Vehicle-integrated child presence and reminder system

• US 8,970,362 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Morley, Karen E., Dolan, John R., Kleinert, Julie A., Ho, Li-Pen J., Proefke, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/448,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/438, 340/439, 340/457.1, 340/522, 340/573.4, 340/665, 340/667, 340/668
• US Class Current: 340/457
• 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 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• 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

Abstract

A control system for implementing a vehicle-integrated child presence and reminder system includes a computer processor. The control system is integral with a vehicle. Logic is executable by the control system and is configured to monitor an occupancy sensor activated in a vehicle. The occupancy sensor, when activated, is indicative of a presence of a child in a car seat disposed in the vehicle. The logic is also configured to collect data from at least one vehicle sensor and, using the data collected from the vehicle sensor along with results of the monitoring of the occupancy sensor, the logic determines if a triggering event has occurred. In response to determining the triggering event has occurred, the logic is configured to generate an alert and transmit the alert to an alert component.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a vehicle-integrated child presence and reminder system, comprising:

a control system implementing a computer processor, the control system integral with a vehicle;

an occupancy sensor disposed in a car seat of the vehicle, the occupancy sensor communicatively coupled to the control system over a wireless network; and

logic executable by the control system, the logic configured to;

monitor, over the wireless network, the occupancy sensor activated in the vehicle, the occupancy sensor, when activated, indicative of a presence of a child in the car seat;

collect data from at least one vehicle sensor;

using the data collected from the at least one vehicle sensor and results of the monitor of the occupancy sensor to determine if a triggering event has occurred; and

responsive to determining the triggering event occurred, generate an alert, and transmit the alert to an alert component; and

monitor, over the wireless network, a status of available battery power of the occupancy sensor, and communicate the status over the wireless network to the control system;

wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a vehicle speed sensor indicative of a current operating speed of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a door sensor indicative of one of a presence and absence of an individual.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is determined based on user-configurable parameters using an interface associated with the logic.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the interface is implemented via a navigation system of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the user-configurable parameters defining the triggering event further include parameters for determining an output device through which the alert is generated, the output device including at least one of a vehicle horn, vehicle lighting, and vehicle audio system.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the user-configurable parameters defining the triggering event further include parameters for determining an output device through which the alert is generated, the output device including a cellphone, wherein the logic receives and stores a communications address of the cellphone, and uses the communications address to transmit the alert.

7. A method for implementing a vehicle-integrated child presence and reminder system, comprising:

monitoring, via a control system that is integral with a vehicle, an occupancy sensor disposed in a car seat of the vehicle, the occupancy sensor communicatively coupled to the control system over a wireless network, and the occupancy sensor indicative of one of a presence and an absence of a child in the car seat;

collecting data from at least one vehicle sensor;

using the data collected from the at least one vehicle sensor and results of the monitoring of the occupancy sensor to determine if a triggering event has occurred; and

responsive to determining the triggering event occurred, generating an alert, and transmitting the alert to an alert component; and

monitoring, over the wireless network, a status of available battery power of the occupancy sensor, and communicating the status over the wireless network to the control system;

wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a vehicle speed sensor indicative of a current operating speed of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a door sensor indicative of one of a presence and absence of an individual.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the triggering event is determined based on user-configurable parameters using an interface associated with the logic.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interface is implemented via a navigation system of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user-configurable parameters defining the triggering event further include parameters for determining an output device through which the alert is generated, the output device including at least one of a vehicle horn, vehicle lighting, and vehicle audio system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user-configurable parameters defining the triggering event further include parameters for determining an output device through which the alert is generated, the output device including a cellphone, wherein the logic receives and stores a communications address of the cellphone, and uses the communications address to transmit the alert.

13. A computer program product for implementing a vehicle-integrated child presence and reminder system, the computer program product comprising a storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer:

monitor an occupancy sensor disposed in a car seat of a vehicle, the occupancy sensor communicatively coupled to the computer over a wireless network, and the occupancy sensor indicative of one of a presence and an absence of a child in the car seat;

collect data from at least one vehicle sensor;

using the data collected from the at least one vehicle sensor and results of the monitor of the occupancy sensor to determine if a triggering event has occurred; and

responsive to determining the triggering event occurred, generate an alert, and transmit the alert to an alert component;

monitoring, over the wireless network, a status of available battery power of the occupancy sensor, and communicating the status over the wireless network to the control system;

wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a vehicle speed sensor indicative of a current operating speed of the vehicle.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor includes a door sensor indicative of one of a presence and absence of an individual.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the triggering event is determined based on user-configurable parameters using an interface associated with the logic.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the interface is implemented via a navigation system of the vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user-configurable parameters defining the triggering event further include parameters for determining an output device through which the alert is generated, the output device including at least one of a vehicle horn, vehicle lighting, and vehicle audio system.