Patent Application
20230093918
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The disclosure relates to theft alarm devices and more particularly pertains to a new theft alarm device for remotely alerting a user when their vehicle theft alarm is activated. The device includes a transmitter that is integrated into a vehicle theft alarm and a key fob that is in remote communication with the transmitter. The key fob emits an audible alert and the key fob vibrates when the vehicle theft alarm is turned on. Additionally, a personal electronic device is included that is in remote communication with the transmitter. In this way the personal electronic device performs an alert subroutine when the vehicle theft alarm is turned on.
The prior art relates to theft alarm devices including a vehicle theft alarm that is in communication with a global positioning system for communicating the physical location of a vehicle to a personal electronic device. The prior art discloses a rechargeable ignition key that is charged when the ignition key is inserted into an ignition. The prior art discloses a variety of theft alarm devices that each includes a key fob that is in remote communication with a vehicle theft alarm.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vehicle theft alarm that is integrated into a vehicle to sense impact on the vehicle. A key fob is provided that can be carried by a user and the key fob is in wireless communication with the vehicle theft alarm. The key fob emits an alert when the vehicle theft alarm is turned on to alert the user when the user is not close enough to the vehicle to hear the vehicle theft alarm. A personal electronic device is provided that can be employed by the user and the personal electronic device is in wireless communication with the vehicle theft alarm. The personal electronic device produces an alert when the vehicle theft alarm is turned on. In this way the personal electronic device can alert the user when the user is not close enough to the vehicle to hear the vehicle theft alarm.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A key fob 18 is provided which can be carried by a user and the key fob 18 is in wireless communication with the vehicle theft alarm 12. The key fob 18 emits an alert when the vehicle theft alarm 12 is turned on. In this way the key fob 18 can alert the user when the user is not close enough to the vehicle 14 to hear the vehicle theft alarm 12. The key fob 18 includes a fob control circuit 20 that is integrated into the key fob 18 and the fob control circuit 20 receives an alert input.
A receiver 22 is integrated into the key fob 18 and the receiver 22 is electrically coupled to the fob control circuit 20. The receiver 22 is in wireless communication with the transmitter 16 and the receiver 22 receives the alert signal from the transmitter 16. The fob control circuit 20 receives the alert input when the receiver 22 receives the alert signal. Additionally, the receiver 22 may comprise a radio frequency receiver 22 or the like and the receiver 22 may operate on a frequency that is assigned to the transmitter 16 such that the receiver 22 communicates only with the transmitter 16 in the vehicle 14.
A speaker 24 is integrated into the key fob 18 to emit audible sounds from the key fob 18 and the speaker 24 is electrically coupled to the fob control circuit 20. The speaker 24 is turned on when the fob control circuit 20 receives the alert input to audibly alert the user that the vehicle 14 alarm has been turned on. A vibration unit 26 is integrated into the key fob 18 and the vibration unit 26 is in physical contact with the key fob 18 such that the vibration unit 26 vibrates the key fob 18 when the vibration unit 26 is turned on. In this way the vibration unit 26 can physically alert the user that the vehicle 14 alarm has been turned on. The key fob 18 includes at least one battery 27 that is electrically coupled to the fob control circuit 20.
A personal electronic device 28 is provided and the personal electronic device 28 can be employed by the user. The personal electronic device 28 is in wireless communication with the vehicle theft alarm 12 via smart phone receiver 30. Furthermore, the personal electronic device 28 produces an alert when the vehicle theft alarm 12 is turned on. In this way the personal electronic device 28 can alert the user when the user is not close enough to the vehicle 14 to hear the vehicle theft alarm 12. The personal electronic device 28 has wireless communication capabilities and the personal electronic device 28 is in wireless communication with the transmitter 16. The personal electronic device 28 performs an alert subroutine when the personal electronic device 28 receives the alert signal from the transmitter 16. The personal electronic device 28 may comprise a smart phone or other type of electronic device that has wireless communication capabilities. Additionally, the alert subroutine may be included in a smart phone application or other type of program that is stored in the smart phone.
In use, the key fob 18 emits the audible alert and the key fob 18 vibrates when the vehicle theft alarm 12 is turned on. Additionally, the personal electronic device 28 produces the alert when the vehicle theft alarm 12 is turned on. In this way the user is alerted when the user is too far from the vehicle 14 to hear the vehicle theft alarm 12. Furthermore, the key fob 18 and the personal electronic device 28 facilitate the user to differentiate between the vehicle theft alarm 12 in their vehicle 14 and the vehicle theft alarm 12 in a vehicle 14 that is not theirs. Thus, the user can chose to ignore vehicle theft alarm 12s in an urban environment that might have the same audible tone as the vehicle theft alarm 12 in their vehicle 14.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
