Child safety seat alert system

• US 20070222622A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Janetta Sweeney
• Original Assignee: Janetta Sweeney
• Inventors: Sweeney, Janetta
• Application Number:
  US11/386,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• 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 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/10 Field detection presence sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system for alerting someone that a child is in a safety seat in a vehicle includes a proximity sensor/transmitter and a receiver. The receiver is removably mounted on a child'"'"'s car seat and the proximity sensor/transmitter remains on the car seat. After a child is placed in the seat, the receiver is removed from the seat and placed on the driver or other adult responsible for the child. The receiver can be placed in the person'"'"'s purse or on their person. If the person moves away from the vehicle without disabling the transmitter on the car seat will activate that receiver as soon as the receiver has moved a prescribed distance away from the vehicle. The receiver will generate a signal, such as an audible and/or visible signal, which will attract the attention of the person carrying the receiver. The signal will be generated in a continuous manner until the transmitter is disabled, which can only be done after the child is removed from the seat. The system further includes a light on the transmitter that is activated when the receiver is removed from the seat to signal that the system is active.

Claims

1. A system for alerting someone that a child is in a safety seat in a vehicle comprising:

A) a safety seat for use by a child or infant in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, the seat including a back supporting section, a seat section, and a seat belt system which includes seat belts which fit around a child when the child is strapped into the seat, the seat belts including shoulder belts and belts that fit between the child'"'"'s legs; and

B) a signaling system which includes

(1) a transmitter unit that is fixedly mounted on the safety seat, the transmitter unit including a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor including a proximity signal generator which generates a proximity signal when the transmitter unit is activated,

(2) a receiver unit that is removably mounted on the safety seat in a position that will be covered by the child or infant when the child or infant is accommodated in the safety seat, the position being such that the receiver unit must be removed in order for the child or infant to be comfortably accommodated in the safety seat, the receiver unit including a proximity signal receiver that is connected to the proximity signal generator of the transmitter unit via an over-the-air connection to receive the proximity signal generated by the proximity signal generator of the proximity sensor of the transmitter unit, the proximity signal receiver including an alarm signal generator which is activated when the proximity signal receiver of the receiver unit has moved away from the proximity sensor in the safety seat a preset distance, the alarm signal generator generating an alarm signal when activated, and

(3) an alarm system which includes

(a) an alarm signal receiver unit included in the receiver unit and connected to the alarm signal generator of receiver unit to receive the alarm signal from the alarm signal generator, and

(b) an alert signal generator connected to the alarm signal receiver unit of the receiver unit to generate an alert signal in response to the alarm signal received by the alert signal generator, and

(c) an alarm element in the receiver unit and connected to the alert signal generator of the alarm system to be activated when an alert signal is received by the alarm element from the alert signal generator.

2. The system defined in claim 1 further including a manually operated on/off switch.

3. A system for alerting someone that a child is in a safety seat in a vehicle comprising:

A) a safety seat for use by a child or infant when that child or infant is in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile; and

B) a signaling system which includes

(1) a transmitter unit that is fixedly mounted on the safety seat, the transmitter unit including a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor including a proximity signal generator which generates a proximity signal when the transmitter unit is activated,

(2) a receiver unit that is removably mounted on the safety seat in a position that will be covered by the child or infant when the child or infant is accommodated in the safety seat, the position being such that the receiver unit must be removed from the safety seat in order for the child or infant to be comfortably accommodated in the safety seat, the receiver unit including a proximity signal receiver that is connected to the proximity signal generator of the transmitter unit via an over-the-air connection to receive the proximity signal generated by the proximity signal generator of the proximity sensor of the transmitter unit, the proximity signal receiver including an alarm signal generator which is activated when the proximity signal receiver of the receiver unit has moved away from the proximity sensor in the safety seat a preset distance, the alarm signal generator generating an alarm signal when activated,

(3) an alarm system which includes

(a) an alarm signal receiver unit included in the receiver unit and connected to the alarm signal generator of receiver unit to receive the alarm signal from the alarm signal generator and to an alert signal in response to the alarm signal received by the alert signal generator, and

(b) an alarm element in the receiver unit and connected to the alarm signal receiver to be activated when an alert signal is received by the alarm element, and

(4) an indicator light on the receiver unit.

4. A system for alerting someone that a child is in a safety seat in a vehicle comprising:

A) a safety seat in which a child or infant sits when the child or infant is in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile;

B) a proximity sensor system which includes

(1) a first element fixed to the safety seat,

(2) a second element which is movable with respect to the first element, the second element being removably mounted on the safety seat in a location that will be covered by a child when that child is in the safety seat with the location being such that the second element must be removed from the safety seat for the child to be comfortably placed in the safety seat, and

(3) an alarm signal generator in the second element which is activated to generate an alarm signal when the second element moves away from the first element more than a prescribed distance;

B) an alarm system which includes an alarm generator which is connected to the alarm signal generator of the proximity sensor system to be activated in response to an alarm signal generated by the alarm signal generator; and

C) an on/off switch connected to the second element of the proximity sensor system which activates the proximity sensor system and the alarm system when the second element is removed from the safety seat and which deactivates the proximity sensor system and the alarm system when the second element is mounted on the safety seat.