Kickstand Alarm Device Using Pressure Sensing for Theft Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-theft devices for vehicles like motorcycles are easily overridden or difficult to install, and they often fail to detect unauthorized movement effectively, especially when the vehicle is rolled onto a trailer and transported away.
Innovation Solution
An alarm device attached to the kickstand of a vehicle, equipped with a pressure sensing component, a controller, and a communications module, which detects changes in force when the kickstand is deployed and alerts the owner via a user device, and optionally includes GPS for location tracking and integration with the vehicle's electronic control module to prevent operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tilt sensor is used to detect vehicle movement, then movement detection capability is improved, but the device becomes vulnerable to being overridden or confused by magnets or physical barriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical tilt sensor system with a pressure sensing system. Instead of detecting tilt angles that can be fooled by magnets or barriers, the system uses a pressure sensor to directly measure the force applied to the kickstand. This substitution of detection mechanism eliminates susceptibility to magnetic interference and physical barriers, as pressure is a direct physical quantity that cannot be easily faked by external fields or obstacles.
2Reliability
If an alarm system is positioned on a support surface for engagement with a wheel, then theft detection capability is improved, but the device cannot be easily transported with the vehicle when parked at separate locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the alarm device with the vehicle's existing kickstand structure. The pressure sensor, housing, and control electronics are integrated into the kickstand assembly that is already permanently attached to the vehicle. This combination ensures the device moves with the vehicle to any location while maintaining reliable theft detection capability, eliminating the portability issue of separate ground-based systems.
3Reliability
If a pressure sensing component is used to detect kickstand force changes, then unauthorized movement detection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensing system leverages the kickstand's own structural role to provide detection functionality. The kickstand, which already exists as a load-bearing component, becomes both the object of interest and the sensor mounting structure. The pressure sensor simply measures the force on the kickstand surface, and the vehicle's existing battery and communication systems are used to power and transmit alerts, minimizing additional complexity while maximizing detection reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively detects unauthorized movement and alerts the owner, preventing theft by ensuring the kickstand's force change is monitored, and can integrate with the vehicle's systems to prevent operation, providing secure and user-friendly theft prevention.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensing component located associated with the housing and adjacent an end of the kickstand for detecting a force of the kickstand on a ground surface
Data Source
AI summary
An alarm device for preventing theft of a vehicle having a kickstand support attached to the vehicle having: a housing associated with the kickstand support; a pressure sensing component located associated with the housing and adjacent an end of the kickstand for detecting a force of the kickstand on a ground surface, the pressure sensing component including a surface area for contacting the ground surface when the kickstand is in the deployed position; a controller in electronic communication with the pressure sensor for determining whether the kickstand is in contact with the ground surface based on measurements from the pressure sensing component; a communications module in electronic communication with the controller for wirelessly communicating with a user device. The controller generates an alarm when the kickstand is in the deployed position and determines that the force of the kickstand on the ground has changed by a threshold amount.