# US 12,594,907 B2 · Vehicle component theft deterrence systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,907 B2 - Document ID: US12594907B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/520,018 - Filed: 2023-11-27 - Published: 2024-06-06 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-28 - Assignees: Malleo Anthony - Applicants: Anthony Malleo - Inventors: Anthony Malleo; Robert Fuge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594907B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/403: {Power supply in the vehicle} - G05F 1/46: wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is DC (G05F1/625 takes precedence) - H03K 5/24: the characteristic being amplitude - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract Systems and methods for theft deterrence monitoring of a vehicle component (e.g., a catalytic converter) can include an electrical conductor configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle component to close a circuit (i.e., the vehicle component may provide a conductive path for closing the circuit). The theft deterrence system can generate a reference voltage using the vehicle component. Tampering with or removing the vehicle component from the vehicle can alter or open the circuit, thereby altering the reference voltage. The system can compare the reference voltage with a voltage threshold and trigger an alarm in response to the reference voltage being outside the voltage threshold. The system can include a voltage divider whereby a resistor of the voltage divider is coupled in series with the vehicle component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A theft deterrence system, comprising: a control unit comprising a first voltage divider, the first voltage divider comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, the first resistor is coupled in parallel with the third resistor; and an electrical conductor whereby the first voltage divider is configured to be electrically coupled to a vehicle component, the third resistor is configured to be coupled in series with the vehicle component via the electrical conductor, wherein the first voltage divider is configured to generate a reference voltage, the reference voltage is equal to a voltage measured between the second resistor and the first resistor, the control unit is configured to compare the reference voltage with a voltage threshold, and the control unit is configured to send an alarm signal to an alarm in response to the reference voltage being outside the voltage threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive electric power from a vehicle battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a catalytic converter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, wherein: the control unit further comprises a first comparator and a second comparator; the first comparator is a non-inverting comparator; the second comparator is an inverting comparator; and the control unit is configured to compare the reference voltage with the voltage threshold using the first comparator and the second comparator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The theft deterrence system of claim 4, wherein: the control unit further comprises a second voltage divider and a third voltage divider; the first comparator is configured to receive a first threshold voltage from the second voltage divider; the second comparator is configured to receive a second threshold voltage from the third voltage divider; and the voltage threshold is between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, further comprising a latching relay configured to activate the alarm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The theft deterrence system of claim 6, wherein the latching relay is configured to receive a first output voltage from a first comparator and a second output voltage from a second comparator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The theft deterrence system of claim 2, wherein the first voltage divider is configured to divide an input voltage received from the vehicle battery. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of a speaker or a light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The theft deterrence system of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises a remote electronic component. ### Claim 11 A method for theft deterrence monitoring of a vehicle component, comprising: generating a reference voltage using the vehicle component to complete a circuit, the reference voltage is generated by a voltage divider of a control unit, the control unit is electrically coupled to the vehicle component via an electrical conductor, the voltage divider comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the third resistor is coupled in series with the vehicle component via the electrical conductor; comparing the reference voltage with a voltage threshold, the reference voltage is equal to a voltage measured between the second resistor and the first resistor; and sending an alarm signal to an alarm in response to the reference voltage being outside the voltage threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to receive power from a vehicle battery. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle component is a catalytic converter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of a speaker, a light, or a remote electronic component. ### Claim 15 A method for theft deterrence monitoring of a vehicle component, the method comprising: receiving, by a control unit, an input voltage from a power source comprised in a vehicle, the control unit is electrically coupled to the vehicle component via an electrical conductor, the control unit comprises a voltage divider, the voltage divider comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein the third resistor is coupled in series with the vehicle component via the electrical conductor; generating, by the control unit, a reference voltage using the vehicle component to complete a circuit, the reference voltage is equal to a voltage measured between the second resistor and the first resistor; comparing, by the control unit, the reference voltage with a voltage threshold; detecting, by the control unit, that the reference voltage is outside of the voltage threshold; and sending, by the control unit, an alarm signal to an alarm in response to the control unit detecting that the reference voltage is outside of the voltage threshold. ### Claim 16 A theft deterrence system, comprising: a control unit comprising a first voltage divider; a first, non-inverting comparator; a second, inverting comparator; and an electrical conductor whereby the first voltage divider is configured to be electrically coupled to a vehicle component, wherein the first voltage divider is configured to generate a reference voltage, the control unit is configured to compare the reference voltage with a voltage threshold using the first comparator and the second comparator, and the control unit is configured to send an alarm signal to an alarm in response to the reference voltage being outside the voltage threshold.