Vehicle temperature alarm for vehicle occupants and pets

• US 9,381,855 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: All Distributors, LLC
• Original Assignee: All Distributors, LLC
• Inventors: Arnold, Bettye, Best, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/087,408
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 340/449, 340/522, 340/573.1, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/438, 340/581, 340/584
• 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: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• 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

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods of using motion detectors and temperature sensors inside vehicles for activating alarms to protect vehicle occupants that include babies, children, infirm, elderly and pets. Headrest mounted motion detector(s) and a temperature sensor detect both motion and selected temperatures to remotely transmit alarm signals to the vehicle horn that can play an SOS alarm. The detectors and temperature sensor can sound alarms when unsafe cold and warm interior vehicle temperatures are reached. Low battery indicators such as audible alarms, chirp sounds and lights can be used to indicate low battery power supplies.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior temperature alarm system for activating an alarm at a selected cold temperature or selected heat temperature, comprising:

a single housing having a forward facing wall and a rearward facing wall and side walls facing in different directions from the forward facing wall and the rearward facing wall, one of the side walls supporting a front vehicle seat facing scanning motion detector covering at least a front seat portion of the vehicle and the rearward facing wall supporting a separate rear vehicle seat facing scanning motion detector covering a rear seat of the vehicle, and the single housing having a temperature sensor, the single housing having a removable strap mount adapted to be mounted to a headrest on a seat inside of a vehicle, the temperature sensor being adjustable for detecting a selected cold threshold temperature and a selected heat threshold temperature;

an alarm inside of the vehicle, wherein a combination of occupant motion detected by at least one of the front vehicle seat or the rear vehicle seat scanning motion detectors inside of the vehicle, and either the selected heat threshold temperature or the selected cold threshold temperature is detected by the temperature sensor, activates the alarm; and

a battery power supply for the alarm system, with a low battery indicator.

2. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the low battery indicator is an audible alarm.

3. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the low battery indicator is an chirp sound alarm.

4. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the low battery indicator is a visual LED (light emitting diode) indicator.

5. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 4, further comprising:

an SOS alarm signal played on the vehicle horn.

6. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, wherein the single housing further includes:

a separate side facing motion scanning detector for scanning inside of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter attached to the single housing; and

a wireless receiver attached to a vehicle horn as the alarm.

8. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch having different temperature settings between approximately 1 to approximately 160 F for different occupants inside the vehicle, the different occupants being selected from children, infirm/elderly and pets.

9. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 8, wherein the switch is a mechanical sliding switch.

10. The vehicle interior temperature alarm system of claim 8, wherein the switch is a digital switch with digital readout.

11. A method of activating a temperature dependent alarm inside a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a single housing having a forward facing wall and a rearward facing wall and side walls facing in different directions from the forward facing wall and the rearward facing wall;

supporting a rear vehicle seat motion scanning detector from the rearward facing wall, for covering at least a rear seat portion of the vehicle;

supporting a separate front vehicle seat motion scanning detector from at least one of the side walls covering a front seat in the vehicle;

providing a temperature sensor in the single housing, which is adjustable for sensing between a selected cold temperature threshold and a selected heat temperature threshold;

attaching by a removable strap mount the single housing to a headrest above a seat inside of the vehicle;

supplying power from a battery supply to both the rear seat motion detector and the front seat motion detector and the temperature sensor;

detecting motion of a vehicle occupant from at least one of the rear seat motion detector and the front seat motion detector, in combination with the selected cold temperature threshold or the selected heat temperature threshold sensed by the temperature sensor inside the vehicle;

activating an alarm when both the motion and the selected cold temperature threshold or the selected heat temperature threshold have occurred over a selected time period; and

indicating a low battery condition when the battery supply is running low.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicating the low battery condition includes the step of:

generating an audible alarm.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicating the low battery condition includes the step of:

generating a chirp sound alarm.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicating the low battery condition includes the step of:

generating a light from an LED (light emitting diode).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the activating step includes the steps of:

remotely sending an alarm signal from a wireless transmitter; and

remotely receiving the alarm signal by a wireless receiver located adjacent to a vehicle horn.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting different temperature settings for the temperature sensor based on different vehicle occupants; and

selecting the different settings from the different occupants being selected from children, infirm/elderly and pets.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

playing an SOS alarm signal on the vehicle horn when a selected temperature setting has been reached.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing a separate side vehicle seat motion scanning detector in the single housing.