Problem Statement


Background: Most people who have a car alarm take a while to respond to it, since that person might not hear it or might be far away. With this system, the vehicle’s owner can respond to the alarm immediately, thus cutting down on the amount of time a thief would have with the car. This will provide two way communication for the owner. This is a cheaper alternative to similar systems that are available on more expensive cars.

The Design: The following is a list of the functions of the system:

• The design should take approximately 8 months.
• If the car alarm is activated, the system will call a pre-defined number (perhaps a cell or home phone number) and contact you immediately. If you do not respond, the system will call the police.
• If the system attempts to call a number and reaches a busy signal, it will keep calling until there is no busy signal or no response.
• The user interface is any touch tone phone.
• To customize the system from factory specs, the user will call the system with the provided number and then proceed with system setup, phone number calling priority, and password management.
• The system’s features all operate distance independent.
• The user is able to call the car via the system and is able to perform various car related functions.
• The system can lock/unlock the car.
• The car can be remote started to warm up the engine in cold weather.
• The system can turn on and off the car’s headlights and the system will call the user if the headlights are on for a certain amount of time.
• The user can also call the car to check on the status of the headlights, engine, etc…
• The system will also keep a log of all calls and email this log to the user at a predefined email address.

Deliverables of the Design Project: In order for a user to be able to use this system, one would need a car, an existing car alarm, and some sort of phone, whether it is cell phone or a simple home phone. The user who buys this product will receive the add-on along with detailed instructions and an activation card with the alarm’s unique phone number listed. From the factory, the circuit will have a standard password and basic settings. For the user to configure the alarm, he must first install it in conjunction with an existing alarm system. Then, the add-on is attached and wired up. Once this is done, the user simply calls the alarm for the first time and will be able to configure the alarm to their needs. From this the user can also change the factory password. Once this post-factory configuration is done, the alarm is all set and can be used right away. Included with the final product will be the system itself, a product manual, a notecard with the system’s phone number and factory password, a warranty paper, and the necessary cables.