Seatbelt and child seat anchor based occupancy detection system
AssigneeTK Holdings Inc.
InventorsLeonard Cech, Chakravarthi Mallikarjun Nagolu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to apparatus for detecting a child left unattended in a car seat as well as the status of the connection between the car seat and the vehicle. The apparatus includes a sensor module and a processor. The sensor module including a sensor for measuring force data associated with the coupling between car seat and a vehicle. The processor receives and analyzes the sensor data to determine the status of the child/child seat, and then communicates status data to a caretaker. Counter-measure instructions can also be provided to the vehicle for altering the vehicle state/environment.
Claims20
An apparatus for detecting a status of a child restraint system, the apparatus comprising:
- a sensor module including a sensor, the sensor measuring sensor data associated with a coupling between an attachment portion of a child restraint system and a vehicle, the child restraint system comprising a child seat separate from a vehicle seat and the attachment portion for coupling the child seat to the vehicle;
- and
- a processor in electrical communication with the sensor module and a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, the instructions causing the processor to:
- receive the sensor data,
- determine a status of the child restraint system based on the received sensor data, and
- communicate status data corresponding to the determined status of the child restraint system.
- wherein the sensor data is associated with a force, pressure, acceleration, and/or detection of a latching clip measured at the sensor,
- wherein the sensor data corresponds to movement of the child restraint system and includes spatially distributed reaction force data associated with the movement of the child restraint system.
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A method of detecting a status of a child restraint system, the method comprising:
- collecting, at a sensor module, sensor data corresponding to a force, pressure, acceleration, and/or detection of a latching clip measured at a sensor provided at a coupling point between an attachment portion of the child restraint system and an anchor mounting member fixedly coupled to a vehicle, the child restraint system comprising a child seat separate from a vehicle and the attachment portion for coupling the child seat to the vehicle, the sensor data corresponding to movement of an occupant of the child restraint system and includes spatially distributed reaction for data associated with movement of the child restraint system;
- receiving sensor data at a processor;
- determining a status of the child restraint system;
- generating status data corresponding to the status of the child restraint system;
- and
- communicating the status data to a control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.