Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Patent
1996-09-05
1999-12-21
Hofsass, Jeffery A.
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
340426, 340428, 34082532, 307 102, B60Q 100
Patent
active
060054786
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a siren or alarm unit, and in particular a siren or alarm unit which can be used with vehicle security systems.
Vehicle security systems may include sirens which are activated by the system when an alarm condition occurs, such as unauthorised or forced entry to a vehicle. The units which drive the siren are normally configured to generate a predetermined siren signal of a set volume and duration. The frequency of activation of the siren may also be set, and in some instances the frequency is varied during the period of activation in accordance with a set frequency or sound pattern.
Rigid setting of the frequency, volume and duration is disadvantageous as regional authorities have established different detailed specifications which place controls of the frequency, volume and duration for use of vehicle sirens. For example, an authority may specify maximum and minimum frequencies which can be used, or limits on the predominate frequency, for any vehicle siren signals generated. This means that different siren units have to be manufactured for each region, country or state depending on the authority's requirements. These requirements or regulations then need to be taken into account to ensure the correct siren unit is installed in a vehicle, and attention paid to the likely region, country or state in which the vehicle will be used. This still, of course, does not overcome the problem of a vehicle owner breaching a local authority's regulations when the vehicle's siren is activated in another region, country or state from that which it is normally driven in.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a siren unit including control means for controlling activation of a siren sound emitting means at a selected frequency based on a coded frequency control signal; and input means for receiving said coded frequency control signal from a vehicle security control unit and providing it to said control means.
The present invention also provides an alarm unit including: to an alarm signal and a sound control signal; and to said control means; said control means selects one of said sound signals in response to said sound control signal and, when said alarm signal is received, causes said loudspeaker means to generate sound in accordance with the selected sound signal.
The present invention further provides an alarm unit including: control means for controlling activation of loudspeaker means in response to a data communications packet; said control means being connected to a vehicle security control unit; input means for receiving said data communications packet from the vehicle security control unit and providing it to said control means; said control means storing a predetermined set of sound signals, whereby said control means selects one of said sound signals in response to sound control information contained in said data communications packet and causes said loudspeaker means to generate sound in accordance with the selected sound signal when an alarm condition is indicated, whereby an alarm condition is indicated when said data communications packet is not received by said input means.
The present invention also provides a siren unit including: control means for controlling activation of a siren sound emitting means based on a data communications packet, said data communications packet containing information about the frequency pattern of a sound to be emitted; and input means for receiving said data communications packet from a vehicle security control unit and providing it to said control means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a siren unit;
FIGS. 2-2C are circuit diagrams of the siren unit of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of voltage pulses used to control an audio driver of the siren unit;
FI
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Derwent Abstract Accession No. 89-098838/13, Class W05, SU, A, 1425747 (Vekshtein M.L.), Sep. 23, 1988.
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Boreham John Anthony
Harding Scott Herbert
Hofsass Jeffery A.
Kunitz Norman N.
Pope Daryl C.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Spencer George H.
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