Unattended child alert system and method

• US 8,063,788 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Morningstar
• Original Assignee: James Morningstar
• Inventors: Morningstar, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/775,536
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 340/667, 340/522, 340/457.1, 340/425.5, 340/309.16, 340/438, 340/439, 340/573.4, 180/271, 180/272, 180/374
• 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 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• 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 warning system for notifying another person when a child is left in a child safety seat. The system recognizes a child in a child safety seat by either a pressure pad or a secured child seat lap belt. The system is activated by the release of the driver'"'"'s seat belt. Should a child remain in the seat when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is disengaged, the system alarms notifying the driver of such. The alarm would include a calm audio output such as a lullaby, a song, or a story. The system can be integrated into the OEM features to provide an alert escalation process using a local alert, a vehicle alert, a wireless alert and ultimately a 911 alert.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring an engagement state of a driver'"'"'s seat belt via a safety monitoring apparatus;

monitoring a presence of an at least one of a child and a pet located within a rear seat area of a vehicle via the safety monitoring apparatus;

identifying the presence of at least one of the child and the pet within the rear seat area of the vehicle;

identifying when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is in a disengaged state;

providing a time delay between a step of placing the child in the rear seat area and when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is buckled;

accounting for the time delay prior to determining if the driver'"'"'s seat belt and presence of at least one of a child and a pet dictate an alert condition; and

providing an alert when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is disengaged and when the at least one of the child and the pet is within the rear seat area of a vehicle.

2. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the presence of the child utilising a presence sensor integrated into a child safety seat.

3. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 2, further comprising the step of activating the presence sensor by buckling a child seat belt about the child, wherein the child seat belt is integrated into the child safety seat.

4. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 2, further comprising the step of activating the presence sensor by placing the child into the child safety seat, wherein the presence sensor is at least one of a weight sensor and a proximity sensor integrated into the child safety seat.

5. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a step of establishing an alert condition during presence of at least one of the child and the pet and immediately upon recognition of a disengaging of the driver'"'"'s seat belt.

6. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the alert further comprises a series of escalation steps which increase the alert level.

7. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the alert levels increase in accordance with at least two of the following:

a local audible alert, with a local alert being emitted from a speaker located within a vehicle interior,

an external audible alert, with an external alert being emitted from a speaker located outside of the vehicle interior,

a wireless short range remote to a portable wireless receiver carried by the driver, and

a wireless long range communication via a cellular network to a remote monitoring party, wherein the remote monitoring party is a service organization.

8. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring an engagement state of a driver'"'"'s seat belt via a safety monitoring apparatus;

monitoring a presence of a child located within a rear seat area of a vehicle via the safety monitoring apparatus;

identifying the presence of the child within the rear seat area of the vehicle;

identifying when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is in a disengaged state;

providing a time delay between a step of placing the child in the rear seat area and when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is buckled;

accounting for the time delay prior to determining if the driver'"'"'s seat belt and presence of at least one of a child and a pet dictate an alert condition; and

providing an alert when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is disengaged and when the child is within the rear seat area of a vehicle.

9. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the step of providing an alert utilises and plays a recorded audible message.

10. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the step of identifying the presence of the child utilizes a motion sensor positioned to determine motion in the rear seat area of the vehicle.

11. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a step of establishing an alert condition during presence of the child and immediately upon recognition of a disengaging of the driver'"'"'s seat belt.

12. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the alert further comprises a series of escalation steps which increase the alert level.

13. A method of monitoring a child'"'"'s presence in a vehicle of claim 12, wherein the alert levels increase in accordance with at least two of the following:

a local audible alert, with a local alert being emitted from a speaker located within a vehicle interior,

an external audible alert, with an external alert being emitted from a speaker located outside of the vehicle interior,

a wireless short range remote to a portable wireless receiver carried by the driver, and

a wireless long range communication via a cellular network to a remote monitoring party, wherein the remote monitoring party is a service organization.

14. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring an engagement state of a driver'"'"'s seat belt via a safety monitoring apparatus;

monitoring a presence of an at least one of a child and a pet located within a rear seat area of a vehicle via the safety monitoring apparatus;

identifying the presence of at least one of the child and the pet within the rear seat area of the vehicle using at least one of;

a motion sensor,

a heartbeat sensor, and

a thermal sensor;

identifying when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is in a disengaged state;

providing a time delay between a step of placing the child in the rear seat area and when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is buckled;

accounting for the time delay prior to determining if the driver'"'"'s seat belt and presence of at least one of a child and a pet dictate an alert condition; and

providing an alert when the driver'"'"'s seat belt is disengaged and when the at least one of the child and the pet is within the rear seat area of a vehicle.

15. The child attendant warning system of claim 14, wherein said notification further comprising at least one of an interior/exterior light control and a remote notification apparatus.

16. The child attendant warning system of claim 14, wherein said notification is via remote notification.

17. The child attendant warning system of claim 16, wherein said remote notification is at least one of a text message, a page, a voice message, and a 911 emergency call.

18. A method of monitoring a living presence in a vehicle of claim 14, wherein the alert further comprises a series of escalation steps which increase the alert level.