Abstract:
A system for extending a vehicular alarm system includes a base unit and a remote unit. The system is configured to extend the vehicular alarm system to an accessory or equipment secured to, carried by (e.g., outside or inside) or in proximity to an automobile and/or to equipment secured to the accessory. The base unit is configured to be carried by the automobile and to communicate with the vehicular alarm system. The base unit may be configured to mimic activation of a sensor of the vehicular alarm system in a manner that can activate the vehicular alarm system. The remote unit is configured to be carried by the accessory, and may sense removal of the accessory from the automobile, opening of the accessory and/or removal of equipment from the accessory. Methods for extending a vehicular alarm system to operate with one or more accessories are also disclosed, as are methods for detecting and providing an alarm when an accessory or equipment secured by the accessory is undesirably disturbed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    A claim to the benefit of the Aug. 21, 2014, filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/040,384, titled EXTENSION OF A VEHICULAR ALARM TO ACCESSORIES AND EQUIPMENT CARRIED BY AN AUTOMOBILE (“the &#39;384 Provisional Application”), is hereby made pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The entire disclosure of the &#39;384 Provisional Application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates generally to alarm systems for automobiles, or vehicular alarm systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to systems for extending a vehicular alarm system to one or more accessories that have been secured to or that are in proximity to an automobile and/or to equipment carried by the automobile or by an accessory that has been secured to or that is in proximity to the automobile. This disclosure also relates to methods for extending a vehicular alarm system to an accessory and/or to equipment carried by an automobile, and to methods for detecting undesired disturbances of accessories and/or equipment carried by or in proximity to an automobile. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Various aspects of the extension of vehicular alarm systems to accessories and/or equipment carried by an automobile are disclosed. 
         [0004]    In one aspect, a system for extending a vehicular alarm system to an accessory secured to an automobile or to equipment carried by the automobile (e.g., directly, by way of the accessory, etc.) is disclosed. Such a system is also referred to herein as an “accessory alarm,” and may include a base unit and a remote unit. 
         [0005]    The remote unit, which may also be referred to as a “slave” unit, is configured to be associated with an accessory or other equipment an individual would like to protect that is secured to, carried by or in proximity to the automobile. Some non-limiting examples of such equipment include a rack (e.g., a ski/snowboard rack, a bike rack, etc.), a cargo box, a toolbox, skis, a snowboard, a surfboard, a bicycle, a tonneau cover, a truck she trailer door, a camper door, equipment sitting on a trailer a boat, a jet ski, a snowmobile, a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) etc.), a soft top of the automobile, a hard top of the automobile, a spare tire, a tailgate, a gas can carrier, boat equipment or the like. The remote unit may be configured for association with the accessory in a manner that enables a sensor of the remote unit to detect an undesired activity, or a disruption, such as removal or attempted removal of the accessory from the automobile, opening of or an attempt to open the accessory, or removal or attempted removal of equipment from the automobile or from a location in proximity to the automobile (e.g., on a trailer coupled to a trailer hitch on the automobile, etc.). In addition to a sensor, the remote unit may include a wireless communication component configured to receive a signal from the sensor and to transmit a signal to the base unit of the system. In some embodiments, the remote unit may also include a camera, which may capture images or video of a person or event that disrupts the accessory or equipment with which the remote unit has been associated. 
         [0006]    The base unit is configured to be placed on the automobile and to communicate with the vehicular alarm system in such a way that the base unit can mimic activation of a sensor of the vehicular alarm system and cause the vehicular alarm system to sound or otherwise provide an alarm (e.g., send a signal to a remote device, such as a key fob, smart phone or the like; cause lights on the automobile  40  to flash, etc.). The base unit includes a wireless communication component that is configured to pair with and to receive a signal from the wireless communication component of a remote unit. Upon receiving such a signal, a processing element of the base unit, which may comprise part of the wireless communication component of the base unit, may be configured to actuate a switch of the base unit. Actuation of the switch may, in turn, mimic activation of a sensor (e.g., a hood sensor, a trunk sensor, a door sensor a hatchback sensor, etc.) of a vehicular alarm system, which may cause the vehicular alarm system to sound or otherwise provide an alarm. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, this disclosure relates to accessory systems for securing equipment to automobiles. Such a system may include an accessory that is configured to be secured to the automobile, as well as an accessory alarm. 
         [0008]    Methods for extending a vehicular alarm system beyond an automobile are also disclosed. Such a method may include extending the vehicular alarm system to accessories that are secured to the automobile, equipment held by the accessories, and equipment carried by the automobile. 
