Seat belt shifter lock system

• US 6,806,810 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orlando C. Robinson
• Original Assignee: Orlando C. Robinson
• Inventors: Robinson, Orlando C.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/350,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/438, 340/459, 180/269, 180/268, 180/270
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4891 preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/223 Electrical gear shift lock, e.g. locking of lever in park or neutral position by electric means if brake is not applied; Key interlock, i.e. locking the key if lever is not in park position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/48 Signals to a parking brake or parking lock; Control of parking locks or brakes being part of the transmission

Abstract

A seat belt shifter lock microprocessor system is used with a vehicle having an automatic transmission for preventing the shifting from park gear position into a moving gear position of the vehicle until the driver and all passengers are properly secured into their seats and the driver depresses the brake.

Claims

1. In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having an engine ignition system, drive train means including PRNDL control means therefor shiftable between an engine starting position and at least one drive position for transmitting power from the vehicle engine to the vehicle drive wheels, hazard light means, safety seat belt means for releasably securing the operator to the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle and at least one other safety seat belt means for releasaibly securing at least one passenger to at least one passenger'"'"'s seat of the vehicle, said safety seat belt means each including a pair of separable seat belt sections, the sections of each pair being adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through at least one section of the pair when connected, the improvement comprising inserting a seat belt shifter lock (SBSL) control means in the form of a programmable algorithm into the vehicle'"'"'s wiring circuitry for controlling the movement of the vehicle which is started when ignition voltage is detected in the vehicle by the SBSL control means, signals from the PRNDL switch, seat belt switches, at least one passenger seat sensor means, and brake switch are processed and the SBSL control means sends a signal to the shifter lock solenoid to let the vehicle be placed in a movement gear if all occupants of the vehicle are properly restrained in the seats or to prevent movement of the vehicle if the seat belt of the driver or any passenger is unfastened.

2. The safety seat belt system of claim 1, wherein the SBSL control means is an electronic digital and solid state circuitry control module with no moving parts comprising input means from the switches, an input buffer circuit for collecting signals from the switches, a processor, a voltage regulator circuit for reducing the vehicle voltage to that of the processor and keeping the voltage constant, a chime output drive circuit for interfacing with a chime means of the vehicle, and a shifter lock solenoid output drive circuit for controlling the shifter lock solenoid of the vehicle.

3. The safety seat belt system of claim 1, wherein the SBSL control means is a software program that is inserted on a computer chip of the vehicle by the original equipment manufacturer of the vehicle computer systems.

4. The safety seat belt system of claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is in the park gear position and the brake pedal is depressed while the hazard switch is on, the SBSL control means will permit the driver to immediately shift from park gear position regardless of the driver or passengers seat belt status.

5. The safety seat belt system of claim 1, wherein when the SBSL control means detects that the driver'"'"'s and/or a passenger'"'"'s seat belt has become unfastened, a timed audible alert is commanded on with a continuous chime cycle until the detected seat belts are fastened or the vehicle is returned to the park gear position.

6. The safety seat belt system of claim 1, wherein seat sensor means are installed in the rear seat for multiple rear seat passengers that are associated with individual manufacturers vehicle types.