SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANTI-THEFT AND TRACKING OF AN AUTOMOBILE AND AUTOMOBILE WHEELS
The present invention provides a system and method for anti-theft and tracking of automobile and automobile wheels. The system comprises of an alert and tracking device (105) installed on the inside of an air stem of each wheel along with Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS). The alert and tracking device (105) detects and alerts the theft, when there is an unauthorized movement such as lifting, tampering, removal of the wheel and also tracks and monitors the position of the stolen wheel. The system further comprises a remote tracking application (111) to control and track the stolen wheel from the remote location.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/835,737 filed on Oct. 16, 2014, now Granted.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a security and theft alarm systems for automobiles. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for automobile and automobile wheels anti-theft and tracking.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn existing systems, stolen vehicles are tracked and recovered by placing a tracking device inside the vehicle, but these conventional systems do not provide any such system for tracking and recovery of stolen parts of the vehicle. Almost all parts of an automobile are quite expensive and have no security measures/features against theft. Also, the customized automobile parts are not insured against theft. One such customized part is vehicle's wheel, which is very expensive. Normally, many SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), truck or any automobile buyers replace factory wheels with custom wheels. Custom wheel is one of the fastest growing segments in automobile industry. Since these custom wheels are quite expensive ($2000-$20,000 per set), they are easy targets for theft. Custom wheels are not covered under general insurance and also the expense of replacing factory wheels is high.
The existing prior arts comprise a system which tracks the stolen wheels and sends the signal to the owner of the vehicle. The authentication process and data transmission process involved in the prior art is not secured. Also in the conventional systems, the devices used to transmit and receive the signal are not effective, which leads to reduced efficiency of the whole system.
Hence, looking at the problems in the prior art, there is a need for an anti-theft and tracking device for automobile wheels, which is configured to track and send alerts to the owner of the automobile during the theft. Moreover, the system must also provide secured authentication and data transmission process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention overcomes the drawbacks in the prior art and provides a system and method for anti-theft and tracking of an automobile and automobile wheels. The system comprises of an alert and tracking device installed inside the air stem of an automobile wheel along with Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS). The alert and tracking device detects theft and alerts of theft when there is an unauthorized movement such as lifting, tampering or removal of the wheel using proximity sensors and, tracks and monitors the position of the stolen wheel. The system further comprises of a means to control and track the stolen wheel from remote places.
In one embodiment of the invention, the size of the alert and tracking device integrated with the TPMS varies depending on the type of tires used for different vehicles.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the system is further configured such that the alert and tracking device sends the location of the stolen wheel continuously to the remote tracking application using GPS (Global Positioning System) and also sends an SMS (Short Message Service) to a predefined number such as local police station number and an alarm notification to the remote tracking application.
Hence, the present invention provides a system, which is cost effective and easy to install. In the present invention, removing the device takes at least 10-15 minutes, including the time required to completely deflate the wheel and take the device out of the wheel and physically destroy it, which gives sufficient time to the system to activate the alarm and alert the owner about the theft. The present invention also provides a secured authentication and data transmission, which in return increases the safety and efficiency of the entire system.
The foregoing and other features of embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the present subject matter, one or more examples of which are shown in figures. Each embodiment is provided to explain the subject matter and not a limitation. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, physical, and other changes may be made within the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is, therefore, not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, but instead the invention is to be defined by the appended claims.
