Vehicle temperature alarm for occupants and pets

• US 9,381,856 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: All Distributors, LLC
• Original Assignee: All Distributors, LLC
• Inventors: Arnold, Bettye, Best, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US13/757,050
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 340/449, 340/522, 340/573.1, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/438, 340/581, 340/584
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• 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 2/0029 for detecting the motion of the occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/905 the head-rest or seat used as an anchorage point, for an object not covered by groups in B60N, e.g. for a canvas
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/30 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• 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

Systems, devices and methods of using motion detectors and temperature sensors inside vehicles for activating alarms to protect vehicle occupants that include babies, children, infirm, elderly and pets. Headrest mounted motion detector(s) and a temperature sensor detect both motion and selected temperatures to remotely transmit alarm signals to the vehicle horn that can play an SOS alarm. The detectors and temperature sensor can sound alarms when unsafe cold and warm interior vehicle temperatures are reached.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior temperature alarm system, for activating an alarm at a selected cold temperature or selected heat temperature, comprising:

a single housing having a forward facing wall and a rearward facing wall and side walls facing in different directions from the forward facing wall and the rearward facing wall, one of the side walls supporting a front vehicle seat facing scanning motion detector covering at least a front seat portion of the vehicle and the rearward facing wall supporting a separate rear vehicle seat facing scanning motion detector covering a rear seat of the vehicle, and the single housing having a temperature sensor, the single housing having a removable strap mount adapted to be mounted to a headrest on a seat inside of a vehicle, the temperature sensor being adjustable for detecting a selected cold threshold temperature and a selected heat threshold temperature; and

an alarm inside of the vehicle, wherein a combination of occupant motion detected by at least one of the front vehicle seat and the rear vehicle seat scanning motion detectors inside of the vehicle, and the selected heat temperature or the selected cold temperature is detected by the temperature sensor which together activates the alarm.

2. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1,

wherein the removable strap mount having hook and loop fasteners for adjustably attaching the housing to different sized vehicle headrests.

3. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the alarm is an existing horn in the vehicle.

4. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 3, further comprising:

an SOS alarm signal played on the vehicle horn.

5. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the single housing further includes:

a separate side facing motion scanning detector for scanning inside the vehicle.

6. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter attached to the housing; and

a wireless receiver attached to the vehicle horn, wherein the occupant motion detected by the motion detector the selected temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the selected threshold causes an alarm signal to be transmitted by the transmitter inside the vehicle to the receiver to activates the horn.

7. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, further comprising:

removable batteries inside the housing for providing power to both the motion detector and the temperature sensor; and

power supply for the vehicle being an existing 12 volt battery inside the vehicle.

8. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch having different temperature settings between the selected cold temperatures of approximately OF to the selected heat temperatures of approximately 160 F for different occupants inside the vehicle, the different occupants being selected from children, infirm/elderly and pets.

9. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 8, wherein the switch includes at least three fixed settings.

10. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 8, wherein the switch is a mechanical sliding switch.

11. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 8, wherein the switch is a digital switch with digital readout.

12. A method of activating a temperature dependent alarm inside a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a single housing having a forward facing wall and a rearward facing wall and side walls facing in different directions from the forward facing wall and the rearward facing wall;

supporting a rear vehicle seat motion scanning detector from the rearward facing wall, for covering at least a rear seat portion in the vehicle;

supporting a separate front vehicle seat motion scanning detector from at least one of the side walls covering a front seat in the vehicle;

providing a temperature sensor in the single housing which is adjustable between a selected cold temperature threshold and a selected heat temperature threshold;

mounting by a removable strap mount, the single housing to a headrest above a seat inside of the vehicle;

supplying power to the both the rear vehicle seat and the front vehicle seat motion scanning detectors and the temperature sensor;

detecting motion of a vehicle occupant from at least one of the rear vehicle seat and the front vehicle seat motion scanning detectors, and the selected cold temperature or the selected heat temperature has been detected inside the vehicle; and

activating an alarm when the motion from at least one of the rear vehicle seat and the front vehicle seat motion scanning detectors, and the selected cold temperature or the selected heat temperature have occurred over a selected time period.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing a separate side vehicle seat motion scanning detector in the single housing.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the activating step includes the steps of:

remotely sending an alarm signal from a wireless transmitter adjacent to the motion detector and the temperature sensor; and

remotely receiving the alarm signal by a wireless receiver located adjacent to the vehicle horn.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

powering the motion detector and the temperature sensor from removable batteries; and

powering a vehicle horn by an existing vehicle 12 volt battery.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting different temperature settings between approximately 0 F to approximately 160 F for the temperature sensor based on different vehicle occupants; and

selecting the different settings from the different occupants being selected from children, infirm/elderly and pets.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

playing an SOS alarm signal on a vehicle horn when a selected temperature setting has been reached.