Detecting unsafe car seat passenger-conditions

• US 9,378,641 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Justin Edward Beumler
• Original Assignee: Justin Edward Beumler
• Inventors: Beumler, Justin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US14/308,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/666, 340/667, 340/539.11, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/425.5, 340/522, 180/268, 180/271, 180/273
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2002/2815 with additional belt accessories, e.g. a belt tension detector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

In some aspects, a portable car-seat assembly for installation in a vehicle includes a temperature sensor that detects an ambient temperature inside the vehicle. The portable car-seat assembly also includes a location detector that detects a location of the car-seat assembly. The car-seat assembly is configured to initiate a predetermined action in response to detecting an unsafe passenger-condition based on the temperature. For example, a message indicating the temperature and the location of the car-seat assembly can be sent to a remote recipient.

Claims

1. A portable car-seat assembly for installation in a vehicle, the car-seat assembly comprising:

a temperature sensor adapted to detect an ambient temperature about the car-seat assembly;

a location detector adapted to detect a location of the car-seat assembly, wherein the location detector comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit;

a data-processing apparatus adapted to;

detect an occurrence of an unsafe passenger-condition based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and

in response to detecting an occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition, initiate transmission of a message to a remote recipient, the message indicating the location detected by the location detector, the message includes a physical address associated with GPS coordinates detected by the GPS unit; and

an electrical power system adapted to provide electrical power to the data-processing apparatus, the electrical power system including a solar receiver adapted to convert solar energy into electrical energy, the electrical energy providing primary power to the car-seat assembly and secondary power to a power source, the car-seat assembly and electrical power system are integrated into a self-contained unit.

2. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, comprising:

a seat adapted to support a passenger; and

a pressure sensor adapted to detect a passenger in the seat, wherein detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition comprises detecting that;

the ambient temperature does not meet a predetermined safe-temperature criterion, and

a passenger is detected in the seat.

3. The car-seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the predetermined safe-temperature-criterion comprises the ambient temperature being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold.

4. The car-seat assembly of claim 3, further comprising a user interface adapted to receive user input specifying the upper and lower thresholds.

5. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the data-processing apparatus is adapted to:

initiate transmission of the message to a first remote recipient in response to detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition; and

initiate transmission of the message to a second, different remote recipient in response to detecting a persistence of the unsafe passenger-condition for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The car-seat assembly of claim 5, wherein the second remote recipient comprises an emergency first responder.

7. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising a visual alert system adapted to generate a visual alert that is visible outside the vehicle in response a detected occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition, wherein the visual alert system comprises a strobe attached to the car-seat assembly.

8. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising an audio alert system adapted to generate an audio alert that is audible outside the vehicle in response to a detected occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition.

9. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a text message, and the car-seat assembly comprises a communication module adapted to send the message over a wireless communication network.

10. The car-seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the car-seat assembly comprises at least one of a child booster seat or an infant car seat.

11. A method performed in a vehicle comprising a portable car-seat assembly, the method comprising:

identifying a remote recipient when the car-seat assembly is registered;

monitoring temperature inside the vehicle;

detecting an occurrence of an unsafe passenger-condition based on the temperature inside the vehicle; and

in response to detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition;

detecting the location of the vehicle by operation of a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit,

determining a physical address associated with GPS coordinates detected by the GPS unit, and

initiating transmission of a message to the remote recipient, the message indicating a location of the vehicle and including the physical address associated with GPS coordinates detected by the GPS unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition comprises detecting that:

the temperature inside the vehicle does not meet a predetermined safe-temperature-criterion; and

a passenger is detected in the seat of a portable car-seat assembly inside the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

initiating transmission of the message to a first remote recipient in response to detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition; and

initiating transmission of the message to an emergency first responder in response to detecting a persistence of the unsafe passenger-condition for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating at least one of:

a visual alert that is visible outside the vehicle in response a detected occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition, wherein the visual alert comprises light from a strobe;

or

an audio alert that is audible outside the vehicle in response to a detected occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a text message, and the method comprises sending the text message over a wireless communication network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the remote recipient further comprises identifying a smartphone and setting a safe temperature range for the car seat assembly.

17. A passenger vehicle comprising:

a temperature sensor adapted to detect an ambient temperature about a passenger seat assembly in a vehicle;

a location detector adapted to detect a location of the vehicle, wherein the location detector comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit;

a data-processing apparatus adapted to;

detect an occurrence of an unsafe passenger-condition based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and

in response to detecting an occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition, initiate transmission of a message to a remote recipient, the message indicating the location detected by the location detector, the message includes a physical address associated with GPS coordinates detected by the GPS unit; and

an electrical power system adapted to provide electrical power to the data-processing apparatus, the electrical power system including a solar receiver adapted to convert solar energy into electrical energy, the electrical energy providing primary power to the passenger seat assembly and secondary power to a power source, the passenger car seat assembly and electrical power system are integrated into a self-contained unit.

18. The car-seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the physical address comprises a street address and a distance of the car-seat assembly from the street address.

19. The car-seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the car-seat assembly comprises a seat and a fabric cover that covers the car seat, and wherein the solar receiver is woven into a fabric of the fabric cover.

20. The car-seat assembly of claim 17, further comprising:

a pressure sensor adapted to detect a passenger in the passenger seat assembly, wherein the pressure sensor is a pressure plate and wherein detecting the occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition comprises detecting that;

the ambient temperature does not meet a predetermined safe-temperature-criterion, and

a passenger is detected in the passenger seat assembly; and

a visual alert system adapted to generate a visual alert that is visible outside the vehicle in response a detected occurrence of the unsafe passenger-condition, wherein the visual alert system comprises a strobe attached to the car-seat assembly.