Child seat for monitoring the presence of a child

• US 6,819,249 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anne Papp
• Original Assignee: Anne Papp
• Inventors: Papp, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/301,264
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/438, 340/541, 340/540, 340/428, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/666, 340/667, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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 2/0035 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 2/26 for children B60N2/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• 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

A child detection system includes a warning system for detecting the presence of a child in a vehicle. The vehicle has a front seat area, a rear seat area, and an interior. The system comprises a plurality of pressure sensors each removably positioned selectively under one or both of the front and rear seat areas such that pressure on one of the seat areas actuates an associated one of the pressure sensors. A control is electrically coupled to an electrical power supply and is electrically coupled to each of the pressure sensors. The control is selectively coupled to the electric system of the vehicle such that the processor may detect when the vehicle is turned off. An alarm is operationally coupled to the control and emits an audible sound when any of the pressure sensors sense pressure. The control is turned on when the vehicle is turned off.

Claims

1. A warning system for detecting the presence of a child in a vehicle, the vehicle having a front seat area, a rear seat area, and an interior, the vehicle having an electric system, said system comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors, each of said pressure sensors being removably positioned selectively under one or both of the front and rear seat areas such that pressure on one of the seat areas actuates an associated one of said pressure sensors;

a control being electrically coupled to an electrical power supply, said control being electrically coupled to each of said pressure sensors, said control comprising;

a housing;

a processor being mounted in said housing and being adapted for receiving and sending electrical signals, wherein each of said pressure sensors are operationally coupled to said processor such that said pressure sensors send an electric signal to said processor when said pressure sensors detect pressure, said processor being selectively coupled to the electric system of the vehicle such that said processor may detect when the vehicle is turned off;

a plurality of actuators being mounted on said housing and being operationally coupled to said processor, said plurality of actuators including a keypad for selectively entering a code for turning said processor on or off;

an alarm being operationally coupled to said control, wherein said alarm emits an audible sound when any of said pressure sensors sense a pressure, said alarm comprising a speaker for producing an audible sound, said speaker being mounted in said housing and being operationally coupled to said processor;

a plurality of motion detectors being operationally coupled to said control, wherein said control actuates said alarm when any of said motion detectors is actuated by movement, said plurality of motion detectors being removably mounted in the interior of the vehicle and being adopted for detecting motion therein; and

wherein said control is turned on when the vehicle is turned off.

2. A method of detecting and warning of a presence of a person within a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle having a front seat area, a rear seat area, and an interior, the vehicle having an electric system;

providing a plurality of pressure sensors, each of said pressure sensors being removably positioned selectively under each one of the front and rear seat areas such that pressure on one of the seat areas actuates an associated one of said pressure sensors;

providing a control being electrically coupled to an electrical power supply of said vehicle, said control being electrically coupled to each of said pressure sensors, said control comprising;

a housing;

a processor being mounted in said housing and being adapted for receiving and sending electrical signals, wherein each of said pressure sensors are operationally coupled to said processor such that said pressure sensors send an electric signal to said processor when said pressure sensors detect pressure, said processor being selectively coupled to the electric system of said vehicle and being adopted for detecting when said vehicle is turned off;

a plurality actuators being mounted on said housing and being operationally coupled to said processor;

providing an alarm being operationally coupled to said control, wherein said alarm emits an audible sound when any of said pressure sensors sense a pressure, said alarm comprising a speaker for producing an audible sound, said speaker being mounted in said housing and being operationally coupled to said processor;

a plurality of motion detectors being operationally coupled to said control, each of said motion detectors being mounted within said vehicle and being adopted for detecting motion within said vehicle; and

turning on said motion detectors and said pressure sensors by said processor when said vehicle is turned off;

leaving a child within said vehicle after said vehicle has been turned off; and

sounding said alarm by said processor when the child creates pressure that is detected by said pressure sensors or when the child creates motion that is detected by said motion detectors.

3. A warning system for detecting the presence of a child in a vehicle, the vehicle having a front seat area, a rear seat area, and an interior, the vehicle having an electric system, said system comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors, each of said pressure sensors being removably positioned selectively under one or both of the front and rear seat areas such that pressure on one of the seat areas actuates an associated one of said pressure sensors;

a control being electrically coupled to an electrical power supply, said control being electrically coupled to each of said pressure sensors, said control comprising;

a housing;

a processor being mounted in said housing and being adapted for receiving and sending electrical signals, wherein each of said pressure sensors are operationally coupled to said processor such that said pressure sensors send an electric signal to said processor when said pressure sensors detect pressure, said processor being selectively coupled to the electric system of the vehicle such that said processor may detect when the vehicle is placed in park;

an alarm being operationally coupled to said control, wherein said alarm emits an audible sound when any of said pressure sensors sense a pressure, said alarm comprising a speaker for producing an audible sound, said speaker being mounted in said housing and being operationally coupled to said processor; and

wherein said control turns on said pressure sensors when the vehicle is placed in park.

4. The system according to claim 3, further including a plurality of motion detectors being operationally coupled to said control, wherein said control actuates said alarm when any of said motion detectors is actuated by movement, said plurality of motion detectors being removably mounted in the interior of the vehicle and being adopted for detecting motion therein, wherein said control turns on said motion detectors when the vehicle is placed in park and said alarm emits an audible sound when any of said motion detectors detects motion within the vehicle.