Compartment sensing system

• US 20020196131A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koops, Roger, Uhlmann, Eugenie V.., Taylor, David W., Teowee, Gimtong, McCarthy, Kevin C., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Bingle, Robert L., Bos, Brent J., Hoekstra, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,621,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/20 using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/26 Emergency opening means for persons trapped in the luggage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/12 Inner door handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/82 Knobs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8946 Emergency unlocking or release arrangements

Abstract

A system for sensing ambient conditions in a compartment, such as the trunk of an automobile, generates a control signal in response to the sensed conditions. This control signal actuates indicators to notify operators of the vehicle that there is a person trapped in the trunk. The control signal is also used to actuate a lamp inside the trunk to provide light for the trapped person. A trunk release is also actuated, by a control module, to free the trapped person. The trunk release of the automobile can be prevented from being actuated if the automobile is moving, which prevents the trunk lid from unexpectedly opening while the vehicle is in motion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the status of a compartment of a vehicle comprising:

a first sensor, disposed in the compartment, for generating an alert signal responsive to sensed conditions in the compartment;

a controller, coupled to the sensor, for receiving the alert signal and generating a control signal in accordance with the alert signal; and

a mechanism coupled to the controller, disposed in the compartment for receiving the control signal from the controller and entering an open position when actuated by the control signal.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller receives a motion signal, generated by the vehicle, indicative of vehicle motion.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control signal will not actuate the mechanism while the vehicle is in a non-stationary state.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:

an output indicator, coupled to the controller, for receiving the control signal and outputting an indication in accordance with the alert signal.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the output indicator is selected from the group consisting of headlamp, horn, siren, pager and dashboard indicator.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the alert signal is generated by the first sensor sensing a predetermined quantity of stimuli within a predetermined period of time.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a disable switch, coupled to the controller, for disabling the controller.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

a sensor indicator, mounted on the first sensor, for providing an indication signal indicative of the location of the first sensor.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

a seat, having front and rear surfaces, positioned so that the rear surface of the seat forms a surface of the compartment;

a seat position sensor, mounted on the seat and coupled to the controller, for generating a seat position signal indicative of vehicle seat position;

wherein the seat position sensor transmits the seat position signal to the controller, which uses the seat position signal as a component of the control signal.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first sensor is a pyroelectric sensor.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the pyroelectric sensor requires less than 600 microamps of power during operation.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control signal will not actuate the mechanism while the mechanism is in the open position.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

a temperature sensor, coupled to the controller, for sensing compartment ambient temperature;

wherein the control generates the control signal based on a lower quantity of stimuli when the compartment ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first sensor further comprises:

an photoelectric sensor for sensing ambient light energy and generating a light signal indicative of the sensed light;

wherein the first sensor utilizes the light signal as a component of the alert signal.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compartment is a trunk of an automobile.

20. The vehicle cargo compartment control system according to claim 19, further comprising:

an indicator, mounted in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, capable of illumination,

wherein the controller generates a signal to illuminate the indicator when the sensor signal exceeds the predetermined threshold and the motion signal indicates the vehicle is in a non-stationary state.

21. The vehicle cargo compartment control system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the determination of whether the sensor signal exceeds the predetermined threshold is a function of a quantity of sensor signals exceeding a predetermined magnitude received by the controller in a particular time interval.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor further comprises:

a lens having one or more lenslets, each lenslet having a focal length between 5 mm and 10 mm

15. An apparatus for controlling a light source in a compartment comprising:

a latch, mounted on the compartment, for generating a latch signal indicative of latch position;

a pyroelectric sensor, mounted on a surface of the compartment for sensing heat and generating an alert signal in response to sensed heat;

a light source, mounted on a surface of the compartment, for emitting light energy when actuated; and

a controller, coupled to the latch, the sensor and the light source, for receiving the alert signal from the sensor and the latch signal from the latch,

wherein the controller generates a control signal as a function of the alert signal and the latch signal, and the control signal actuates the light source.

16. A method for controlling the status of a compartment latch of a vehicle comprising:

sensing conditions in the compartment at predetermined time intervals;

generating an alert signal indicative of the sensed conditions;

generating a motion signal indicative of vehicle motion;

transmitting the alert signal to a controller;

transmitting the motion signal to the controller;

generating a control signal in accordance with the alert signal and the motion signal; and

actuating a latch in response to the control signal.

