IP Library Granted Patent US 11,332,099
Granted Patent B2
US 11,332,099 · App. 16/988,442 · Granted May 17, 2022

Vehicle monitoring and theft detection

Inventors: David E. Moeller (Atlanta, GA); Rahul Maran (Atlanta, GA); Aditya Chavan (Atlanta, GA)
Assignee: Keep Technologies, Inc.
B60R25/31B60R1/00B60R25/102B60R25/1009B60R25/305B60R25/33B60R11/00B60R25/04B60R25/1003B60R25/1004B60R25/1018B60R25/1025B60R25/24B60R25/245B60R25/25B60R25/307B60R25/32B60R25/34B60R25/403B60R25/406B60R2011/0007B60R2025/0405B60R2025/1013B60R2300/103B60R2300/8006B60R2300/8073B60R2325/10B60R2325/101B60R2325/103B60R2325/20B60R2325/205G01B17/00G01J5/0025G01P13/00G06F3/017G06F3/167G06F8/65G06F21/572G06Q20/102G06Q20/3278G06Q20/40145G06Q30/0635G06T7/174G06T2207/10016G06V20/59G06V40/172G07C9/00182G07C2009/0019G07C2009/00396G07C2009/00539G07C2009/00769G07C2009/00984G08B21/182H04L9/0643H04L9/0869H04L9/3231H04L51/24H04L2209/84H04W4/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,332,099
App. No.
16/988,442
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle theft-prevention apparatus can include at least one computing device and a cylindrical body configured to be positioned within a cup holder of a vehicle, the cylindrical body having a cup holder element on a top side. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus can further include a fish-eye camera sensor on an upper portion of the body, a passive infrared sensor positioned in the body, and a plurality of legs mechanically connected to a locking mechanism and configured to extend to provide an outward force on the cup holder to prevent removal of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus. The at least one computing device can comprise a processor and a memory and can be configured to capture a plurality of images from the fish-eye camera sensor, read a plurality of measurements from the PIR sensor, and trigger an alarm based on the plurality of images and the plurality of measurements.

Claims (43)

1. A vehicle theft-prevention apparatus, comprising:

a cylindrical body configured to be positioned within a cup holder of a vehicle, the cylindrical body having a cup holder element on a top side;

a fish-eye camera sensor on an upper portion of the cylindrical body;

a passive infrared (PR) sensor positioned in the cylindrical body;

a plurality of legs mechanically connected to a locking mechanism and configured to extend to provide an outward force on the cup holder of the vehicle to prevent removal of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus; and

at least one computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the at least one computing device being configured to:

capture a plurality of images from the fish-eye camera sensor;

read a plurality of measurements from the PIR sensor; and

trigger an alarm based on the plurality of images and the plurality of measurements.

2. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a microwave sensor and positioned within the cylindrical body, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to read a plurality of second measurements from the microwave sensor, wherein the alarm is triggered based further on the plurality of second measurements.

3. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising transceiver configured to transmit an indication of the alarm to at least one server.

4. A vehicle theft-prevention apparatus, comprising:

a cylindrical body configured to be positioned within a cup holder of a vehicle, the cylindrical body having a cup holder element on a top side;

a first sensor positioned on an upper portion of the cylindrical body and configured to sense a first type of measurement, the first sensor comprising a fish-eye camera;

a second sensor positioned in the cylindrical body and configured to sense a second type of measurement, the second sensor comprising an infrared sensor;

a plurality of protrusions mechanically connected to a locking mechanism and configured to extend to provide an outward force on the cup holder of the vehicle to prevent removal of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus; and

at least one computing device coupled to the first sensor and second sensor, the at least one computing device configured to:

read a plurality of first measurements of the first type of measurement from the first sensor and a plurality of second measurements of the second type of measurement from the second sensor from within the vehicle; and

triggering an alarm based on the plurality of first measurements and plurality of second measurements.

5. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus is configured to be embedded within a dome light of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the alarm is triggered in response to one of the plurality of first measurements meeting a first threshold and one of the plurality of second measurements meeting a second threshold.

7. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus is configured to be affixed to a rim of a tire.

8. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the alarm is triggered in response to determining that the rim of the vehicle has been removed.

9. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus comprises a tilt sensor configured to determine if the rim of the tire is removed from the vehicle.

10. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus comprises a tire pressure sensor configured to couple to a valve stem of the tire.

11. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to detect a reduction in an air pressure of the tire and the alarm is triggered in response the reduction in the air pressure.

12. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 4 , comprising a remote device configured to mount onto a rim of a tire and provide sensor data to the at least one computing device.

13. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the remote device is configured to provide a global positioning system (GPS) location of the rim of the tire to the at least one computing device.

14. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the remote device is configured to transmit a GPS location of the rim of the tire to at least one server via a wireless internet connection.

15. The vehicle theft-prevention apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the fish-eye camera comprises a camera sensor and a fisheye lens.

16. A method for preventing theft, comprising:

positioning a cylindrical body of a vehicle theft-prevention apparatus in a cup holder of a vehicle, the cylindrical body having a cup holder element on a top side;

extending a plurality of protrusions of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus to provide an outward force on the cup holder to prevent removal of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus, the plurality of protrusions mechanically coupled to a locking mechanism;

reading, via at least one computing device of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus, a plurality of first measurements of a first type of measurement from a first sensor within the vehicle, the first sensor comprising a fish-eye camera and positioned in an upper portion of the cylindrical body;

reading, via the at least one computing device, a plurality of second measurements of a second type of measurement from a second sensor from within the vehicle, the second sensor comprising an infrared sensor; and

triggering, via the at least one computing device, an alarm based on the plurality of first measurements and plurality of second measurements.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising triggering the alarm by emitting an audio signal from a speaker positioned within a body of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising installing a portion of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus in a dome light of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising affixing a portion of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus to a rim of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving, via the at least one computing device, a request for a location of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus;

determining, via a GPS circuit of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus, a GPS coordinate of the vehicle theft-prevention apparatus; and

transmitting, via the at least one computing device, the GPS coordinate responsive to the request.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 29, 2020
From: NEUROMATIC DEVICES, INC.
To: KEEP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 053926/0407 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2020
From: MOELLER, DAVID E.; MARAN, RAHUL; CHAVAN, ADITYA
To: NEUROMATIC DEVICES INC.
Reel/Frame 053548/0842 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62883875 · Aug 7, 2019
Related Publication 20210039598A1 · Feb 11, 2021