HK1180651A - Access and egress detection system for assignable location - Google Patents

Description

Entry and exit detection system for specifiable location

Background

1. Field of the invention

The present invention is directed to a safety warning system for a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a system and method that warns a driver of a target child or inanimate object while the object is left in the vehicle, typically (but not always) after the vehicle is moved from one location to another. The system detects and monitors entrances and exits to designated locations within the vehicle.

2. Description of the related Art

In recent years, the number of children dying due to the driver's mistake or chance to leave their child in a closed vehicle has risen to the point of receiving widespread attention. In both the summer and winter climates, which are warmer, enclosed vehicles can quickly reach temperatures at which infants or toddlers cannot survive.

Various alarm and warning alarm systems for children left behind in automobiles are generally described in U.S.5,793,291; U.S.6,922,147; U.S.6,930,614; U.S.7,218,211; U.S.7,218,218; U.S.7,348,880; U.S.7,378,979; U.S.7,663,493; U.S. 2003/0122662; and U.S. 2005/0099285. However, many of these prior art devices rely on complex and expensive weight-or pressure-type sensors that require modification of the vehicle seat and attempt to differentiate adults from child passengers or inanimate objects such as child seats, or operate them differently. Such conventional systems are generally designed to perform functions passively and without driver input, and do not allow the driver to specify explicitly the location of a child or passenger without the ability to act, or to specify the location of an object that should be removed from the vehicle as needed after reaching the destination. Other conventional systems do not have the ability to specify a monitored location, which may include, for example, a storage location on the vehicle, such as a trunk, glove box, or console, where an inanimate object may be stored, which the driver may want to be reminded to take from the vehicle when leaving the vehicle.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a child warning alarm system and method for a motor vehicle that detects and monitors location-assignable entrances and exits (for drivers and passengers) and/or access openings (for inanimate objects) within the motor vehicle. After the vehicle is powered on, the driver is prompted to, for example, enter the location of any child or object occupying a particular seat or storage location within the vehicle that needs or desires to be carried away or removed after the destination is reached. According to a preferred embodiment, the system of the present invention then monitors the driver's door to determine when the driver's door will reopen after the location of the passenger to be taken or the object to be removed has been identified. If the monitoring sensor detects that the door, covering or hood associated with any driver-identified seat or storage location has not been opened within a preset time interval after the driver's door has been opened (i.e., after the driver is presumed to be likely to be leaving the vehicle), an alarm may sound to alert the driver that a child previously designated to be carried away or an object to be removed may still be in the vehicle. The alert may be deactivated or removed by opening a door at a designated location, or by the driver from the driver's seat before leaving the vehicle, or by a remote device carried by the driver. If desired, the system may optionally be configured so that the previously specified location on the vehicle is still specified for continuous cyclical operation unless cleared or re-specified by the driver. Alternatively, the system may be arranged to require driver input even if the previously specified position on the vehicle is to be kept unchanged for the next vehicle use.

It is believed that the system and method of the present invention can be implemented relatively inexpensively in most motor vehicles by improving upon existing, commonly used, on-board control and data systems. Such systems, which typically provide information to the driver regarding vehicle status and operation, direction of travel, internal and external temperatures, etc., may be improved to query and receive input from the driver to allow the driver to identify specific seats and storage locations within the vehicle; monitoring the opening and closing of the driver's door after identifying the seat and storage location on the particular vehicle; starting a timing sequence during which the opening and closing of the vehicle door at each driver-specified position is monitored for a predetermined time interval after the driver's door is subsequently opened; and, in a case where all the vehicle doors at the positions specified by the driver are not opened within the time interval, a warning is issued to the driver and/or others.

It is believed that the systems and methods disclosed herein differ from other known conventional child warning systems in at least the following aspects: the driver may retain control whether the previous designation of the monitored location was maintained, modified, or cancelled; no sensors inside the passenger seat are required; also, the system may be used to provide reminders (reminders) regarding the removal of inanimate objects placed in the passenger seat, in a floor location near the passenger door, or in other enclosed storage locations within the vehicle.

