Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for warning when a person such as an infant has been left in an infant seat in a vehicle and the operator of the vehicle has departed from the vehicle. The apparatus includes an occupant detection mechanism for detecting the presence of an occupant within a seat-belted seat located within a vehicle; optionally a mechanism for detecting the state of the vehicle&#39;s motion; a control unit for generating an alarm signal when the occupant detection mechanism detects the presence of an occupant within the infant seat and an alarm unit for generating an alarm in response to the alarm signal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The purpose of this invention is to prevent tragic deaths in which children have been mistakenly left in automobiles after the driver had reached the desired destination and left the vehicle. The deaths have usually been caused by a buildup of excessive heat or excessive cold within the vehicle during the absence of the driver. Infants, in particular, are susceptible to dehydration when subjected to the elevated temperatures within an enclosed vehicle, and can easily slip into a comatose state. 
   Systems utilizing a motion detector to detect the presence of a child within a located vehicle are known. While systems utilizing a motion detector provide some advantages, particularly in the case of older children that may inadvertently lock themselves in a vehicle while playing and may be actively seeking escape, it fails to protect infants who have been left asleep in their child seats and are not capable of sufficient activity to set off a motion detector. Infants, for example, may become dehydrated during sleep and may drift into a comatose state without ever waking. 
   In view of the above, it is an objective of the invention to provide a system that warns when a child has been left in the infant seat under dangerous conditions. 
   2. Description of the Art Practices 
   McCarthy, et al., discloses in U.S. Published patent application 20020080014 dated 27 Jun. 2002 a vehicle compartment occupancy detection system is operable to detect a presence of a person or animal within a vehicle compartment, such as a vehicle cabin or trunk space, by detecting a change in an electric field within the compartment. The detection system includes an electric field generator and an electric field sensor which is operable to detect changes in the electric field generated within the compartment. The detection system may further be operable to activate an accessory in response to one or more inputs and the electric field sensor. The detection system may be operable in response to one or more inputs which are indicative of a hazardous condition within the vehicle compartment. The detection system may then be operable to take corrective action to at least partially alleviate the hazardous condition and/or to communicate to a person exteriorly of the vehicle that the hazardous condition exists. 
   Rossi in U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,293 issued 15 Aug. 2000 discloses an apparatus is provided for warning when a child has been left in an infant seat and a vehicle as been turned off. The apparatus includes an occupant detection mechanism for detecting the presence of an occupant within an infant seat located within a vehicle; an ignition detection mechanism for detecting the state of the vehicle&#39;s ignition system; a control unit for generating an alarm signal when the occupant detection mechanism detects the presence of an occupant within the infant seat and the ignition detection mechanism detects that the vehicle&#39;s ignition system has been turned from an “on” state to an “off” state; and an alarm units for generating an alarm in response to the alarm signal. The components of the apparatus can be located within the infant seat, within the vehicle or combined within the infant seat and the vehicle. 
   Ziegler, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,348 issued 21 May 2002 discloses a passenger monitoring safety seat and system to monitor vital functions of a passenger placed in the vehicle safety seat. The system includes at least one sensor adapted of contact a passenger placed in the vehicle safety seat so that said sensor provides and transmits an electrical output signal indicative of a selected vital function pertaining to the passenger. A display unit, remote from the vehicle safety seat, includes a receiver and circuitry to acquire and amplify the output signal transmitted by the sensor, and the display unit provides a visual display indicative of said selected vital function. The display unit also provides an alarm if the output signal from the sensor falls outside a pre-selected range. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,595 issued 23 Jul. 2002 to Breed, et al. discloses a method in a vehicle for identifying an occupying item in which information or data about the occupying item is obtained and a pattern recognition system analyzes this information or data with respect to size, position., shape and/or motion to determine what the occupying item is whereby a distinction can be made as to whether the occupying item is human or an inanimate object. The information or data may be obtained by one or more receiver arrays which converts electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals such that the information or data about the occupying item is in the form of one or more electrical signals representative of an image of the occupying item. The same information or data may be used in arrangements and methods for controlling a vehicular component which also include a pattern recognition system for receiving and analyzing the information or data and a control unit for controlling the vehicular component based on the analysis of the information or data about the occupying item with respect to the size, position, shape and/or motion by the pattern recognition system. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,465 issued 27 Aug. 2002 to Breed, et al. discloses a system and method for controlling operation of a vehicle or a component thereof based on recognition of a individual including a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm trained to identify whether a person is the individual by analyzing data derived from optical images and an optical receiving unit for receiving images including the person and deriving data from the images. The optical receiving unit provides the data to the algorithm to obtain an indication from the algorithm whether the person is the individual. A security system enables operation of the vehicle when the algorithm provides an indication that the person is an individual authorized to operate the vehicle and prevents operation of the vehicle when the algorithm does not provide an indication that the person is an individual authorized to operate the vehicle. A component adjustment system adjusts the component based on the recognition of the individual. 
