Baby seat occupant detection system

• US 8,058,983 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sisters Of Invention, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sisters Of Invention, LLC
• Inventors: Davisson, Sally Trimmer, Sheehy, Lisa A., Caporelli, Angela, Ratz, David, Hilberth, Kamill R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/779,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457, 340/573.1, 340/686.1, 340/539.1, 340/522, 340/667
• 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 2/2866 booster cushions, e.g. to lift a child to allow proper use of the conventional safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• 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: H04Q 2213/095 User access; PIN code

Abstract

The baby seat occupant detection system of the present invention functions to reliably remind forgetful or negligent caregivers when they have an infant in a car seat inside a vehicle and have left a predetermined proximity around the vehicle. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a temperature detector for detecting unsafe temperatures and sounding an alarm to alert a caregiver when the temperature inside a vehicle has risen to a level which is unsafe for the occupant left unattended in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A baby seat occupant detection system comprising:

a base unit for installation inside a vehicle adjacent to a baby seat, the base unit having a base unit microprocessor, a base unit transmitter electrically connected to the base unit microprocessor for transmitting signals, and a base unit receiver electrically connected to the base unit microprocessor for receiving signals;

a baby sensor for detecting the presence of a baby seat occupant, the sensor adjacent the baby seat and in communication with the base unit;

a portable remote unit in communication with the base unit having a remote unit microprocessor, a remote unit transmitter electrically connected to the remote unit microprocessor for transmitting signals to the base unit, and a remote unit receiver electrically connected to the remote unit microprocessor for receiving signals from the base unit;

a counter for measuring the distance between the base unit and the remote unit electrically connected to the base unit, the counter set to zero and initiated concurrently when a first distance signal is transmitted to the remote unit by the base unit transmitter, the counter stopped when a return distance signal generated by the remote unit and transmitted to the base unit is received by the base unit receiver thereby generating a count, the count for comparing to a preset count to determine whether the distance between the base unit and the remote unit is acceptable;

a remote unit alarm in communication with the remote unit for providing notice of alarm conditions in the vicinity of the remote unit, the remote unit alarm activated when the count exceeds the preset count; and

a signal edge detector electrically connected to the base unit receiver and the counter, the signal edge detector stopping the counter when the return distance signal is received by the base unit receiver thereby bypassing the base unit microprocessor and reducing the error in the distance measurement caused by processing time.

2. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for externally programming the baby seat occupant detection system in communication with the base unit microprocessor, wherein said means for externally programming configures said base unit to identify and communicate with at least one remote unit and configures said remote unit to identify and communicate with at least one base unit.

3. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 where:

said baby sensor is a pressure sensor; and

said pressure sensor is electrically connected to the base unit.

4. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a cellular modem in communication with the base unit microprocessor wherein the base unit places calls to preprogrammed telephone numbers upon receiving an alarm message from the base unit controlling means.

5. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 wherein:

said base unit is in communication with a plurality of remote units.

6. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 wherein:

said remote unit is in communication with a plurality of base units.

7. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a motion detector electrically connected to the remote unit and a low power mode of the detection system initiated by the motion detector when the remote unit remains stationary for a predetermined period of time.

8. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensor for installation inside the vehicle in communication with the base unit, the remote alarm activated when an internal vehicle temperature exceeds a preset limit and an occupant is present in the baby seat.

9. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a signal edge detector for reducing the error in a distance measurement between the remote unit and the base unit caused by processing time, the signal edge detector electrically connected to the remote unit receiver and activated when a signal is received from the base unit whereby the signal edge detector ends the distance measurement when activated bypassing the remote unit microprocessor and substantially reducing processing time error.

10. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a base unit alarm in communication with the base unit for providing notice of alarm conditions in the vicinity the vehicle, the base unit alarm activated when the count exceeds the preset count.

11. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 8 wherein:

the base unit alarm is activated when an internal vehicle temperature exceeds a preset limit and an occupant is present in the baby seat.

12. The baby seat occupant detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a base unit power supply electrically connected to the base unit; and

a remote unit power supply electrically connected to the remote unit.