GB2504508A

GB2504508A - Reminding a user that an electronic device has been left behind in a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2504508A
Application number: GB201213594A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Bruno Pedri
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-31
Filing date: 2012-07-31
Publication date: 2014-02-05
Also published as: GB201213594D0

Abstract

A reminder system is provided for a mobile phone, satnav, or similar portable electronic device mounted in an automobile via a cradle / docking station. The system comprises: a door opening sensor arranged to sense when a vehicle door is opened; a device presence sensor; and an alarm means configured to provide a warning signal if the portable electronic device is still docked or otherwise linked to the cradle / docking station when the door is opened, and thus is at risk of being left behind, unattended.

Description

Mobile Phone Security System

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to systems and devices for enhancing security of mobile phones or similar portable electronic appliances.

Background of the Invention

Hands free in-car mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle! automobile and which are generally mounted to a docking station! cradle in the vehicle, often operatively linked to the docking station via a cable or wireless link such as Bluetooth, are vulnerable to being accidentally left behind in the vehicle when the driver! user exits the vehicle. This not only is potentially a nuisance to the owner! user of the appliance, especially if the appliance is, for example, a mobile phone that they may need to use once the destination is reached, but also presents a security risk of subsequent theft of the device from the vehicle if it is left behind and remains visible to passers-by.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for managing the security of mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle! automobile mounted to a docking station in the vehicle, reducing the likelihood that they will be abandoned and potentially stolen.

Summary of the lnyention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for security of mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle! automobile and which are there mounted to a cradle!docking station in the vehicle, the system comprising a door opening sensor in the vehicle in use that is configured to sense when the vehicle door is opened and the system having an appliance presence sensor and alarm means to provide a security alarm warning signal to warn if the portable electronic appliance is still docked or otherwise linked to the cradle/docking station in the vehicle when the door is opened and thus is at risk of being left behind, unattended.

The door opening sensor may suitably be an existing, normally factory-fitted, at least one sensor of the vehicle. These sensors are commonplace, being fitted to many automobiles to be able to alert the car owner to a failure to switch off an intrinsic functionality of the vehicle, namely the lights of the vehicle, before departing from the vehicle. For the purposes of the present invention, the existing door opening sensor or associated alarm may be co-opted to trigger operation of our security alarm means that warns that the portable electronic appliance is still docked or otherwise linked to the cradle/docking station in the vehicle. Alternatively the door opening sensor may be a dedicated sensor and may, for example, operate in a similar manner to an existing car door opening sensor eg by having an electrical proximity sensor with a magnetic strip on opposing car and car door edges. (do we want to try to cover for example a driver seat vacation sensor too?) The system's appliance presence sensor may suitably be a contact, proximity or pressure sensor to determine the presence of the appliance in the cradle/docking station or may sense a wired or wireless link or communication between the appliance and the cradle/docking station.

The system suitably has a processor that determines when both conditions are satisfied: a) the door opening sensor indicates door opening; and b) the appliance presence sensor indicates that the appliance is still present, and in response thereto triggers an alarm signal.

The alarm warning signal may be provided by a dedicated alarm signal generator -eg a dedicated sound generator with speaker uniquely for that alarm state, or may at least in part use existing alarm signal generating means of the vehicle but suitably in a way that provides a different warning signal that is specific to the alarm state that it warns of. In other words, the sound emitted is suitably different from the pinging sound emitted for lights left on or keys still in ignition, et cetera. In one preferred example the alarm signal may be emitted via the appliance -eg where the appliance is a mobile phone, by the phone being rung. For this the alarm means may have a transmitter, eg a GSM unit, to transmit a call signal to the mobile phone. This may include a message, eg voice or SMS message, too but the fact of the phone ringing will itself be enough to alert the owner that they had not picked up their phone prior to opening the car door.

In its installed state, fitted in a vehicle, the system will for most purposes include the cradle/docking station in the vehicle. The alarm means or processor and! or alarm signal generator are preferably housed in the cradle/docking station. Alternatively they may be external to it but linked to it.

As a commercial retro4it product for cars or other vehicles preferably a kit of parts is provided that comprises at least an appliance presence sensor and means responsive to the appliance presence sensor indicating that the appliance is still present and to a door opening sensor of a vehicle indicating door opening to trigger an alarm signal. These are suitably supplied together with a cradle/docking station, preferably housed in a casing of the cradle/docking station or may be supplied separately and be configured for use with a cradle/docking station.

