Patent ID: 8190331
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: B60H,B60R,G08B

Abstract:
1. A system for detecting an animate object inside a vehicle compartment comprising: a vehicle body defining the vehicle compartment; a controller; a first sensor defining an electrical circuit including a shape memory alloy, a first contact and a second contact; wherein the shape memory alloy is fixedly connected to at least one of the first and second contacts and is configured to selectively change a distance between the first and second contacts; the first sensor being mounted with respect to the vehicle body to receive mechanical energy from a moving animate object inside the vehicle compartment and transmit the mechanical energy to the shape memory alloy; and being configured to generate an electrical charge or current by converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy when an electrical connection between the first and second contacts is changed from one of: wherein the shape memory alloy is in thermal communication with the vehicle compartment such that transmitting mechanical energy from the moving animate object to the shape memory alloy and transitioning the shape memory alloy from one of a cold state and a hot state to the other of the cold state and the hot state in response to a temperature within the vehicle compartment deforms the shape memory alloy and changes the distance between the first contact and the second contact sufficiently to change the electrical connection between the first and second contacts from one of open to closed, and closed to open, thereby causing the first sensor to generate the electrical charge or current, said first sensor being operatively connected to the controller such that the controller receives a signal when the first sensor generates the electrical charge or current; and wherein the controller is configured to: