Patent Application
20050190044
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to mobile security systems, and more particularly, to components employed in mobile security systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Mobile alarm systems commonly employ a central alarm controller and one or more components. The components are physically separate from the central alarm controller (otherwise they may be incorporated into the central alarm controller). For example, in automobile alarm systems, a central alarm system may be located in a passenger compartment while an alarm indicator (component), such as a siren, may be located in an engine compartment. Commonly, the central alarm controller communicates with components, such as the alarm indicator, via one or more conductive wires. In some mobile environments, it is difficult, tedious, or nearly impossible, to run wires between the central alarm controller and some alarm components.
A need thus exists for a mobile alarm system and method that eliminates or reduces the wiring between the central alarm controller and one or more alarm components. The present invention provides such a mobile alarm system and method.
The present invention is a mobile alarm method and a system component, where the component is fixably located within a passenger vehicle. In this embodiment, the system component includes means for wirelessly receiving signals from a mobile alarm controller. The component further includes means for performing an alarm indication function based on signals received from the mobile alarm controller.
In the mobile alarm system component the means for performing an alarm indication function may include a means for performing an alarm indication function when a signal has not been received from the mobile alarm controller for a predetermined time interval. Further, the means for performing an alarm indication function may include means for generating an audible alarm indication based on signals received from the mobile alarm controller.
In an exemplary embodiment the mobile alarm controller is fixably located within the passenger vehicle. In this embodiment the passenger vehicle may have a first and a second compartment where the compartments are physically separated. Further, the means for wirelessly receiving signals from a mobile alarm controller may be fixably located within the first compartment of the passenger vehicle and the mobile alarm controller may be fixably located in the second compartment. In an exemplary embodiment, the first compartment may be an engine compartment and the second compartment may be a passenger compartment.
The present invention also includes a mobile alarm system fixably located within a passenger vehicle. The mobile alarm system may include a mobile alarm controller and a mobile alarm component. The mobile alarm controller may be operable to enable wireless data communications. The mobile alarm component may be operable to enable wireless data communications with the mobile alarm controller. In addition, the mobile alarm component may include a processor that is operable to perform an alarm indication function based upon signals received from the mobile alarm controller.
In an exemplary embodiment the component processor may be operable to perform an alarm indication function when a signal has not been received from the mobile alarm controller for a predetermined time interval. Further, the component processor may be operable to cause the generation of an audible alarm indication based on signals received from the mobile alarm controller.
The present invention may also include a method of installing a mobile alarm system within a passenger vehicle. The method includes fixably installing, in the passenger vehicle, a mobile alarm controller that is operable to enable wireless data communications in the passenger vehicle. The method may include fixably installing, in the passenger vehicle, a mobile alarm component that is operable to enable wireless data communications with the mobile alarm controller where the component includes a processor that is operable to perform an alarm indication function based upon signals received from the mobile alarm controller.
The features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:
Throughout this description, embodiments and variations are described for the purpose of illustrating uses and implementations of the invention. The illustrative description should be understood as presenting examples of the invention, rather than as limiting the scope of the invention.
In the exemplary embodiment alarm system 40, the alarm indicator 32 is coupled to a detector 34 and a sensor 36. The indicator 32 may be coupled to the detector 34 and sensor 36 by one or more wires or wirelessly. The detector 34 may detect the condition of one or more alarm triggering devices, such as a hood pin, motion detector, or other device. The sensor 36 may sense one or more measurable physical conditions of object(s) located in the engine compartment 54, such as the engine temperature, engine revolutions per minute (“RPM”), or other measurable physical conditions. The alarm indicator 32 may receive data generated by the sensor 36 and detector 34, format the data, and forward the data to the central alarm controller 30 via the wireless link 16. The alarm indicator 32 may receive alarm state information from the central alarm controller 30 and generate an alarm indication, such as powering one or more sirens, when an alarm condition is detected or indicated by the central alarm controller 30. Further, in one embodiment the alarm indicator 32 may generate an alarm indication when communication between itself and the central alarm controller 30 has not occurred within a predetermined time period. The alarm indicator 32 may also generate an alarm condition based on a locally detected alarm event, i.e., independent of the central alarm controller 30.
In the exemplary alarm system 40, the central alarm controller 30 also communicates with an immobilizer 38 and an alarm remote 31. When an alarm state is detected/tripped, the central alarm controller 30 may direct the immobilizer 38 to restrict engine activation where immobilizers 38 are known to those of skill of the art of mobile alarm systems. The alarm controller 30 may communicate via one or more wires or wirelessly with the immobilizer 38. The alarm remote 31 may arm and disarm the alarm system 40 via a wireless communication link 33 with the central alarm controller 30. The alarm remote 31 may also receive alarm and engine state information via the wireless communication link 33 from the central alarm controller 30. The alarm remote 31 may display this information in a format discernable by a user. The mobile alarm system 40 may employ any wireless communication protocol for the wireless links 16 and 33. The wireless communication protocol for the links 16 and 33 may the same or different. In one embodiment, the wireless link 33 may be a highly secure link and the wireless link 16 may be a moderately secure link based on the employed communication protocols.
The ROM 106 may store program instructions to be executed by the CPU 102. The RAM 104 may be used to store temporary program information and data received from the alarm indicator and other detectors (not shown). The storage unit 108 may comprise any convenient form of data storage and may be used to store the data. The digital to analog converter 112 may be employed to transmit analog control signals to devices such as the immobilizer 38 and receive analog signals from other devices, such as detectors (not shown).
In an exemplary embodiment, the process 140 may generate an alarm indication when no signal has been received from the central alarm controller 30 within a predetermined time interval via a periodic handshake procedure (step 146). In the exemplary process 140, one or more local triggers may also be monitored (step 148) (via the DAC 138 in the alarm indicator 120 shown in
The process 160 then determines whether an alarm trigger has been tripped at step 166. The alarm trigger may be received from an alarm component via a wire or wireless communication link, e.g., the alarm indicator 32 may wirelessly send an alarm trip signal. When the alarm is tripped, the process 160 may generate an alarm indication and send an alarm trip signal to other alarm components at step 174. In the exemplary embodiment the alarm trip signal may be send to other alarm components via a wire or wireless communication link. The process 160 may remain in an alarm state until a time out period has expired or an alarm reset or disarm signal is received at step 176. The process 160 then returns to step 162, awaiting receipt of an alarm arming signal.
At step 166 when an alarm has not been tripped the process 160 determines whether an alarm disarm signal has been received at step 168. When an alarm disarm signal has been received, the process 160 may send an alarm disarmed signal to other alarm components (via a wireless or wired communication link) at step 171. At step 168 when an alarm disarm signal has not been received, the process 160 may periodically communicate with alarm components (perform a predetermined handshake process) at step 172. The process 160 may also receive data from alarm components, process the data, and send the data to other alarm components at step 172. For example, the process 160 may receive engine data in a data signal from an alarm component and send the engine data to another alarm component, such as an alarm remote.
While this invention has been described in terms of a best mode for achieving the objectives of the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the wireless communications art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention may be implemented using any combination of computer programming software, firmware or hardware. As a preparatory step to practicing the invention or constructing an apparatus according to the invention, the computer programming code (whether software or firmware) according to the invention will typically be stored in one or more machine readable storage mediums such as fixed (hard) drives, diskettes, optical disks, magnetic tape, semiconductor memories such as ROMs, PROMs, etc., thereby making an article of manufacture in accordance with the invention. The article of manufacture containing the computer programming code is used by either executing the code directly from the storage device, by copying the code from the storage device into another storage device such as a hard disk, RAM, etc., or by transmitting the code on a network for remote execution.
