Child car seat alert system
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to warn that a child has been left unattended in the vehicle when the ignition is off. The system includes a sensing device to detect if a child is in the infant seat, an ignition detection device to detect that the ignition is off, a delay timer to provide a certain period of time for the caregiver to remove the child from the car seat or put the child in the infant/booster seat and then to generate an alarm, a speaker to sound the alarm, and a switching assembly to detect when the dome light goes on, or if the dome light is operable.
13 Citations
23 Claims
-
1-8. -8. (canceled)
-
9. An after market system adapted to fit on any infant seat, said system for detecting the presence of a child in an infant seat located within a vehicle comprising:
-
means for detecting the presence and absence of a child in the infant seat; means for detecting an on and off state of the vehicle; means for automatically generating an alarm signal in response to said means for detecting the presence and absence of a child in the infant seat detecting the presence of a child in the infant seat for a pre-defined period of time after said means for detecting the on and off state of the vehicle detects an off state; an alarm responsive to said alarm signal, said alarm in communication with a speaker, said speaker positioned to alert occupants of said vehicle; means for delaying activation of said alarm, for a programmable time period, responsive to when a dome light of said vehicle is illuminated in response to a door of said vehicle being opened; and
means for determining operability of said dome light. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An after market system adapted to fit on any infant seat, said system for detecting the presence of a child in an infant seat located within a vehicle comprising:
-
at least one sensor for detecting the presence and absence of a child in the infant seat; a relay for detecting an on and off state of the vehicle; a signal controller for automatically generating an alarm signal in response to said sensor detecting the absence of a child in the infant seat and said means for detecting the on and off state of the vehicle detects an off state; an alarm responsive to said alarm signal, said alarm in communication with and a speaker, said speaker positioned to alert occupants of the vehicle; a timer for delaying activation of said alarm, for a programmable time period, for a time period triggered by a dome light of said vehicle being illuminated in response to a door of said vehicle being opened; and a sensor for determining operability of said dome light. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method of alerting persons of the presence of a child in an infant seat in a vehicle comprising:
-
sensing the presence a child in an infant seat; sensing said vehicle in an off state; after a pre-established time period of sensing the presence a child in an infant seat and sensing said vehicle in an off state, without delay, automatically generating an alarm signal; responsive to said alarm signal, causing an audible alarm to sound such that occupants of said vehicle are alerted; and providing a factory preset timer operable to delay activation of said audible alarm for a time period triggered by a dome light of said vehicle being illuminated in response to a door of said vehicle being opened.
-
Specification