System for determining abandonment of child in unattended vehicle

• US 7,466,217 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Alexander C., Porter, Hal A., Nelson, Scott W., Paulson, Joshua R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US12/108,654
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/457, 340/457.1, 340/459, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/573.1, 340665-667, 340/686.1, 340/686.4, 340/687, 180/268, 180/270, 180/271, 180/272, 180/273, 180/274, 180/286, 180/287, 280/735, 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 455/403, 455/405.1
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• 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: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• 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 system for signaling that a person is in an vehicle is provided and includes a power source, a processing unit including a counter, a state monitoring unit configured to monitor an internal temperature of the vehicle and to monitor whether the vehicle is in an off state and a door monitoring unit configured to monitor whether any of the vehicle doors are open or closed, a first buckle receiver, including a first signal issuing unit, a first buckle to be removably inserted into the buckle receiver and to thereby cause the first signal issuing unit to issue an installation signal to the processing unit, a second buckle receiver, including a second signal issuing unit, a second buckle to be removably inserted into the second buckle receiver and to thereby cause the second signal issuing unit to issue an occupation signal to the processing unit, and an alarm unit.

Claims

1. A system for signaling that a person is left in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a power source;

a processing unit coupled to the power source, the processing unit including a counter and a state monitoring unit configured to monitor an internal temperature of the vehicle and to monitor whether the vehicle is in an on or an off state and a door monitoring unit configured to monitor whether any of the vehicle doors are open or closed;

a first vehicle seat buckle receiver, including a first signal issuing unit, coupled to the power source and the processing unit;

a first vehicle seat buckle to be removably inserted into the first buckle receiver to install a child seat on a vehicle seat and to thereby cause the first signal issuing unit to issue an installation signal to the processing unit;

a second child seat buckle receiver, including a second signal issuing unit, coupled to the power source and either the processing unit directly or the processing unit via the first buckle receiver;

a second child seat buckle to be removably inserted into the second buckle receiver indicative of occupation of the person on the child seat and to thereby cause the second signal issuing unit to issue an occupation signal to the processing unit; and

an alarm unit coupled to the power source and the processing unit to issue an alarm when the installation signal and the occupation signal are each currently received by the processing unit, the processing unit determines that the internal temperature of the vehicle is elevated and that the vehicle is turned from the on to the off state, and the counter determines that a predetermined time has passed with the vehicle doors being closed.