System and method to detect the presence of a child in a car seat

• US 9,564,036 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RN Inventions LLC
• Original Assignee: Grant Edward Anders Striemer, Maria Michelle Striemer
• Inventors: Striemer, Grant Edward Anders, Striemer, Maria Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/523,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 835 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/539.13, 340/691.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method that detects a presence of a child in a car seat comprises a pad and a receiver. The pad comprises a communication element, a unique identifier, a power source, a switch configured to adapt a power state from “off” to “on” by means of a child closing the switch disposed between the pad'"'"'s power source and the pad'"'"'s communication element. The receiver comprises an analysis element storing the unique identifier of at least one pad and a communication element in communication with at least one pad when the pad is powered “on”. The receiver determines a presence state of a child in the car seat when the receiver is in communication with the powered pad. The receiver determines the presence state when the receiver loses communication with the pad. The receiver further generates notifications with the determined child'"'"'s presence state in the car seat.

Claims

1. A system that detects the presence of a child in a car seat, the system comprising:

a. a pad comprising a communication element, a universally unique identifier associated with the pad, a power source, and a switch configured to adapt the communication element'"'"'s power state from “

off”

to “

on”

wherein the force generated by the child'"'"'s mass when in contact with the switch closes the switch disposed between the pad'"'"'s power source and the pad'"'"'s communication element;

b. a receiver comprising an analysis element storing the unique identifier of the pad and a communication element in communication with the pad when the pad'"'"'s communication element is powered “

on”

;

whereby the receiver determines a presence state of the child based on whether the switch is open or closed when the receiver is in communication with the pad; and

the receiver further determines the presence state of the child in the car seat when the receiver loses communication with the pad.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch is selected from the group consisting of:

tactile, rocker, DIP, thumbwheel, pushbutton, toggle, slide, and cantilever.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication between the pad'"'"'s communication element and the receiver'"'"'s communication element is the BLUETOOTH®

4.0, APPLE®

IBEACON™

protocol.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is selected from the group consisting of:

IPHONE®

4s or later, IPAD®

(3^rd generation) or later, IPAD MINI™

(1^st generation or later), or IPOD TOUCH®

(5^th generation) or later.