Technology and methods of on-board vehicle occupant accurate weighing by a simplified weighing apparatus based on weighing moderator and its applications in on-board occupant weighing systems

• US 10,525,849 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2019
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Original Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Inventors: Kriger, Yefim G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Application Number:
  US16/366,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20190217741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• 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: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

An on-board vehicle occupant weighing technology includes a simplified vehicle occupant weighing apparatus based on the discovered horwest effect and weighing moderator. The simplified weighing apparatus utilizes a weighing unit connected to the car seat of the vehicle occupant and a further weighing moderator, which provides convenient weighing of the foot part of the occupant'"'"'s body by the same weighing unit that is connected to the car seat. The technology employs several methods of the weight measurements provided by different moderator approaches. The technology, methods, and simplified weighing apparatus are employed in on-board vehicle overweight and obesity preventing system wherein a weight trend analyzer provides predicting possibility of the occupant'"'"'s overweight or obesity in a short predetermined period of time and automatically warning a vehicle occupant and a health care provider of the condition. The technology may also provide an accurate and convenient occupant'"'"'s weight measurement in the vehicle safety devices such as seat belt and air bag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS system) to improve the Occupant Classification System to prevent possible extra force applied to the occupant'"'"'s body in case of collision.

Claims

1. A method of weighing a person sitting in a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

applying a force in a first horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of an object that is a predetermined distance away from a weighing unit operatively coupled to the seat of the vehicle, wherein application of the force in the horizontal direction does not change a weight measurement of the person recorded by the weighing unit when the person is applying the force in the horizontal direction to the vertical surface;

compressing in a second horizontal frontal direction at least one of a plurality of switches, located above a waist of the person and located on a substantially vertical part of the vehicle; and

lifting feet of the person above a floor of the vehicle during weight measurement of the person; and

signaling a result of the weight measurement to an on-board computing and control unit of the vehicle when the feet of the person are above the floor of the vehicle and one of the plurality of switches is compressed.

2. A method of weighing a person as in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a school bus and the person is a student on the school bus, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving personal information of the student by an on-board computing and control unit or a smartphone of a driver of the school bus or a health care person in the school bus that stores the personal information of the student;

choosing by the on-board computing and control unit or smartphone a location of a bus seat or scale to weigh student in the school bus;

measuring a weight of the student with the scale that is located on a floor of the school bus or by a weighing unit connected to the bus seat of the student in the school bus;

eliminating the need to separately weigh the student'"'"'s feet, while weighing the student by compressing in horizontal direction a switch of a weighing moderator located on a substantially vertical surface in front of student'"'"'s hands;

simultaneously lifting the student'"'"'s feet above the floor of the school bus during a weight measurement of the student;

measuring a height of the student by a heightmeter located on a ceiling of the school bus;

receiving the student'"'"'s weight and height with the on-board computing and control unit or the smartphone;

processing a collected weight of the student by the on-board computing and control unit or smartphone while receiving the signals from the switch of the weighing moderator;

sending the result of the weight and height measurements of the student to the school obesity preventing system by the smartphone;

determining the probability of an overweight or obesity condition in a predetermined time of the student by a weight trend analyzer executed by the smartphone or the on-board computing and control unit;

upon forecasting the overweight or obesity condition of the student, sending a warning about the overweight or obesity condition of the student to one of;

the student'"'"'s parent, a school nurse, and the student'"'"'s primary health care provider; and

erasing previous weight measurements of another student of the school bus from the driver'"'"'s smartphone.

3. A method of weighing a person as in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is one of a corporate vehicle, a corporate bus, a limousine, and a tourist bus comprising the steps of:

logging in by a registered occupant of the vehicle into an on-board vehicle overweight and obesity preventing system by the registered occupant'"'"'s smartphone;

receiving the registered occupant'"'"'s personal information by the on-board vehicle overweight and obesity preventing system, wherein the registered occupant'"'"'s smartphone stores the registered occupant'"'"'s personal information;

measuring a weight of the registered occupant'"'"'s by the weighing unit;

receiving the registered occupant'"'"'s weight with the smartphone;

processing collected weight of the registered occupant by the smartphone while receiving a signal from the plurality of switches;

showing a graph of weight or BMI trend of the registered occupant on a screen of the smartphone of the registered occupant;

sending a result of the weight measurement of the registered occupant to a company obesity preventing system by the smartphone;

determining the probability of an overweight or obesity in a predetermined short period of time of the registered occupant by a weight trend analyzer executed by the smartphone;

upon forecasting an overweight or obesity condition of the registered occupant, sending a warning about the overweight or obesity condition to the registered occupant on the screen of the registered occupant'"'"'s smartphone and to the registered occupant'"'"'s primary doctor at the registered occupant'"'"'s discretion wirelessly by the register occupant'"'"'s smartphone.

4. A method of operating an on-board vehicle overweight and obesity preventing system as in claim 1, wherein the person is a baby or small child, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the baby'"'"'s or the small child'"'"'s personal information, wherein an on-board computing and control unit shares the baby'"'"'s or the small child'"'"'s personal information with a smartphone;

choosing from a menu a name of the baby or the small child and a position or number of a car seat to which a weighing unit is connected and in which the baby or the small child will be weighed and above which a heightmeter is secured on a ceiling the vehicle;

measuring a height of the baby or the small child with the heightmeter;

measuring a weight of the baby or the small child with the weighing unit;

receiving the baby'"'"'s or the small child'"'"'s weight with the on-board computing and control unit and the smartphone;

calculating the baby'"'"'s or the small child'"'"'s weight, height, and BMI with the on-board computing and control unit and the smartphone;

sending the results of the weight and height measurements of the baby or the small child to an obesity preventing system where the baby or the small child is registered;

determining a probability of an overweight or an obesity condition in a predetermined period of time of the baby or the small child by the obesity preventing system;

upon forecasting an overweight or an obesity condition of the baby or the small child by the obesity preventing system, sending a warning about the overweight or the obesity condition to a parent of the baby or the small child locally or to the baby'"'"'s or small child'"'"'s primary doctor by a wireless communication device or a smartphone.

5. A method of weighing a person as in claim 1, comprising:

monitoring a state of the vehicle when it has not moved from a garage, a driveway, or a parking lot by;

confirming with a signal from a gear selector of the vehicle that the vehicle is in a park position;

confirming that the person is in the seat by a signal from the weighing unit attached to the seat,

confirming that a foot of the person is on the substantially vertical surface by a signal from a switch of the weighing unit;

confirming that another foot of the person is on a brake pedal by a signal from the brake pedal;

confirming that the gear selector has been changed from park to a drive/reverse position;

storing the person'"'"'s weight measurements to a computing and control unit from an output of the weighing unit connected to the seat while signals from the gas pedal and the brake pedal indicate that the foot and the another foot are no longer on the gas pedal and the brake pedals;

processing the weight measurements of the person by the computing and control unit or the smartphone;

showing a graph of weight or BMI trend of person on a screen of the on-board computing and control unit or the smartphone;

determining a probability of an overweight condition or an obesity condition in a predetermined of time of the person by a weight trend analyzer, wherein the determining step is executed by the on-board computing and control unit or the smartphone;

upon forecasting the overweight or the obesity condition, sending a warning to the person and the person'"'"'s primary doctor by a wireless communication device.