Automotive security system with discrimination between tampering and attack

A vehicle security system which detects a disturbance to a vehicle or the environment of the vehicle and generates an alarm signal representative of a type of disturbance, the system comprising:

• a plurality of sensors, comprising at least one environmentally insensitive sensor which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance to the vehicle and plural environmentally sensitive sensors each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance to the ambient environment of the vehicle;
• and
• control means for detecting output signals of said sensors and discriminating a disturbance as one of attack and tamper and generating one of an attack signal and a tamper signal, respectively, in accordance with detected output signals of said sensors, said attach signal initiating an attack deterrent response and said tamper signal initiating a tamper warning response;
• wherein all sensors initially are synchronized by prolonging the duration of each output signal of each activated sensor to synchronize said output signals of said activation sensors such that overlapping output signals of activated sensors are designated for a single detected disturbance;
• and further wherein said control means discriminates between an attack and a tamper type disturbance by qualifying a disturbance as said attack type disturbance if an output signal from any environmentally insensitive sensor is detected, said attack type disturbance if output signals from a first predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are detected, and said tamper type disturbance if output signals from a second predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors are detected wherein said second predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors corresponding to said tamper type disturbance is less than said first predetermined number of environmentally sensitive sensors corresponding to said attack type disturbance.

A vehicle security system, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors, comprising at least one environmentally insensitive sensor, each generating an output signal when activated, and plural environmentally sensitive sensors, each generating an output signal when activated;
• an alarm signal generator which generates one of plural types of alarm signals in response to activation of said sensors, said alarm signal generator being capable of generating an attack alarm signal and a tamper alarm signal;
• and
• a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said alarm signal generator in accordance with output signals of said sensors, said controller controlling said alarm signal generator to generate said attack alarm signal when at least one environmentally insensitive sensor is activated and controlling said alarm signal generator to generate said attack alarm signal when a predetermined number of said environmentally sensitive sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller controls said alarm signal generator to generate said tamper signal when a number of environmentally sensitive sensors less than said predetermined number are activated.

A system for controlling a type of alarm generated by a self-contained vehicle security alarm, comprising:

• a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance in the ambient environment of a vehicle;
• and
• a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said vehicle security alarm in response to output signals of said sensors, said controller outputting an attack control signal when a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller outputs a tamper control signal when a number of sensor less than said predetermined number are activated, and wherein the quantity of activated sensors necessary to generate the attack control signal can be automatically adjusted by said controller;
• and
• wherein said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate an attack alarm when said controller outputs said attack control signal and said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate a tamper alarm when said controller outputs said tamper control signal, said tamper alarm being representative of a less intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to said attack alarm.

A system for controlling a type of alarm generated by a self-contained vehicle security alarm, comprising:

• a plurality of environmentally sensitive sensors, each of which generates an output signal in response to a disturbance in the ambient environment of a vehicle;
• and
• a controller which controls a type of alarm signal generated by said vehicle security alarm in response to output signals of said sensors, said controller outputting an attack control signal when a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one, wherein said controller outputs a tamper control signal when a number of sensor less than said predetermined number are activated;
• and
• automatic means for removing any sensor from operation if said sensor continues to generate an output signal for a predetermined time interval wherein removal does not adversely affect the operation of said controller to generate a control signal;
• wherein said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate an attack alarm when said controller outputs said attack control signal and said vehicle security alarm is controlled to generate a tamper alarm when said controller outputs said tamper control signal, said tamper alarm being representative of a less intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to said attack alarm.

A method of generating one of an attack alarm signal and a tamper alarm signal in a self-contained vehicle security system, the tamper alarm signal being representative of a lesser intrusion into the security of a vehicle as compared to the attack alarm signal, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of vehicle security sensors responsive to changes in the ambient environment of the vehicle;
• generating an attack alarm signal when at least a predetermined number of said sensors are activated, said predetermined number being greater than one.
• enabling the generation of a tamper alarm signal when a number of said sensors less than said predetermined number are activated;
• and
• removing from operation any sensor which generates an output signal for a predetermined time, wherein removal does not adversely affect generation of an alarm signal.