Remote Child Monitor

• US 20130307684A1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tpkidsco LP
• Original Assignee: Tpkidsco LP
• Inventors: Pallotta, George Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The remote child monitor is an intelligent child seat presence, operator reminder, and emergency alert monitoring system and method that reduces the probability of a child properly secured in a vehicle baby seat being left unattended in a vehicle. The central monitoring device detects when the child is secured in the baby seat, communicates with the driver, the vehicle, and reminds the driver of the child being secured in the baby seat. Multiple layers of communication and back up operators are employed to further reduce the child being ignored. Communications include personal area network, local area network, and cellular networks GPS. Operators include primary, secondary, and emergency (911).

Claims

1. An intelligent child seat monitoring system that reduces the probability of a child properly secured in a vehicle baby seat, being left unattended implementing critical reminders comprised of:

a smart phone(s),

a communication network,

a Cellular network,

a child secured in a vehicle baby seat,

a series of communication protocols operating in a smart phone from the baby seat to communicate, through reminders to an operator, performing as child care giver, monitoring another smart phone in proximity of the operator of potential danger from unintentional neglect to the child secured in the baby seat,

a plurality of communication networks over which to communicate potential danger from neglect from the baby seat smart phone to the operator smart phone,

a preprogrammed network notification selection protocol(s) to further minimize unintentional danger from neglect to the baby in the baby seat,

a plurality of operators predetermined to receive notifications providing a fail-safe operator notification of potential danger from neglect to the baby in the seat,

a plurality of programmed notifications providing fail-safe operation with acknowledge reply required,

a emergency information alert message,

a baby seat presence sensor interface for the baby is secured in the baby seat, and

a plurality of reminders including operator notification alerts to reduce occurrence of unintentional abandonment by neglect.

2. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the smart phone includes;

a cellular transceiver, GPS, display, processor, memory, battery, charger, microphone, speaker, input/output, Bluetooth, Local Area Network.

3. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein a personal area network PAN provides communication network for short ranges.

4. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein a local area network LAN provides communication network for medium ranges.

5. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the cellular network provides a virtually unlimited communication range.

6. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication protocols are continuous with a series details containing the level of danger from neglect to the baby in the baby seat.

7. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks is range dependent configuration facilitating short range communication, switching to medium range communication if short range signal is lost, and switching to cellular if medium range signal is lost.

8. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the notifications relate a collection of reminders and alerts to operator(s) depending on level of danger from neglect to the baby.

9. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the notifications protocols implement a sequential switching from short to medium to cellular as distance requires insuring maximum probability of successful communication of notifications.

10. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein an acknowledge protocol notifications keep operator involved and reduce the danger from neglect to the baby.

11. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the emergency alert message information contains a collection of critical data including situation and specifics of the child, vehicle appearance, location, POC with contact numbers and time left unattended.

12. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system communicates with the vehicle through a vehicle communication systems for critical vehicle information.

13. The intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the system communicates with the vehicle with an add-on communication device interfacing through the vehicle diagnostic port for critical vehicle information.

14. A method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system implementing critical reminders comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of smart phone(s),

communicating over a local communication network,

communicating over a Cellular network,

implementing a series of communication protocols to communicate potential danger by neglect from the baby seat to an operator,

implementing a plurality of communication networks over which to communicate potential danger by neglect from the baby seat to the operator,

establishing a preprogrammed network notification selection protocol(s) to further minimize potential danger by neglect to the baby in the baby seat,

establishing a plurality of operators predetermined to receive notifications providing a fail-safe operator notification of potential danger by neglect to the baby in the seat,

programming a plurality of programmed notifications providing fail-safe operation with acknowledge reply required,

implementing a emergency information alert message,

facilitating a baby seat presence sensor interface for the baby seat, and implementing a plurality of reminders including operator notification alerts to reduce occurrence of abandonment by neglect.

15. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein included in the smart phone is a cellular transceiver, GPS, display, processor, memory, battery, charger, microphone, speaker, input/output, Bluetooth, Local Area Network,

16. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein device communication for short ranges is accomplished through a personal area network.

17. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein device communication for medium ranges is accomplished through a local area network.

18. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein device communication for long ranges is accomplished through the cellular network.

19. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the notifications relate a series both reminders and alerts to operator(s) depending on level of danger to the baby.

20. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the notifications protocols implement a communications sequential switching from short to medium to cellular as distance requires insuring maximum probability of successful communication of notifications.

21. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein deploying an acknowledge protocol notifications keep operator involved and reduce the danger to the baby.

22. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the emergency alert message contains a collection of critical data including situation and specifics of the child, vehicle appearance, location, POC with contact numbers and time left unattended is transmitted.

23. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein communicating with the vehicle through a vehicle communication system for critical vehicle information is accomplished.

24. The method of implementing an intelligent child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein communicating with the vehicle through an add-on communication device interfacing through the vehicle diagnostic port for critical vehicle information is accomplished.