US 6,474,683 B1 · Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a vehicle

Abstract

Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a passenger compartment of a vehicle including at least one wave-receiving sensor for receiving waves from the passenger compartment. Information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment is generated based on the waves received by the wave-receiving sensor(s) and transmitted, e.g., through a cellular phone system, to emergency response personnel to enable them to respond accordingly. The information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment may be generated by a processor applying pattern recognition techniques so that any occupants of the seat may be classified and such classification transmitted to the emergency response personnel. The wave received by the wave-receiving sensor(s) may also be used to determine the number of occupants in the vehicle and/or whether the occupants are moving after a crash.

Claims50

Dependent claims

An arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising

at least one wave-receiving sensor for receiving waves from the passenger compartment,
generating means coupled to said at least one wave-receiving sensor for generating information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment based on the waves received by said at least one wave-receiving sensor, and
communications means coupled to said generating means and arranged to establish a communications channel between the vehicle and a remote facility to thereby enable the information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment to be transmitted to the remote facility.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/563,556Filed 3 May 2000 · continuation in part

Priority

5 May 1992

Granted

5 Nov 2002

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification72 codes

B60R 21/0153
Passenger detection systems: using field detection presence sensors
B60J 10/00
Sealing arrangements
B60N 2/0022
Characterised by the type of sensor or measurement: for sensing anthropometric parameters, e.g. heart rate or body temperature
B60N 2/0029
For identifying, categorising or investigation of the occupant or object on the seat: for detecting the motion of the occupant

Family

Application07/878,571Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 May 1992

Application08/040,978Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Mar 1993

Application08/239,978Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 1994

Application08/505,036Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Jul 1995

Application08/640,068Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Apr 1996

Application08/905,876Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 1997

Application09/047,703Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Mar 1998

Application09/437,535Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Nov 1999

US 6,039,139 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 5,848,802 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 5,829,782 AParent of this continuation-in-part

Application08/640,068Parent of this continuation

US 5,653,462 AParent of this continuation

Application08/239,978Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,712,387 B1Related patent

US 6,474,683 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a vehicle

Life of this patent

Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims50