[0012] When a car owner discovers that his car has been stolen, he can activate the Parker alarm system FIG. 1 by dialing a receiver embedded in the car. An embedded pager 10 or embedded cell phone can be located in the car and function as a receiver. A pager signal is preferred due to its wide availability in most parts of the world. An activation PIN code (such as 1111) can turn on the system. The pager 10 on the car requires a PIN code that allows activation of certain functions. When the alarm system is first activated, the pager usually operating at 1.5 V triggers a relay 110 to step up the activation voltage signal to the standard 12V operating voltage of the car. The activation voltage signal is sent first to the hood lock.

[0013] The system is comprised of a plurality of switches that can be implemented in a number of ways such as by software, through an integrated circuit, relays, or transistors. Two switches shown as 110, and 112 can be omitted if the pager 10 can be operated at 12V. They are only necessary to step up the voltage from the standard pager voltage of 1.5V to that of 12V.

[0014] A first relay 118 has posts 85, 86, 30 and 87 as well as a middle post 84. A 12V potential across post 85 to 86 allows current across 87 to 30. Otherwise, current is directed across the completed circuit between posts 87 and 84. The 12V activation voltage signal at relay 118 post 85 opens the path between relay 118 post 87 to 30. Relay 118 post 30 is routed to the flasher which intermittently activates the lights and horns. Relay 118 post 30 is also connected to the second relay 119, at post 87. The current travels from post 87 to 84 and reenters relay 118 post 85 to complete a feedback loop 69 that keeps the alarm on. As the flasher intermittently honks the horns, and flashes the lights, the alarm draws attention to the vehicle and allows police to locate and identify the stolen vehicle.

[0015] Theft Recovery

[0016] The present invention allows a thief to continue driving a car while the alarm is activated. Engine deactivation is effective to stop a car, but can be dangerous when the car is moving. Present vehicles have power steering and power braking that can fail if the engine is deactivated. A car without engine power can be dangerous especially when it is descending a steep hill.

[0017] Upon hearing the horn or alarm sound, some thieves will continue driving, and the horn and lights will help the police recover the vehicle. Other thieves will stop and abandon the car. More determined thieves will attempt to deactivate the alarm. In that case, a thief usually stops the car and turns off the engine. Then he can access the hood to physically disconnect the alarm or access the area under the dashboard and steering column. Should the thief turn off the car, he would be unable to restart the car because the engine starter has been deactivated. The third relay 117 accepts a voltage at post 85 and deactivates the engine starter. The second relay also activates a hood lock 120 to restrict access under the hood. A hood lock can be integrated into the OEM hood latching mechanism of the vehicle. The alarm is then activated which turns on the intermittent flasher 150.

[0018] Car thieves often try to disable car alarms by delivering a high voltage surge to the electrical system. The surge blows the secondary fuses while leaving the starter fuse intact. After the secondary fuses are blown, the thief can start the car with ease. A car usually contains a number of fuses. The electric starter mechanism of a car has a high surge capacity before it is disabled. Secondary fuses have a lower voltage requirement before they disable secondary systems such as: lights, audio system, alarm system, or power locks. A thief can remove the electrical panel underneath the steering column, find two wires and deliver a surge from a compact battery having the appropriate voltage transformer attached to jumper cables. The present invention includes diodes 8 that insulate the pager reception and alarm system from surges. The diodes 8 can also redirect the surge voltage.

[0019] An expensive car without a traditional alarm can raise the suspicions of a car thief. A cautious car thief may suspect a silent or latent alarm and attempt to deliver a prophylactic surge to the car's electrical system. The Parker system can be modified to detect a surge, trigger the engine ignition lock, and activate the alarm.

[0020] A car thief can also disable a car alarm by physically opening the hood and disconnecting certain parts of the car alarm or car battery. The hood lock prevents the disabling of the alarm in this manner.

[0021] After Recovery

[0022] After the owner has recovered the vehicle, the owner can dial the system with a code off such as 2222 to reactivate the vehicle's normal operations. Other codes can control other functions in the car. A code 3333 for example, can unlock the doors to aid in car recovery. There can be a plurality of codes. Also, a plurality of pagers can be used instead of a plurality of codes. The system can also be reduced to an integrated circuit, although relays are preferred for their resistance to surges.

[0023] The present invention uses a pager receiver in a car to actuate certain functions. The preferred embodiment has a pager sending a 1.5V signal to a 1.5V relay that actuate the second relay 119 to interrupt the feedback loop 69. This resumes normal operations of the car by deactivating the hood lock 120, engine starter disabling relay 117, and flasher 150. Because most car owners have cell phones, it is easy to activate and deactivate the vehicle. A car owner can activate and test the system even when the engine is not running.