Programmable Automobile Alarm System Having Vocal Alarm and Reporting Features

The present invention relates to alarm systems, and more particularly to programmable automobile alarm systems that include vocal reports and alarms generated by voice synthesis techniques.

Alarm systems are known in the art. A typical alarm system is installed for the purpose of securing a defined area from unauthorized intrusion or trespass. The defined area that is secured by the alarm system will usually comprise a closed area, such as a specified room(s) within a building, or an entire building or house. In the case of automobile alarm systems, the secured area protected typically comprises the interior of the automobile, and may also extend to unauthorized tampering with the exterior of the automobile.

All alarm systems have certain basic elements in common. All include one or more sensors that are used to sense an entry event or other activity that could be viewed as an unauthorized tampering or presence (hereafter a "violation"). The sensor(s) are coupled, usually with electrical wires (although RF or other communication links may also be used), to a central control unit or equivalent circuit. When an entry or other activity is sensed by the sensor, an appropriate signal is sent to the control unit, which, if armed, generates an alarm signal. The alarm signal, in turn, may be used locally to sound an audible alarm, such as a loud siren or loud bell (intended to scare off the would-be intruder and to draw attention to the fact that an intrusion or other violation has been detected). The alarm signal may also be used to signal a remote location, such as a police station or a neighboring facility, of the violation that has been detected.

In the case of a simple autmobile alarm system, the vehicle's existing electrical system (used, for example, to turn on a light when a door is opened) is used as a basic sensor that is connected to a control module. An alarm circuit within the control module is triggered whenever the monitored event occurs, such as when the door is opened. A siren or horn is sounded if too much time passes (typically 10 to 15 seconds) before the alarm system is turned off (disarmed).

More sophisticated automobile alarm systems supplement this basic alarm system with additional sensors (e.g., that sense the opening of the hood or trunk, the removal of an automobile cover, or the presence of "motion") and a correspondingly more complex control module. Such systems may also include backup battery protection and remote paging capabilities. Further, it is not uncommon for such systems to take more preventative steps than merely sounding an alarm. For example, automobile alarm systems are known in the art that, upon sensing a violation (such as the opening of the door, trunk or hood while the system is armed), will disable the ignition and/or fuel delivery system of the automobile's engine, thereby rendering it impossible to drive the vehicle under its own power.

A feature common to all automobile alarm systems is the ability to selectively arm or disarm the system. A simple alarm system is armed after a prescribed time delay, such as 15 seconds, following the manual setting of an arming switch inside of the vehicle. (Typically, such switch is "hidden" or otherwise made non-conspicuous so that only the vehicle's owner knows of its location and function.) Once armed, all of the systems's sensors are enabled and any entry or tampering event is interpreted as an unauthorized event or violation. The prescribed time delay after manually setting the arming switch allows the vehicle owner sufficient time to exit the vehicle prior to the system becoming "armed". Similarly, upon reentering the vehicle, as mentioned above, another time delay allows the owner sufficient time to manually disarm the system before the alarm is sounded.

Unfortunately, situations can and do arise where the prescribed time delay, either for exiting or reentering the vehicle, is too short. The result is that it is not uncommon for an automobile alarm system to be "falsely" triggered (meaning that an authorized exit or entry usually the owner's exit or entry--has been interpreted as an unauthorized entry). Needless to say, false triggering can not only be a nuisance and an annoyance, it can also be an embarrassment. Further, in some situations, false triggering can also create a safety hazard either to the owner or to those who might respond to the falsely triggered situation without knowledge that it is a false alarm.

Potentially more serious than false triggering, however, is the possibility of false arming (meaning that the system has not been armed when the owner thinks it has been armed). False arming arises because the owner has no positive means by which he or she can verify that the system is properly armed or disarmed. Typically, a simple indicator light may be used to indicate the armed/disarmed status of the alarm system. However, such a status light is usually only visible from inside of the vehicle. Thus, once the owner has exited the vehicle, he or she has no way of verifying that arming has actually occurred (other than by reentering the vehicle, which reentry will either sound the alarm or cause the false triggering concerns mentioned above).

In view of these false triggering and false arming concerns, what is needed is an automobile alarm system that provides positive verification to the owner of the armed/disarmed status of the system, even when the owner is outside of the vehicle. Such a system would greatly reduce the risk and consequences of both false triggering and false arming.

Another shortcoming of prior art automobile alarm systems is that the alarm, once triggered, will continue to sound until the system is manually turned off (disarmed). In the case of false triggering, as above described, this shortcoming is not too serious because the owner is right there and can turn off the system quickly. However, if the owner is not present--such as would occur if an unauthorized entry attempt has been made and the would-be intruder has fled from the scene; or, if the owner "loaned" the vehicle to a friend but forgot to tell the friend how to disarm the system; or, if there is some sort of malfunction with the sensor or the control module--such continuous sounding of the loud, attention-getting alarm can create a major nuisance and safety hazard. Accordingly, more sophisticated alarm systems known in the art sound the alarm for only a prescribed time period, e.g. one minute, and then turn the alarm off. However, when the owner returns, such systems typically have no way of notifying the owner that an unauthorized entry event or violation has occurred. While some of the more sophisticated systems will provide some visual (e.g., an indicator light) or audible (e.g., a beeping sound) indication to the owner upon his or her return that a violation has occurred, such indication does not tell the owner when the security violation occurred or, in the case of a system that employs multiple sensors, what type of security violation occurred. Such information, if available, could prove invaluable to the owner as an aid in assessing appropriate action to take and, in situations where actual damage or theft of articles occurred, in completing police and insurance reports. Unfortunately, to communicate such information to an owner using conventional output communication devices, such as printers, CRT or LCD screens, or one-line character displays, would significantly add to the cost and complexity of the alarm system.

It is apparent, therefore, that an alarm system is needed that not only notifies the owner of the occurrence of an unauthorized entry event, but that also informs the owner, without using expensive, cumbersome communication devices (such as printers and visual character displays), of the type and time of occurrence of the unauthorized entry event.

A further major concern with existing automobile alarm systems relates to their cost of manufacture and purchase, complexity of installation, and ease of maintenance verses their performance. To illustrate, a simple automobile alarm system (e.g., one that uses only the existing wiring of the automobile to sense the opening of a door and that sounds an alarm when unauthorized entry is detected) can be quite inexpensive to manufacture and simple to install (and therefore quite affordable to the owner). Unfortunately, such a simple alarm system does not suit the needs, nor provide adequate protection, for many automobile owners. Therefore, most owners who want an alarm system will choose an alarm system that provides more protection and better suits their particular needs and vehicle.

Because every make and model of automobile is somewhat different, and further because every owner is also different, and further because the needs of every owner change as a function of time and situation, there is no known universal automobile alarm system that will suit the diverse needs of all owners at all times. Therefore, an owner must carefully shop around and try to select the alarm system that provides the best compromise given the owner's particular desires needs and budget. See, e.g., "Auto Alarm Systems", Consumer Reports, October 1966, pp. 658-62. If the owner's needs or wants subsequently change, the only option available to the owner is to replace or upgrade the existing system with a new one that satisfies these new needs or wants. Such replacement and/or upgrading can be very bothersome and expensive, and in many situations is not practical.

Hence, what is needed, is a universal automobile alarm system that can be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured, readily customized at installation to suit the particular automobile and owner involved, and easily modified by the owner thereafter to alter its performance to suit the needs and wants of the owner at any given time.

The present invention addresses the needs identified above, as well as other needs, by providing an automobile alarm system that can be economically manufactured, easily customized at installation to suit the particular car and owner involved, and readily reprogrammed thereafter should such reprogramming be necessary. Further, once installed, the alarm system can be easily controlled by the owner to operate in a desired mode of operation that best suits the needs of the owner for a particular situation.

Advantageously, the alarm system herein disclosed uses voice synthesis technology to generate vocal reports and alarms in order to communicate to the owner the status of the system, whether the system is armed or disarmed, and whether and when a particular type of violation occurred. Such voice synthesis technology allows the alarm system's control module to efficiently and effectively communicate to the owner without the need for using additional and expensive communication devices, such as printers and displays, as are conventionally used in the art. Rather, use of vocal communication permits the alarm system to utilize the existing components (e.g. speakers) of the vehicle's radio or tape player, thereby reducing the cost of the system.

As with all automobile alarm systems, the alarm system of the present invention comprises one or more sensors, a control module, and means for sounding an alarm should an unauthorized event be detected by the sensor(s). However, unlike known alarm systems, the alarm system of the present invention provides, in addition to the synthesized vocal speech reports indicated above, a degree of flexibility, programmability, and testability in its installation, use, and operation that has heretofore been unavailable.

The sensors used with the alarm system of the invention disclosed herein include, in addition to the automobiles existing wiring system (which can sense opening of doors, and can usually sense the opening of the trunk and/or hood), a motion sensor (that senses any motion within the vehicle), and a glass sensor (that senses the striking of any of the glass windows). Additional optional sensors can, of course, be added as desired.

The signaling or alarm-sounding components of the alarm system herein disclosed include, in dddition to the vehicle's radio/tape player speakers (hereafter "internal" or "inside" speakers), an external (outside) speaker, an external siren, and other components of the automobile that are wired to the auto's electrical system, such as the turn indicator lights (parklights) and horn. Further, optional equipment can be added that provides additional alarm sounding capabilities and remote paging of the owner or other designated location should an unauthorized event be detected.

The control module used with the alarm system herein disclosed comprises a microprocessor that is programmed to monitor the various sensors and react in a prescribed manner depending upon the particular mode of operation that has been selected. With the microprocessor, there is included an EPROM (Erasable Programmabee Read Only Memory) memory circuit for storing the various programs that define the response the microprocessor takes for a given situation; voice generation circuits for converting digital signals generated by the microprocessor to analog voice signals that can be amplified and played back through the internal and/or external speakers; and various interface or driver circuits for coupling the alarm signals generated by the microprocessor to appropriate alarm components, such as the vehicle's electrical system, a pager, a siren, or other desired display or warning devices. The alarm system also includes a menu control pad (manual switch), through which the owner can manually select a desired mode of operation, fromaa vocal list of possible modes of operation, for the system. One of the options includes an interrogating mode wherein the system provides an oral status report of the system. Another mode allows various tests to be performed. The alarm system, in one embodiment, further includes an RF receiver through which remotely transmitted control signals for the alarm system may be received.

