Systems for detecting animate objects in a vehicle compartment
First Claim
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1. A system for detecting an animate object inside a vehicle compartment comprising:
- a vehicle body defining the vehicle compartment;
a controller;
a first sensor defining an electrical circuit including a shape memory alloy, a first contact and a second contact;
wherein the shape memory alloy is fixedly connected to at least one of the first and second contacts and is configured to selectively change a distance between the first and second contacts;
the first sensor being mounted with respect to the vehicle body to receive mechanical energy from a moving animate object inside the vehicle compartment and transmit the mechanical energy to the shape memory alloy; and
being configured to generate an electrical charge or current by converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy when an electrical connection between the first and second contacts is changed from one of;
open to closed; and
closed to open;
by changing the distance between the first contact and the second contact;
wherein the shape memory alloy is in thermal communication with the vehicle compartment such that transmitting mechanical energy from the moving animate object to the shape memory alloy and transitioning the shape memory alloy from one of a cold state and a hot state to the other of the cold state and the hot state in response to a temperature within the vehicle compartment deforms the shape memory alloy and changes the distance between the first contact and the second contact sufficiently to change the electrical connection between the first and second contacts from one of open to closed, and closed to open, thereby causing the first sensor to generate the electrical charge or current, said first sensor being operatively connected to the controller such that the controller receives a signal when the first sensor generates the electrical charge or current; and
wherein the controller is configured to;
determine whether the temperature inside the vehicle compartment is above a first predetermined temperature;
determine whether the temperature inside the vehicle compartment is below a second predetermined temperature; and
generate a command signal when the controller determines that at least one predetermined condition exists, said at least one predetermined condition including receiving the signal from the first sensor, and determining that the temperature of the passenger compartment is one of above the first predetermined temperature and below the second predetermined temperature.
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Abstract
Systems for detecting animate objects in a vehicle compartment include active materials based sensors for detecting the presence of an animate object in the compartment. The systems produce a response if the sensors detect the presence of an animate object in the compartment and at least one other predetermined condition exists.
46 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for detecting an animate object inside a vehicle compartment comprising:
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a vehicle body defining the vehicle compartment; a controller; a first sensor defining an electrical circuit including a shape memory alloy, a first contact and a second contact; wherein the shape memory alloy is fixedly connected to at least one of the first and second contacts and is configured to selectively change a distance between the first and second contacts; the first sensor being mounted with respect to the vehicle body to receive mechanical energy from a moving animate object inside the vehicle compartment and transmit the mechanical energy to the shape memory alloy; and
being configured to generate an electrical charge or current by converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy when an electrical connection between the first and second contacts is changed from one of;open to closed; and closed to open; by changing the distance between the first contact and the second contact; wherein the shape memory alloy is in thermal communication with the vehicle compartment such that transmitting mechanical energy from the moving animate object to the shape memory alloy and transitioning the shape memory alloy from one of a cold state and a hot state to the other of the cold state and the hot state in response to a temperature within the vehicle compartment deforms the shape memory alloy and changes the distance between the first contact and the second contact sufficiently to change the electrical connection between the first and second contacts from one of open to closed, and closed to open, thereby causing the first sensor to generate the electrical charge or current, said first sensor being operatively connected to the controller such that the controller receives a signal when the first sensor generates the electrical charge or current; and wherein the controller is configured to; determine whether the temperature inside the vehicle compartment is above a first predetermined temperature; determine whether the temperature inside the vehicle compartment is below a second predetermined temperature; and generate a command signal when the controller determines that at least one predetermined condition exists, said at least one predetermined condition including receiving the signal from the first sensor, and determining that the temperature of the passenger compartment is one of above the first predetermined temperature and below the second predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17)
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13. A system for detecting an object inside a vehicle passenger compartment comprising:
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a vehicle body defining the passenger compartment at a compartment temperature; a seat inside the passenger compartment; an active material member characterized by a first modulus below a predetermined temperature and a second modulus above the predetermined temperature, wherein the active material member is in thermal communication with the passenger compartment; an electrical circuit including the active material member and an alert system selectively activated by the active material member; wherein the seat is operatively connected to the active material member by a rigid member interposed between the seat and the active material and configured to transmit at least part of the weight of an animate object on the seat to the active material member; and wherein the active material member is configured to activate the alert system by deforming in response to the weight transmitted by the rigid member to the active material from the seat and transitioning from one of the first and second modulus to the other of the first and second modulus in response to the compartment temperature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
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Specification