The present invention overcomes the drawbacks in the prior art and provides a system and method for anti-theft and tracking of an automobile and automobile wheels. The system comprises of an alert and tracking device installed inside the air stem of each wheel along with TPMS. The alert and tracking device detects and generated alerts about the theft whenever there is an unauthorized movement such as, lifting, tampering or removal of the wheel using proximity sensors and, tracks and monitors the position of the stolen wheel. The system further comprises a means to control and track the stolen wheel from remote places.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote tracking application (111) receives the GPS data of the stolen wheel from the alert and tracking device (105) in the form of push notification and notifies the owner of the motorcycle with the location of the alert and tracking device (105) during theft through the GPS map (112). Every alert and tracking device (105) has its own unique identifying code for registering the owner of the motorcycle with the device (105). The device (105) is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using the unique identifying code. The unique identifying code is given to the owner of the motorcycle to access the remote tracking application (111). The GPS data may also be sent as a short message service (SMS) by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105) to predefined numbers such as local police station number, which are defined in the setting (113) provided in the remote tracking application (111). The transmitter/receiver (106) is of any type of transmitter/receiver unit, which is used for transmitting/receiving the signal. As an example, transmitter/receiver may be a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote tracking application (111) receives the GPS data of the stolen wheel from the alert and tracking device (105) in the form of push notification and notifies the owner of the bicycle with the location of the alert and tracking device (105), during the theft through the GPS map (112). Every alert and tracking device (105) has its own unique identifying code for registering the owner of the bicycle with the device (105). The device (105) is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using the unique identifying code. The unique identifying code is given to the owner of the bicycle to access the remote tracking application (111), so that no one shall tamper with the remote tracking application (111). The GPS data may also be sent as a short message service (SMS) by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105) to predefined numbers such as local police station number, which are defined in the setting (113) provided in the remote tracking application (111). The transmitter/receiver (106) is of any type of transmitter/receiver unit, which is used for transmitting/receiving the signal. As an example, transmitter/receiver may be a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote tracking application (111) receives the GPS data of the stolen wheel from the alert and tracking device (105) in the form of push notification and notifies the owner of the overwatch 18-wheeler with the location of the alert and tracking device (105), during the theft through the GPS map (112). Every alert and tracking device (105) has its own unique identifying code for registering the owner of the overwatch 18-wheeler with the device. The device is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using unique identifying code, wherein the unique identifying code is given to the owner of the overwatch 18-wheeler to access the remote tracking application (111), so that no one can tamper with the remote tracking application (111). The GPS data may also be sent as a short message service (SMS) by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105) to predefined numbers such as local police station number, which are defined in the setting (113) provided in the remote tracking application (111). The transmitter/receiver (106) is of any type of transmitter/receiver unit, which is used for transmitting/receiving the signal. As an example, transmitter/receiver may be a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote tracking application (111) receives the GPS data of the stolen wheel from the alert and tracking device (105) in the form of push notification and notifies the owner of the tandem ATV with the location of the alert and tracking device (105), during the theft through the GPS map (112). Every alert and tracking device (105) has its own unique identifying code for registering the owner of the tandem ATV with the device (105). The device (105) is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using unique identifying code, wherein the unique identifying code is given to the owner of the tandem ATV to access the remote tracking application (111), so that no one can tamper with the remote tracking application (111). The GPS data may also be sent as a short message service (SMS) by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105) to predefined numbers such as local police station number which are defined in the setting (113) provided in the remote tracking application (111). The transmitter/receiver (106) is of any type of transmitter/receiver unit, which is used for transmitting/receiving the signal. As an example, transmitter/receiver may be a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote tracking application (111) receives the GPS data of the stolen wheel from the alert and tracking device (105) in the form of push notification and notifies the owner of the farming tractor with the location of the alert and tracking device (105) during the theft through the GPS map (112). Every alert and tracking device (105) has its own unique identifying code for registering the owner of the farming tractor with the device. The device is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using unique identifying code, wherein the unique identifying code is given to the owner of the farming tractor to access the remote tracking application (111), so that no one can tamper with the remote tracking application (111). The GPS data may also be sent as a short message service (SMS) by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105) to predefined numbers such as local police station number which are defined in the setting (113) provided in the remote tracking application (111). The transmitter/receiver (106) is of any type of transmitter/receiver unit, which is used for transmitting/receiving the signal. As an example, transmitter/receiver may be a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring of tire pressure comprises of two modes i.e., auto mode and on-demand mode. In the auto mode the TPMS monitors the tire pressure continuously and sends the signal to alert and tracking devices (105), if the pressure is deflated below the threshold value. The alert and tracking device (105) sends the pressure data packet to the automobile unit (101) in ultra-high frequency. The automobile unit (101) receives the pressure data and analyzes the value. The automobile unit (101) displays the visual alarm on a particular region of the screen to indicate the current pressure status.