Brief Description of Drawings

The device of the invention will be further described and explained in connection with the following figures, which are a schematic illustration of the system of the invention installed in the interior of a motor vehicle.

Detailed Description

As depicted in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a child warning safety alarm system based on the detection of entrances or entrances and exits to designatable locations within a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle 10, as depicted in simplified schematic form, has an onboard digital processor or computer 12, a user interface such as a digital panel 26 connected to the digital processor 12, a glove box 54, a trunk 52, a driver's seat 28, a passenger seat 50, a first rear passenger seat 46, and a second rear passenger seat 48. In addition, the motor vehicle 10 has a driver door 30, a passenger door 36, a first rear passenger door 32, and a second rear passenger door 34. The automobile 10 has mounted therein a driver door sensor 14, a passenger door sensor 18, a first rear door sensor 16, a second rear door sensor 20, a trunk sensor 22, and a glove box sensor 24. Features of the system of the present invention are also a timer 56 or timing circuitry or software that can be integrated into the digital processor 12, an alarm 58, and a remote device 60, all of which are electronically connected to the digital processor 12. While this embodiment of the invention is described in the context of a motor vehicle having four doors, a glove box and a trunk, it will be appreciated that the subject system is equally effective when deployed for use with only rear-seat passenger doors, or only front-seat passenger doors, in the case of a vehicle model having only one or two doors or no rear seats.

According to a preferred method for operating the system of the present invention, after the vehicle 10 is powered on, a display panel associated with the user interface 26 preferably displays a query sentence to query the driver as to which passenger seat (if any) contains the target child or object. The driver enters information into the user interface 26 to identify one or more passenger seats (in this embodiment of the invention) having child occupants using any suitable technique, such as a touch sensitive screen, other manual controls carried by the vehicle, voice commands, or similar technique operatively connected to the onboard digital processor or computer 12. Further, the driver's input in response to the initial query may indicate: an item has been placed in any of the previously discussed passenger locations or other vehicle storage locations such as trunk 52 or glove box 54. The vehicle mount computer 12 then monitors the opening and closing of the driver door 30, other doors associated with other designated seat (or floor) locations, the trunk 52, and the glove box 54. Once the designated location has been entered, the designated location may remain designated until cancelled by the driver or until a new location is designated by the driver's input.

The system of the present invention may trigger a warning as needed within a predetermined time interval after the driver door 30 is opened, regardless of whether the vehicle 10 has been moved. This is important in the following cases: for example, a driver may place a child on a child safety seat mounted in the passenger position of the vehicle 10, but then leave the vehicle (possibly with the doors closed) and return to the residence, store, or the like to do other things before moving the vehicle, distract and forget that the child remains in the vehicle. Alternatively, in the event that the vehicle 10 has been placed in gear and then placed in a "park" gear, the vehicle mount computer 12 monitors the opening and closing of the driver door 30 and other doors associated with the identified and designated seat positions. If the driver door 30 is open, the vehicle mount computer 12 activates the timer 56 or timer circuit that is also active.

The subject system is preferably programmed to trigger a warning if any passenger door 32, 34, 36 or any door, cover or other closure providing access to any storage location 52, 54 that has been designated by the driver has not been opened within a predetermined time interval after the driver's door 30 is opened. Where desired, the sensors 14, 16, 18, 20 corresponding to each of the vehicle doors 30, 32, 36, and 34, respectively, may be positioned, arranged, and calibrated to trigger an alarm only if the doors are opened to at least the predetermined opening distance indicated by arrows 38, 40, 44, 42 to the positions shown at 30 ', 32', 36 ', and 34', respectively. This would, for example, allow a driver or other person who inadvertently fails to fully close the doors while the vehicle 10 is being driven to open and close the doors again without the possibility of triggering a warning. However, it is believed that in most cases, any opening of any of the driver doors 30 or any other driver-identified vehicle doors should be sufficient to trigger the alert sequence for safety purposes.