         [0009]    Other aspects, as well as features and advantages of various aspects, of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the ensuing description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an accessory alarm; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates an embodiment of a manner in which a base unit of an accessory alarm may integrate with or otherwise be associated with a vehicular alarm system; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of a manner in which a remote unit of an accessory alarm may be associated with an accessory that has been secured to an automobile and to equipment carried by the accessory, by the automobile and/or otherwise located in proximity to the automobile; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates use of an accessory alarm to alert an individual when a child remains in an automobile. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    With general reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , an embodiment of an accessory alarm  10  is depicted. The accessory alarm  10  may include a base unit  20  and one or more remote units  30 . The base unit  20  may be configured to be positioned in place on (or in) an automobile  40 , and to communicate with the automobile&#39;s alarm system, which is also referred to as a “vehicular alarm system”  45 . The remote unit  30  may be configured for association with an accessory  50  that has been secured to the automobile  40 , with equipment  60  carried by the automobile (e.g., by an accessory  50  that has been secured to the automobile  40 , etc.) or with both the accessory  50  and the equipment  60 . 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10  may include a coupling element  22 , a switch  24 , a processing element  26  and a wireless communication component  28 . 
         [0016]    The coupling element  22  of the base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10  enables communication between the base unit  20  and a vehicular alarm system  45  ( FIG. 2 ). The coupling element  22  may provide for communication between the base unit  20  and the vehicular alarm system  45  in a manner that enables the base unit  20  to function as an existing sensor  47  ( FIG. 2 ) of the vehicular alarm system  45 . In some embodiments, the coupling element  22  may be configured to position a switch  24  of the base unit  20  in parallel electrically with the existing sensor  47 . In a specific embodiment, the coupling element  22  may comprise wires and associated connectors. 
         [0017]    The switch  24  of the base unit  20  may comprise any suitable element (e.g., a switch, a field effect transistor (FET), etc.) with an “off” or “0” state that prevents transmission of signals and an “on” or “1” state that enables transmission of signals. The switch  24  of the base unit  20  may operate under control of a processing element  26  of the base unit  20 . 
         [0018]    The processing element  26  of the base unit  20  may be programmed to control the state of the switch  24  and to generate and convey a signal to (and through) the switch  24  that mimics activation of the existing sensor  47  ( FIG. 2 ) and, thus, causes the vehicular alarm system  45  ( FIG. 2 ) to sound or otherwise provide an alarm. The processing element  26  may execute these acts when the processing element  26  receives an appropriate signal from a wireless communication component  28  of the base unit  20 . 
         [0019]    The wireless communication component  28  may comprise a component capable of establishing near-field, or short distance, wireless communication with a wireless communication component  38  of the remote unit  30  of the accessory alarm  10 . Without limitation, the wireless communication component  28  of the base unit  20  may comprise a transceiver that communicates by way of the BLUETOOTH® wireless technology standard. The processing element  26  and the processing element  28  may be packaged together or they may comprise the same device (e.g., as a BLUETOOTH® low energy (BLE) processor, an ANT network processor, etc.). 
         [0020]    With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , the remote unit  30  of the accessory alarm  10  may include a sensor  34 , a processing element  36 , the wireless communication component  38  and a power supply  39 . In some embodiments, the remote unit  30  may also include a camera and/or a microphone  31 . 
         [0021]    The sensor  34  may comprise a switch or any other component (e.g., complementary, electrically conductive fasteners, such as conductive hook and loop elements, etc.) that can detect a change in a physical state. Without limitation, the sensor  34  may be configured to detect a change in pressure (e.g., placement of an object against the sensor  34 , removal of an object from the sensor  34 , etc.) (e.g., the sensor  34  may comprise a momentary switch, a pin switch, a pressure switch, etc.). Alternatively, the sensor  34  may be configured to detect whether or not an object is placed adjacent to (e.g., in front of, etc.) it (e.g., the sensor may comprise an optical element, etc.). 
         [0022]    The sensor  34  may generate a signal and communicate the signal to the processing element  36  when a state of the sensor  34  changes; i.e., when the sensor  34  is activated. Such activation may occur when an object is removed from the sensor  34  or moved away from the sensor  34 . 
         [0023]    In embodiments where the remote unit  30  includes a camera  31 , the camera  31  may be positioned to capture images (e.g., still images, video images, etc.) of an individual or other disturbance that activates the sensor  34 . In some embodiments, a microphone  31  may capture audio as the sensor  34  is activated. 