The RF receiver that is included a part of the alarm system of the present invention provides the owner the option of interrogating and/or setting the alarm system to a desired mode of operation from a remote location, such as external to the car, through the use of a portable transmitter. This transmitter is advantageously a very small, light-weight, hand-held device that can be carried, for example, on a key ring. The signals generated by this portable transmitter have a range equivalent to that commonly found in garage-door opener transmitters i.e., approximately 25-150 feet. In one embodiment of the invention, this same transmitter may be used as a garage door opener transmitter as well as the interrogation/set taansmitter of the alarm system.

A significant feature of the present invention is the ability to easily program into the system at installation the particular options that are desired in order to best suit the needs and wants of the owner and his or her model vehicle. To this end, a programming device is provided to the installer that conveniently plugs into the control module at installation. This programming device advantageously lists all of the various installation options available to the system in an easy-to-understand series of menus. The installer, through the use of a keyboard that forms part of the programming device, can readily make the desired selections in just a matter of minutes. Once the desired options have been selected and verified, the necessary programs required to carry out the selected options are transferred to the EPROM of the control module. Should the owner subsequently decide to change the selected options, i.e., should the owner's needs or wants change beyond the mode control options available through the interrogation/set capabilities provided through the manual control pad or portable transmitter control device, reprogramming of the control module is as simple as the initial installation. All the owner need do is to return the vehicle to the installer so that the installer can reconnect the programming device to the control module and perform the desired programming operations. The EPROM circuits of the control module advantageously are designed to accommodate a large number of reprogramming operations, although it is contemplated that most owners will not need nor want this capability. However, this feature does provide a degree of universality to the alarm system in that the control module can be readily upgraded to new performance levels, including those of a different vehicle should the owner desire to remove the control module from one vehicle and install it in another.

The above and other advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings and appendices, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an outline of a typical passenger automobile, showing some of the key components therein that form part of the alarm system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the alarm system's control module;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a transmitter device that can be used to remotely interrogate and set the control module of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control module being programmed to a desired configuration using an installer's programming device;

FIGS. 5A-5F are schematic/logic diagrams of the control module of FIG. 2;

Appendix A is a program listing of the program(s) loaded into the memory of the microprocessor used within the control module of FIG. 2; and

Appendix B contains representative programs used within the installer's programming device shown in FIG. 4.

The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of practicing the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be ascertained with reference to the appended claims.

In describing the alarm system of the present invention, it will first be helpful to provide an overview of the alarm system and the features included therein. Basically, the alarm system includes a programmed "voice" that allows the owner or vehicle operator to have instant access to pertinent information regarding both the alarm system and the vehicle at any time. This "voice" is communicated through either interior and/or exterior speakers installed in the vehicle. Advantageously, the interior speakers may be the same speakers used with the vehicle's radio.

The owner/operator communicates with the alarm system through either an electronic menu pad (switch) or a portable hand-held remote transmitter. With just one press of the transmitter or menu pad, the owner is notified as to the status of the system or the vehicle. Included in this status information is when the system needs repair, which alarm features are being turned on or off, and most importantly, which sensor caused an alarm to sound and how long ago the violation (unauthorized entry event) occurred.

With the alarm system of the present invention, any unauthorized entry event activates an alarm. While the alarm is sounding, an exterior siren and the vehicle's horn, along with one of the following voice messages are heard: "I'VE BEEN TAMPERED WITH!", "VEHICLE SECURITY VIOLATION!", or "BURGLAR-BURGLAR!". Because a voice is used to sound the alarm in this fashion, the alarm system is referred to as VOCALARM. (VOCALARM is a trademark of Electronic Security Products of California.) Each alarm system includes sensors for protecting all doors, windows, and motion of the vehicle. One minute after an alarm is triggered, the system is reset automatically, and is ready to sound again in the event of another break-in attempt. If the doors are left open on intrusion, the alarm continues to sound for five minutes in order to attract more attention to the vehicle.

At present, there are two embodiments of the alarm system herein described. In a first embodiment, the alarm system is operated through the ignition and doors. Upon exiting the vehicle, the owner will hear: "AUTOMATIC ARMING ENGAGED!". This voice report notifies the owner that the system will arm itself after all of the doors are secured for 15 seconds, there'by allowing unlimited time to remove packages, etc. If this automatic arming feature needs to be by-passed, the owner need simply turn the ignition on and off, and the system will announce: "AUTOMATIC ARMING DISENGAGED!" Upon re-entry into the vehicle, the owner/operator will hear a five or ten second countdown: e.g., "FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE". If the ignition switch is not turned on and a menu pad depressed before the end of this countdown, the system assumes that the entry is unauthorized and the alarm will sound. If a violation occurs as a result of sensing motion, broken glass, or any other sensor (other than the door sensors) the alarm is sounded without delay.

In a second embodiment of the alarm system, the owner carries a small hand-held portable transmitter to operate the alarm system. Advantageously, this transmitter includes three separate independent channels, each controlled with separate control button. If these buttons are individually depressed, or if combinations of the buttons are depressed, up to seven separate functions can be triggered. Hence, several vehicles, a garage door opener, a home security system, and other functions can all be operated with the use of a single transmitter.

