Child restraint system with child seat monitoring system and method for monitoring a child seat

• US 7,463,161 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Griffin, Dennis P., Fultz, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/292,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/425.5, 340/449, 340/457, 340/457.1, 340/573.1, 340/667, 340/870.17, 340/665, 340/666, 180/271, 180/272, 280/734, 280/735, 701/44, 701/45, 297/250.1, 297/136
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/30 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

A child restraint system with a child seat monitoring system and a method for monitoring a child seat are provided. The child restraint system is adapted to be mounted within a vehicle. The child restraint system includes a child seat having a carrier portion and a handle coupled to the carrier portion. The child restraint system further includes a temperature sensor disposed on the handle for generating a first signal indicative of a temperature in a predetermined region of the child seat.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a child seat, comprising:

generating a first signal indicative of a temperature in a predetermined region of the child seat via a temperature sensor disposed on the child seat;

determining when the temperature is greater than or equal to a first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to a second threshold temperature value, the second threshold temperature value being less than the first threshold temperature value; and

generating a second signal when either the temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to the second threshold temperature value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a temperature variation value based on the first signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining when the temperature variation value is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature variation value, and generating a third signal when the temperature variation value is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature variation value.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a third signal indicative of a relative humidity in the predetermined region of the child seat utilizing a humidity sensor, and determining a relative humidity value based on the third signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating a fourth signal when the relative humidity value is greater than or equal to a threshold relative humidity value, and the temperature is both less than the first threshold temperature value and greater than or equal to a third threshold temperature value, the third threshold temperature value being less than the first threshold temperature value, and the temperature variation value is both less than a first threshold temperature variation value and greater than or equal to a second threshold temperature variation value, the second threshold temperature variation value being less than the first threshold temperature variation value.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating a fourth signal when the relative humidity value is greater than or equal to a threshold relative humidity value, and the temperature is both greater than or equal to the second threshold temperature value and less than a third threshold temperature value, the third threshold temperature value being greater than the second threshold temperature value, and the temperature variation value is both less than a first threshold temperature variation value and greater than or equal to a second threshold temperature variation value, the second threshold temperature variation value being less than the first threshold temperature variation value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising emitting light from a first light emitting diode in response to the second signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising emitting sound from an electrical speaker in response to the second signal.

9. A child seat monitoring system for a child seat, comprising:

a temperature sensor disposed on the child seat for generating a first signal indicative of a temperature in a predetermined region of the child seat; and

a computer operably communicating with the temperature sensor, the computer configured to determine when either the temperature is greater than or equal to a first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to a second threshold temperature value, the second threshold temperature value being less than the first threshold temperature value, the computer further configured to generate a second signal when either the temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to the second threshold temperature value.

10. The child seat monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the child seat has a carrier portion and a handle coupled to the carrier portion, the temperature sensor being disposed on the handle such that the temperature sensor has a field of view of at least the predetermined region of the child seat, the predetermined region being at least a portion of the carrier portion.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a message utilizing a liquid crystal display in response to the second signal.

12. The child seat monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further configured to determine a temperature variation value based on the first signal.

13. The child seat monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the computer is further configured to determine when the temperature variation value is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature variation value, the computer further configured to generate a third signal when the temperature variation value is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature variation value.

14. The child seat monitoring system of claim 12, further comprising a humidity sensor disposed on the child seat for generating a third signal indicative of a relative humidity in the predetermined region of the child seat, the computer being further configured to determine a relative humidity value based on the third signal.

15. The child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a fourth signal when the relative humidity value is greater than or equal to a threshold relative humidity value, and the temperature is both less than the first threshold temperature value and greater than or equal to a third threshold temperature value, the third threshold temperature value being less than the first threshold temperature value, and the temperature variation value is both less than a first threshold temperature variation value and greater than or equal to a second threshold temperature variation value, the second threshold temperature variation value being less than the first threshold temperature variation value.

16. The child seat monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a fourth signal when the relative humidity value is greater than or equal to a threshold relative humidity value, and the temperature is both greater than or equal to the second threshold temperature value and less than a third threshold temperature value, the third threshold temperature value being greater than the second threshold temperature value, and the temperature variation value is both less than a first threshold temperature variation value and greater than or equal to a second threshold temperature variation value, the second threshold temperature variation value being less than the first threshold temperature variation value.

17. The child seat monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising a first light emitting diode configured to emit light in response to the second signal.

18. The child seat monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising an electrical speaker configured to emit a sound in response to the second signal.

19. The child seat monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising a liquid crystal display configured to display a message in response to the second signal.

20. A child restraint system adapted to be mounted within a vehicle, the child restraint system comprising:

a child seat having a carrier portion and a handle coupled to the carrier portion; and

a temperature sensor disposed on the handle for generating a first signal indicative of a temperature in a predetermined region of the child seat.

21. The child restraint system of claim 20, further comprising a computer operably communicating with the temperature sensor, the computer configured to determine when either the temperature is greater than or equal to a first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to a second threshold temperature value, the second threshold temperature value being less than the first threshold temperature value, the computer further configured to generate a second signal when either the temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold temperature value or less than or equal to the second threshold temperature value.

22. The child restraint system of claim 20, wherein the temperature sensor has a field of view of at least the predetermined region of the child seat, the predetermined region being at least a portion of the carrier portion.