Compartment sensing system
First Claim
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1. A vehicle compartment occupancy detection system suitable for use in a vehicle, said system comprising:
- at least one sensor for sensing presence of an occupant in a compartment of the vehicle;
said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a pyroelectric sensor, a thermopile sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, a bolometer sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone sensor, a level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a thermal imaging sensor;
a control, said control receiving input from said at least one sensor;
false trigger protection, said false trigger protection comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of mechanical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, thermal isolation vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, filtering vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, electrical/electronic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, optical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, analog vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, digital vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, computational vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, mathematical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, algorithmic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, dynamic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection and secondary vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection;
said control generating an output when a false trigger condition is not present, said output indicative of detection of the presence of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle; and
at least one of;
a) a mechanism having both open and closed conditions, said mechanism operable to change from its closed condition to its open condition in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle, and b) alert means of the vehicle, said alert means comprising at least one of audible alert means, visible alert means and telecommunication means, said alert means generating an alert in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle.
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Abstract
A system for sensing ambient conditions in a compartment, such as the trunk of an automobile, generates a control signal in response to the sensed conditions. This control signal actuates indicators to notify operators of the vehicle that there is a person trapped in the trunk. The control signal is also used to actuate a lamp inside the trunk to provide light for the trapped person. A trunk release is also actuated, by a control module, to free the trapped person. The trunk release of the automobile can be prevented from being actuated if the automobile is moving, which prevents the trunk lid from unexpectedly opening while the vehicle is in motion.
158 Citations
109 Claims
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1. A vehicle compartment occupancy detection system suitable for use in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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at least one sensor for sensing presence of an occupant in a compartment of the vehicle;
said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a pyroelectric sensor, a thermopile sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, a bolometer sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone sensor, a level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a thermal imaging sensor;
a control, said control receiving input from said at least one sensor;
false trigger protection, said false trigger protection comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of mechanical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, thermal isolation vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, filtering vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, electrical/electronic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, optical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, analog vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, digital vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, computational vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, mathematical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, algorithmic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, dynamic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection and secondary vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection;
said control generating an output when a false trigger condition is not present, said output indicative of detection of the presence of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle; and
at least one of;
a) a mechanism having both open and closed conditions, said mechanism operable to change from its closed condition to its open condition in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle, and b) alert means of the vehicle, said alert means comprising at least one of audible alert means, visible alert means and telecommunication means, said alert means generating an alert in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A vehicle compartment occupancy detection system suitable for use in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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at least one sensor for sensing presence of an occupant in a compartment of the vehicle;
said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a pyroelectric sensor, a thermopile sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, a bolometer sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone sensor, a level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a thermal imaging sensor;
a control, said control receiving input from said at least one sensor;
false trigger protection, said false trigger protection comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of mechanical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, thermal isolation vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, filtering vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, electrical/electronic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, optical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, analog vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, digital vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, computational vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, mathematical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, algorithmic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, dynamic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection and secondary vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection;
said control generating an output when a false trigger condition is not present, said output indicative of detection of the presence of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle;
wherein said compartment comprises a passenger compartment, and wherein said system further comprises means for monitoring a temperature of said passenger compartment; and
at least one of;
a) a mechanism having both open and closed conditions, said mechanism operable to change from its closed condition to its open condition in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle when an elevated temperature is detected in said passenger compartment, and b) alert means of the vehicle;
said alert means comprising at least one of audible alert means, visible alert means and telecommunication means, said alert means generating an alert in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle when an elevated temperature is detected in said passenger compartment.- View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A vehicle compartment occupancy detection system suitable for use in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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at least one sensor for sensing presence of an occupant in a compartment of the vehicle;
said at least one sensor comprising a first and second sensor, said first sensor comprising one of a group consisting of a pyroelectric sensor, a thermopile sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, a bolometer sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone sensor, a level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a thermal imaging sensor, said second sensor comprising a different one of the group consisting of a pyroelectric sensor, a thermopile sensor, an image sensor, a radar sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, a bolometer sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone sensor, a level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a thermal imaging sensor;
a control, said control receiving input from at least said first and second sensors;
false trigger protection, said false trigger protection comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of mechanical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, thermal isolation vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, filtering vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, electrical/electronic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, optical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, analog vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, digital vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, computational vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, mathematical vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, algorithmic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection, dynamic vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection and secondary vehicle occupancy detection system false trigger protection;
said control generating an output when a false trigger condition is not present and when said first sensor and said second sensor indicate presence of a viable signal, said output indicative of detection of the presence of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle; and
at least one of;
a) a mechanism having both open and closed conditions, said mechanism operable to change from its closed condition to its open condition in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle, and b) alert means of the vehicle, said alert means comprising at least one of audible alert means, visible alert means and telecommunication means, said alert means generating an alert in response to generation of said output indicative of detection of an occupant in the compartment of the vehicle.- View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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Original AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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InventorsUhlmann, Eugenie V., Bingle, Robert L., Koops, Roger, Taylor, David W., Teowee, Gimtong, McCarthy, Kevin C., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Bos, Brent J., Hoekstra, Eric J.
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Primary Examiner(s)POPE, DARYL C
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Application NumberUS10/228,414Publication NumberTime in Patent Office385 DaysField of Search340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/429, 340/66, 340/430, 340/507, 340/564, 307/10.2, 307/10.4, 343/713, 343/711, 343/807, 455/345, 455/351, 455/575, 180/287US Class Current340/425.5CPC Class CodesB60Q 3/30 for compartments other than...E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or ...E05B 79/20 using flexible connections,...E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g....E05B 83/26 Emergency opening means for...E05B 85/12 Inner door handlesY10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or han...Y10T 292/82 KnobsY10T 70/8946 Emergency unlocking or rele...