Upon exiting the vehicle using this second embodiment of the invention, a voice report from inside the vehicle reminds the owner: "PLEASE ARM VOCALARM!" The owner then depresses the appropriate button(s) on the portable transmitter in order to perform the arming function. If, in response to arming the system, a voice report indicates: "WARNING", then the owner is notified that one of the protection sensors is not functioning properly. Disarming of the system must occur before re-entry into the vehicle or the alarm will sound. Such disarming is performed by merely depressing the appropriate button(s) on the portable transmitter. Upon opening the driver's door, a voice report is given from inside the vehicle indicating which sensor should be checked. For example, if the motion sensor is not uunctioning properly, the report will indicate: "CHECK MOTION!"

If, upon disarming the vehicle, a "WARNING" vocal report is heard, this notifies the owner that while he or she was away an unauthorized entry event or violation was detected. Upon opening the driver's door, a voice report is given from inside of the vehicle as to which sensor was violated. For example, if the motion sensor caused the alarm to sound, the owner will hear: "MOTION VIOLATION!" Further, with the second embodiment, the owner will also be notified in a voice report as to the time when the violation occurred. This feature advantageously enables the owner to give accurate details of the violation in the event a police or insurance report must be made. The built-in timer within the system keeps track of violations for up to sixty days. Upon arming the system, all previous reports of violations are canceled and the system is ready to receive and log new violation entries.

The second embodiment also allows the owner or operator, through use of the menu pad located inside of the vehicle, to not only select, but also hear, those features that have been turned on or off. A vocal menu list is recited by the system. Features included in this "menu" list may include: (1) reports, (2) manual arming, (3) test, (4) silent arming, (5) window sensor on-off, (6) system on-off, and (7) hood release. The owner makes a selection by pressing the menu pad immediately after hearing the desired feature "spoken" in the vocal menu list. To illustrate how this is accomplished, these faatures or modes will now be discusse in more detail.

The report mode keeps track of all status conditions within the system. After arming or disarming the system, a report is given as to which sensor(s), if any, needs to be checked or which sensor(s) caused the alarm to sound and the time such alarm was sounded. If portions or all of the report is missed, the owner can simply select the report mode from the menu pad and the report will be repeated.

The manual arming mode allows the owner/operator to arm the system without using the transmitter. Such arming is done through the vocal menu pad. That is, as the voice menu is presented, the owner presses the menu pad immediately after hearing "MANUAL ARM". Upon doing so, a ten second countdown is heard: "TEN, NINE, EIGHT, . . . . ONE." The owner must exit the vehicle before the time is up or the alarm will sound. Upon re-entry, the owner hears another countdown and the ignition must be turned on and the menu pad depressed prior to the end of this countdown or the alarm will sound.

The test mode enables the owner to check all of the sensors to make sure that they are working properly. When in this mode, all reports are heard through the inside speakers. For example, if the door sensor is being checked, all the owner need do is open the door after selecting the test mode from the vocal menu list. Upon opening the door while in the test mode, a report will be heard inside of the vehicle that says: "DOOR VIOLATION". Advantageously, unlike other systems, the owner will never have to set off the annoying sound of an alarm just to find out whether the system is properly working or not.

The silent arm mode allows the owner to arm and disarm the system using only the exterior indicator lights of the vehicle for verification. This mode is selected by pressing the menu pad after hearing "SILENT DISENGAGED" in the vocal menu list. This action causes the message "SILENT ENGAGED" to be heard, indicating that the silent arm mode is active. In this mode, the exterior lights flicker to signal that the alarm system is armed and that the doors are locked. When disarming the system, the exterior lights will stay on for one minute, thereby allowing for more visibility. If an unauthorized entry event is detected while in this mode, the exterior lights of the vehicle will flash on and off, in addition to the normal alarms that are sounded, in order to attract more attention to the alarm event. Upon disarming the system, if an unauthorized event was detected while the owner was away, the lights will flicker on and off in order to notify the owner that a violation occurred. Advantageously, this silent arm mode can be used to verify arming and disarming of the system in a quiet zone, or late at night, in order to avoid any possible disturbance.

The window sensor off mode provides the owner the option of turning off the window sensor, leaving all other sensors on. This mode is especially useful in a convertible, where ambient noise could easily be interpreted as a violation. The feautre is also useful, in combination with remote control of power windows (using the portable transmitter) for allowing the windows to be "cracked" (rolled down an inch or so) after the vehicle is secured.

The system on-off mode enables the owner to turn the alarm system on or off at any time. This feature is especially useful during valet parking, in a car wash, and when having repair or maintenance work done on the vehicle. Even when off, however, the system says "VOCALARM DISENGAGED" when switching off the ignition, or when operating the remote transmitter, in order to remind the owner that the system was turned off.

The hood release mode allows the owner ten seconds to open the front hood of the vehicle. For security purposes, the ignition must be turned on for this feature to operate. In contrast, most alarm systems require a separate toggle switch or similar device to be thrown in order for this feature to operate, which switch can be found and overridden by an intruder.

A further feature available with the second embodiment of the invention provides a panic alarm to sound with the pressing and holding of one or more of the portable transmitter control buttons. With this feature enabled, as long as the owner is within range of the vehicle, the panic alarm will sound within two to three seconds after any transmitter button(s) has been depressed and held in the depressed position for a couple of seconds. This feature is operable in both the armed and disarmed modes, and provides a vlluable warning device in case of an emergency.