         [0024]    Upon receiving one or more signals from the sensor  34 , programming of the processing element  36  may cause it to convey each signal to the wireless communication component  38 , and to cause the wireless communication component  38  to transmit each signal. In embodiments where the remote unit  30  includes a camera and/or a microphone  31 , activation of the sensor  34  may cause the camera and/or the microphone  31  to operate, or the processing element  36  may be programmed to operate the camera and/or the microphone  31  when a signal is received from the sensor  34 . Data corresponding to images and/or video captured by the camera  31 , which is referred to as “image data,” and/or data corresponding to audio captured by the microphone  31 , which is referred to as “audio data,” may then be communicated back to the processing element  36 , which may then convey that image data and/or audio data to the wireless communication component  38 . The wireless communication component  38 , which may be separate from, packaged with or integrated with (e.g., as a BLUETOOTH® low energy (BLE) processor, an ANT network processor, etc.) the processing element  36  may, of course, be configured to transmit any signals from the sensor  34 . In a specific embodiment, the wireless communication component  38  may comprise a transmitter that conveys signals by way of the BLUETOOTH® wireless technology standard. In some embodiments, the wireless communication component  38  of the remote unit  30  and the wireless communication component  28  of the base unit  20  may communicate securely with one another (e.g., without broadcasting their identities, by way of an encrypted protocol, etc.). 
         [0025]    The power supply  39  of the base unit  30  may be configured to supply power to other components of the base unit  30 , including the sensor  34 , the processing element  36  and the wireless communication component  38 . The power supply  39  may comprise any suitable type of power supply, including, without limitation, a battery. 
         [0026]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , an embodiment of a vehicular alarm system  45  that has been extended by way of an accessory alarm  10  is depicted. The vehicular alarm system  45  includes a plurality of existing sensors  47 , including, without limitation, door sensors, a trunk or hatchback sensor, a hood sensor, and the like. Each existing sensor  47  may be configured to detect opening of its corresponding element (e.g., a door, a trunk or hatchback, a hood, etc.) of an automobile  40  when the vehicular alarm system  40  is armed. In some embodiments, an existing sensor  47  may comprise a switch. 
         [0027]    As indicated previously herein, a base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10  ( FIG. 1 ) may be associated with (e.g., wired into, etc.) the vehicular alarm system  45  at a location adjacent to an existing sensor  47 . Association of the base unit  20  with the existing sensor  47  may enable the switch  24  ( FIG. 1 ) to function in a manner mimics activity by the existing sensor  47 . More specifically, a coupling element  22  ( FIG. 1 ) (e.g., wires and associated connectors, etc.) may place the switch  24  in parallel electrically with the existing sensor  47 . By mimicking activity of the existing sensor  47 , the switch  24  of the base unit  20  may cause, or trigger, the vehicular alarm system  45  to sound or otherwise produce an alarm. 
         [0028]    The base unit  20  may be associated with an existing sensor  47  that is located adjacent to a power source  44  (e.g., a battery, etc.) of the automobile  40 . For example, the base unit  20  may be placed in an engine compartment  42  of the automobile  40  and, thus, may be associated with a sensor that detects unwanted opening of a hood of the automobile. As another example, when an automobile  40  includes a power source  44  in its trunk or in a compartment near a rear end of the automobile  40 , the base unit  20  may be placed in the trunk or near the rear end of the automobile  40 , adjacent to a trunk sensor or a hatchback sensor of the automobile  40 ′s vehicular alarm system  45 . Placement of the base unit  20  in proximity to a power source  44  may enable the base unit  20  to rely on the power source  44  of the automobile for power, which may eliminate the need for the base unit  20  to include its own power source. Of course, embodiments of base units  20  that are equipped with their own power supplies (e.g., batteries, etc.) are also within the scope of this disclosure. 
         [0029]    With the base unit  20  of an accessory alarm  10  integrated into or otherwise in communication with the vehicular alarm system  45 , the base unit  20  may monitor activity by one or more remote units  30  ( FIG. 1 ) with wireless communication components  38  ( FIG. 1 ) that have been wirelessly coupled to the wireless communication component  28  ( FIG. 1 ) of the base unit  20 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of the manner in which a remote unit  30  of an accessory alarm  10 , which has been wirelessly coupled to the base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10 , may be used to detect a disturbance of an accessory  50  or equipment  60  and to cause the vehicular alarm system  45  to sound or otherwise provide an alarm. 
