VEHICLE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20190096221A1
• Filed: 11/29/2018
• Published: 03/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (University of Alabama System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (University of Alabama System)
• Inventors: Haskew, Timothy Austin, Sazonov, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 10,482,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/00 Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres inserts having reinforcing means B60C5/08; bead structure, e.g. turnup or overlap construction, B60C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

Various implementations of an occupant detection system may be used in a vehicle to detect the presence of a living occupant (human or otherwise) and generate a warning. The warning may be communicated to another person(s) or to other vehicle systems to alert people in the vicinity of the vehicle. The system prevents injury and death to people and pets that may be accidentally within a parked car and unable to egress. The system may be integrated into a new vehicle or housed in a separate device that can be plugged into a power outlet within the vehicle.

Claims

1. An occupant detection system within a vehicle comprising:

an electrical signal sensor;

an accelerometer;

a carbon dioxide sensor; and

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive a first signal from the electrical signal sensor indicating whether power to the vehicle is on or off, a second signal from the accelerometer indicating whether the vehicle is in motion, and a third signal from the carbon dioxide sensor associated with a concentration of carbon dioxide in a cabin of the vehicle,

in response to the first signal indicating that the power is off and the second signal indicating that the vehicle is not in motion, compare a rate of change of the data associated with the third signal with a threshold level of an expected rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration within the cabin of the vehicle, and

in response to the rate of change of the data associated with the third signal exceeding the threshold level, generate and communicate an alarm signal.

2. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to store data associated with the third signal in the memory at a first time interval periodically in response to the first signal indicating that the power is on or the second signal indicating that the vehicle is in motion, wherein data associated with the third signal corresponds to a carbon dioxide concentration within the vehicle, and store the data associated with the third signal in the memory at a second time interval periodically in response to the first signal indicating that the power is off and the second signal indicating that the vehicle is not in motion, wherein the second time interval is more frequent than the first time interval.

3. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to compare the data associated with the third signal with a threshold level of carbon dioxide concentration within the vehicle, and in response to the data associated with the third signal exceeding the threshold level of carbon dioxide concentration, generate and communicate the alarm signal.

4. The occupant detection system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the vehicle, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive a fourth signal from the temperature sensor, the fourth signal being associated with the temperature in the vehicle, and the threshold level of an expected rate of change of the carbon dioxide concentrations comprises a first threshold level in response to the fourth signal indicating that the temperature in the vehicle is within a first temperature range and a second threshold level in response to the fourth signal indicating that the temperature in the vehicle is within a second temperature range.

5. The occupant detection system of claim 4, wherein the first threshold level is lower than the second threshold level and the first temperature range is higher than the second temperature range.

6. The occupant detection system of claim 5, wherein the second time interval decreases in response to the fourth signal indicating that the temperature in the vehicle exceeds a pre-defined temperature threshold.

7. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal sensor, the accelerometer, the carbon dioxide sensor, and the processor are disposed in a housing, the housing comprising a plug for engaging a plug receptacle within a cabin of the vehicle.

8. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the processor is in electrical communication with an on-board diagnostic computing system in the vehicle.

9. The occupant detection system of claim 1, further comprising a cellular modem, and wherein the cellular modem is for communicating the alarm signal to a cellular device over a wireless communication network.

10. The occupant detection system of claim 1, further comprising a local area network communication device, and wherein the local area network communication device is for communicating the alarm signal to a computing device disposed outside of the vehicle over a wireless communication network.

11. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to open at least one door of the vehicle.

12. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to open at least one window of the vehicle.

13. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to turn on an air conditioning system of the vehicle.

14. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to turn on the vehicle.

15. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to communicate with an on-board communication system.

16. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to sound a horn of the vehicle.

17. The occupant detection system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to communicate with a communication bus of the vehicle, and the alarm signal comprises an instruction to flash headlights of the vehicle.

18. An occupant detection system within a vehicle comprising:

an electrical signal sensor;

an accelerometer;

a carbon dioxide sensor; and

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive a first signal from the electrical signal sensor indicating whether power to the vehicle is on or off, a second signal from the accelerometer indicating whether the vehicle is in motion, and a third signal from the carbon dioxide sensor indicating a concentration of carbon dioxide in a cabin of the vehicle,

in response to the first signal indicating that the power is off and the second signal indicating that the vehicle is not in motion, compare the data associated with the third signal with a threshold level of expected carbon dioxide concentration within a cabin of the vehicle, and

in response to the data associated with the third signal exceeding the threshold level, generate and communicate an alarm signal.

19. The occupant detection system of claim 18, wherein the data associated with the third signal comprises an absolute value of the data.

20. The occupant detection system of claim 18, wherein the data associated with the third signal comprises a rate of change of the data associated with the third signal, and the threshold level of expected carbon dioxide concentration comprises an expected rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration within the cabin of the vehicle.

21. The occupant detection system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the processor to store data associated with the third signal in the memory at a first time interval periodically in response to the first signal indicating that the power is on or the second signal indicating that the vehicle is in motion, and store the data associated with the third signal in the memory at a second time interval periodically in response to the first signal indicating that the power is off and the second signal indicating that the vehicle is not in motion, wherein the second time interval is more frequent than the first time interval.