In addition to the above features and operating modes, many options are also available depending upon the particular needs and wants of the owner and the particular make and model of automobile(s) being protected. For example, up to seven vehicles can be equipped with the alarm system herein disclosed, and each can be operated from one transmitter. Further, as indicated, this same transmitter can be configured to operate a garage door opener. An automatic arming option can also be selected that automaticall arms the system after all of the doors are secured for 15 seconds, just in case the owner/operator forgets to arm the system. Other available options that can be used with the alarm system include: automatic non-start (disables the vehicle's starter upon arming of the system); manual non-start (requires a hidden pressure pad within the vehicle to be depressed before the engine will start); automatic locking/unlocking (locks and/or unlocks all doors upon arming or disarming, respectively, of the system); automatic windows (closes all windows upon arming); window roll-down (cracks the windows when triggered by the transmitter); automatic sunroof (closes the sunroof upon arming or upon depressing transmitter control button); interior high intensity siren (provides an extremely loud piercing siren that deters thieves from remaining inside of the vehicle); cover alarm (senses the removal or attempted removal of a car cover and sounds an alarm the same as for any other violation); pager notification (triggers a pager, carried by the owner, whenever a violation is detected, thereby notifying the owner that a violation has occurred); trunk protection (sounds the alarm if the trunk is opened); fog light guard (sounds the alarm if the fog light wires are cut or removed); piezo sounder (provides a high frequency sounder within the vehicle that pulses on and off when the system is armed on, thereby warning unauthorized intruders that the vehicle contains an activated security system); interior flashing LED's (also warn an intruder that an activated security system is installed); key-left-inignition warning (provides a vocal warning that the keys are still in the ignition when a door is opened); and an exterior air horn (attracts additional attention to the vehicle when the alarm is sounding). In addition to these options, many other options can be included depending upon the particular needs and wants of the automobile owner.

Referring now to the figures, a description of the alarm system's hardware will be presented. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a typical passenger automobile 12 and some of the key components thereof that form part of the present invention. These components include headlights 14, a horn 16, park lights 18, a hood sensor 20 (that senses the opening of the hood), a dome or other interior light 21, front door sensors 22 (that sense the opening of the front doors), back door sensors 24 (that sense the opening of the back doors), taillights 26, and a trunk sensor 28 (that senses the opening of the trunk). All of these components are electrically connected in conventional manner to the automobile's electrical wiring harness 30, which harness interconnects these components to the automobile's electrical system, including a battery 32.

In addition to these conventional components, the alarm system of the present invention includes a control unit 34 (sometimes referred to herein as a control module) that is also connected to the wiring harness 30. Connected to this control unit 34 are additional sensors, such as a motion sensor 36 (to sense motion within the interior of the automobile), and a microphone or glass sensor 38 (to sense striking or hitting of the automobile's glass windows). Other sensors (not shown) could also be connected to the control unit 34 as desired. As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 34 is also connected to the automobile's internal speaker(s) 40, an external siren 42, and an external speaker 44. These components, as has been discussed, provide additional flexibility in the type of alarms and status signals and reports provided by the alarm system.

The owner/operator controls and interrogates the control unit 34 through use of an interior menu control pad 40 that is directly connected to the control unit 34. For the second embodiment, an alternate control/interrogation path is provided through RF receiver 50 (which receives control or interrogate signals 52 from an external transmitter 54). A status light 46, connected to the control unit 34, provides a visual indication to the owner/operator that the alarm system is powered on. In some embodiments, a paging unit 56 may optionally be connected to the control unit 34 to provide remote paging capabilities should a violation be detected. Such paging unit 56 transmits a prescribed signal, through antenna 58, to a remote receiver (not shown) in order to signal the alarm condition. The remote receiver is typically carried by the owner and emitts a beeping sound when being paged, thereby notifying the owner that a violation has occurred. More sophisticated remote receivers may be connected to a telephone circuit and provide the capability of automatically dialing a prescribed sequence of telephone numbers in order to alert at least one remote location of the sensed alarm condition.

Referring next to FIG. 2, a simplified block diagram of the control unit 34 is shown. Although simplified, FIG. 2 contains sufficient detail to enable one to gain an overview and basic understanding of how a microprocessor circuit functions as the control unit of the disclosed automobile alarm system. Operatioaal details associated with the circuit design and operation of the control unit 34 can be found, for those more familiar with microprocessor art, in the more detailed logic/schematic diagramsoof FIG. 5 and the program listings of Appendices A and B.

As indicated in FIG. 2, at the heart of the control unit 34 is a microprocessor circuit 60. A microprocessor circuit may be thought of as simply a digital processing circuit that receives and processes digital data according to a prescribed sequence. The processing sequence is defined by a "program", which program is stored in some appropriate memory device. The microprocessor circuit 60 of FIG. 2 is programmed to monitor the various sensors used within the alarm system and to provide a prescribed response, such as the sounding of an alarm, when an unauthorized entry event (violation) is detected. The microprocessor circuit 60 is further programmed to store the time and type of violation event that is detected so that such information may be subsequently provided to the owner/operator in a vocal report.

As shown in FIG. 2, the microprocessor circuit 60 is clocked by master clock signal derived from a crystal oscillator circuit 62. This clock signal is used to control all the intricate data processing operations that occur within the microprocessor circuit 60 and, indeed, throughout the control module 34. Digital data is sent to and received fro the microprocessor circuits over data bus 64. Sensor data received over the automobile's wire harness 30 (such as the opening of a hood, trunk, or door), or from the motion sensor 36 or the glass sensor 38, is latched in input data latch 66. (Latching of these sensed events is necessary because the signal from the sensor may be a signal that chances state for only a short period of time.) The latched output from input data latch 66 is coupled to the microprocessor circuit 60 via the data bus 64.

