Smart occupant alarm system

• US 20030222775A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingshot IOT LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hintermeister, Gregory Richard, Rackham, DeVaughn Lawrence, Dunbar, Anthony Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,930,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457
• 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 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

An occupancy alarm system can be integrated into a motor vehicle or can be portable. The occupancy alarm system may be programmed to communicate with a program within a logic unit of the on-board computer within the vehicle or a cellular telephone or other wireless logic device so that if the driver'"'"'s door is open and the engine is turned off but there still is an occupant in the motor vehicle, an alarm is immediately triggered. The GPS coordinates of the motor vehicle or the cellular telephone or other wireless device may be communicated to a remote location service or a local emergency center as part of the alarm. The occupancy sensor may be mounted on the occupant or on the restraint system, and may interact with an ambient temperature sensor and an alarm, both of which may be integrated into a motor vehicle, to indicate that a dangerous condition exists for an occupant within the motor vehicle. The occupancy sensor, the ambient temperature monitor, the alarm may further be integrated together for a portable alarm system or may be mounted or otherwise integrated onto a portable restraint system. The occupancy alarm system may provide an interface and an override such that when the occupant remains in a potentially hazardous environment, that state is communicated via the interface and, if monitored by a responsible adult, the alarm can be overridden.

Claims

1. An occupancy alarm for a motor vehicle, comprising:

(a) an occupancy sensor, the occupancy sensor connected to an open door sensor, an engine monitor, and a logic unit having inputs from the occupancy sensor, the open door sensor, and the engine monitor; and

(b) a logic program within the logic unit such that when the occupancy sensor detects an occupant in the motor vehicle and when the open door sensor detects a driver'"'"'s door of the motor vehicle is open, and when the engine monitor detects the engine of the motor vehicle is turned off, an alarm is immediately activated.

2. The occupancy alarm of claim 1, wherein the open door sensor and the engine monitor are electronically connected to the occupancy sensor.

3. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the logic unit is part of an on-board computer of the vehicle.

4. The occupancy sensor of claim 3, wherein the on-board computer of the vehicle is connected to a GPS system and in response to the alarm, the GPS system outputs a signal and its GPS coordinates to a remote location service.

5. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor further comprises a heat or infrared sensor to detect radiation emitted from an occupant.

6. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor is attached to a restraint system.

7. The occupancy sensor of claim 6, wherein the occupancy sensor comprises a mass sensor situated in/on the restraint system.

8. The occupancy sensor of claim 6, wherein the restraint system is separable from the motor vehicle.

9. The occupancy sensor of claim 6, wherein the restraint system is integrated into the motor vehicle.

10. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor comprises a wireless device on the body or clothing of the occupant.

11. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the alarm is connected to the horn and/or lights of the vehicle.

12. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the alarm is connected to a wireless communication device which in response to the alarm being triggered, communicates with a remote location service the GPS coordinates.

13. An occupant alarm system, comprising an occupancy sensor in combination with an ambient temperature monitor, a logic unit, and an alarm;

the ambient temperature monitor, the logic unit, and the alarm integrated into a motor vehicle, such that when the ambient temperature monitor detects a hazardous temperature and when the occupancy sensor communicates to the logic unit that an occupant is present, the alarm is triggered.

14. The occupant alarm system of claim 13, further comprising a program to interact with the logic unit to allow input from the occupancy sensor, to create and/or modify at least one temperature limit for the ambient temperature monitor, and to create and/or modify an appropriate time delay.

15. An occupant alarm comprising:

(a) an occupancy sensor;

(b) an ambient temperature monitor;

(c) an alarm; and

(d) a logic unit having inputs from the occupancy sensor, the ambient temperature monitor, and outputs to the alarm,

such that when the occupancy sensor detects an occupant, and when the ambient temperature is beyond limits of a safe temperature range for a specified time, then the logic unit outputs an alarm signal indicating that a hazardous condition may exist for the occupant.

16. The occupant alarm of claim 15, wherein the alarm signal triggers the alarm.

17. The occupant alarm of claim 15 integrated into in a child safety seat.

18. The occupant alarm of claim 15 integrated into a stroller or pram.

19. The occupant alarm of claim 15 integrated into a backpack.

20. The occupant alarm of claim 15 integrated into a bicycle carrier/caboose

21. The occupant alarm of claim 15 integrated into a pet carrier.

22. A smart occupant alarm system, comprising:

(a) an occupancy sensor;

(b) an ambient temperature monitor electronically connected to the occupancy sensor;

(c) an interface mounted on the restraint system to communicate to a user a state of the occupancy sensor and the temperature monitor;

(d) an alarm; and

(e) a logic unit having a time delay, the logic unit having inputs from the occupancy sensor and the temperature monitor and outputs to the interface and the alarm.

23. The smart occupant alarm system of claim 22, wherein when the state of the occupancy sensor indicates the restraint system is occupied for longer than the time delay and when the temperature monitor indicates that an ambient temperature is beyond present limits beyond the time delay, then the logic unit communicates to the interface that an alert condition persists.

24. The smart occupant alarm system of claim 22, wherein when an alert condition persists, the alarm is triggered.

25. The smart occupant alarm system of claim 22, further comprising an override wherein when an alert condition persists but the override is activated, the alarm is not triggered.