Patent Publication Number: US-2012038476-A1

Title: Anti-theft device for a laptop computer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an anti-theft device and more particularly to an anti-theft device for a laptop computer, which achieves monitoring and warning functions through detection of vibration, distance and signal. 
     b) Description of the Prior Art 
     After widespread of a wireless network in a public space, people can bring a laptop computer to surf on the Internet at a place like an internet café, a coffee shop or a library. However, an associated problem is that the computer can be stolen; for example, when a person uses a laptop computer in an internet café and has to leave temporarily, the laptop computer may be stolen. To solve this problem, some café chain stores abroad will provide mechanical computer locks on table tops, allowing clients to carry their own padlocks for use, which will be unsightly and the padlocks can be easily disengaged by thieves with tools. Next, there are people who develop an electronic anti-theft lock which is connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port of a computer; that is, an end of a lead wire is connected to the computer and the other end is fixedly connected to a siren on a table top. Once the lead wire is removed or cut off, the siren will alert with audio and light. Nevertheless, thieves can still use tools to dismantle the siren and then steal the computers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft device for a laptop computer, which achieves monitoring and warning functions through detection of vibration, distance and signal. 
     In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention includes a monitoring end device and a warning end device. The monitoring end device includes a universal serial port which is interconnected with a laptop computer by telecommunication, provides power to a power supply unit described below and transmits a connection signal to a central processor described below; the power supply unit which receives and stores power from the universal serial port and serves as a power source of the monitoring end device; a display unit which receives the power provided by the power supply unit to display a service condition of the monitoring end device; the central processor which receives the connection signal from the universal serial port, is provided with a vibration sensor and a distance detection unit, is interconnected with a loud speaker described below, as well as transmits signals of the distance detection unit or the vibration sensor to the display unit for displaying; a wireless antenna which is interconnected with the central processor, transmits and receives a wireless signal through the distance detection unit continuously, as well as matches with a wireless signal of a wireless antenna at the warning end; the loud speaker which is interconnected with the central processor to send out a warning sound; and an on/off switch which is interconnected with the power supply unit to control on or off of the monitoring end device. 
     The warning end device includes a power supply unit which is a power source of the warning end device; a display unit which receives the power provided by the power supply unit to display a service condition of the warning end device; a central processor which includes a distance detection unit, is interconnected with a loud speaker described below and transmits a signal of the distance detection unit to the display unit for displaying; a wireless antenna which is interconnected with the central processor, transmits and receives a wireless signal through the distance detection unit continuously, as well as inter-matches with a wireless signal of the wireless antenna at the monitoring end; a vibration unit which is interconnected with the central processor and receives the signal from the central processor to produce vibration; the loud speaker which is interconnected with the central processor and receives the signal from the central processor to send out a warning sound; and an on/off switch which is interconnected with the power supply unit to control on or off of the warning end device. 
     When the monitoring end device is placed on a laptop computer or is connected with a laptop computer through the universal serial port, as well as the monitoring end device and the warning end device are activated through the on/off switches, the wireless antennae of these two devices transmit wireless signals respectively for inter-matching between the two devices. When the monitoring end device is displaced by vibration, the distance detection unit loses the wireless signals of the transmission or receiving units, or the universal serial port is pulled out, the loud speaker will be activated through the central processor to send out the warning sound; in a mean time, through the central processor, the loud speaker will also be activated to send out the warning sound and the vibration unit will be activated to produce vibration by the warning end device, thus preventing the laptop computer from being stolen. 
     To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a monitoring end device and a warning end device of an anti-theft device for a laptop computer, according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , it shows a schematic view of a monitoring end device and a warning end device of an anti-theft device for a laptop computer, according to the present invention, which comprises a monitoring end device  1  and a warning end device  2 . 
