Motorcycle Theft Detection via Battery Voltage Drop Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing theft reporting devices for vehicles, such as motorcycles, face inaccuracies in theft detection due to the inability to distinguish between battery removal and battery drain, leading to erroneous determinations.

Innovation Solution

A theft reporting device equipped with a voltage monitoring unit, a voltage difference calculating section, and a radio communication unit that determines theft by calculating the voltage drop amount over a predetermined time interval and distinguishing between battery removal and drain based on predefined thresholds, thereby enhancing detection accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the theft reporting device determines theft based on battery voltage below a preset threshold, then the device can detect potential theft, but it causes erroneous determination between battery removal and battery drain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetheft detection accuracyVSAvoidvoltage threshold determination precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The voltage monitoring period is segmented into multiple time intervals, and voltage drop amounts are calculated for each interval. By comparing the voltage drop across multiple time points rather than using a single threshold, the system can distinguish between gradual battery drain (small consistent drops) and sudden battery removal (large abrupt drops), thereby resolving the erroneous determination problem.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary voltage monitoring and calculates voltage drop amounts over predetermined time intervals before making a theft determination. This preliminary action of tracking voltage changes over time allows the system to establish a pattern of normal battery discharge versus abnormal removal, improving detection accuracy before triggering an alarm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the theft reporting device uses a single voltage threshold for theft determination, then the device structure remains simple, but it cannot distinguish between battery removal and battery drain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoltage monitoring structureVSAvoidtheft detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a static single-threshold voltage check to a dynamic multi-time-point voltage drop analysis. By continuously monitoring voltage at multiple time points and calculating drop amounts, the system adapts to normal battery discharge patterns while detecting abnormal removal events, thereby improving reliability without requiring complex additional hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If the voltage monitoring unit monitors battery voltage directly, then the measurement is accurate, but the system cannot differentiate between gradual drain and sudden removal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery voltage measurementVSAvoidtheft detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The voltage monitoring unit performs periodic voltage measurements at predetermined time intervals rather than continuous or single-point monitoring. By sampling voltage periodically and calculating drop amounts between intervals, the system can detect the rate and pattern of voltage change, distinguishing between gradual battery drain (slow consistent drops) and sudden battery removal (rapid abrupt drops).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP2412588B1Motorcycle and theft reporting device installed in the motorcycle
Publication Date: 2017.05.10 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2412588B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2412588B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2412588B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To detect removal of a battery and enhance accuracy of theft detection for a vehicle, a theft detection device uses a voltage monitoring unit for monitoring a voltage of the battery to calculate a drop amount of the voltage in a predetermined time interval (T1). The theft detection device determines whether or not the vehicle is stolen, based on whether or not the drop amount of the voltage has exceeded a predetermined drop amount threshold. The theft detection device includes a radio communication device for transmitting positional information of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is stolen, to thereby report that the vehicle is stolen.