes, small planes, heavy machinery or equipment, e.g., bulldozer or backhoe, or movable property which is non-self-propelled such as trailers and campers, or the like. More particularly, the active anti-theft device protects movable property so that the property cannot be stolen even when the motor of the movable property has not been started. The active anti-theft device is an active alarm system which may attach to the battery of the property and receives power therefrom while having a power source such as a solar panel or a standard outlet providing power to the battery.
The active anti-theft device of the present invention comprises a computer device, at least one stationary connector, at least one portable connector, at least one sensor, a power source and a siren or alarm means. The active anti-theft device may also comprise a key switch, a remote control and a light such as a strobe light.
The computer device is the central unit of the active anti-theft device which sends a signal to the other components of the active anti-theft device. The at least one stationary connector preferably attaches to a stationary object such as a building or dock. The at least one portable connector and the at least one sensor attach to or through various predetermined parts of the property such as, but not limited to, the motor, the doors, the battery and the like. The connectors and sensors preferably connect to the computer device by connections. This enables the components of the active anti-theft device to cover, surround and thereby protect the property by connecting to various components of the property.
If a signal sent by the computer device to a connector, sensor or any other component does not return to the computer device as predetermined by a monitoring setup, the alarm sounds to indicate that a connection to at least one of the connectors, sensors or components has been broken, tampered with, or disabled.
While the active anti-theft device may be used to protect movable property, for ease of discussion, the property will be described hereinafter in terms of a vehicle such as a boat. However, the active anti-theft device may protect any suitable movable property in a like manner.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an active anti-theft device to protect a vehicle, such as a boat, by connecting to various components of the vehicle, thereby providing various contact points to protect the vehicle from theft.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an active anti-theft device which comprises a computer device, at least one stationary connector, at least one portable connector, at least one sensor, a power source and a siren or alarm means for protecting a vehicle by attaching to various components of the vehicle.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an active anti-theft device which may be used to protect various types of property including, but not limited to, boats, automobiles, motorcycles, campers, motor homes, small planes, trailers, heavy machinery or equipment, or the like.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an active anti-theft device which protects movable property, such as a boat, from being stolen even without starting the vehicle.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an active anti-theft device which is an active alarm system which attaches to the battery of the vehicle and receives power from a power source.
Further objects, features and benefits of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based upon this disclosure.
Referring now to the drawings:
The present invention is an active anti-theft device 20 for movable property such as boats, automobiles, motorcycles, campers, motor homes, small planes, trailers, bicycles, heavy machinery or equipment, e.g., bulldozer or backhoe, or the like. While the active anti-theft device 20 may be used to protect any suitable movable property, the property will be described hereinafter in terms of a vehicle, such as a boat, for ease of discussion and is not intended to limit the invention. More particularly, the active anti-theft device 20 attaches to various components of the vehicle 80, for example a boat, and protects the vehicle so that the vehicle cannot be stolen even when the motor 82 of the vehicle 80 is not started. The active anti-theft device 20 is an active alarm system which attaches to the battery 84 of the vehicle 80 and receives power therefrom while having a power source 30 such as a solar panel or a standard outlet providing power to the battery. In an alternate embodiment such as where the vehicle does not have a battery, such as a trailer or bicycle, the active anti-theft device 20 receives power directly from the power source 30.
As shown in
The computer device 22 is the central unit of the active anti-theft device 20. The computer device 22 connects to the at least one stationary connector 24, the at least one portable connector 26, the at least one sensor 28, the power source 30 and the siren 32 by means of connections, such as cables 40. While the connections are described in terms of cables 40, any suitable connections may be used. The computer device 22 also connects to the key switch 34 and the light 38 by means of cables 40. The computer device 22 sends a signal to each connector 24,26 and sensor 28, to the siren 32 and to the power source 30. The computer device 22 also sends a signal to the key switch 34 and the light 38. The computer device 22 then monitors the signal for the signal to return to the computer device 22. If the signal does not return to the computer device 22 as predetermined by the monitoring setup, the alarm will sound, i.e., setting off the siren 32 and/or the light 38, indicating that the connection to one of the connectors 24,26, sensors 28 or other components has been broken or disturbed.
The computer device 22 has suitable software and programming for sending a signal to the various components, monitoring the various connections and providing for a predetermined response in the event any one connection fails. The predetermined response can be any one or combination of activation of a light, siren, forwarding a signal to an outside monitoring device, e.g., security panel at a watch center or police station.
The computer device 22 may be operatively affixed to the vehicle 80 in any suitable location, preferably in a location that is out of sight of a person viewing the vehicle. Alternatively, the computer device 22 may be placed in a remote location, such as a building, such that the connections between the computer device 22 and the other components may be cables, wireless connections or other connections that protect the vehicle from theft.
The cables 40 which connect the computer device 22 to the other components of the anti-theft device 20 are of a suitable length so that the connectors 24,26 and sensors 28 may extend from the computer device 22 to the particular component of the vehicle 80 to which it attaches. This enables the components of the anti-theft device 20 to cover, surround and thereby protect the vehicle by connecting to various components of the vehicle.
