Vehicle compartment occupancy detection system

• US 20020080014A1
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Uhlmann, Eugenie V., Hourtienne, Mitchell J., Taylor, David W., McCarthy, Kevin C., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Burgner, Lori L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,768,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• 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 2/0022 for sensing anthropometric parameters, e.g. heart rate or body temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0026 for distinguishing between humans, animals or objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

A vehicle compartment occupancy detection system is operable to detect a presence of a person or animal within a vehicle compartment, such as a vehicle cabin or trunk space, by detecting a change in an electric field within the compartment. The detection system includes an electric field generator and an electric field sensor which is operable to detect changes in the electric field generated within the compartment. The detection system may further be operable to activate an accessory in response to one or more inputs and the electric field sensor. The detection system may be operable in response to one or more inputs which are indicative of a hazardous condition within the vehicle compartment. The detection system may then be operable to take corrective action to at least partially alleviate the hazardous condition and/or to communicate to a person exteriorly of the vehicle that the hazardous condition exists.

Claims

1. A vehicle compartment sensing system for detecting the presence of a person in a vehicle compartment comprising:

at least one electric field sensor which is operable to detect occupancy in the vehicle compartment by detecting a change in an electric field within the compartment which is indicative of a presence of a person within the compartment.

2. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1, wherein said change in said electric field is indicative of a biometric characteristic of a person.

3. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 2, wherein said biometric characteristic comprises a respiration characteristic.

4. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1 further including at least one electric field generator which is operable to generate said electric field within the compartment.

5. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one electric field generator and said at least one electric field sensor are positioned adjacent to one another and positionable along a surface of the vehicle compartment.

6. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one electric field generator and said at least one electric field sensor are positionable at opposed facing surfaces of the vehicle compartment.

7. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one electric field generator comprises at least one transmitting electrode and said at least one electric field sensor comprises at least one receiving electrode.

8. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one electric field sensor comprises at least two electric field sensors positionable within the vehicle compartment.

9. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one electric field sensor is further operable to generate said electric field within the vehicle compartment.

10. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1 further including a microprocessor which is operable to receive a signal from said at least one electric field sensor and to at least one of receive at least one input and output at least one output.

11. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 10, wherein said microprocessor is operable to receive at least one input and to output at least one output, said microprocessor being operable to output at least one output in response to said at least one input and said signal from said at least one electric field sensor.

12. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 11, wherein said microprocessor is operable to said output at least one output in response to said at least one input being indicative of a hazardous condition within the vehicle compartment and said signal from said at least one electric field sensor being indicative of a person being detected within the vehicle compartment.

13. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 12, wherein said at least one output comprises at least one of a corrective action to at least partially alleviate the hazardous condition and a communication to communicate to a person exteriorly of the vehicle that the hazardous condition exists.

14. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 10, wherein said microprocessor is operable to receive at least one input, said at least one input comprising at least one of a temperature input indicative of a temperature within the vehicle compartment, a door lock status, a door position, a window position, a vehicle motion status, an ignition position, a signal from a radar detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from an ultrasound detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from an imaging detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from a carbon dioxide detector within the vehicle compartment and a signal from a carbon monoxide detector within the vehicle compartment.

15. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 14, wherein said microprocessor is further operable to output at least one output, said at least one output comprising at least one of a communication with a remote receiver, activation of a ventilation system of the vehicle, actuation of at least one of a horn or a light of the vehicle, activation of a security system, unlocking of the doors of the vehicle, opening of at least one window of the vehicle, and activation of a remote transducer.

16. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 15, wherein said microprocessor is operable to output a communication with a remote receiver, said communication comprising at least one of contacting an emergency number from a communication system of the vehicle, calling the owner of the vehicle via a portable telephone of the owner and sending an image of the vehicle compartment to the remote receiver.

17. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 10, wherein said microprocessor is operable to output at least one output, said at least one output comprising at least one of a communication with a remote receiver, activation of a ventilation system of the vehicle, actuation of at least one of a horn or a light of the vehicle, activation of a security system, unlocking of the doors of the vehicle, opening of at least one window of the vehicle, and activation of a remote transducer.

18. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 17, wherein said microprocessor is operable to output a communication with a remote receiver, said communication comprising at least one of contacting an emergency number from a communication system of the vehicle, calling the owner of the vehicle via a portable telephone of the owner and sending an image of the vehicle compartment to the remote receiver.

19. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 10, wherein said compartment sensing system includes a timer, said microprocessor being operable to receive said signal from said at least one electric field sensor for a period of time following an activating event, said vehicle compartment sensing system being deactivated at the end of said period of time.

20. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 19, wherein said activating event comprises a signal being received by said microprocessor which is indicative of a person exiting the vehicle.

21. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 1 further including a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature within the compartment, said vehicle compartment sensing system being operable to actuate one or more accessories in response to said temperature sensor and said at least one electric field sensor.

22. A vehicle compartment sensing system for detecting the presence of a person in a vehicle compartment comprising:

at least one electric field generator which is operable to generate a electric field within the compartment;

at least one electric field sensor which is operable to detect said electric field within the vehicle compartment; and

a control which is operable to determine occupancy of the vehicle compartment in response to a change in said electric field being detected by said at least one electric field sensor, said change in said electric field being indicative of respiration of a person within the compartment.

23. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 22, wherein said control is operable to actuate at least one accessory in response to said change in said electric field.

24. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 22, wherein said control is further operable in response to at least one input, said control being operable to actuate at least one accessory in response to said change in said electric field and said at least one input.

25. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 24, wherein said at least one input comprises at least one of a temperature input indicative of a temperature within the vehicle compartment, a door lock status, a door position, a window position, a vehicle motion status, an ignition position, a signal from a radar detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from an ultrasound detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from an imaging detector within the vehicle compartment, a signal from a carbon dioxide detector within the vehicle compartment and a signal from a carbon monoxide detector within the vehicle compartment.

26. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 24, wherein said at least one accessory comprises at least one of a communication system, a security system, a door lock system of the vehicle, a window of the vehicle, a ventilation system of the vehicle, an air conditioning system of the vehicle, a heater of the vehicle, a light of the vehicle and a horn of the vehicle.

27. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 22, wherein said control is operable to determine occupancy for a period of time after receiving a signal which is indicative of a person exiting the vehicle.

28. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 27, wherein said control is deactivated at the end of said period of time.

29. The vehicle compartment sensing system of claim 28, wherein said control is reactivated in response to a signal indicative of a person entering or opening the vehicle.

30. A method for sensing the presence of a person in a vehicle compartment comprising:

providing at least one electric field sensor at the vehicle compartment;

sensing a change in an electric field within the vehicle compartment which is indicative of a presence of a person within the vehicle compartment.

31. The method of claim 30 including:

sensing at least one vehicle characteristic; and

actuating at least one accessory in response to the at least one vehicle characteristic and said at least one electric field sensor.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein sensing at least one vehicle characteristic comprises at least one of sensing a temperature within the vehicle compartment, determining a door lock status, determining a door position, determining a window position, determining a vehicle motion status, determining an ignition position, receiving a signal from a radar detector within the vehicle compartment, receiving a signal from an ultrasound detector within the vehicle compartment, receiving a signal from an imaging detector within the vehicle compartment, receiving a signal from a carbon dioxide detector within the vehicle compartment and receiving a signal from a carbon monoxide detector within the vehicle compartment.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein actuating at least one accessory comprises at least one of communicating with a remote receiver, activating a ventilation system of the vehicle, actuating at least one of a horn or a light of the vehicle, activating a security system of the vehicle, unlocking the doors of the vehicle, opening at least one window of the vehicle, and activating a remote transducer.

34. The method of claim 30 including providing at least one electric field generator which is operable to generate the electric field within the vehicle compartment.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein sensing a change in an electric field comprises sensing a change in an electric field which is indicative of a biometric characteristic of a person within the vehicle compartment.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein sensing a change in an electric field comprises sensing a change in an electric field which is indicative of respiration of a person within the vehicle compartment.

37. The method of claim 30 including activating said electric field sensor in response to a signal indicative of a person exiting the vehicle.

38. The method of claim 37 including deactivating said electric field sensor following a period of time after receiving said signal indicative of a person exiting the vehicle.