Wireless system to detect presence of child in a baby car seat

• US 7,733,228 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Prasanna, Umstead, Darren Paul, Spach, Daniel Ray, Lee, Joseph Kinman
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US12/198,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/457, 340/457.1, 340/460, 340/573.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.7, 280734-735, 701/1, 701 32- 36, 701 45- 48
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 2/26 for children B60N2/30 takes precedence
• 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 wireless system that detects the presence of a child in a safety seat located in the passenger cabin of a vehicle includes a controller responsive to signals generated by sensors monitoring predefined functions of the vehicle, RFID tag device attached to the safety seat and RFID tag reader mounted in the cabin. The system generates control signals which activate an alarm, open the doors of the vehicle and roll down windows if the child is left in the safety seat of an unattended vehicle.

Claims

1. A system to be used in a vehicle to prevent injury to a child left in a safety seat including;

an RFID reader operatively mounted in a passenger'"'"'s compartment of a vehicle;

a controller operatively coupled to said RFID reader, wherein the controller provides first and second enabling signals to the RFID reader that causes the RFID reader to transmit first and second electromagnetic signals, wherein the controller is configured to wait for a predetermined, non-zero gap of time between providing the first enabling signal and the second enabling signal;

a safety seat in which an RFID tag is embedded;

the RFID tag comprising a sensor configured to sense a presence of a child in the safety seat;

a first sensor configured to monitor an ignition switch of the vehicle to detect if said ignition switch is off operatively, the first sensor coupled to the controller; and

a second sensor configured to monitor doors of the vehicle to detect when said doors are closed, the second sensor operatively coupled to the controller;

wherein the RFID tag is configured to receive the first and the second electromagnetic signals and responsively emit an electromagnetic identification signal when the sensor senses the presence of the child;

wherein the RFID reader is configured to receive the identification signal and in response thereto forward an indication to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to initiate an alarm in response the first sensor detecting if said ignition switch is off operatively, the second sensor detecting said doors are closed, and the forwarded indication.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to sound the alarm if predefined conditions are met.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the predefined conditions include receipt of first and second identification signals from the RFID tag that correspond to the first and second electromagnetic signals, wherein the first and second identification signals indicate that the sensor senses the presence of the child.

4. A system for protecting children or infants from being left in a vehicle comprising:

a safety seat in which an RFID tag is embedded, the RFID tag comprising a sensor configured to sense a child buckled in the safety seat;

an RFID tag reader operatively mounted in the cabin of a vehicle;

a sensor configured to monitor at least one of;

an ignition switch of the vehicle to detect if said ignition switch is off operatively; and

doors of the vehicle to detect when said doors are closed;

a computer coupled to sensor and the RFID tag reader; and

a computer readable program installed on said computer, said computer readable program including;

a first instruction module being responsive to first signals from the sensor to activate the RFID tag reader, the first signals indicating at least one of;

said ignition switch is off operatively; and

said doors are closed;

a second instruction module being responsive to second signals from the RFID tag that indicate that a child is buckled into the safety seat, the second instruction module configured to wait a predetermined amount of time and, after passage of the predetermined amount of time, to re-activate the RFID tag reader; and

a third instruction module being responsive to third signals from the RFID tag that indicate that the child remains buckled into the safety seat to take an action to prevent injury to the child.

5. A method for preventing injury to a child left in a safety seat, comprising:

operatively mounting an RFID reader in a passenger'"'"'s compartment of a vehicle;

a controller operatively coupled to said RFID reader providing a first enabling signal to the RFID reader;

the controller waiting for a predetermined, non-zero gap of time;

a controller providing a second enabling signal to the RFID reader after the waiting;

in response to the first and second enabling signals, the RFID reader transmitting first and second electromagnetic signals;

an RFID tag sensor embedded in a safety seat sensing a presence of a child in the safety seat;

a first sensor monitoring an ignition switch of the vehicle to detect if said ignition switch is off operatively, the first sensor coupled to the controller;

a second sensor monitoring doors of the vehicle to detect when said doors are closed, the second sensor operatively coupled to the controller;

in response to the RFID tag sensor sensing the presence of the child, the RFID tag receiving the first and the second electromagnetic signals and responsively emitting an electromagnetic identification signal;

the RFID reader receiving the identification signal and responsively forwarding an indication to the controller; and

the controller initiating an alarm in response the first sensor detecting said ignition switch is off operatively, the second sensor detecting said doors are closed, and the forwarded indication.