Vehicle seatbelt usage technology

• US 20090043455A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fred D. Spooner, Jessica Lynn Laviolette
• Original Assignee: Fred D. Spooner, Jessica Lynn Laviolette
• Inventors: Spooner, Fred D., Laviolette, Jessica Lynn
• Application Number:
  US12/220,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4875 on vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An apparatus for indicating or signaling persons or entities outside of a vehicle, for example law enforcement personnel, that one or more occupants of the vehicle are not utilizing their seatbelts. A method of indicating or signaling persons or entities outside of a vehicle that one or more occupants of the vehicle are not utilizing their seatbelts is also disclosed. Methods of use of the apparatus and making the apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring seatbelt usage in a vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a vehicle occupant associated with each seatbelt of a vehicle, a controller communicatively connected to the at least one sensor and to each seatbelt for detecting use of each such seatbelt, and a signal output communicatively connected to the controller for outputting a signal indicative of the lack of usage of a seat belt by at least one vehicle occupant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal output is an indicator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the visual indicator is deployed on the exterior of a vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the visual indicator is at least one existing vehicle brake light.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal output is communicatively connected to the vehicle drive system and wherein the signal disables the vehicle drive system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power supply connected to the controller.

8. A method of monitoring seatbelt usage in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of a vehicle occupant associated with each seatbelt of a vehicle, detecting whether each occupant is using their associated seatbelt, and outputting a signal indicative of the lack of usage of a seat belt by at least one vehicle occupant.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the signal output is a percievable indicator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the visual indicator is output on the exterior of a vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the visual indicator is output from at least one existing vehicle brake light.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal output disables the vehicle drive system.