   To the extent that the foregoing references are relevant to the present invention, they are herein specifically incorporated by reference. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention describes a safety device comprising:
         a seat belt interlock has a male connector and a female connector;
           said female connector of the said seat belt interlock, for when in use, receiving a vehicular seat belt male connector;   said male connector of said seat belt interlock, for when in use, connecting with a vehicular seat belt female connector;   said seat belt interlock has detection means for determining when said male connector of said seat belt interlock is connected with the vehicular seat belt female connector and the said female connector of the said seat belt interlock is connected with the vehicular seat belt male connector; and,   the said seat belt interlock has transmitter means to alert at least one person that the said male connector of the said seat belt interlock is connected with the vehicular seat belt female connector while the said female connector of the seat belt interlock is connected with the vehicular seat belt male connector.   
               

   The present invention further describes a safety device comprising:
         a seat belt interlock has a male connector and a female connector;
           said female connector of the said seat belt interlock, for when in use, receiving a vehicular seat belt male connector;   said male connector of said seat belt interlock, for when in use, connecting with a vehicular seat belt female connector;   said seat belt interlock has detection means for determining if at least one said male connector of said seat belt interlock or the said female connector of said seat belt interlock is connected respectively with the vehicular seat belt female connector or the vehicular seat belt male connector, and;   the said seat belt interlock has transmitter means to alert at least one person that at least one of the said male connector of the said seat belt interlock or the said female connector of the said seat belt interlock is connected respectively with the seat belt female connector or the seat belt male connector.   
               

   The present invention also describes a method of alerting an individual that an unsafe condition exists in a vehicle comprising obtaining a safety device comprising:
         a seat belt interlock male connector and a seat belt interlock female connector;   seat belt interlock female connector, for when in use, receiving a vehicular seat belt male connector;   seat belt interlock male connector, for when in use, connecting with a vehicular seat belt female connector;   said seat belt interlock has detection means for determining if at least one of seat belt interlock male connector or the said seat belt interlock female connector is connected respectively with the vehicular seat belt female connector or the vehicular seat belt male connector, and;   the said seat belt interlock has means to alert at least one person that at least one of the said seat belt interlock male connector is connected with the said seat belt female connector or the said seat belt interlock female connector is connected with the seat belt male connector; and   operating the device by connecting at least one of the said seat belt female connector with a vehicular seat belt male connector or connecting the said seat belt interlock male connector with a vehicular seat belt female connector.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an aspect of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective of a part of he invention, and; 
       FIG. 4  is another embodiment of the invention similar to FIG.  1 . 
   

   With more particular reference to the drawings the following is set forth. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As best seen in  FIG. 1  is a seat belt interlock  10 . The seat belt interlock  10  has a release mechanism  12 . An electrical power source such as a battery  14  is within the seat belt interlock  10 . Also located within the seat belt interlock  10  is a first electrically conductive wire  16 . A second electrically conductive wire  18  is also located within the seat belt interlock  10 . 
   The seat belt interlock  10  terminates at one end with a male seat belt connector  30 . The male seat belt connector  30  is electrically conductive. The male seat belt connector  30  is electrically connected with the electrically conductive wire  16 . The male seat belt connector  30  is electrically connected with the second electrically conductive wire  18 . 
   The seat belt interlock  10  terminates at the opposite end thereof with a female seat belt connector  32 . The female seat belt connector  32  has an electrically conductive region  34  with the electrically conductive wire  16 . The female seat belt connector  32  is electrically conductive with the second electrically conductive wire  18 . 
   A transmitter  40  capable of transmitting a radio frequency signal is located within the seat belt interlock  10 . The transmitter  40  will when activated transmit a radio frequency signal through the antenna  42 . The transmitter  40  within the seat belt interlock  10  is electrically connected with the  30 . For simplicity, the transmitter  40  is also electrically connected with an electrically conductive wire  48  located within the seat belt interlock  10 . 
   The female seat belt connector  32  has a second electrically conductive region  54 . The electrically conductive wire  48  is electrically connected with the electrically conductive region  54  of the seat belt connector  32 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 2 , is a conventional infant seat  60 . The conventional infant seat  60  has a seat belt retainer  62 . The seat belt retainer  62  is connected with a seat belt restraint strap  66 . The seat belt restraint strap  66  passes through an opening (not shown) in the conventional infant seat  60  to promote availability to the seating region of the conventional infant seat  60 . 
