Vehicle alarm and lot monitoring system

A method for identifying and monitoring a plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in a given area and locating an individual vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, comprising the steps of;

• providing a central monitoring unit having a programmable microprocessor and CPU with memory storage means, data input means, and display means operatively connected through associated circuitry with RF transceiver means operable for transmitting RF polling signals and RF vehicle locate signals and receiving RF response signals and RF low battery signals through the atmosphere, the operation of said microprocessor and CPU controlled by software programs to transmit and receive said signals in response to instructions inputted by a user and in response to received RF signals;
• installing an individual programmable RF transponder unit on each individual vehicle respectively and connecting it with the battery of the respective vehicle to provide a primary source of electrical power thereto;
• assigning an identification number to each said individual RF transponder unit such that each identification number identifies a particular RF transponder unit;
• storing the identification number of each said particular RF transponder unit and the corresponding identity of each said respective individual vehicle on which it is installed in said central monitoring unit memory storage means;
• each said individual RF transponder unit having a programmable microprocessor with memory storage means interfaced through associated circuitry With RF transceiver means for receiving RF inventory palling signals and RF vehicle locate signals and transmitting RF response signals and RF low batter signals through the atmosphere in response to RF signals received from said central monitoring unit;
• each said individual RF transponder unit having an auxiliary power supply, battery voltage sensor means operable to sense the voltage of the battery of the respective individual vehicle in which it is installed and to produce a sensor signal upon sensing a predetermined low voltage condition of said battery, and associated circuitry connected with its said microprocessor, its said RF transceiver means, its said battery voltage sensor means, and its said auxiliary power supply for supplying power from said auxiliary power supply to its said RF transceiver means upon receiving said sensor signal;
• each said individual RF transponder unit having alarm means and associated circuitry interfaced with its said microprocessor and its said RF transceiver means for producing a perceivable alarm responsive to receiving an RF vehicle locate signal transmitted from said central monitoring unit;
• programming said microprocessor of each said individual RF transponder unit to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit an RF response signal upon receiving an RF inventory polling signal;
• inputting data to instruct said central monitoring unit RF transceiver means to sequentially transmit an RF inventory polling signal to a said individual RF transponder unit and to wait for a predetermined time interval to receive an RF response signal transmitted from the corresponding individual RF transponder unit and to record which of said individual RF transponder units has transmitted its said RF response signal;
• recording the identity of the respective individual RF transponder units which have transmitted said RF response signal within said tie interval and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed and being in inventory, and recording the identity of the respective said individual RF transponder units which have not transmitted said RF response signal within said time interval and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed as being inactive or not in inventory;
• programming said microprocessor of each said individual RF transponder unit to cause its said RP transceiver means to transmit an RF low battery signal through the atmosphere in response to receiving said sensor signal from its said battery voltage sensor means;
• inputting data to instruct said central monitoring unit RF transceiver means to receive an RF low battery signal transmitted from an individual RF transponder unit;
• and
• recording the identification number of the individual RF transponder units that have transmitted its said RF low battery signal and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed;
• programming said microprocessor of each said individual RF transponder unit to cause its said RF transceiver means to receive an RF vehicle locate polling signal transmitted from said central monitoring unit, and to activate its said alarm means upon receiving said RF vehicle locate signal;
• inputting data to cause said central monitoring unit RF transceiver means to transmit an RF vehicle locate polling signal to a said individual RF transponder unit to cause said individual RP transponder unit to activate its said alarm means;
• whereby
• the respective said individual vehicle with on which said individual RF transponder unit is alarm means is activated may be easily located out of said plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in said given area.

A system for monitoring a plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in a given area comprising:

• a central monitoring unit including:
• monitoring unit RF transceiver means operable for transmitting and receiving RF signals through the atmosphere;
• a programmable microprocessor and CPU with memory storage means, data input means, and display means operatively connected through associated circuitry with said monitoring unit RF transceiver means and programmed to cause said monitoring unit RF transceiver means to transmit and receive RF signals through the atmosphere;
• a plurality of individual programmable RF transponder units, each individual RF transponder unit comprising:
• attachment means for attaching said RF transponder unit to a respective one of said individual vehicles;
• sensor means operable to sense the condition of said respective individual vehicle and to produce a sensor signal upon sensing a change in the condition of said respective individual vehicle;
• alarm means connected with said sensor means for producing a perceivable alarm responsive to said sensor signal;
• transponder unit RF transceiver means operable for transmitting and receiving RF signals through the atmosphere;
• and
• a programmable microprocessor with memory storage means and associated circuitry operatively connected with said sensor means, said alarm means, and said transponder unit RF transceiver means and programmed to cause said transponder unit RF transceiver means to transmit an RF violation signal through the atmosphere responsive to said sensor signal;
• an arm/disarm software program stored in said monitoring unit memory storage means for controlling the operation of said central monitoring unit microprocessor and CPU and said monitoring unit RF transceiver means in response to data input by a user to cause said monitoring unit RF transceiver means to transmit an RF arming signal to activate said individual RF transponder units to sense a change in the condition of the respective individual vehicles, and to assume a standby monitoring status ready to receive an RF violation signal from any of said activated individual RF transponder units;
• a global alarm software program stored in said monitoring unit memory storage means for controlling the operation of said central monitoring unit microprocessor and CPU and said monitoring unit RF transceiver means to cause said monitoring unit RF transceiver means to transmit an RF global alarm signal to all of said activated individual RF transponder units upon receiving a said RF violation signal from any one of said individual RF transponder units;
• said RF transceiver means of each said individual RF transponder unit configured to receive an RF global alarm signal transmitted through the atmosphere from said central monitoring unit;
• and
• said alarm means of each said individual RF transponder unit is configured to produce said perceivable alarm responsive to a received said RF global alarm signal;
• whereby
• upon said sensor means of any one of said activated individual RF transponder units sensing a change in the condition of the respective individual vehicle on which it is installed, its said alarm means will produce a perceivable alarm and its said transponder unit RF transceiver means will transmit said RF violation signal through the atmosphere to be received by said central monitoring unit;
• and
• upon said central monitoring unit RF transceiver means receiving said transmitted RF violation signal it will transmit said RF global alarm signal to all of said activated individual RF transponder units such that all of the individual RF transponder units on the respective individual vehicles will produce a perceivable alarm simultaneously.

A system for identifying and monitoring a plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in a given area and locating an individual vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

• a central monitoring unit including RF transceiver means operable for transmitting and receiving RF signals through the atmosphere, a programmable microprocessor and CPU with memory storage means, data input means, and display means operatively connected through associated circuitry with said RF transceiver means and programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit RF inventory polling signals and RF vehicle locate signals and to receive RF response signals and RF low battery signals through the atmosphere;
• software programs stored in said central monitoring unit memory storage means for controlling the operation of said central monitoring unit microprocessor and CPU and its said RF transceiver means in response to data input by a user to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit said RF inventory polling signals and said RF vehicle locate signals to activate said individual RF transponder units in response to instructions input by a user and in response to received RF response signals;
• a plurality of individual programmable RF transponder units each installed on and connected with the battery of a respective said individual vehicle to provide a primary source of electrical power thereto, and each assigned a respective identification number, said identification number of each said individual RF transponder unit and the corresponding identity of each said respective individual vehicle on which it is installed being stored in said central monitoring unit memory storage means;
• each said individual RF transponder units having RF transceiver means operable for transmitting and receiving RF signals through the atmosphere, a programmable microprocessor with memory storage means interfaced through associated circuitry with its said RF transceiver means and programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit an RF response signal upon receiving an RF inventory polling signal transmitted from said central monitoring unit;
• each said individual RF transponder unit having alarm means and associated circuitry interfaced with its said microprocessor and its said RF transceiver means for producing a perceivable alarm, and its said microprocessor and RF transceiver means programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to receive an RF vehicle locate signal transmitted from said central monitoring unit and to activate its said alarm means responsive thereto;
• each said individual RF transponder unit having an auxiliary power supply and battery voltage sensor means operable to sense the voltage of the battery of the respective individual vehicle in which it is installed and to produce a sensor signal upon sensing a predetermined low voltage condition of said battery, and associated circuitry connected with its said microprocessor, its said RF transceiver means. its said battery voltage sensor means, and its said auxiliary power supply for supplying power from said auxiliary power supply to its said RF transceiver means upon receiving said sensor signal, and its said microprocessor and RF transceiver means programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit an RF low battery signal through the atmosphere in response to receiving said sensor signal from its said battery voltage sensor means;
• said central monitoring unit microprocessor and its said RF transceiver means programmed to receive said RF low battery signal transmitted from said individual RF transponder unit and to record the identification number of said individual RF transponder unit that transmitted said RF low battery signal and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed;
• said central monitoring unit microprocessor and its said RF transceiver means programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to sequentially transmit an RF inventory polling signal to selected individual RF transponder units and to wait for a predetermined time interval to receive a said RF response signal from each said selected individual RF transponder unit, and to record which of said individual RF transponder units has transmitted its said RF response signal, whereby
• the individual RF transponder units which have transmitted said RF response signal within said time interval and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed will be recorded as being in inventory, and the individual RF transponder units which have not transmitted said RF response signal within said time interval and the identity of the respective said individual vehicle on which it is installed will be recorded as being inactive or not in inventory;
• and
• said central monitoring unit microprocessor and RF transceiver means is programmed to cause its said RF transceiver means to transmit an RF vehicle locate polling signal to a said individual RF transponder unit to cause said individual RF transponder unit to activate said alarm means;
• whereby
• the respective said individual vehicle with on which said individual RF transponder unit alarm means is activated may be easily located out of said plurality of individual vehicles which are congregated together in said given area.