In the on-demand mode, the user selects the region on the screen to check the current pressure of a particular alert and tracking devices (105). The automobile unit (101) sends the signal to the selected alert and tracking devices (105) in low frequency. The alert and tracking device (105) receives the signal to measure the current pressure. The measured data is sent back to the automobile unit (101) in ultra-high frequency, wherein and the automobile unit (101) receives the measured data and displays on the screen.
In one embodiment of the invention, the size of the alert and tracking device (105) integrated with the TPMS varies depending on the type of tires used for different vehicles.
The alert and tracking device (105) is switched in active or inactive mode through automobile unit (101), wherein these modes are required to stop false alarms such as unauthorized removing or tampering of the wheel, authorized tire, tube or rim replacement at service centers, accident condition, or road conditions like hump, sharp U-turns etc.
The system is cost effective and easy to install. The removal of the device takes at least 10-15 minutes, including the time required to completely deflate the wheel and take the device out of the wheel and physically destroy it, which gives sufficient time to the system to activate the alarm and alert the owner and the local police station about the theft. The present invention also provides the secured authentication and data transmission process, which in return increases the efficiency of the entire system.
The system in the present invention may also be used in tracking automobile theft such as SUV's (Sports Utility Vehicle), MUV's (Multi Utility Vehicle), ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicle), MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicles) boats, two-wheelers, commercial vehicles, farm equipment, industrial construction equipment, motorcycles, bicycles, 18-wheeler trucks and trailers and scooters etc.
It is to be understood, however, that even though several characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Claims
1) A system for anti-theft and tracking of an automobile and automobile wheels, the system comprising:
- a) an alert and tracking device (105) installed inside the air stem of one or more wheels along with Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS), wherein the alert and tracking device (105) comprises: receiver/transmitter (106); a mobile modem or subscriber identification module (SIM) card (107); a global positioning system (GPS) tracker (108); plurality of batteries (109) to power ON the alert and tracking device (105); and an antenna (110),
- wherein the alert and tracking device (105) has a unique identifying code for registering the owner of the automobile with the alert and tracking device (105);
- b) an automobile unit (101) placed inside an automobile, wherein the automobile unit (101) receives a signal from the alert and tracking device (105);
- c) the remote tracking application (111) installed onto a computing device, wherein the position of stolen wheel is sent continuously to the remote tracking application (111) from the GPS tracker (108), wherein the alert and tracking device (105) is tethered to the remote tracking application (111) using a unique identifying code, wherein the unique identifying code is given to the owner of the automobile to access the mobile tracking application (111);
- d) a centralized server (114) to register a vehicle identification number through the remote tracking application (111); and
- e) a programming unit to configure the alert and tracking device (105) and the automobile unit (101).
2) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automobile unit (101) produces a high audible alarm using audio alarming system (103).
3) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computing device is a desktop, a laptop, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet running plurality of operating systems such as windows, android, iPhone operating system (iOS).
4) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said GPS data is transferred through a short message service (SMS) to predefined numbers such as local police station number, by using a SIM card (107) inserted inside the alert and tracking device (105).
5) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitter/receiver (106) is any type of transmitter/receiver unit used for transmitting/receiving signal such as a low-energy Bluetooth, a Near Filed Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver or a wireless.
6) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alert and tracking device (105) sends the SMS alerts to the registered mobile numbers for every predefined time through a SMS gateway (115).
7) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system also sends the TPMS data such as tyre pressure, temperature from TPMS Unit of all wheels of the automobile to the automobile unit (101).
8) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said the position of stolen wheel and TPMS data is sent continuously to the remote tracking application (111) from the GPS tracker (108) over the internet.
9) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the alert and tracking device (105) integrated with the TPMS varies depending on the type of tires used for the different vehicles.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 6, 2017
Publication Date: Mar 15, 2018
Inventor: Terrence Gaskin (Indian Head, MD)
Application Number: 15/805,130