         [0031]    In the illustrated embodiment, the remote unit  30  may be placed at an inconspicuous location, such as between an accessory  50  (e.g., a rack, as illustrated, a cargo box, a toolbox, a trailer, etc.) that has been secured to an automobile  40  and equipment  60  (e.g., a bike, skis, a snowboard, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, watercraft, snowmobiles, etc.) carried by the accessory  50 . More specifically,  FIG. 3  shows use of the remote unit  30  in conjunction with a bike rack and, even more specifically, placement of the remote unit  30  in a receptacle for a bike tire, with the sensor  34  of the remote unit  30  positioned to detect whether or not a bike tire has been received by the receptacle. Of course, a remote unit  30  and its sensor  34  may also be configured to be positioned in a manner that enables detection of any attempt to remove an accessory  50  (e.g., a rack, as illustrated, a cargo box, a toolbox, a trailer, etc.) or equipment  60  (e.g., a spare tire, a cargo net, etc.) from the automobile  40  while the vehicular alarm system  45  is active. As another alternative, the remote unit and its sensor  34  may be configured to enable detection of any attempt to open an accessory  40  while the vehicular alarm system  45  is active. 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the remote unit  30  of an accessory alarm  10  may also be used within the interior of an automobile  40  ( FIG. 2 ). In a specific, but non-limiting embodiment, the remote unit  30  may be associated with a seat  70  within the automobile  40  (e.g., a seat of the automobile, an infant car seat, a child car seat, etc.) in such a way that its sensor  34  ( FIG. 1 ) may detect whether or not the seat  70  is occupied. If the seat  70  is occupied when the vehicular alarm system  45  ( FIG. 2 ) is active, the sensor  34  may generate a signal that is conveyed to the processing element  36  ( FIG. 1 ) of the remote unit  30 , through the wireless communication component  38  ( FIG. 1 ) of the remote unit  30 , to the base unit  20  ( FIG. 2 ), which may cause the vehicular alarm system  45  to sound an alarm, prevent activation of the vehicular alarm system  45  and/or prevent doors of the automobile  40  from locking. 
         [0033]    With returned reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , upon wirelessly coupling the remote unit  30  to the base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10  and activation of the vehicular alarm system  45 , the sensor  34  of the remote unit  30  can detect a disturbance or other undesired activity, such as removal of equipment  60  from an accessory  50  (e.g., removal of a bike tire from the receptacle of the bike rack shown in  FIG. 3 , etc.) or from the automobile  40 , opening of the accessory  50  (e.g., a cargo box, a toolbox, a component of a rack, etc.) or removal of the accessory  50  from the automobile  40 . More specifically, the processing element  26  of the base unit  20  of the accessory alarm  10  may monitor activation of the sensor  34  of the remote unit  30  through the wireless communication components  38  and  28  of the remote unit  30  and the base unit  20 , respectively. Such monitoring continues if the sensor  34  is not activated; i.e., if no undesired activity is detected. However, if the sensor  34  does detect undesired activity, the processing element  26  of the base unit  20  will actuate the switch  24  of the base unit  20 , which will in turn cause the vehicular alarm system  45  to sound or otherwise provide an alarm (e.g., send a signal to a remote device, such as a key fob, smart phone or the like; cause lights on the automobile  40  to flash, etc.). 
         [0034]    In embodiments where the remote unit  30  includes a camera and/or the microphone  31 , activation of the sensor  34  may also result in operation of the camera and/or the microphone  31 , which may transmit image data and/or audio data to the processing element  36 . The processing element  36  may then cause the image data and/or the audio data to be stored for subsequent retrieval, or convey the image data and/or the audio data to the wireless communication component  38 , which may transmit the image data and/or the audio data. In some embodiments, image data and/or audio data transmitted by the wireless communication component  38  may be received by an external device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a tablet computer, etc.). Alternatively, image data and/or audio data transmitted by the wireless communication component  38  of the remote unit  30  may be received by the wireless communication component  28  of the base unit  20 . The wireless communication component  28  may then communicate the image data and/or the audio data to the processing element  26  of the base unit  20 , which processing element  26  may be programmed to store the image data and/or the audio data for subsequent retrieval and/or to convey the image data and/or the audio data to an appropriate device (e.g., a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc.). 
         [0035]    Although the foregoing disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the ensuing claims. Other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scopes of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope of each claim is, therefore, indicated and limited only by its plain language and the full scope of available legal equivalents to its elements.