Control and interrogate signals from receiver 50 or control pad 48 are coupled directly to the microprocessor circuit 60 through signal lines 68 and 70 respectively. Signal line 68 has a connector block 72 attached thereto into which a mating connector from the output line of the receiver 50 is inserted. This same connector block 72 may advantageously be used as a connection point for a programming device, as explained below in connection with FIG. 4, during installation of the alarm system.

Further connected to the microprocessor 60 is reset logic circuitry 74. It is the purpose of this reset logic circuitry 74 to reset the microprocessor 60 to a desired operating mode in the event of a power interruption or other condition that might adversely affect the microprocessor's operation.

The data bus 64 is further connected to three output data latch circuits, 76, 78, and 80. It is the function of these latch circuits to receive the data that appears on the data bus 64 at a particular moment in time and hold this data for subsequent presentation to a desired output circuit. Output data latch 76, for example, presents its latched data to Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM) circuit 82. EPROM 82, in turn, presents selected data stored therein back to the data bus 64 (from which point the data may directed, through operation of the microprocessor or latch circuits, to other selected destinations within the control unit 34). It is noted that the operating programs of the microprocessor 60 are stored in EPROM 82.

Similarly, output data latch 78 presents its latched data (obtained from data bus 64) to the voice generation circuits 84. These voice generation circuits convert the digital data to analog data representative of vocal speech. The resulting speech signals are then amplified in amplifier/driver circuits 86 and directed to the appropriate internal or external speakers.

Finally, output data latch 80 presents its latched data (obtained from data bus 64) to interface/driver circuit 88. This interface/driver circuit 88, in turn, amplifies and buffers the signal as required prior to presenting it to an appropriate alarm device, such as the automobile's wire harness 30 (which, in turn, is connected to the horn and lights), the internal and/or external speakers, the external siren 42, the pager 56, or other desired alarm devices.

Also included in the block diagram of FIG. 2 is a voltage regulator 90. Voltage regulator 90 receives input power from the automobile's battery 32 and converts this unregulated power to the appropriate voltage levels needed throughout the control unit 34 in order to properly operate the various circuits used therein. Power switch 92 advantageously provides a switched power output line that is directed to most of the alarm circuits (e.g., the voice generation circuits 84, the voice amplifier/driver circuits 86, and the interface/driver circuits 88). These alarm circuits do not need to be turned on until a violation event is detected. Hence, by operation of the power switch 92, no power is presented to such circuits until needed, thereby conserving power. In contrast, continuous power is provided to the microprocessor circuit 60 and the associated sensor circuits because such circuits need to be active at all times. However, it is noted that these active circuits consume very little power, largely because the microprocessor circuit 60 and associaeed logic circuits are realized with low-power-consumption CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) integrated circuits, and the sensor circuits are designed to only consume power when activated.

From the above description, the basic operation of the alarm system can now be better understood and appreciated. To summarize this operation, a controlling program for the microprocessor is initially stored in EPROM 82. When the alarm system is turned on, the microprocessor circuit 60 looks to the EPROM 82 for its operating program. When the alarm system is armed, either through the control pad 48 or the receiver 50, this operating program causes the microprocessor to continuously monitor the various sensors. An unauthorized entry event or "violation" causes the input data latch 66 to be set, which setting is sensed by the microprocessor 60. The microprocessor responds, as controlled by its operating program, by sounding an alarm and by storing a data signal indicating the type of unauthorized entry event that occurred and the time at which it occurred.

The type of alarm that is sounded an its duration is controlled by the program and any operating options that may have been selected by the owner/operator through either the control pad 48 or receiver 50. For example, in one mode of operation, the sensing of an unauthorized entry event causes a load vocal alarm to be sounded through the external speaker, as previously described. It is the intent of this load alarm to frighten the would-be intruder away from the automobile. This alarm is generated by presenting the appropriate data on the data bus 64 and latching this data into output data latch 78. Voice generation circuits 84 then act on this data by converting it to analog signals representative of the desired vocal speech. Such a vocal alarm may also be accompanied by the sounding of other alarms, such as the siren, horn, and/or the flashing of lights. These other alarm signals are generated by latching appropriate data into output data latch 80, from which point it is directed to the appropriate alarm device through interface/driver circuits 88.

In a typical operating mode, the microprocessor program continues the "alarm sounding" for only a prescribed period of time, such as 60 seconds. When the owner/operator returns and disarms the system, a vocal report is generated informing the owner/operator through the internal speakers of the type and time of unauthorized event that occurred. Such vocal report is generated in the same manner as was the vocal alarm, i.e., the microprocessor places the appropriate data signals on the data bus 64. This data is then latched into output data latch 78, and the voice generation circuits then act on this data in order to generate the desired speech signals therefrom.