If each passenger door associated with a passenger seat that has been identified as being occupied by a child is not opened within a predetermined time interval after the driver's door is closed, then the alarm 58 is activated to inform the driver and other nearby persons: an unattended child may remain in the vehicle. If any other doors corresponding to the designated passenger seat, trunk 52 or glove box 54 that have been identified as containing items have not been opened within a predetermined time interval, then an alarm 58 is activated to inform the driver: the doors associated with this location or trunk 52 or glove box 54 may still contain items.

The predetermined time interval may comprise a pre-programmed default value that may be manually overridden or optionally temporarily set by the driver via a driver inquiry prompt initiating the cycling of the system. It is contemplated that the length of the time interval may range from a few seconds to several minutes or more. The alarm 58 may be an audible alarm or a visual alarm, or both, and may be enhanced as needed by a programmable feature that, upon activation, will place one or more calls or send text or email messages. The alarm 58 may preferably be deactivated from the driver's seat 28 or by using a remote device 60 such as, for example, an infrared or Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter, a predefined keystroke on a cell phone, or the like.

Other variations and modifications of the invention disclosed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present disclosure, and it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are entitled.

Claims (11)

1. A child warning system for a motor vehicle having a driver door and at least one passenger door, the system comprising:

an in-vehicle digital processor having a user interface;

a timer;

an alarm;

a driver door sensor proximate to the driver door; and

at least one passenger door sensor proximate to the at least one passenger door;

wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information input by a driver to confirm that a child passenger is seated in a seat associated with the at least one passenger door; and is

Wherein any subsequent opening of the driver door causes the timer to start and after a predetermined time interval, the alarm is activated unless the at least one passenger door is also opened within the predetermined time interval.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor associated with a closure member providing access to at least one storage area of the motor vehicle,

wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information input by a driver to confirm placement of an object in the storage area; and is

Wherein any subsequent opening of the driver door causes the timer to be started and, after a predetermined time interval, activates the alarm unless the closure providing access to the at least one storage area of the motor vehicle is opened within the predetermined time interval.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage area is a trunk or glove box.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alarm is disarmed before the driver leaves the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an apparatus usable by the driver to remotely disarm the alarm after leaving the motor vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital processor does not allow the alarm to be activated until the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance from the first location where the system was activated.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the alarm is not activated until a sensor associated with the at least one passenger door sensor detects that the at least one passenger door has been opened a predetermined activation distance.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a sensor associated with at least two passenger doors.

9. An access warning system for a motor vehicle having at least one enclosed storage area and a closure providing access to the at least one enclosed storage area, the system comprising:

an in-vehicle digital processor having a user interface;

a timer;

an alarm;

a driver door sensor proximate to the driver door; and

at least one closure sensor proximate to the at least one enclosed storage area;

wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information input by a driver to confirm placement of an object in the at least one enclosed storage area; and is

Wherein any subsequent opening of the driver door causes the timer to start and after a predetermined time interval the alarm is activated unless the closure is opened within the predetermined time interval.

10. A method for detecting and alerting others of a child sitting in a passenger seat of a motor vehicle from which a driver has left, the method comprising:

providing an on-board digital processor and user interface for the motor vehicle;

providing the vehicle with at least one driver door sensor and at least one passenger door sensor in communication with a location in the vehicle where the child is seated; and is

Inputting the location at which the child is seated to the digital processor through the user interface;

wherein the digital processor is programmed to activate an alarm if the at least one passenger door is not opened within a predetermined time interval after entering the location at which the child is seated and then opening the driver door.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an access sensor associated with at least one enclosed stowage area of the motor vehicle and identifying the at least one enclosed stowage area to the digital processor, wherein the digital processor is programmed to activate the alarm unless the access sensor notifies the digital processor that a closure providing access to the enclosed stowage area is opened within a predetermined time interval after the driver door is opened.