Safety system for a closed compartment of a vehicle

• US 20050023858A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• 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 L., 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 7,097,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/76
• 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 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• 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: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/43 Rear deck lid latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/65 Emergency or safety

Abstract

A safety sensing system for a compartment of a vehicle is operable to detect an occupant within the vehicle compartment. The system may be operable to sense ambient conditions in the vehicle compartment, and may generate a control signal in response to the sensed conditions. The system may actuate indicators to notify operators of the vehicle that there is a person or animal detected in the compartment. Optionally the system may open the vehicle compartment in response to a detection of an occupant and the sensed conditions. The safety system includes a false trigger protection means that limits or reduces false detections of a person or animal within the compartment.

Claims

1-48. -48. (canceled).

49. A safety system for a compartment of a vehicle, the compartment of the vehicle comprising at least one of a trunk compartment of the vehicle and a cabin of the vehicle, said safety system comprising:

a sensing element sensing within the compartment of the vehicle;

a control responsive to said sensing element, said control operable to generate an output signal; and

said system including false trigger protection means, said false trigger protection means substantially limiting generation of said output signal to detection of an occupant within the compartment.

50. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises at least one of a mechanical means, a filtering means, an electronic means, an optical means, an analog means, a digital means, a computational means, a mathematical means, an algorithmic means and a secondary sensing means.

51. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element.

52. The safety system of claim 51, wherein sensing by said second sensing element is triggered by a sensing by said first sensing element.

53. The safety system of claim 52, wherein said system operates at a lower electrical current when sensing via said first sensing element than when sensing via said second sensing element.

54. The safety system of claim 53, wherein a sensing by said second sensing element confirms detection of an occupant within the compartment.

55. The safety system of claim 51, wherein one of said first and second sensing elements comprises at least one of a capacitive sensing element, a resistive sensing element, a thermal sensing element, a pressure sensing element, a thermopile sensing element, an imaging element, a radar sensing element, an ultrasonic sensing element, a carbon dioxide sensing element, a bolometer and a thermal imaging element.

56. The safety system of claim 55, wherein the other of said first and second sensing elements comprises at least one of a capacitive sensing element, a resistive sensing element, a thermal sensing element, a pressure sensing element, a thermopile sensing element, an imaging element, a radar sensing element, an ultrasonic sensing element, a carbon dioxide sensing element, a bolometer and a thermal imaging element.

57. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises at least one of a capacitive sensing element, a resistive sensing element, a thermal sensing element, a pressure sensing element, a thermopile sensing element, an imaging element, a radar sensing element, an ultrasonic sensing element, a carbon dioxide sensing element, a bolometer and a thermal imaging element.

58. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a capacitive sensing element.

59. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a resistive sensing element.

60. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a pressure sensing element.

61. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a radar sensing element.

62. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a thermal sensing element.

63. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises a position of said sensing element that reduces the effect of thermal abnormalities within the compartment.

64. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises restricting the bandwidth of radiation incident on said sensing element to be within a spectral bandwidth indicative of a living body.

65. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises processing an output signal of said sensing element and determining whether the signal frequency and/or amplitude is indicative of movement of a living body.

66. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises a thermal imaging element.

67. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said sensing element comprises an imaging element.

68. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises at least one of a lens, a field of view and a focal length of said sensing element.

69. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises a delay in said control generating said output signal until one of (a) a confirmatory occupant indicative signal is received by said control and (b) a plurality of occupant indicative signals are received by said control.

70. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises a learning function of said control, said control learning the thermal conditions of the vehicle compartment over time and adapting one or more threshold levels in response to the learned thermal conditions.

71. The safety system of claim 49 including a temperature sensor operable to detect a temperature of the compartment of the vehicle.

72. The safety system of claim 71, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises adjusting a sensitivity and reaction of said control in response to an output signal of said temperature sensor.

73. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said false trigger protection means comprises a lockout circuit that limits said control from generating said output signal when the vehicle is operating.

74. The safety system of claim 73, wherein said control is selectively locked in response to an input signal indicative of at least one of the vehicle ignition being on and the vehicle moving.

75. The safety system of claim 49 wherein said control is operable to at least one of (a) unlock a door of the compartment, (b) unlatch a door of the compartment, (c) open a door of the compartment, (d) open a window of the compartment, (e) open a deck lid of the compartment, and (f) and activate an alert.

76. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said safety system is configured to open a deck lid of the trunk compartment of the vehicle.

77. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said safety system is configured to unlock door or open a window of the cabin of the vehicle.

78. The safety system of claim 49 including a manual release device that is selectively actuatable to open the compartment irrespective of said output signal of said control.

79. The safety system of claim 78, wherein said manual release device is positionable within the compartment and actuatable by an occupant within the compartment.

80. The safety system of claim 78, wherein said manual release device comprises at least one of a handle, a push button and a switch.

81. The safety system of claim 78 including a release assist device which is operable to open the door of the compartment in response to at least one of said output signal and said manual release device.

82. The safety system of claim 81, wherein said manual release device is configured to a least occasionally open the door of the compartment independent of said release assist device.

83. The safety system of claim 78 including an illumination source positionable within the compartment and operable to at least occasionally illuminate said manual release device.

84. The safety system of claim 49, wherein said control is operable to activate at least one of an alarm, a lock release, a horn, a siren, a pager, at least one auxiliary illumination source, a headlamp, a mirror indicator and a dashboard indicator on the vehicle.