PROTECTING CHILDREN AND PASSENGERS WITH RESPECT TO A VEHICLE

• US 20100302022A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asher S. Saban
• Original Assignee: Asher S. Saban
• Inventors: SABAN, Asher S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,044,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/459
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a system and methods for mitigation of the potential dangers to which at least a child, and passengers, are exposed to prior to, during travel and after travel, when outside and adjacent a vehicle. Potential dangers to which a child is exposed are risks associated with driving and non-driving behavior of the driver, when the child is inside and outside the vehicle, when the vehicle is driven on public roads and on private property grounds, and as a result of deficient of mistaken operation of child and passenger related devices. The system and methods require input commands into an indicator to operate equipment elements aboard the vehicle, including sensors, operable devices and alert systems, and are operative for communication with remote stations, with adjacent-driven vehicles, and with the vehicle owner.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a system for a vehicle having equipment elements comprising a configuration for providing an integrative protection suite, or protection envelope, in response to a complete cycle of operation of the vehicle to protect at least one passenger child being driven by a driver in the vehicle as a passenger, or at least one child outside and adjacent the vehicle, the method comprising:

associating the at least one child passenger with an identified passenger seat Vsj,

providing automatic disablement of an interior door-opening-handle and of a power window-switch adjacent the identified passenger seat, in response to at least one of a signal commanding locking of all doors of the vehicle, and a dedicated signal command,

providing control of either one of both airbag reduced speed/size and airbag shape of deployment and when appropriate, suppressing deployment of airbag(s) associated with the identified passenger seat,

applying appropriate pre-tension of belt force to the identified passenger seat prior to detection of an unavoidable collision,

communicating automatically with a crash notification system response center to report presence of the at least one child,

activating an alert signal to remind the driver that the at least one child is left unattended in the vehicle when the vehicle resides in parked mode,

including a child'"'"'s presence message in a vehicle-to-vehicle communication protocol,

activating a child-parking alert when appropriate,

activating a doors-left-unlocked alert when appropriate,

overriding signals attributed to incorrect use or to misuse of devices by a user,

detecting driver errors including providing alerts, warnings, instructions and guidance advising correction of driver errors,

detecting an ICSS or a child safety seat undesired disposition in the vehicle seat VSj and advising correction,

detecting seat belt misuse, and advising correction,

detecting incorrect use of an airbag cut-off switch including overriding of signals attributed to incorrect use, and advising correction,

warning the driver against smoking in an interior of the vehicle,

advising the driver to initiate a check to determine if the child is eligible for restraint in a booster seat,

moderating operation(s) of climate control device(s), cooperating with driving assistance systems and driver condition warning systems,

channeling services to at least one of the driver and the at least one child,

controlling the vehicle'"'"'s door locks to prevent a child from gaining access to the vehicle when parked,

controlling disconnection of power to a cigarette lighter to prevent accidental setting on fire of the vehicle,

notifying the driver of activation of an interior trunk-lid release apparatus, and

recording of a predetermined set of child-related-data to enable accident inquiry.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

associating at least one passenger child with an identified vehicle seat is achieved by at least one of the at least one child'"'"'s presence being indicated by a user entering input commands into an indicator adapted to receive the input commands, and by automatic input command delivered by an occupant classification sensing and detection system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

associating a passenger child with an identified vehicle seat VSj is achieved by coupling an ICSS to a vehicle interface, and

wherein the method further comprises;

comparing of g data items received from the identification module of the ICSS with safety data to verify compatibility,

comparing off signals of the sensor module, and g data items of the identification module with safety data to verify compatibility,

receiving of w signals regarding the g data items of ID data of the identification module to control airbags'"'"' deployment, and the g data items include at least one of seat type, seat dimensions and seat restraints,

applying appropriate pre-tension belt force to a seat belt of the identified passenger seat occupied by the ICSS and the ICSS is identified as a booster seat upon detection of an unavoidable collision,

communicating automatically data from an electronic unit of the ICSS with a crash notification system response center, and

checking for mutual compatibility between the child with respect to the specific ICSS into which the child is seated, the specific vehicle seat VSj, and the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

associating data related to a child also includes use of registered vehicle owner attributes, and

wherein the method further comprises;

advising the driver to initiate and execute a child-to-booster compatibility check,

detecting if the ICSS identified by seat type is compatible with the age of the child,

configuring operable devices of the equipment elements for total and partial disablement relative to the age of the child and the ICSS identifies by seat type,

activating a child parking alert when appropriate,

activating a doors-left-unlocked alert when appropriate, and

applying available data to operate at least one device selected from the group consisting of a key-interlock, a brake-to-shift interlock, and a transmission interlock, to prevent accidental setting into motion of the vehicle.

5. A method for protecting at least one child from hazards presented by a vehicle, the vehicle having equipment elements, the method comprising:

retrieving data selected alone and in combination from the group consisting of a passenger of the vehicle, an occupant of a specific vehicle seat, an occupant of an ICSS operatively coupled to the vehicle seat, and vehicle owner attributes, and

operating equipment elements according to the retrieved data, the equipment elements being selected alone and in combination from the group of equipment elements consisting of category A, category B, category C, and category D.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

retrieved data related to the at least one passenger child is fed by means being at least one of input commands entered by a user into an indicator adapted to receive input commands, and by means of automatic input commands delivered by an occupant classification sensing and detection system.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

retrieved data indicates that the child is a passenger of the vehicle, and

wherein the method further comprises;

communicating to the vehicle of data selected alone and in combination from the group consisting of traffic and safety advisory data, travel and navigation data, commercial and entertainment services data, and data received from communication interfaces.