Theft prevention system and method
AssigneeNDS Limited
InventorsYossef Tsuria, Doron Handelman
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Abstract
This invention discloses a vehicle theft prevention system which is operative to communicate with a central control station that transmits control signals to the vehicle, the system including an antenna, a receiving unit coupled to the antenna and operative to receive, via the antenna, the control signals transmitted by the central control station, and a processor which is operative to apply interference to operation of at least one critical engine component in the vehicle after an interruption in reception of the control signals at the receiving unit. A method of preventing a theft of a vehicle is also disclosed.
Claims50
For use in a vehicle, a vehicle theft prevention system which is operative to communicate with a central control station that transmits control signals to the vehicle, the system comprising:
- an antenna;
- a receiving unit coupled to said antenna and operative to receive, via said antenna, the control signals transmitted by the central control station;
- and
- a processor which is operative to apply interference to operation of at least one critical engine component in the vehicle after an interruption in reception of said control signals at said receiving unit.
For use in a vehicle, a vehicle theft prevention system which is operative to communicate with a central control station which transmits control signals to the vehicle, the system comprising:
- a first antenna and a second antenna, each operative to receive the control signals transmitted by the central control station;
- antenna control circuitry which is operative to compare signals received at the first antenna with signals received at the second antenna and to provide a determination of an interruption of reception of said control signals at at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna;
- and
- a processor coupled to said antenna control circuitry and operative to determine a theft of the vehicle in accordance with said determination of said interruption of reception of said control signals at said at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna.
A method of preventing a theft of a vehicle, the method being employed with a vehicle mounted system which is operative to communicate with a central control station which transmits control signals to the vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving said control signals via an antenna;
- and
- applying interference to operation of at least one critical engine component in the vehicle when said receiving of said control signals is interrupted.
A method for preventing theft of a vehicle, the method being employed with a vehicle mounted system which is operative to communicate with a central control station which transmits control signals to the vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein each of said first antenna and said second antenna is operative to receive the control signals transmitted by the central control station;
- comparing signals received at the first antenna with signals received at the second antenna to provide a difference signal indiicating at least one of a difference in signal level and a difference in signal phase between said signals received at the first antenna and said signals received at the second antenna;
- determining an interruption of reception of said control signals at at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna;
- and
- generating an indication of a theft of the vehicle in response to said determining step.
A method of distinguishing between a vehicle theft and an interference in communication in a theft prevention system which is mounted in the vehicle and which communicates with a central control station that transmits control signals which are received at the theft prevention system, the method comprising:
- comparing signals received at the theft prevention system at a first time period with signals received at the theft prevention system at a second time period;
- determining an interference of communication upon detection of a continuous fade out in reception of the signals received at the second time period with respect to the signals received at the first time period;
- and
- determining a vehicle theft when the signals received at said second time period are substantially of zero level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.