A child restraint configured to be securable to and separable from a base installed in a vehicle, the child restraint comprising an illuminator positioned on an external portion of the child restraint, configured to operate in a first mode, illuminating a first region external to the child restraint wherein, in the event that the child restraint is not secured to the base, and the child restraint is moved, the illuminator will be activated in its first mode, illuminating the first region external to the child restraint for the purpose of aiding securement to the base, and wherein in the event that the child restraint is secured to the base, the first mode will be deactivated.

The vehicle child safety system is a safety system that is configured for use in a vehicle. The vehicle child safety system is configured for use with a child safety seat. The vehicle child safety system: 1) determines whether the child safety seat is installed within the vehicle; 2) determines whether the child safety seat is occupied; 3) requires the operator to acknowledge the presence of the child safety seat before the operation of the vehicle; 4) monitors the location of the key fob relative to the vehicle. If it is determined: 1) that the key fob is external to the vehicle; and, 2) that the child safety seat is occupied; then, 3) the vehicle child safety system activates the horn and alarm flashes the exterior lights; and, 4) sends a message informing an appropriate authority that

A support base for a child safety seat includes a shell body and a belt restraining frame. The shell body is adapted to support a child seat, and has an upper surface provided with a storage cavity sized to receive an attachment strap and two latch connectors. The belt restraining frame is pivotally connected with the shell body, and is rotatable relative to the shell body between a release position where the belt restraining frame rises away from the upper surface of the shell body so that the storage cavity is opened upwardly, and a clamping position where the belt restraining frame is adjacent to the upper surface for holding an anchoring belt that is routed across the storage cavity.

The baby car seat and dock alarm system comprises a car seat, docking base, and a docking alarm system. The docking alarm system comprises sensors and a control module. The control module monitors the sensors and detects when an alarm condition exists. The control module communicates with vehicle subsystems and with the driver's smart phone using two transceivers in the control unit. When the control unit detects an alarm condition it may attempt to notify the driver and/or bystanders and it may attempt to remedy the situation. As a non-limiting example, if the control module detects that a child has been left in a hot, unattended vehicle, it may notify the driver via a text message, notify bystanders by sounding the vehicle horn, and remedy the situation by lowering the vehicle's windows.

A vehicle includes a front seating assembly and a rear seating assembly. An occupant sensor senses occupancy of the front seating assembly. A proximity sensor senses an object in a footwell behind the front seating assembly. A rear door sensor senses the opening of a rear door. A controller activates an actuator to move the front seating assembly forward based on the sensed occupancy, a sensed object, and sensed door opening. A method of controlling a vehicle seating assembly includes the steps of: sensing the front seating assembly is unoccupied with the occupant sensor; detecting in the footwell behind the front seating assembly with the proximity sensor; sensing a rear door position with the door sensor; and moving the front seating assembly forward when the front seating assembly is unoccupied, an object is in the footwell, and the rear door is in an open position.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle. For instance, an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle is received. The image is processed in order to identify one or more visible markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle. The internal state of the vehicle is determined based on the identified one or more visible markers. A responsive action is identified action using the determined internal state, and the vehicle is controlled in order to perform the responsive action.

A support base for a child safety seat includes a shell body configured to support a child seat, and a belt restraining frame pivotally connected with the shell body. The belt restraining frame includes a transversal portion, two side portions, and a middle portion located between the two side portions, the two side portions and the middle portion being fixedly connected with the transversal portion and having respective ends pivotally connected with the shell body. The belt restraining frame is rotatable relative to the shell body between a release position where the middle portion rises away from the upper surface of the shell body, and a clamping position where the middle portion is adjacent to the upper surface for pressing against an anchoring belt that is routed transversally across the shell body.

A seat occupancy determination apparatus includes a seatbelt attachment detection device, a first load detection device and a second load detection device arranged under a vehicle seat and each detecting part of a load acting on the vehicle seat, a control processor obtaining a first load value and a second load value, the control processor including a sum load value calculation portion computing a sum load value, a no-occupancy determination portion, a slope way determination portion determining that a vehicle is stopped on a slope way, a seatbelt attachment determination portion, a tentative determination portion tentatively making a seat occupancy determination, a forward movement determination portion determining that the vehicle starts moving forward and runs steadily on a flat ground, and a definite determination portion determining that an adult is seated and determining that a child safety seat is fastened.

A child restraint includes a seat base adapted to rest on a vehicle seat and a juvenile seat adapted to couple to the seat base. The seat base includes a seat-base foundation configured to support the juvenile seat and a tether strap coupled to an upper end of the seat-base foundation and adapted to be fixed to a tether-strap anchor coupled to the vehicle seat.

Embodiments include a vehicle comprising a user interface, a first sensor coupled to a child seat for detecting a child seat belt status; a gear selector for selecting a vehicle gear, and a processor communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the gear selector, and configured to cause the user interface to present a first notification if a first alarm condition is detected based on the child seat belt status and a selected gear. Embodiments also include a method of providing child seat monitoring in a vehicle, the method comprising receiving a gear position from a vehicle gear selector, receiving a child seat belt status from a first sensor coupled to a vehicle child seat, and presenting a first notification using a vehicle user interface if the gear position is a non-park position and the child seat belt status is unbuckled.