Child monitoring system

• US 6,822,673 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elle B. Kelly
• Original Assignee: Elle B. Kelly
• Inventors: Kelly, Elle B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/648,132
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/148, 350/624, 359/267, 359/859, 359/871, 362/492
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A child monitoring system for monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. The child monitoring system includes a vehicle with an interior compartment, a housing coupled to an interior surface of a front portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, a viewing device contained within the housing, a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of a rear portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, the monitoring device being designed to relay an image of the rear portion of the vehicle to the viewing device in the front portion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A child monitoring system comprising:

a vehicle having an interior compartment, said interior compartment having a front portion and a rear portion;

a housing coupled to an interior surface of said front portion of said vehicle, said housing having a viewing device;

a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of said rear portion of said vehicle;

said viewing device being a rear-view mirror, said rear-view mirror being positioned such that a driver of said vehicle being able to view an area relatively behind the driver of said vehicle by looking at said reflective surface;

said monitoring device being a monitoring mirror, said monitoring mirror being couplable to an interior surface of the rear portion of the vehicle, said monitoring mirror being positionable such that a front surface of said mirror being able to reflect an image of selectable areas of the rear portion of said vehicle for viewing by the driver when the driver observes said rear-view mirror;

wherein said monitoring mirror being elongate, said mirror having a medial portion and two end portions, said end portions being positioned relative to said medial portion such that a plane formed by a front surface of said end portion forms an oblique angle with a plane formed by a front surface of said medial portion, such that a broad field of view being reflected from said monitoring mirror to said rear-view mirror;

wherein said monitoring device being a monitoring mirror, said monitoring mirror being coupled to a front surface of a headrest pivotally coupled to a rear seat in said vehicle, said headrest being pivotable such that said mirror being able to capture a reflection of a selectable area of said rear portion of said vehicle;

wherein said headrest of said vehicle having a front surface and a rear surface, said headrest being rotatable with respect to said rear seat such that said front surface and said rear surface of said headrest being selectably positioned to face a front of said vehicle, said mirror being coupled to said rear surface of said headrest such that said headrest having a monitoring position and a normal position, said monitoring position being defined as said rear surface of said headrest facing said front of said vehicle such that an image reflected by said monitoring mirror being transferable to said rear-view mirror for observation by the driver, said normal position being defined as said front surface of said headrest facing said front of said vehicle;

wherein said monitoring mirror having a cover member, said cover member being having a normal position and a monitoring position, said normal position being defined as said cover member obscuring said surface of said mirror, said monitoring position being defined such that said cover member does not obscure said surface of said mirror such that an image of a selectable area of said rear portion reflected by said monitoring mirror being transferable to said rear-view mirror;

wherein said monitoring device being a monitoring mirror, said monitoring mirror being coupled to a headrest member, said headrest member being couplable to a rear seat of said vehicle, said headrest being pivotable such that said monitoring mirror being able to reflect an image of a selectable area of the rear portion of the vehicle;

wherein said monitoring device being a monitoring mirror, said monitoring mirror being coupled to a cover member, said cover member conforming to an outer surface of a headrest coupled to a rear seat of said vehicle, said headrest being pivotally adjustable such that said mirror being able to reflect an image of a selectable area of said rear portion of said vehicle;

wherein said monitoring device being a plurality of monitoring mirrors, each one of said plurality being positionable such that an image reflected by each one of said plurality being transferable to said rear-view mirror such that multiple selectable areas of the rear portion of the vehicle are observable;

wherein said viewing device is a video monitor, said video monitor being coupled to a dash of said vehicle, said monitoring device being a video camera, said video camera being operationally coupled to said video monitor such that an image captured by said video camera being displayed on said video monitor, said video camera being positionable such that an image of a selectable area of said rear portion is capturable by said video camera, wherein said monitoring device being a plurality of video cameras, said plurality of video cameras being operationally coupled to said video monitor such that a captured image from each one of said plurality being displayable on said video monitor such that multiple selectable areas of the rear portion of the vehicle are observable.