Patent ID: 7777612

Claim:
An apparatus for preventing theft in automotive vehicle retail and service centers comprising: a controller; at least one portable tool for use in the automotive vehicle service centers; a docking device for the at least one portable tool, the docking device having a cradle and an alarm therein; and a communication link between the docking device and the controller, wherein the at least one portable tool and the docking device, having the cradle and the alarm, are configured to initiate communication between the at least one portable tool and the controller, via the communication link between the docking device and the controller, when the at least one portable tool is installed in the cradle of the docking device, and physical contact occurs between electrical contacts in the at lest one portable tool and electrical contacts in the cradle of the docking station, wherein the at least one portable tool and the docking device are further configured to terminate communication between the at least one portable tool and the controller when the at least one portable tool is removed from the cradle of the docking device, and physical contact between electrical contacts in the at least one portable tool and the electrical contacts in the cradle of the docking station is eliminated, and wherein the at least one portable tool comprises anti-theft circuitry configured to disable at least one function of the at least one portable tool if no communication occurs between the at least one portable tool and the controller for a predetermined time period as a result of removal of the at least one portable tool from the cradle of the docking device, and wherein the predetermined time period is pre-programmable into the portable tool.