Monitoring for safety in moving environments

• US 10,249,162 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Auvenshine, John J., Ciaravella, Anthony J., Olson, John T., Welp, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura N
• Application Number:
  US14/886,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20170109987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Various embodiments for monitoring safety by a processor. A presence of a living thing is detected inside an enclosed environment to be monitored. The enclosed environment is capable of motion. The presence of the living thing is monitored in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment. If the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring safety, by a processor device, comprising:

detecting a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion;

wherein detecting the presence of the living thing further includes detecting, by a camera sensor equipped with a microphone housed within the enclosed environment and using facial recognition mechanisms performed on images captured by the camera sensor in conjunction with auditory cues captured by the microphone, whether the living thing is at least one of a human occupant and an animal occupant; and

monitoring the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user, and wherein the at least one environmental factor comprises a temperature of the enclosed environment, and further wherein the alert notification is provided to a remote device if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold notwithstanding a fuzzy logic is used such that the alert notification is delayed for a period of time if it is determined that a climate control system of the enclosed environment has not yet activated to bring the temperature of the enclosed environment within the adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle, and monitoring the presence of the living thing includes detecting the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, further including providing the alert notification to the remote device using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, further including providing the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental factor further comprises a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment, wherein the predetermined threshold further includes a movement, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.

6. A system for monitoring safety, comprising:

a processor device that;

detects a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion;

wherein detecting the presence of the living thing further includes detecting, by a camera sensor equipped with a microphone housed within the enclosed environment and using facial recognition mechanisms performed on images captured by the camera sensor in conjunction with auditory cues captured by the microphone, whether the living thing is at least one of a human occupant and an animal occupant, and

monitors the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user, and wherein the at least one environmental factor comprises a temperature of the enclosed environment, and further wherein the alert notification is provided to a remote device if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold notwithstanding a fuzzy logic is used such that the alert notification is delayed for a period of time if it is determined that a climate control system of the enclosed environment has not yet activated to bring the temperature of the enclosed environment within the adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle, and the processor device, pursuant to monitoring the presence of the living thing, detects the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

8. The system of claim 6, further including a module controlled by the remote device;

wherein the processor device provides the alert notification to the module using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device provides the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one environmental factor further comprises a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment, wherein the predetermined threshold further includes a movement, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.

11. A computer program product for monitoring safety by a processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that detects a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion;

wherein detecting the presence of the living thing further includes detecting, by a camera sensor equipped with a microphone housed within the enclosed environment and using facial recognition mechanisms performed on images captured by the camera sensor in conjunction with auditory cues captured by the microphone, whether the living thing is at least one of a human occupant and an animal occupant, and

a second executable portion that monitors the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user, and wherein the at least one environmental factor comprises a temperature of the enclosed environment, and further wherein the alert notification is provided to a remote device if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold notwithstanding a fuzzy logic is used such that the alert notification is delayed for a period of time if it is determined that a climate control system of the enclosed environment has not yet activated to bring the temperature of the enclosed environment within the adjustable, predetermined high and adjustable, predetermined low threshold.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle, and further including a third executable portion that, pursuant to monitoring the presence of the living thing, detects the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further including a third executable portion that provides the alert notification to the remote device using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that provides the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one environmental factor further comprises a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment, wherein the predetermined threshold further includes a movement, and further including a third executable portion that provides the alert notification if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.