Child Safety in a Vehicle Alert System and Method

Abstract

An alert system to assist in child safety in a vehicle includes a seat belt buckle insert adapted to be inserted between the male and female parts of a standard safety belt found in most automobiles or for a child car safety seat. It may also include a portable receiver device designed to be carried by a vehicle operator. The seat belt buckle insert detects whether the seat belt has been buckled and the temperature is within an acceptable range, as well as the approximate distance between the seat belt buckle insert and portable receiver device. The seat belt buckle transmits information gathered to the portable receiver device and triggers alerts notifying the vehicle operator of a child's safety status.

Claims

1. An alert system to monitor child safety in a vehicle comprising a set buckle insert, the insert comprising: a female connecting buckle portion for releasably connecting with a male tongue of a safety belt of a child car seat or vehicle; a male connecting tongue portion for releasably connecting with a female portion of the buckle of the car seat or vehicle buckle seat belt strap; a mechanical release button for releasing the connection of the female connecting buckle portion seat belt buckle insert; sensors for sensing connection of the male tongue and the female connecting buckle portion to complementary portions of the safety belt of the vehicle or child safety seat; and a wireless transmitter for transmitting messages generated by the insert indicating a connection status of the insert with a tongue and a buckle of the safety belt.

2. The alert system of claim 1, further comprising a portable wireless receiver for receiving messages wirelessly transmitted from the seat belt buckle insert.

3. The alert system of claim 2, wherein the wireless receiver comprises an application running on programmable cellular telephone for processing and responding to messages from the insert.

4. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the system determines whether the child is properly secured in a seat through the sensors coupled to both the female portion of the seat belt buckle, and male portion of the seat belt buckle, said sensors coupled to the female portion and male portion configured to transmit wireless signal to the portable receiver device to notify user of proper buckling.

5. The alert system of claim 3, wherein said alarm system determines whether the seat belt buckle insert is within a predetermined distance from the portable receiver device, and alerts the user when the portable receiver device is outside of the predetermined distance.

6. The alert system of claim 4, wherein said alarm system contains a temperature sensor configured to determine whether the temperature in a vehicle is within a predetermined acceptable range and alerts the user when the vehicle temperature is outside of the predetermined range.

7. A method of alerting a vehicle operator of the safety of a child in a vehicle comprising: in response to a seat belt buckle insert, having a tongue and a buckle, being connected between a tongue and buckle of a safety belt; determining whether a child is buckled through sensors located within the insert next to the buckle and the tongue; communicating wirelessly whether the seat belt buckle is properly buckled to a portable receiver device; and alerting the user as to whether or not the seat belt buckle insert is properly connected.

8. The method of claim 6 further including: detecting a distance between the seat belt buckle insert and the portable receiver device, and alerting the user when the receiver is likely outside a predetermined acceptable range from the insert.

9. The method of claim 7 further including: determining whether the temperature within a vehicle is within a predetermined temperature range, and alerting the user when the temperature is out of said predetermined range.

10. The method of claim 8, further wirelessly communicating with a programmable cellular telephone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a view of a safety belt insert and car seat belt.

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a representative a key fob.

[0018] FIG. 3 is schematic illustration of a non-limiting example of circuitry and other components of the safety belt insert of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustration of a non-limiting example of circuitry and other components of the key fob of FIG. 2.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a flowchart describing a process for alerting the possible presence of a child using the safety belt insert of FIG. 1 and the key fob of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In the following description, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0022] Turning now to FIG. 1 illustrates how a seat belt insert 1 is used with a tongue (male component) 41 and buckle (female component) 42 of a connector used to fasten two lengths 45 and 46 of a seat belt, such as a seat belt that is factory installed in passenger motor vehicles or on infant car seats. The insert has a tongue 5 that inserts into the buckle 42 of the seat belt connector, and a buckle 4 that is adapted to receive and latch the tongue 41. A latch inside of the female buckle 42 locks the tongue of the male 5 end in place and firmly secures the two components together. The tongue 5 of the insert 1 is released by pressing the release button 43 on the buckle 42 of the seat belt, that opens the latch (not visible). The buckle 4 end of the insert is adapted to receive tongue 41 the seat belt, with its latch (not visible) released by pressing release button 3 on the insert 1 and pulling out the tongue 41. The particular seat belt assembly configuration shown in the figure has been provided as an example of one type of seatbelt assembly the seat belt straps 45 and 46, the tongue, and the buckle, other internal latching components of the connection can be constructed according to any one of a number of known designs.

[0023] A portable key fob 11, depicted FIG. 2, is an example of a portable device for communication with the insert. The insert 1 wirelessly transmits, and the portable device receives from the insert 1, messages indicating the state or condition of one or more of the following: (1) the latching of insert 1 with the car seat, as indicated by sensors located within the insert; and (2) one or more environmental conditions, such as ambient temperature, sensed by an environmental condition sensor in the insert. The portable device and the insert may also work together to determine whether the portable device is likely beyond at least a predetermined distance when the insert remains bucked in the seat belt, the predetermined distance. It may make this determination based on one or more of: signal strength, changes in signal strength, and the detection and non-detection of a signal.

[0024] In one embodiment, insert 1 and key fob 11 each have four corresponding lights. Lights 7a and 7b if the insert is powered on, if the key fob 11 is the proper distance from the insert 1 the user will be notified by the corresponding light 6a/b. Lights 10a and 10b will illuminate, change color and/or exhibit a predetermined visual pattern if both the male and female end of the insert are properly engaged. Lights 9a and 9b will illuminate to indicate the ambient temperature sensed by the insert. For example, it may illuminate, or change colors, depending on whether the temperature is within (or below or above) an acceptable, predetermined temperature or temperature range, or outside (or above or below) a predetermined, acceptable temperature or temperature range. For example, all four of these lights are illuminated by a color changing LED that displays a green color and red color. For the power lights 7a and 7b, a green color will be displayed when the insert and key fob are powered on. The circuitry controlling power lights 7a and 7b will cause the lights to blink when the battery power displayed by either the key fob power light 7b or insert power light 7a is less than a predetermined level, for example, a 25% of the battery's power. The distance indicator lights 6a and 6b will display a first color (for example, green) when the key fob 11 is within a predetermined distance from the insert 1, or when the key fob can detect messages sent by the insert; and it will display a red color on both the insert's light 6a and key fob's light 6b when the key fob 11 is outside of the preset distance or range from insert 1. The seatbelt indicator lights 10a and 10b will display a green color on both the insert's light 10a and key fob's light 10b when the insert 1 is engaged with the seat belt at both its male 5 and female 4 end. When either the male 5 of female 6 end of the insert 1 is not completely engaged with the seat, and the insert 1 is powered on, both the insert's light 10a and key fob's light 10b will display a red color to indicate to the user that the insert 1 is not completely engaged with the seat belt. Finally, when the internal temperature of the vehicle is outside of the predetermined temperature range, the insert temperature light 9a and key fob temperature light 9b, a red color will be depicted on both lights. When the internal temperature of the vehicle is within the predetermined temperature range, the insert temperature light 9a and key fob temperature light 9b, a green color will be depicted on both lights.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a non-limiting schematic diagram of circuitry comprising insert 1. A battery 23, which can consist of one or multiple batteries, powers the insert 1. Detector 17 comprises either a pressure switch that is senses when the tongue 5 of the insert is pressed into the buckle 42 of the car seat, or it can comprise a proximity detector that can sense a buckle 42. It may comprise, in alternative embodiments, other ways of detecting the insertion of the tongue 5 into a buckle. Detector 16 can be one of a pressure switch, proximity detector, or a lever system that activates a switch, or other device that is, for example, moved by the insertion of the tongue 41 of a seat belt into the buckle 4 of the insert. The detectors 16, 17 are coupled with an input/output interface 50, which communicates the conditions of the detector to CPU 19. Several functions and processes of the insert are implemented, in this illustrated example, by software stored in internal memory 20 executed by CPU 19. However, other implementations using hardware only, or hardware/software combinations, are possible. Based on the inputs of the detectors 16 and 17, as well as the temperature sensor 30, the processes being performed by the CPU under direction of the software cause the lights (or other visual or sensory indicators) to change to indicate the state of the insert. The insert 1 causes visual indicators to form and send messages to fob 11 (or other portable device) wirelessly. The insert 1 can include an antenna 48 for transmitting. Transmissions are received by the key fob 11 through the key fob's internal antenna 62 and radio 53.

