MONITORING FOR SAFETY IN MOVING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20170109987A1
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: AUVENSHINE, John J., CIARAVELLA, Anthony J., OLSON, John T., WELP, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,249,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Various embodiments for monitoring safety by a processor. A presence of a living thing is detected inside an enclosed environment to be monitored. The enclosed environment is capable of motion. The presence of the living thing is monitored in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment. If the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring safety, by a processor device, comprising:

detecting a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion; and

monitoring the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of the interior cabin of a vehicle, and monitoring the presence of the living thing includes detecting the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental factor is temperature, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and low threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further including providing the alert notification to a remote device using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, further including providing the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a predetermined period of time, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained exceeding the predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a movement, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.

8. A system for monitoring safety, comprising:

a processor device that;

detects a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion, and

monitors the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of the interior cabin of a vehicle, and the processor device, pursuant to monitoring the presence of the living thing, detects the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one environmental factor is temperature, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and low threshold.

11. The system of claim 8, further including a module controlled by a remote device;

wherein the processor device provides the alert notification to the module using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor device provides the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a predetermined period of time, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained exceeding the predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a movement, and further wherein the alert notification is provided if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.

15. A computer program product for monitoring safety by a processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that detects a presence of a living thing inside an enclosed environment to be monitored, the enclosed environment capable of motion, and

a second executable portion that monitors the presence of the living thing in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment;

wherein if the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the enclosed environment incorporates at least a portion of the interior cabin of a vehicle, and further including a second executable portion that, pursuant to monitoring the presence of the living thing, detects the living thing via a pressure sensor associated with a surface in which the living thing rests to activate the pressure sensor.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental factor is temperature, and further including a second executable portion that provides the alert notification if the temperature is determined to exceed one of an adjustable, predetermined high and low threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a second executable portion that provides the alert notification to a remote device using one of a wired and wireless communications protocol.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a third executable portion that provides the alert notification if communication is lost to the remote device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a predetermined period of time, and further including a second executable portion that provides the alert notification if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained exceeding the predetermined period of time.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental factor is a status of a restraint of the living thing in the enclosed environment and the predetermined threshold is a movement, and further including a second executable portion that provides the alert notification if the living thing is determined one of unrestrained and incorrectly restrained when the enclosed environment is determined to be in motion.