Methods and apparatus for determining seatbelt status
First Claim
1. A seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle, the system comprising:
- a seatbelt of a seat including a buckle defining a cavity to receive a tongue in a fastened position and a sensor disposed in the cavity to detect the tongue when the seatbelt is in the fastened position, the buckle including a window having a material different than another portion of the buckle to enable a signal to be transmitted from the buckle, via the window, regarding a status of the seatbelt; and
a remote monitoring unit to indicate if the seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or an unfastened position when the seat is occupied.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for determining seatbelt status are disclosed. An example seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle includes a first seatbelt of a first seat that includes a first buckle and a first magnetically-responsive switch to detect a first tongue when the first seatbelt is in a fastened position. The example apparatus includes a second seatbelt of a second seat that includes a second buckle and a second magnetically-responsive switch to detect a second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position. The example apparatus includes a remote monitoring unit to indicate, when the first seat is occupied, if the first seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or an unfastened position. The remote monitoring unit is to indicate, when the second seat is occupied, if the second seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or the unfastened position.
13 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle, the system comprising:
-
a seatbelt of a seat including a buckle defining a cavity to receive a tongue in a fastened position and a sensor disposed in the cavity to detect the tongue when the seatbelt is in the fastened position, the buckle including a window having a material different than another portion of the buckle to enable a signal to be transmitted from the buckle, via the window, regarding a status of the seatbelt; and a remote monitoring unit to indicate if the seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or an unfastened position when the seat is occupied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
5. A seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle, the system comprising:
-
a first seatbelt of a first seat including a first buckle defining a first cavity to receive a first tongue in a fastened position and a first sensor disposed in the first cavity to detect the first tongue when the first seatbelt is in the fastened position; a second seatbelt of a second seat including a second buckle defining a second cavity to receive a second tongue in the fastened position and a second sensor disposed in the second cavity to detect the second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position; a remote monitoring unit to indicate; when the first seat is occupied, if the first seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or an unfastened position; when the second seat is occupied, if the second seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or the unfastened position; a first audio unit adjacent the first seat to emit a first audio alarm if the first seat is occupied and the first seatbelt is unfastened; and a second audio unit adjacent the second seat to emit a second audio alarm if the second seat is occupied and the second seatbelt is unfastened. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. A seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle the system comprising:
-
a first seatbelt of a first seat including a first buckle defining a first cavity to receive a first tongue in a fastened position and a first sensor disposed in the first cavity to detect the first tongue when the first seatbelt is in the fastened position, wherein the first seatbelt further includes a first release latch that is to move from a rest position to a release position to enable the first tongue to transition between the fastened position and an unfastened position, the first seatbelt further includes a second sensor to detect when the first release latch is in the rest position, the first seatbelt is in the unfastened position when the first release latch is in the release position, the first seatbelt further includes a second release latch that is to move from a rest position to a release position to enable the first tongue to transition between the fastened position and the unfastened position, the first seatbelt further includes a third sensor to detect when the second release latch is in the rest position, the first seatbelt is in the unfastened position when the first release latch or the second release latch are in the release position; a second seatbelt of a second seat including a second buckle defining a second cavity to receive a second tongue in the fastened position and a fourth sensor disposed in the second cavity to detect the second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position; and a remote monitoring unit to indicate; when the first seat is occupied, if the first seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or the unfastened position; and when the second seat is occupied, if the second seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or the unfastened position.
-
-
11. A method for monitoring seatbelts in a mass transit vehicle, the method comprising:
-
detecting, via a first sensor, if a first seatbelt of a first seat is in a fastened position or an unfastened position, the first sensor is disposed in a first buckle of the first seatbelt to detect a first tongue when the first seatbelt is in the fastened position; detecting, via a second sensor, if a second seatbelt of a second seat is in the fastened position or the unfastened position, the second sensor is disposed in a second buckle of the second seatbelt to detect a second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position; communicating a status of the first seatbelt through a first portion of the first seatbelt and a status of the second seatbelt through a second portion of the second seatbelt to a remote monitoring unit, the first and second portions including windows having properties to enable signals regarding the respective statuses to be transmitted therethrough; and displaying, via the remote monitoring unit, the status of the first seatbelt when the first seat is occupied and the status of the second seatbelt when the second seat is occupied. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A mass transit vehicle system comprising:
-
first means for detecting when a first seatbelt of a first seat is in a fastened position, the first means for detecting is disposed in a first buckle of the first seatbelt to detect a first tongue when the first seatbelt is in the fastened position; second means for detecting when a second seatbelt of a second seat is in the fastened position, the second means for detecting is disposed in a second buckle of the second seatbelt to detect a second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position; means for communicating a status of the first seatbelt through a first portion of the first seatbelt and a status of the second seatbelt through a second portion of the second seatbelt, the first and second portions including windows having properties to enable signals regarding the respective statuses to be transmitted therethrough; and means for displaying to indicate the status of the first seatbelt when the first seat is occupied and to display the status of the second seatbelt when the second seat is occupied. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification