Child passenger safety seat emergency cooling and notification system

• US 9,937,830 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: V, Bishop Benjamin Curry
• Original Assignee: V, Bishop Benjamin Curry
• Inventors: Curry, V, Bishop Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/608,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20180099592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• 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 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5621 by air
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• 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: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

A system for detecting hot car seat situations, manually cooling the child in those situations, and facilitating one or more alert notifications is disclosed. An apparatus receives sensor data that it uses to detect the presence of a child in a car seat in a vehicle. Multiple sensors provide added security against false positives. When a child is detected, the apparatus activates a cooling flow of air towards the child if the temperature rises above a threshold. The apparatus waits until the vehicle is not moving and off before initiating notifications to one or more subscribing devices. Once off, and once the temperature of the child further rises or has the air flow on for a period of time, the apparatus sends a notification to the subscribing devices. If the child is not removed within a set period of time, then emergency responders are notified.

Claims

1. A child cooling and alerting apparatus, comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a presence of a child in a car seat with which the child cooling and alerting apparatus is in communication;

a second sensor configured to detect a temperature of the child present in the car seat;

a fan configured to blow air directed at the child in the car seat in response to an activation command;

a processor configured, in response to the first sensor detecting the presence of the child, to compare the detected temperature of the child to a threshold temperature, assert the activation command in response to the detected temperature exceeding the threshold temperature, and activate an alert notification in response to the assertion of the activation command; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the alert notification to a subscribing device.

2. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect an ambient air temperature; and

a global positioning system device configured to determine a position of the child cooling and alerting apparatus and communicate the position to the subscribing device in response to the transceiver transmitting the alert notification to the subscribing device.

3. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer sensor configured to detect movement of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, wherein the processor is further configured to prevent activation of the alert notification until the detected movement falls below a stationary threshold.

4. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the alert notification in response to a first time period elapsing after the activation command is asserted, and the transceiver is further configured to:

re-transmit the alert notification to the subscribing device after a second time period after the first time period has elapsed; and

re-transmit the alert notification to an emergency response provider after a third time period has elapsed after the second time period.

5. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the alert notification after the activation command is asserted, and the transceiver is further configured to:

re-transmit the alert notification to the subscribing device according to a specified periodicity; and

re-transmit the alert notification to an emergency response provider in response to a number of retransmissions according to the specified periodicity reaching a threshold transmission number.

6. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises:

a weight sensor configured to detect a weight of the child in the car seat; and

a sound monitor sensor configured to detect noise from the child,

wherein the processor is further configured to delay comparing the detected temperature of the child to the threshold temperature and activating the alert notification until both the weight sensor detects the weight and the sound monitor sensor detects the noise to confirm the presence of the child.

7. The child cooling and alerting apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver further comprises a Bluetooth transceiver configured to communicate with a vehicle Bluetooth transceiver of a vehicle in which the car seat is situated, and

the processor is further configured to detect, via the Bluetooth transceiver communicating with the vehicle Bluetooth transceiver, that the vehicle is running with climate control, and delay activating the alert notification until connection with the vehicle Bluetooth transceiver is broken.

8. A method for child cooling and alerting, comprising:

detecting, by a first sensor of a child cooling and alerting apparatus, a presence of a child in a car seat;

detecting, by a second sensor of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, a temperature of the child present in the car seat;

comparing, by a processor of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, the detected temperature to a threshold temperature;

activating, by the processor, a fan of the child cooling and alerting apparatus in response to the detected temperature exceeding the threshold temperature; and

transmitting, by a transceiver of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, an alert notification to a subscribing device in response to the activating the fan.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by a global positioning system of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, a position of the child cooling and alerting apparatus; and

including, by the processor, the position in the alert notification to the subscribing device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting, by an accelerometer of the child cooling and alerting apparatus, movement of the child cooling and alerting apparatus; and

preventing, by the processor, activating of the alert notification until the movement detected falls below a stationary threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting the alert notification further comprises delaying transmission until a first time period has elapsed after the activating the fan, the method further comprising:

re-transmitting, by the transceiver, the alert notification to the subscribing device after a second time period after the first time period has elapsed; and

re-transmitting, by the transceiver, the alert notification to an emergency response provider after a third time period has elapsed after the second time period.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

re-transmitting, by the transceiver, the alert notification to the subscribing device according to a specified periodicity; and

re-transmitting, by the transceiver, the alert notification to an emergency response provider in response to a number of retransmissions according to the specified periodicity reaching a threshold transmission number.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a weight sensor configured to detect a weight of the child and a sound monitor sensor configured to detect noise from the child, the method further comprising:

delaying, by the processor, the activating until both the weight sensors detects the weight and the sound monitor sensor detects the noise to confirm the presence of the child.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

communicating, by the transceiver via a Bluetooth protocol, a vehicle transceiver in which the car seat is situated; and

detecting, by the processor via the transceiver communicating with the vehicle transceiver, that the vehicle is running with climate control; and

delaying, by the processor, the transmitting the alert notification until connection with the vehicle transceiver is broken.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing configured to couple to a car seat;

a sensor configured to detect a temperature of a child present in the car seat;

a fan configured within a chamber of the housing and arranged to move air out of the housing and directed toward the child in response to an activation command;

a nozzle in fluid communication with the chamber and configured to receive the air from the fan and direct the air toward the child;

a processor configured to compare the detected temperature to a threshold temperature, assert the activation command in response to the detected temperature reaching the threshold temperature, and activate an alert notification in response to the assertion of the activation command; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the alert notification to a subscribing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of independently adjustable nozzles.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a global positioning system device configured to determine a location of the apparatus and provide the location to the processor for inclusion with the alert notification; and

an accelerometer sensor configured to detect movement of the housing, the processor further configured to prevent activation of the alert notification until the detected movement falls below a stationary threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to delay the transmission of the alert notification until a first time period has elapsed after activating the fan, and the transceiver is further configured to:

re-transmit the alert notification to the subscribing device after a second time period after the first time period has elapsed; and

re-transmit the alert notification to an emergency response provider after a third time period has elapsed after the second time period.

19. The apparatus of claim 15,

further comprising a strap system configured to releasably couple the housing to the car seat.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transceiver comprises a cellular transceiver and a Wi-Fi transceiver, the processor being further configured to:

determine which of the cellular transceiver and the Wi-Fi transceiver has a best connection for transmission of the alert notification and make a selection for transmission of the alert notification based on the determination.