Re: gEDA-user: OT: Bike Alarms

[John Griessen <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David SMITH wrote:
> John Griessen wrote:
> > David C. Kerber wrote:
> > > If you've got a carbon frame, you could drop it into the 
> > > seat tube, where it would never be seen, and therefore never 
> > > removed by a thief...
> > This really does sound like a product since bikes can cost these days.
>
> Not to put too much of a spanner in the works, but...
>
> Where does the power come from? 

a 1 inch square solar panel.  Solar panels made of flexible film exist,
but are not robust.  They'll get better.

David SMITH wrote:
> Of course, we also have the problem of getting a decent  GPS fix, since
> if it's stolen, it will need to get enough signal to report its
> position, and if it's being stored inside a building, that's going to be
> very difficult,

Instead of relying on GPS, another tactic discussed so far was to monitor closeness
to various safe zones, where it can communicate with a base station.  Then the
task becomes decide when to alarm and contact the cell phone towers.  Trying to contact
and getting no signal could be quick and a low power drain.  Without communication
there would be no need to go into mode 3.  get a GPS fix, (or not), and send status
to a phone number.  If GPS was unavailable, it might be possible to track by phone calls
to the bike, if the cell phone company cooperated, i.e. after police were involved.

JG
--
Ecosensory   Austin TX
tinyOS devel on:  ubuntu Linux;   tinyOS v2.0.2;   telosb ecosens1


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