Vehicle child seat safety system

• US 8,232,874 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AKAM LLC
• Original Assignee: AKAM LLC
• Inventors: Aneiros, Dennis, Garcia, Madelin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/567,757
• Time in Patent Office: 1,039 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/457, 340/425.5, 340/667, 180/273
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• 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 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/274 characterised by the communication means between the child seat and another entity, e.g. vehicle or portable device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices

Abstract

A vehicle child seat safety system comprises a child seat sensor connected to a transmitter, a receiver in the vehicle connected to a processor controlling exterior lights, ignition switch, air conditioner, alarm and door locks, to advise a driver and passersby of a child left in the vehicle unattended, and provide for the access to the vehicle. The application is further directed to a method of informing of a child left unattended in a locked vehicle comprises providing a sensor in a child seat, starting the sensor when the ignition is turned off, generating a warning signal and transmitting same from a transmitter in the child seat after a predetermined time elapsed since starting the sensor, receiving the signal in the vehicle to direct a CPU of the vehicle to start an alarm sound signal and turn alarm lights on, and, if the sensor is not disabled, to further unlock door locks and start air conditioner.

Claims

1. A method of informing of a child left unattended in a locked vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sensor in a child seat,

starting the sensor when ignition of the vehicle was turned off,

generating a warning signal and transmitting same from a transmitter in the child seat after a predetermined time elapsed since the starting of the sensor,

receiving the warning signal in the vehicle and sending same to a CPU of the vehicle,

starting an alarm sound signal, and

turning exterior alarm lights on,

whereby a driver and passersby are alerted, their attention being drawn to the vehicle with the child left unattended, and if the sensor is not disabled, further

unlocking door locks, and

starting ignition and air conditioner to bring the temperature in the vehicle back to normal and make it possible for the driver and passersby to access the vehicle to prevent the child from being exposed to high temperature inside the locked vehicle and thus to rescue the child.