Feedback loop system for passenger safety

• US 8,090,504 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Long, David C., Werner, Randall J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US11/971,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/45, 340/457.1, 340/568.1, 180/286
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for automatically ensuring passenger safety by identifying article(s) in need of securing in a vehicle and attaching at least one wireless signaling component to each article. Each wireless signaling component includes a wireless signaling device and a mechanical blocking device that controls a wireless signal emitted from the wireless signaling device. The emitted wireless signaling indicates a state of the article. State information relating to a state of each article is generated and received at a data network device, which generates state results based on this state information. The state results are output to an end user, whereby the state results identify those articles that are secured, unsecured, and/or improperly secured, for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

Claims

1. A method for automatically ensuring passenger safety comprising:

identifying at least one article in need of securing in a vehicle;

attaching at least one wireless signaling device to said article, said wireless signaling device emitting a wireless signal that indicates a state of said article;

providing a mechanical blocking device for controlling said wireless signal of said wireless signaling device;

providing a signal-reducing device;

generating state information for said article;

receiving said state information at a data network device to generate a state result for said state of said article, said state result indicating if said article is in a secured state or an unsecured state;

verifying whether said secured state comprises a properly secured state or an improperly secured state by said signal-reducing device absorbing a portion of said wireless signal to generate a reduced strength wireless signal which indicates that said article is in said improperly secured state; and

outputting said state result to an end user to notify said end user that said article is in said unsecured state, properly secured state or improperly secured state for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal reducing device comprises a conductive component.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said state information comprises no signal being received at said data network device, such that, said generated state result indicates that said article is in said unsecured state.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps comprising:

emitting said wireless signal from said wireless signaling device, said wireless signal comprising said state information;

receiving said emitted wireless signal at a receiving device;

transmitting said emitted wireless signal from said receiving device to said data network device;

determining whether said article is in said properly secured, unsecured or improperly secured state based on said emitted wireless signal to generate said state result; and

outputting said generated state result to said end user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said receiving device comprises one or more distributed antenna.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps comprising:

identifying a plurality of articles in need of securing within said vehicle;

attaching wireless signaling devices to each of said plurality of articles;

providing mechanical blocking devices for each of said wireless signaling devices;

providing signal-reducing devices for each of said wireless signaling devices;

emitting a plurality of wireless signals from select said wireless signaling devices, whereby said mechanical blocking devices control said plurality of emitted wireless signals;

generating said state information for each of said plurality of articles,

transmitting said state information to said data network device for generating state results for each of said articles;

outputting said state results to said end user for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said state information from said plurality of articles includes full strength emitted wireless signals to indicate said article is in said properly secured state, reduced strength emitted wireless signals to indicate said article is in said improperly secured state, no signals being transmitted to indicate said article is in said unsecured state, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said article in need of securing comprises a seatbelt in need of fastening, whereby said state of said seatbelt indicates whether or not said seatbelt is fastened, and if said seatbelt is improperly fastened.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said article in need of securing is selected from the group consisting of a seat, a child car seat, booster seat, tray, overhead luggage compartment and attendant call button.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a motorized means of ground transportation, an aircraft, a watercraft, an amusement ride, a stroller and a ride-on toy.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless signaling device is selected from the group consisting of a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID tag), a magnetic badge, radio connections and infrared.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless signaling device is permanently attached to said article.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless signaling device is removably attached to said article.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said state result is output to said end user visually, auditorily, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one wireless signaling device comprises an RFID tag and said mechanical blocking device comprises a moveable plate, whereby said moveable plate controls said wireless signal emitted by said RFID tag by preventing said wireless signal from being emitted by entirely covering said RFID tag and allowing said wireless signal to be emitted by exposing said RFID tag.

16. A system for automatically ensuring passenger safety comprising:

at least one article in need of securing in a vehicle;

a wireless signaling component attached to said article comprising a wireless signaling device and a mechanical blocking device, said mechanical blocking device controlling a wireless signal emitted from said wireless signaling device;

a signal-reducing device for absorbing a portion of said wireless signal;

state information within said wireless signal;

a receiving device that receives said state information that identifies a state of said article;

a data network device that receives said state information from said receiving device, wherein said data network device analyzes said state information to generate a state result for said state of said article that indicates whether said article is in a secured state or an unsecured state, and if said article is in said secured state, further indicates whether said article is in a properly secured state or an improperly secured state; and

a sensory device for outputting said state result to an end user to notify said end user that said article is in said unsecured state, properly secured state or improperly secured state for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said signal-reducing device absorbs said portion of said wireless signal emitted from said wireless signaling device to generate a reduced strength wireless signal, which identifies in said state information that said article is said improperly secured state.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a plurality of articles in need of securing within said vehicle;

a plurality of wireless signaling components attached to said plurality of articles, said plurality of wireless signaling components comprising a plurality of wireless signaling devices and a plurality of mechanical blocking devices;

a plurality of signal-reducing devices for absorbing portions of said wireless signal; and

said receiving device receiving said state information from each of said plurality of wireless signaling components, said state information identifying the state of each of said plurality of articles.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said state information from said plurality of articles includes full strength emitted wireless signals to indicate said article is in said properly secured state, reduced strength emitted wireless signals to indicate said article is in said improperly secured state, no signals being transmitted to indicate said article is in said unsecured state, and combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein said receiving device comprises one or more distributed antenna.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein said article in need of securing is selected from the group consisting of a seat, seatbelt, a child car seat, booster seat, tray, overhead luggage compartment and attendant call button.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein said wireless signaling device is selected from the group consisting of a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID tag), a magnetic badge, radio connections and infrared.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for automatically ensuring passenger safety, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify at least one article in need of securing in a vehicle;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a wireless signal from a wireless signaling device attached to said article at a data network device, said wireless signal controlled by a mechanical blocking device also attached to said article, whereby said wireless signal indicates a state of said article in need of securing;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a reduced signal from said wireless signal generated by a signal-reducing device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to analyze said wireless signal at said data network device to generate a state result for said state of said article, said state result indicating if said article is in a secured state or an unsecured state;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to verify whether said secured state comprises a properly secured state or an improperly secured state by said signal-reducing device absorbing a portion of said wireless signal to generate a reduced strength wireless signal which indicates that said article is in said improperly secured state; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to output said state result to an end user to notify said end user that said article is in said unsecured state, properly secured state or improperly secured state for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

24. A program storage device readable by a processor capable of executing instructions, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for automatically ensuring passenger safety, said method steps comprising:

identifying at least one article in need of securing in a vehicle;

receiving a wireless signal from a wireless signaling device attached to said article at a data network device, said wireless signal controlled by a mechanical blocking device also attached to said article, whereby said wireless signal indicates a state of said article in need of securing;

analyzing said wireless signal at said data network device to generate a state result for said state of said article, said state result indicating if said article is in a secured state or an unsecured state;

verifying whether said secured state comprises a properly secured state or an improperly secured state by a signal-reducing device absorbs a portion of said wireless signal to generate a reduced strength wireless signal which indicates that said article is in said improperly secured state; and

outputting said state result to an end user to notify said end user that said article is in said unsecured state, properly secured state or improperly secured state for automatically ensuring passenger safety.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said signal reducing device comprises a conductive component.