The invention as described and illustrated provides an affordable, safe and reliable solution to the problems described.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, solely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the system of the invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a car incorporating the system.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the figures, the system comprises a cradle/docking station 1 for mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle! automobile and which has an integral appliance presence sensor 2 to sense if the portable electronic appliance remains docked or otherwise linked to the cradle/docking station. The cradle/docking station 1 may be installed in the vehicle V in any suitable location, such as the dashboard, for the user's ease of access.

Linked to the appliance presence sensor 2 in the cradle! docking station 1 is an alarm means 3 to provide a security alarm warning signal when the appliance is at risk of being left behind unattended. The alarm means 3 has a link to a door opening sensor 4 that is installed in use in the vehicle V and which is configured to sense when the vehicle door D (normally and most importantly the driver's door) is opened.

The alarm means 3 comprises a processor 3a to take the signal from the appliance presence sensor 2 and from the door opening sensor 4 and to establish an alarm state by determining when both conditions coincide, ie the appliance is sensed as present at the cradle 1 and yet the door is being opened. The alarm means 3 further comprises an alarm warning signal generator 3b that generates a warning signal when the alarm state occurs. The generator 3b may comprise an audible tone generator including a speaker that may, for example, output a warbling or buzzing sound when the alarm state occurs. In a more sophisticated version of the system, the alarm warning signal generator 3b has additionally or alternatively a GSM unit that may be programmed by the user to ring the appliance especially if the appliance is a mobile phone, thereby giving the owner a direct and unambiguous prompt to take the phone with them when vacating the vehicle.

If the door opening sensor 4 is an existing factory-fitted sensor of the vehicle then it will normally link to a central vehicle monitoring processor! control unit C in the vehicle, which will often be under the vehicle's bonnet or under the dashboard. The alarm means 3 may have a link that taps into the door opening sensor 4 directly or into the wiring! link to the central vehicle monitoring processor! control unit C or into the unit C itself to be able to read the signal from the sensor 4. Indeed, the link between the door opening sensor 4 and the alarm means 3 may be derived from an output signal from the unit C such as the signal that normally warns the driver that they have left the lights on when opening the car door.

The invention as described and illustrated and as claimed in its various forms provides an affordable, safe and reliable solution to the problems described.

The ability to co-opt existing in car sensory and alarm infrastructure can also help to keep the cost of the system very low.

Claims

Claims 1. A system for security of mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle! automobile and which are there mounted to a cradle/docking station in the vehicle, the system comprising a door opening sensor in the vehicle that is configured to sense when the vehicle door is opened and the system having an appliance presence sensor and alarm means to provide a security alarm warning signal to warn if the portable electronic appliance is still docked or otherwise linked to the cradle/docking station in the vehicle when the door is opened and thus is at risk of being left behind, unattended.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system has a processor that determines when both of the following conditions are satisfied: a) the door opening sensor indicates door opening; and b) the appliance presence sensor indicates that the appliance is still present, and in response thereto triggers an alarm signal.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the appliance presence sensor is a contact, proximity or pressure sensor to determine the presence of the appliance in the cradle/docking station
4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the appliance presence sensor senses a wired or wireless link or communication between the appliance and the cradle/docking station.
5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the door opening sensor is an existing at least one sensor of the vehicle to alert the car owner to a failure to switch off an intrinsic functionality of the vehicle.
6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the alarm warning signal is a dedicated alarm signal generator with a dedicated sound generator and speaker uniquely for that alarm state.
7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the alarm warning signal at least in part uses an existing alarm signal generating means of the vehicle but provides a distinct warning signal that is specific to the alarm state that it warns of.
8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the alarm means is housed in the cradle/docking station.
9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the alarm means generates a signal that causes a mobile phone that is docked or linked to the cradle/docking station to ring.
10. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the processor is housed in the cradle/docking station.
11. A system for security of mobile phones, SAT-NAyS or similar portable electronic appliances that are used in a car or other motor vehicle/ automobile and which are there mounted to a cradle/docking station in the vehicle, the system being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.