17. An apparatus for controlling the status of a compartment latch of a vehicle comprising:

means for sensing ambient conditions in the compartment;

means for generating an alert signal indicative of the ambient conditions in the compartment;

means for sensing motion of the vehicle;

means for generating a motion signal indicative of vehicle motion; and

means for controlling the status of the compartment latch in accordance with the alert signal and the motion signal.

19. A vehicle cargo compartment control system for controlling an actuatable latch disposed on a cargo compartment of a vehicle, the vehicle capable of generating a motion signal indicative of a state of vehicle motion, comprising:

a sensor, disposed in the cargo compartment, capable of sensing the presence of a being in the cargo compartment and generating a sensor signal when a being is sensed; and

a controller, coupled to the sensor and the actuatable latch of the cargo compartment, capable of receiving the sensor signal and capable of receiving the motion signal,

wherein the controller determines whether the sensor signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, and actuates the latch of the cargo compartment when the sensor signal exceeds the predetermined threshold and the motion signal indicates the vehicle is in a stationary state.

22. A latch release system for actuating a trunk latch of a vehicle, capable of generating a vehicle motion signal indicative of vehicle motion and the vehicle having a passenger compartment and a trunk compartment, the latch release system comprising:

a sensor, mounted in the interior of the trunk compartment, that senses thermal energy in the trunk compartment and generates an output signal indicating a sensed quantity of thermal energy in the trunk compartment;

an indicator, mounted in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, adapted to illuminate; and

a controller, mounted on the vehicle and coupled to the sensor and the indicator, that receives the output signal from the sensor, and compares the magnitude and quantity of the output signals received from the sensor to a predetermined magnitude and a predetermined time period to establish an alarm condition, the controller also adapted to receive a vehicle motion signal from the vehicle indicative of vehicle motion,

wherein the controller actuates the latch when an alarm condition has been established and the vehicle motion signal indicates the vehicle is in a stationary state, and

wherein the controller illuminates the indicator when an alarm condition has been established and the vehicle motion signal indicates the vehicle is in a non-stationary state.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23 wherein the control circuit determines a response to the output signal by accumulating a predetermined quantity of output signals that exceed a predetermined magnitude within a predetermined time interval.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the output signal is produced by the sensor generating at least three viable signals within a five minute time interval.

28. The system as claimed in claim 27 wherein the destinations are selected from the group consisting of a latch release mechanism and an indicator.

23. A latch release system for selectively conditioning the opening of a normally closed trunk compartment lid of a movable vehicle, the vehicle capable of generating a vehicle motion signal indicative of vehicle motion, the vehicle having an indicator mounted on a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the trunk compartment lid having latched and unlatched states and being latched into its latched state by a selectively releasable latching mechanism disposed on the trunk compartment lid, the system comprising:

a sensing circuit for sensing the presence of an occupant within the trunk compartment and producing an output signal in response thereto; and

a control circuit, for receiving the vehicle motion signal, and responsive to the output signal is adapted to illuminate the indicator when the vehicle motion signal indicates the vehicle is moving and conditions the latching mechanism for the unlocking of the trunk compartment when the vehicle motion signal indicates that the vehicle is stationary.

27. A system for sensing an occupant in a vehicle compartment comprising:

a primary sensor, mounted in the compartment, for sensing the presence of a living being in the compartment, the primary sensor adapted to generate an output signal upon receiving adequate input; and

a controller, coupled to the primary sensor, for receiving the output signal from the primary sensor and generating a control signal based on the output signal,

wherein the control signal is transmitted to one or more destinations, the destinations depending on the status of the vehicle.

29. A system for sensing an occupant in a vehicle compartment comprising:

a primary sensor, mounted in the compartment, for sensing the presence of a living being in the compartment, the primary sensor adapted to generate a primary output signal upon receiving adequate input

one or more secondary sensors coupled to the primary sensor for generating a secondary output signal in response to receiving the primary output signal; and

a controller, coupled to the secondary sensor, for receiving the secondary output signal from the secondary sensor and generating a control signal based on the secondary output signal,

wherein the control signal is transmitted to one or more destinations, the destinations depending on a state of the vehicle.

30. A compartment sensing system for sensing an occupant in a trunk of an automobile comprising:

a thermal sensor, disposed in the trunk compartment, for sensing the presence of an occupant in the trunk compartment and generating a sensor signal;

a controller, coupled to the sensor, for receiving the sensor and generating a control signal in response to the sensing signal;

an actuatable handle, for releasing a trunk lid, having an illumination device mounted within the handle, the illumination device coupled to the controller and upon receiving the control signal, illuminates;

an audible output device, coupled to the controller, for outputting an audible pre-stored message upon receiving the control signal.