Referring next to FIG. 3, a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a portable transmitter 54 is shown. In accordance with this embodiment, the transmitter 54 is small enough to be carried on a key chain 96, and is not any larger than a typical automobile ignition key 98 (approximately two inches square and less than 1/2 inch thick). As mentioned previously in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, it is the function of the transmitter 54 to allow the owner/operator a means of controlling or interrogating the alarm system from a location external to the automobile. Primarily, the portable transmitter 54 is used for arming and disarming the system from an external location. When the system is armed or disarmed in this manner, a vocal confirmation of such arming or disarming is provided through the external speaker 44 so that the owner/operator has positive verification that proper armin or disarming has occurred.

The portable transmitter 54 is constructed using the same technology as is commonly employed in portable garage-door-opener transmitters. As has been mentioned, means are provided within the tansmitter 54 for transmitting three separate control signals. A first signal, generated by depressing the "1" button 99 on the face of the transmitter 54, is sent to and received by a receiver 50 of an alarm system as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. A second signal, generated by depressing the "2" button 101, may be sent and received by a receiver 50 of a second alarm system installed in, for example, a second vehicle. A third signal, generated by depressing the "3" button 103, may be sent and received by a conventional garage-door-opener receiver for the purpose of controlling the opening and closing of a garage door. Combinations of these three signals can also be stimultaneously transmitted and received and decoded by the same or different receivers in order to provide control of up to seven separate functions from a single transmitter. Thus, the owner/operator has at his or her fingertips all of the transmitters needed to effectively set and interrogate the alarm systems of all of his or her vehicles, as well as to operate the garage door where the vehicles are stored, or to perform other functions. Advantageously, in order to simplify the design and manufacture of the system, the receiver 50 may be an RF receiver of the type commonly employed with garage door openers. Such receivers typically employ an RF carrier frequency of 308.75 MHz, although any suitable frequency could, of course, be employed.

In a preferred embodiment, the portable or remote transmitter 54 is molded with high impact ABS plastic for greater durability and longer wear. A specially designed electronic membrane pad is integrated into each transmitter which prohibits the buttons 99, 101, and 103 from being accidentally depressed. Further, an LED light 104 is incorporated into the transmitting unit and is activated (turned on) whenever one of the buttons is depressed. This LED provides the operator some visual assurance that the unit is operating properly. Also, the ABS plastic case is completely water-resistant, thereby protecting the transmitter circuits in the event the unit accidentally gets wet.

It is understood that the above description of the portable transmitter 54 is exemplary and not limiting. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the transmitter(s) contained within the transmitting unit 54 can be readily set and used to control and operate a large variety of remote appliances, and the like, in addition to setting and interrogating the alarm system of the present invention. It is further noted that the alarm system described herein, while being described for use with an automobile, could easily be adapted to protect a house or other building.

As mentioned above, an important feature of the alarm system herein described is the ability to configure the alarm system at installation to suit the needs and desires of a particular owner for his or her particular automobile. This is accomplished by loading into the EEPROM 82 (FIG. 2), during installation of the system, the particular option bits needed in order to provide the desired operating configuration. FIG. 4 is a block diagram that illustrates how this is done. During installation, i.e., after all of the alarm system components have been installed in the vehicle, a programming unit 105 is plugged into the connector 72. Advantageously, this connector 72 is realized using a six-conductor quick-disconnect plug of the type commonly employed in telephone jacks. Hence, it is a simple matter for the installer to disconnect the receiver 50 (FIG. 2) from the plug 72 and to connect the programmer unit 105 thereto.

The programmer unit 105 includes a keyboard 107 and a display 109. Upon turning the system on, a series of menus are displayed on the display 109 that provides to the installer a list of all of the available options and configurations that can be programmed into the system. The installer merely selects the desired item from the menu list by pushing a designated key on the keyboard 107. After all of the menus have been displayed and the desired selections have been made and verified, instructions are displayed on the screen that enable the installer to enter the desired options into the EEPROM 82 of the control unit 34. These instructions provide for simple key stroke entries that carry out the desired command.

The programmer unit 105, including the keyboard 107 and display 109, is realized using a microprocessor-based system (e.g., a portable personal computer 106) that is programmed with a program as detailed in Appendix B. In the preferred embodiment, the programmer 105 may be realized using any suitable personal computer, such as an NEC model 8210A computer, or an Olivetti model M10 computer. Other computers that could be used include a Radio Shack model 102 or any IBM PC (AT or XT) or IBM compatible personal computer. As those skilled in the art will recognize, most personal or other computer systems currently available in the market could be programmed and used as the programmer 105. The only unique hardware requirement is the inclusion of a serial interface cable having a compatible plug for insertion into the plug 72. Of course, the system must also have the ability to serially send the desired option bits through the interface cable to the control unit 34 at a desirable baud rate (such as 4800 Baud). However, most available computer systems can be readily programmed by those skilled in the art to perform this function.

Referring next to FIGS. 5A-5F, a logic/schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the control unit 34 is shown. This logic schematic diagram closely parallels the block diagram of FIG. 2, and like numerals are used to describe like parts throughout. To those skilled in the art, FIGS. 5A-5F are believed to be self-explanatory. Pin numbers of IC devices are shown and signal lines and device types and values are identified either in the figures or in the description that follows. Moreover, all components are commercially available, as are application and technical notes describing how such components are to be used. Accordingly, such information will not be repeated herein.