   The seat belt retainer  62  is also connected with a seat belt restraint strap  68 . The seat belt restraint strap  68  passes through a second opening (not shown) in the conventional infant seat  60  to promote availability to the seating region of the conventional infant seat  60 . 
   The conventional infant seat  60  has a connector mechanism  70 . The connector mechanism  70  when in use has the ability to pull the seat belt restraint strap  66  and the seat belt restraint strap  68  together to restrain an occupant of the conventional infant seat  60 . The connector mechanism  70  may be fixedly connected to the seat belt restraint strap  66  or the seat belt restraint strap  68 . The connector mechanism  70  may also be detachable from the seat belt restraint strap  66  and the seat belt restraint strap  68 . 
   The seat belt restraint strap  66  and the seat belt restraint strap  68  fixedly connect at a region distally from the seat belt retainer  62  to form a seat belt region  72 . The seat belt region  72  terminates at a male seat belt connector region  80  (a seat belt buckle). The male seat belt connector region  80  has a male seat belt insertion point  82 . The male seat belt insertion point  82  is electrically conductive. 
   A female seat belt connector region  90  is fixedly connected with a seat belt restraint strap  94 . The seat belt restraint strap  94  is connected with the seat belt ratainer  62 . The seat belt restraint strap  94  is located to the rear or non-seating area of the conventional infant seat  60 . A seat belt release mechanism  98  is located on the obverse side of the female seat belt connector region  90 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 3  is a key fob  124 . The key fob  124  has a radio frequency receiver  126 . There is also shown in  FIG. 3  a speaker  128 . There is also shown in  FIG. 3  an automobile key  132 . 
   In operation, the seat belt interlock  10  is connected through the male seat belt connector  30  into female seat belt connector region  90  to restrain an infant (not shown). The seat belt interlock  10  is then connected to the male seat belt insertion point  82 . The infant is then restrained in the conventional infant seat  60  and the connector mechanism  70  is tightened. 
   When the vehicle in which the conventional infant seat  60  with the restrained infant reaches its destination the operator of the vehicle will exit the vehicle. As the male seat belt connector  30  is connected with the female seat belt connector  32  electrical current may flow from the electrically conductive wire  16  to the electrically conductive wire  48 . As the electrically conductive region  54  is connected with the electrically conductive wire  48  an electrical current may be transmitted through the electrically conductive region  54 . 
   When the male seat belt insertion point  82  is connected with the female seat belt connector  32  the electrical current will flow though the male seat belt insertion point  82  to the  34 . In this manner the electrical circuit is completed to the battery  14  and the transmitter will transmit a signal through the antenna  42 . 
   If the operator does not remove the infant from the conventional infant seat  60  the transmitter  40  will begin to transmit a radio frequency signal through the antenna  42 . The transmitted radio frequency signal is received by the radio frequency receiver  126  in the key fob  124 . The speaker  128  will then cause an audible alerting sound to emanate from the key fob  124 . The audible alerting sound may be an infant crying. 
   A second embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 4. A  seat belt interlock  210  utilizes many of the same components as the seat belt interlock  10 . There are two batteries  14  in separate circuits in the seat belt interlock  210 . A transmitter  212  is positioned with the seat interlock  210 . A wire  216  in the first circuit (or a wire  216 A in the second circuit) provides an electrical pathway  234  from the seat belt connector  32  to a transmitter  212  through electrically conductive wire  248  to the electrically conductive region  254 . 
   The transmitter  212  is activated if the seat belt interlock  210  is not properly connected, e.g. the seat belt will not restrain an infant and a transmitted signal from the transmitter  212  will alert the operator of the vehicle that a malfunction is occurring. In a similar fashion the second circuit comprising an electrically conductive wire and electrically conductive wire  218  and the male seat belt connector  30  will also provide a malfunction signal. 
   The seat belt interlock  10  and the seat belt interlock  210  may be operated such that the radio frequency signal is not generated (delayed) for a specified time interval. The radio frequency signal from the seat belt interlock  10  and the seat belt interlock  210  may be generated if the vehicle is not in motion for a specified time interval. If a predetermined distance between the transmitter  40  and the receiver  126  is met or exceeded. 
   The seat belt interlock  210  must be fully disconnected to prevent an alerting signal. Thus a malfunction warning system and an infant warning system are combined. 
   From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.