WARNING SYSTEM FOR DETECTING INFANT SEAT BUCKLE SECUREMENT

• US 20140052342A1
• Filed: 02/25/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joseph Seibert
• Original Assignee: Joseph Seibert
• Inventors: Seibert, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/001,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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 2/0021 characterised by the type of sensor or measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/272 Buckle lock sensors for child seat safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2816 with additional belt accessories, e.g. belt tension detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/2815 with additional belt accessories, e.g. a belt tension detector
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4883 Interlock systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A child seat-vehicle safety system for a passenger vehicle, including at least one child seat buckle signaling device, which includes a buckling detector, and a buckling detector for signaling the buckle status, and a portable controller device that attaches to the On-Board Diagnostic II (OBD-II) port of the vehicle, for detecting the status of the vehicle ignition system, receiving the buckle status signal, and generating an alarm signal in response to a predetermined condition of the ignition status and the buckle status signal. The portable controller device also can include an alarm that is responsive to the alarm signal. The invention includes a method of warning a vehicle operator that a child has been left buckled in a vehicle after the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system has been turned off, including detecting the vehicle ignition status selected from “on” and “off” through the OBD-II port, receiving a buckle status signal transmitted from the child seat buckle signaling device, and generating an alarm signal when the ignition status is “off” and the buckle status signal is ‘buckled’ beyond a predetermined grace or timeout period.

Claims

1. A child seat-vehicle safety system for a child safety seat in a passenger vehicle, comprising:

a) at least one restraint device associated with a child safety seat, the restraint device including a restraint mechanism and a buckling detector that detects the buckling status of the restraint device as either buckled or unbuckled, and a buckle signal transmitter for transmitting a buckle status signal;

b) a portable controller device that attaches to the On-Board Diagnostic II (OBD-II) port of the vehicle, including a means for detecting a parameter of the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system, a transmission receiver for receiving the buckle status signal, and an alarm signal generator for generating an alarm signal in response to a predetermined condition of the ignition system parameter and the buckle status signal; and

c) an optional alarm responsive to the alarm signal.

11. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the restraint device is a restrain mechanism, including a chest restraint mechanism.

12. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 11, wherein the restraint mechanism includes a latch member and a buckle member securable to the latch member.

13. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 12, wherein the buckling detector is secured to either one of the buckle member or the latch member.

14. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the buckling detector includes a detector switch, a replaceable battery, and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter.

15. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 14, wherein the buckling detector is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch, a magnetic switch, an optical switch, and a Hall effect switch.

16. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 15, wherein the detector switch is a lever arm.

17. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 15, wherein the detector switch is a single throw switch having a ‘

buckled’

position and an ‘

unbuckled’

position, or a single pole, double throw switch, having a default neutral position.

18. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the buckle signal transmitter is an RF transmitter configured to transmit digitally a unique identification code assigned to the restraint device, and a ‘

buckled’

or ‘

unbuckled’

status signal.

19. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 18, wherein the buckle status signal is a wireless signal.

20. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 19, wherein the wireless signal is a radio frequency (RF) signal that contains at least the restraint device identification information.

21. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 20, wherein the RF signal includes an encryption code, a unique identity (ID) code for the buckling detector, and a “

buckled” and

/or “

unbuckled”

signal code.

22. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 21, wherein the RF signal further includes a battery voltage check code, an ambient temperature check code, and a CRC code.

23. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting a parameter of the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system is selected from the group consisting of:

a) a portable controller device that interacts with the CAN network or other vehicle network to detect engine operation parameters or the vehicle ignition state;

b) a battery pin of the Data Link Connector (DLC) that electrically contacts a battery pin of the OBD-II port.

24. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein the portable controller device includes a microprocessor and non-volatile storage memory, on which can include a database of known vehicle manufacture information and an appropriate communication protocol for the passenger vehicle.

25. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 24, wherein the alarm signal generator includes the alarm.

26. The child seat-vehicle safety system according to claim 24, wherein the portable controller device includes an interface for updating known vehicle manufacture information or software stored within the non-volatile memory.

2. A method of warning a vehicle operator that a child has been left buckled in a child safety seat of a vehicle after the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system has been turned off, the method including the steps of:

providing a restraint device including a restraint mechanism;

generating a buckle status signal in response to the buckling of the restraint mechanism;

transmitting the buckle status signal;

providing a portable controller device installed into the OBD-II port of the vehicle that detects the status of a parameter of the ignition system through the OBD-II port;

detecting the status of the ignition system parameter;

receiving the buckle status signal; and

generating an alarm signal when the buckled status signal is ‘

buckled’ and

the status of the ignition system parameter changes from ‘

on’

to ‘

off’

.

27. The method according to claim 2, further including generating an alarm responsive to the alarm signal.

3-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A child seat-vehicle safety system for a child safety seat in a passenger vehicle, comprising:

a) at least one restraint device associated with the child safety seat, the restraint device including a restraint mechanism and a buckling detector that detects the buckling status of the restraint device, and a buckle signal transmitter for transmitting an encrypted buckle status signal; and

b) an on-board native controller device of a vehicle that includes a detector for detecting a parameter of the vehicle ignition system, a transmission receiver for receiving the buckle status signal, and an alarm signal generator for generating and transmitting an alarm signal to the vehicle CAN network system in response to a predetermined condition of the vehicle ignition system parameter and the buckle status signal.

9-10. -10. (canceled)