CarSmart UK - The Ultimate Vehicle Security System

THE PROBLEM

A typical theft

It’s 3.00am on a quiet suburban street, like millions of others throughout the UK. The houses are all in darkness, the paths and roads barely illuminated by limited street lighting. The only sound is a low wind and light rain.

Half way down the street a semi-detached house lies in darkness with two cars on the drive. A nearly new luxury car, costing just over £45,000 and an older school run Merc sit safely on the drive adjacent to the garage.

Fifty yards up the street a small black car draws up with three occupants, two of the group dressed in non-descript hoodies and tracksuit bottoms get out of the car and make their way to the house where the luxury car sits. A small external light is triggered and illuminates the scene, but the two unwanted visitors are unphased. One stands by the front door with an amplifier, the other stands by the car with a transmitter. It is now 3.05am.

An amplifier is used to scan the hallway of the property. Hidden from sight in a dish on the hallway table rests two sets of car keys, perfectly handy for the homeowners as they leave the house in the morning - unfortunately not tomorrow.

Once the amplifier has located the key to the luxury car it boosts the signal and sends it directly to the transmitter by the car, which the car interprets as the key being present – the car quietly unlocks and the engine starts and for safety reasons the engine won’t cut out when the key is no longer in range. Because the vehicle entry is made by ‘authorised means’ the vehicle alarm system is now inoperative - it has taken two minutes. The time is now 3.07am.

One of the two uninvited guests walks back to the car on the street, the other gets in the luxury car and drives it slowly off the drive. At this point the police have just hours to trace the car...but the family won’t realise the car is missing for another four or five hours.

By this time the stolen car will have been spirited away and could end up, within days, in Eastern Europe or a chop shop for parts. These thieves may take two or three cars per night using this method, no broken glass, no damage – a very simple process and a lucrative night’s work.

In some instances insurance companies are throwing out claims for cars stolen using high-tech relay theft

Make no mistake, in most instances, this is not the work of local opportunists, this is organised crime in action, and the value of cars stolen was well in excess of £2 billion last year.

THE SOLUTION

CarSmart system to prevent theft

There are many ways to protect your vehicle, from wheel clamps to steering locks, but as anyone who has tried these physical barriers to theft knows, they simply are not user friendly. There had to be a better solution.

In answer to this growing problem, we have designed and developed the CarSmart Vehicle security system that is a little smarter than other alternatives on the market.

Our solution prevents the theft of automotive vehicles by defeating the technology they are using, preventing illegal ingress by obtaining the key fob or by cloning of the key fob. The system is currently undergoing evaluation by leading insurance companies and the AA/RAC.

How a conventional keyless system works

Most modern vehicles are controlled by an ECU (engine control unit) a small software driven device that controls the functions of the engine management system.

One particular function is to intercept the signal from the ignition device (key or key fob) and to authorise the correct start procedure for the vehicle.

This is done through the starter ECU controller DC power is applied on request which allows the operation of the ignition system.

A marriage of science and technology

With a CarSmart system fitted, an electronic device, controlled by a secure smart phone application, is built in to the starter AC controller, this interrupts the authorisation signal and allows its passage only after high security confirmation by secure Bluetooth signal authorised by a facial recognition or fingerprint recognition system.

In the event of the loss of your smart phone, a 3 digit override code can be used with the supplied hand held Bluetooth fob. This provides a multi-level approach to your cars security.

Technical information

Multiple levels of security

How our multi-level security system is installed & works

With a CarSmart installation, a modified version of the vehicle Starter AC controller (patent pending) is connected to the vehicle ECU. The module contains a Bluetooth receiver that controls the signal sent to the vehicle ignition system.

The module is controlled by a small PIC microcontroller.

A custom-built smart phone application which will work with IOS or Android devices and is secured by either facial recognition or fingerprint reader allows the transmission of a signal allowing passage of the start up signal and energising the ignition system.

Where no signal is present the ignition system is inoperable. Upto 5 smart phones may be registered to the control relay and provision is made for a 3 digit code override in the event of a missing phone.

The CarSmart application is a variant of the BeSafeBeSmart personal security app so as well as providing vehicle security it will offer the driver 24 hour personal protection in or out of the vehicle.

The security app is fully monitored 24 hours a day by an alarm receiving centre fully trained in conflict management situations.

At some date in the near future a vehicle tracker will be added to the vehicle module. In the unlikely event of the vehicle being stolen then immediate tracking is actioned.

Application Functions

Functions of the App are:

SOS available 24/7 in or out of the car.
Watch-me, allows a person who thinks they may be in some danger to pre-time an SOS call which will be sent if not cancelled within the user set period.
Advisory Call. A single press will connect to a call desk and enable 2 way communication.
CarSmart function

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THE PROBLEM

The Problem for cars with keyless operating systems

Last year in the UK, the number of cars stolen was over 130,000 a rise of almost 25%.

A typical theft

Make no mistake, in most instances, this is not the work of local opportunists, this is organised crime in action, and the value of cars stolen was well in excess of £2 billion last year.

THE SOLUTION

In answer to this growing problem, we have designed and developed the CarSmart Vehicle security system that is a little smarter than other alternatives on the market.

Technical information

Main Content

THE PROBLEM

The Problem for cars with keyless operating systems

Last year in the UK, the number of cars stolen was over 130,000 a rise of almost 25%.

A typical theft

Make no mistake, in most instances, this is not the work of local opportunists, this is organised crime in action, and the value of cars stolen was well in excess of £2 billion last year.

THE SOLUTION

In answer to this growing problem, we have designed and developed the CarSmart Vehicle security system that is a little smarter than other alternatives on the market.

Technical information