[0026] The insert 1 contains a temperature sensor 30 that is able to read the atmosphere surrounding the insert 1 when placed inside of a vehicle. The temperature sensor 30 can be a digital thermometer, thermocouple sensor, resistance temperature detector (RTD), thermistors, pyrometer, or other similar methods. When the temperature sensor 30 detects a temperature that is outside of the range of the operating software, a signal is sent to key fob 11 and the temperature light 9a/b on both the insert 1 and key fob 11 change colors from green to red. The signal is sent from the insert to the key fob through a means of wireless communication such as 4G, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth, RF, 802.11, AM or FM to the key fob 11. The insert 1 can include an antenna 48 for radio transmissions as well. Transmissions are received by the key fob 11 through the key fob's internal antenna 62, radio 53, or wifi 60.

[0027] In one example, the insert 1 and the key fob 11 each include a Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 radio to communicate. When the key fob 11 is separated by at least a predetermined distance from the insert 1, the distance indicator light 6a/b on both the insert 1 and key fob 11 will turn from green to red.

[0028] Anytime the user is alerted through one of the four indicator lights on the key fob 11, an accompanying alarm is also sounded through the key fob's speaker 66 to notify the user that a change in condition has occurred.

[0029] A portable electronic device can be used in place of the key fob 11. The device would include a wireless receiver and, optionally, a transmitter. The portable electronic device may include an enabled location-determining device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a triangulations device, or through Wi-Fi assessment, for providing location information to the insert 1. An application running on, for example, a “smartphone” or similar type of device could serve as the portable electronic device for receiving messages from the insert and notifying the user of one or more of conditions associated with the insert, such power of the insert, seatbelt status, temperature of the vehicle, and distance from the insert 1.

[0030] FIG. 5 describes a monitoring and alert process 500 after a child is buckled into a car seat at step 502 using the insert 1. The insert 1 is attached between the male 41 and female 42 ends of a vehicle's seat belt 45, 46 or a child car seat. The indicators 10a and 10b will notify the user of the detectors 16, 17 (see FIG. 2) as the insert 1 monitors the proper buckling of the vehicle or child seat belt at step 504. If the insert is properly attached at step 506, the alert system will activate at step 508 and a portable device will indicate that it has been activated by, for example, indicating turning on or changing the color of a status light on the key fob, or by changing a notification generated by an application on a smartphone. If the insert 1 is not properly connected to both the tongue and the buckle of a car seat, the user can be advised by a status light, for example a red light on the key fob, as indicated by step 510. The user can also be notified audibly of the status of the insert and additional information generated by the insert by a sound from the key fob's 11 speaker 66. While the insert 1 is properly attached, the alert system is active, as indicated by step 508, and the seat belt insert 1 will monitor whether key fob 11 is within a predetermined, acceptable range. The key fob 11 will indicate to the user that it is within an acceptable range by, for example, displaying a visual indicator, such as a green light, 524. If the fob will indicate, for example, with a red light 526 when it is outside of an acceptable range from the insert 1. The user can also be notified by a sound from the key fob's 11 speaker 66. While the alert system insert 1 is active 508, the temperature within the vehicle will be monitored at step 512. The alert system will determine if the temperature is within a predetermined safe range at step 514. It will indicate to the user with a green light 516 if the temperature is within a safe range, and will indicate to the user with a red light 518 when the temperature is outside of the safe range. The user can also be notified by a sound from the key fob's 11 speaker 66.

[0031] The foregoing description is of exemplary and preferred embodiments. The invention, as defined by the appended claims, is not limited to the described embodiments. Alterations and modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the invention. The meaning of the terms used in this specification are, unless expressly stated otherwise, intended to have ordinary and customary meaning and are not intended to be limited to the details of the illustrated or described structures or embodiments.