FIG. 5A depicts the input data latch 66 and its interface to the various sensors used within the alarm system. The sensors used, in addition to the vehicle's built-in sensors, are commercially available sensors of the type employed in conventional automobile alarm systems. In particular, the glass sensor is simply a microphone and amplifier, tuned to detect that range of frequencies associated with striking and shattering glass (10-500 Hz). The motion sensor may be any type of sensor designed to detect physical motion of the vehicle or the movement of a body of mass within the vehicle. The latch circuit is realized using a CMOS D-type latch device U3, commercially available from Texas Instruments (TI), Signetics, and other semiconductor vendors under the generic number 74HC373 Resistor packs RP2, RP3, and RP4 contain resistors of the value indicated. RP2 is a pull-up configuration having at least seven resistors therein that are connected to a common point (pin 1). RP3 and RP4 are feed-thru configuration resistor packs having at least five separate resistors therein that feed horizontally through the pack (as the pack is drawn in the figure).

Also included in FIG. 6A is the voltage regulator circuit 90. Five volt regulation is achieved using a 7805 regulator, commercially available from numerous vendors, such as Motorola and TI, in a conventional configuration as shown. The diodes D5 and D6 are 1N5400's. All other diodes shown in FIGS. 5A-5F are 1N114B's, unless indicated otherwise.

FIG. 5B depicts the logic diagram of the microprocessor 60 and associated circuitry (oscillator 62 and reset logic 74). The microprocessor chip U2 is realized using an 8-bit Intel 80C39 microprocessor. The inverter gates included within the reset logic are contained within a 74C04 hex inverter integrated circuit (IC) U4. The purpose of the reset logic is to reset the microprocessor 60, as well as the data latch 80, to a known state in the event of a momentary power failure. It is noted that resistor pack RP1 is a pull-up type configuration.

FIG. 5C depicts the data latch 76 and EPROM circuit 82. Also included in FIG. 5C is the power switch 92. Data latch 76 is realized with a 74HC373 D-type latch device U6. The EPROM circuitry 82 includes a 64K EPROM IC device U5, realized with a 27C64 device available from numerous IC vendors, such as TI, Toshiba, and Intel. An EEPROM chip U17 stores the option bits required to carry out the options selected from the installer menu. Device U17 is realized, in the preferred embodiment, with a X2444P/10 device, available from XICOR.

The power switching circuitry 92 (FIG. 2) is further included in FIG. 5C. Transistor Ql, when turned on, provides a +12 volt switched power, +12 VS, that is used by some of the circuits as previously described. Similarly, transistor Q2, when turned on, provides a +5 volt switched power, +5 VS. Voltage converter U16 converts the +12 VS power to a negative voltage, regulated through regulator Q3 to a negative five volt switched power, -5 VS. This negative voltage is used by the voice synthesis circuits shown in FIG. 5D, described next.

FIG. 5D depicts the logic diagram of the output data latch 78 and voice generation circuits 84. Data latch 8 is realized using two D-type latch devices, U8 and U10, in parallel, as shown. Both U8 and U10 may be commercially available 74HC373 devices. A voice storage circuit U9, realized with a 128K EPROM device 27128, available from Intel or other vendors, converts the data stored in latch 78 to approriate data that addresses voice synthesizer U13. Voice synthesizer U13 is realized using a TMS5220CNL, commercially available from Texas Instruments. Variable resistor P01 controls the rate or speed of the speech that is generated. The output of the voice synthesizer U13 is an analog signal that is fed into the analog amplifier and driver circuits 86, shown in FIG. 5E. The theory and manner of operating the voice synthesis circuits of FIG. 5D is known and described in the relevant art

FIG. 5E shows the schematic diagram for the audio amplifier/driver circuit 86 (FIG. 2). The SPKR signal generated by the voice synsthesizer U13 is first filtered by passing it through the discrete filter made up of resistors R13, R16-R18, R26, R27, and capacitors C19, C28, and C34. Preamplification is provided by the amplifier residing in one-half of U19, a TL072CP device. This is followed by a buffer amplifier, residing in the other half of U19. The amplified and buffered signal is then split into separate channel for the internal speakers. Separate variable resistors, P02 and P03 respectively provide a gain adjustment for each channel. A final stage of amplification for each channel is realized using amplifier/driver U18, a TDA2005 device, for the external speaker, and amplifier U20, a LM380 device, for the internal speaker.

Finally, FIG. 5F depicts the logic and schematic diagrams of the output data latch 80 and the interface/driver circuits 88. The output data latch 80 is realized using two D-type latches U11 and U14, as shown. Both devices, U11 and U14 are realized with commercially available 74HC273 IC devices. The interface/driver circuit 88 is realized using two commercially available IC's U15 and U12, as shown. Both U15 and U12 are, in the preferred embodiment, a ULN2003AN device, available from TI, NEC, or Intel.

As has been indicated previously, Appendix A contains the source code of the programs that are stored in the memory circuits of the control module 34. Given the hardware and operation description presented above, and including the component and configuration detail provided in FIG. 5, and with the source code listing of Appendix A, it is submitted that one skilled in the art could, without undue experimentation, practice the invention as claimed herein. Further, Appendix B contains representative source code listings of the controlling programs (software) utilized within the programming device 105 for use with an NEC or Olivetti portable computer. Again, it is submitted that one skilled in the art, given the above description of the hardware and this source code, could practice the claimed invention using any suitable portable computer without too much difficulty.

While the invention described herein has been desciibed with reference to a particular embodiment and application thereof, numerous variations and modifications could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the true scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims set forth below. ##SPC1##