As shown for example in
The wire 46 may be held in place in the body 44 near the cable attachment member 50 by a suitable brace means to prevent the wire 46 from moving freely in the body 44 when the wire 46 is detached from the cable attachment member 50. The wire 46 may have any suitable connection head to attach to the inner side of the cable attachment member 50.
The portable connector 26 preferably has a second end cap 54 which affixes to the second end of the housing 42, as shown for example in
In a preferred embodiment, the cable attachment member 50 of the stationary connector 24 and the portable connector 26 is a telephone jack receiver member and the wire 46 inside of the housing 42 is a telephone wire.
The stationary connector 24 preferably attaches to a stationary object 86, such as a building or a dock post. As shown for example in
The at least one portable connector 26 may be secured to various components of a vehicle 80. The portable connector 26 may preferably be inserted between parts of a component on the vehicle such that the portable connector 26 cannot be removed from the component after the alarm system is activated without disturbing the signal from the computer and sounding the alarm. The portable connector 26 may be secured through any suitable component of the vehicle as described, for example, as follows. As shown for example in
Once inserted through the motor and the alarm is armed, the signal from the computer device 22 loops through the cable 40 to the cable attachment member 50, through the wire 46, back through the cable attachment member 50 and the cable 40 to the computer device 22. The signal to the portable connector 26 cannot be disturbed without sounding the alarm since the portable connector 26 cannot be removed from the motor without removing the first end cap 48, disconnecting the wire 46 from the inside of the cable attachment member 50 and removing the body 44 of the portable connector 26 from the components of the motor.
If a person tries to detach or cut the wire 46 inside of the housing 42 or the cable 40 from the cable attachment member 50, the signal sent by the computer device 22 to the portable connector 26 is broken and does not return to the computer device 22, wherein an alarm will sound. The portable connector 26 provides protection to a vehicle from having the motor or any other part or piece of equipment which has a portable connector 26 passed through it from being removed.
The portable connector 26 may be secured to any other suitable vehicle component as described above.
The at least one sensor 28 may be attached to any suitable part of the vehicle such as, but not limited to, the doors 88, e.g., cabin doors or battery cabinet doors, a bilge pump of a boat and the like. The sensors 28 may be any suitable sensor device. As shown in
The sensors 28 may be connected to the doors 88 of a vehicle in any suitable manner. However, a preferred embodiment of the sensors 28 connecting to the doors 88 of a vehicle, such as cabin doors of a boat, is shown for example in
A preferred embodiment of sensors 28 placed on two doors of a vehicle is shown for example in
A preferred embodiment of sensors 28 placed on three doors of a vehicle is shown for example in
The key switch 34 of the anti-theft device activates and deactivates the anti-theft device. The key switch 34 may optionally be operated by a remote control 36. The key switch 34 may be any suitable control device which activates and deactivates the active anti-theft device 20. In a preferred embodiment and as shown for example in
If the signal through the key switch wires does not return to the computer device 22 as predetermined by the monitoring setup, such as if the key switch wires are detached, cut or disturbed, the alarm will sound.
While cables and wires form various connections between the components of the invention in the preferred embodiments described above, any suitable cable, wire, circuitry, or connection means may be used to connect the components of the invention.
The active anti-theft device 20 is an active alarm system, i.e., always running, which receives power from the battery 84 of the vehicle. However, in order to prevent too much power from being drained from the battery 84, the anti-theft device 20 has a power source 30. The power source 30 can be any suitable power source. In a preferred embodiment and as shown for example in
A signal is sent from the computer device 22 to the power source 30. If the signal does not return to the computer device 22 as predetermined by the monitoring setup, the alarm will sound. This prevents the power source 30 from being disconnected from the active anti-theft device 20 without the alarm sounding. If the computer device 22 is located in a remote location, and connected to the power source 30, the property being protected can be connected to the computer device 22 by various remote sensors.
While the connections between the computer device 22 and the other components of the active anti-theft device 20 have been described in terms of being cables or wire connections, these connections may be suitable remote or wireless connections.
The active anti-theft device 20 is especially beneficial in preventing the tow-away or the float-away of a boat or other movable property.
The active anti-theft device 20 of the present invention may be used alone as described above or in conjunction with a Global Positioning System (GPS) which could locate the movable property in the event that it is stolen. The active anti-theft device 20 can be used with any suitable GPS device for remote tracking of movable property. This system could also provide notification to the property owner, local security and/or local police in the event that the alarm sounds.
A further option is to provide links between multiple items of movable property, such as vehicles or equipment, to a common security panel, e.g., for multiple boats in a marina, multiple pieces of equipment such as at a construction site, or the like. Such can provide for an added layer of security.
The components of the active anti-theft device may be made of any suitable material.
The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various modifications can be made within the scope of the aforesaid description. Such modifications being within the ability of one skilled in the art form a part of the present invention and are embraced by the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060214790 A1 | Sep 2006 | US |