Self-activating system and method for alerting when an object or a person is left unattended
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a transmitter for transmitting at least one encoded wireless signal, the at least one encoded signal wireless signal having a predetermined range of transmission;
means, operatively coupled to the transmitter, for detecting the presence of at least one object in a position;
means, operatively coupled to the detecting means, for activating the transmitter to generate the at least one encoded wireless signal when the presence of the at least one object is detected;
a receiver, remotely located with respect to the transmitter, capable of sensing the at least one encoded wireless signal when the receiver is within the predetermined range of transmission; and
a receiver controller coupled to the receiver and having a timing function, the timing function timing to a time interval wherein, at the completion of each time interval, the receiver controller (i) repeats the timing function when the at least one encoded signal is sensed by the receiver or (ii) issues an alarm signal when the at least one encoded signal is not sensed by the receiver.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method use a wireless tether comprising a transmitter and a receiver to alert a caregiver that an object has been left unattended. A detector senses the presence of the object, usually a child, located in a position such as a safety seat. The detector is operatively coupled to the transmitter, which is located near the object. The transmitter transmits at least one wireless signal when the object is in the position. The receiver, which is remotely located from the transmitter, senses the at least one signal as long as the receiver is within a prescribed range of transmission. By performing a timing function, the receiver monitors the proximity of the caregiver, who maintains possession of the receiver, to the transmitter. The system communicates an alarm to the caregiver when the caregiver ventures outside the range of transmission without having removed the object from the position.
37 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting at least one encoded wireless signal, the at least one encoded signal wireless signal having a predetermined range of transmission;
means, operatively coupled to the transmitter, for detecting the presence of at least one object in a position;
means, operatively coupled to the detecting means, for activating the transmitter to generate the at least one encoded wireless signal when the presence of the at least one object is detected;
a receiver, remotely located with respect to the transmitter, capable of sensing the at least one encoded wireless signal when the receiver is within the predetermined range of transmission; and
a receiver controller coupled to the receiver and having a timing function, the timing function timing to a time interval wherein, at the completion of each time interval, the receiver controller (i) repeats the timing function when the at least one encoded signal is sensed by the receiver or (ii) issues an alarm signal when the at least one encoded signal is not sensed by the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A safety apparatus comprising:
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a child safety seat;
a transmitter, operatively connected to the child safety seat, for transmitting at least one encoded wireless signal, the signal having a predetermined range of transmission;
means, operatively coupled to the transmitter, for monitoring the presence of a child in the safety seat;
means, operatively coupled to the monitoring means, for activating the transmitter to generate the at least one encoded wireless signal when the presence of the child in the child safety seat is detected;
a receiver, configured to be in the possession of a caregiver to the child, capable of sensing the at least one encoded wireless signal when the receiver is within the predetermined range of transmission;
a receiver controller coupled to the receiver and having a timing function, the timing function timing to a time interval wherein, at the completion of each time interval, the receiver controller (i) repeats the timing function when the at least one encoded signal is sensed by the receiver or (ii) issues an alarm signal when the at least one encoded signal is not sensed by the receiver; and
means, operatively coupled to the receiver controller, for communicating an alarm to the caregiver when the receiver controller issues an alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for alerting a caregiver that a child has been left unattended in a safety seat, comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting at least one encoded wireless signal, the transmitter having a predetermined range of transmission;
means, operatively coupled to the transmitter, for detecting the presence of the child in the safety seat;
means, operatively coupled to the detecting means, for activating the transmitter to generate the at least one encoded wireless signal when the presence of the child is detected;
a receiver, configured to be in the possession of the caregiver, capable of sensing the at least one encoded wireless signal when the receiver is within the predetermined range of transmission;
a receiver controller coupled to the receiver and having a timing function, the timing function timing to a time interval wherein, at the completion of each time interval, the receiver controller (i) repeats the timing function when the at least one encoded signal is sensed by the receiver or (ii) issues an alarm signal when the at least one encoded signal is not sensed by the receiver; and
means, operatively coupled to the receiver controller, for communicating an alarm to the caregiver when the receiver controller issues an alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A safety apparatus comprising:
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means for monitoring the presence of a child in a child seat; and
means, operatively connected to the monitoring means and configured to have a first portion affixed to the child seat and a second portion configured to be maintained in the possession of a caregiver to the child, for wirelessly tethering a caregiver of the child to the child seat, wherein the wireless tethering means is self-activated when the monitoring means first senses the presence of the child in the child seat and wherein the wireless tethering means communicates an alarm to the caregiver when the caregiver ventures beyond a predetermined distance from the child seat without having removed the child from the child seat. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for alerting a caregiver of a child, comprising steps for:
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automatically activating an alert system comprising a transmitter by placing the child in a pressure sensitive position;
transmitting a wireless signal from the vicinity of the child, the signal having a predetermined range;
maintaining in the possession of the caregiver a receiver for the wireless signal; and
communicating an alarm to the caregiver when the receiver is beyond the predetermined range of the signal for longer than a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for alerting a caregiver that a child has been left unattended in a child safety seat, comprising the acts of:
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sensing the weight present in the child safety seat;
sending an activating signal, once the presence of the child in the child safety seat has been sensed, to a transmitter that is operatively connected to the child safety seat, the transmitter having a predetermined range of transmission for a wireless signal;
transmitting an encoded wireless signal capable of being sensed by a receiver that is operatively coupled to the transmitter; and
wirelessly tethering the caregiver by maintaining the receiver in the vicinity of the caregiver and by issuing an alarm to the caregiver in the circumstance wherein the receiver is outside the predetermined range of transmission but the child is still positioned in the safety seat.
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Specification