     The monitoring end device  1  includes a universal serial port  11  which is connected with a laptop computer by telecommunication, provides power to a power supply unit  12  described below and transmits a connection signal to a central processor  14  described below, with that the aforementioned universal serial port  11  can be a USB interface; the power supply unit  12  which receives and stores power from the universal serial port  11  and serves as a power source of the monitoring end device  1 , with that the aforementioned power supply unit  12  can be a rechargeable battery; a display unit  13  which receives the power provided by the power supply unit  12  to display a service condition of the monitoring end device  1 , with that the aforementioned display unit  13  can be light bulb or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display); the central processor  14  which receives a connection signal from the universal serial port  11 , is provided with a vibration sensor  141  and a distance detection unit  142 , is interconnected with a loud speaker  16  described below, and transmits a signal of the distance detection unit  142  or the vibration sensor  141  to the display unit  13  for displaying; a wireless antenna  15  which is interconnected with the central processor  14 , transmits and receives a wireless signal through the distance detection unit  142  continuously, as well as inter-matches with a wireless signal of a wireless antenna at the warning end device  2 , with that the aforementioned wireless antenna  15  can be an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, a 2.4 G antenna or an infrared antenna; the loud speaker  16  which is interconnected with the central processor  14  to send out a warning sound; and an on/off switch  17  which is interconnected with the power supply unit  12  to control on or off of the monitoring end device  1 . 
     When the monitoring end device  1  is activated through the on/off switch  17 , the power supply unit  12  will provide the power needed by the device and a condition of power supply will be displayed through the display unit  13 . After the universal serial port  11  has been connected with a laptop computer, the power can be provided to the power supply unit  12  and a signal can be transmitted to the central processor  14 , allowing the central processor  14  to be aware of that the monitoring end device  1  has already been connected with the laptop computer. In addition, through the wireless signal, the wireless antenna  15  will inter-match with the warning end device  2  which is described below. Furthermore, the wireless antenna  15  will transmit another connection signal to the distance detection unit  142  of the central processor  14 , thereby entering into a monitoring state. When the monitoring end device  1  senses vibration through the vibration sensor  141  or when the universal serial port  11  is disconnected from the laptop computer, the central processor  14  will transmit a signal to activate the loud speaker  16  which sends out a warning sound to deter a thief. In a mean time, the wireless antenna  15  will transmit a signal to the warning end device  2  to activate the warning function, informing a laptop computer user. Moreover, when the distance detection unit  142  is unable to receive the connection signal of the wireless antenna  15 , the central processor  14  will still transmit a signal to activate the loud speaker  16  which sends out the warning sound to deter a thief. 
     The warning end device  2  includes a power supply unit  21  which is a power source of the warning end device  2 , with that the aforementioned power supply unit  21  can be a rechargeable battery; a display unit  22  which receives the power provided by the power supply unit  21  to display a service condition of the warning end device  2 , with that the aforementioned display unit  22  can be a light bulb or an LCD; a central processor  23  which includes a distance detection unit  231 , is interconnected with a loud speaker  26  described below and transmits a signal of the distance detection unit  231  to the display unit  22  for displaying; a wireless antenna  24  which is interconnected with the central processor  23 , transmits and receives a wireless signal through the distance detection unit  231  continuously, as well as inter-matches with the wireless signal of the wireless antenna  15  at the monitoring end device  1 , with that the aforementioned wireless antenna  24  can be an RFID antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, a 2.4 G antenna or an infrared antenna; a vibration unit  25  which is interconnected with the central processor  23  and receives the signal from the central processor  23  to produce vibration; the loud speaker  26  which is interconnected with the central processor  23  and receives the signal from the central processor  23  to send out a warning sound; and an on/off switch  27  which is interconnected with the power supply unit  21  to control on or off of the warning end device  2 . 
     When the warning end device  2  is activated through the on/off switch  27 , the power supply unit  21  will provide the power needed by the warning end device  2 , and a condition of power supply will be displayed through the display unit  22 . At this time, the wireless antenna  24  will inter-match with the monitoring end device  1  through the wireless signal and transmits a signal to the distance detection unit  231  of the central processor  23 , thereby entering into a monitoring state. When the distance detection unit  231  is unable to receive the connection signal of the wireless antenna  24 , the central processor  23  will transmit a signal to activate the loud speaker  26  and the vibration unit  25  respectively, and the loud speaker  26  will send out the warning sound, whereas the vibration unit  25  will produce vibration, thereby informing the laptop computer user. On the other hand, when the wireless antenna  24  receives a warning signal from the monitoring end device  1 , the loud speaker  26  and the vibration unit  25  can be also activated to achieve the aforementioned effects. 
     It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.