Patent Publication Number: US-2019168635-A1

Title: Car seat alarm system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/567,500 filed Oct. 3, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of safety systems and more specifically relates to an alarm system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Child safety seats are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. Car manufacturers may integrate child safety seats directly into their vehicle&#39;s design. Most commonly, these seats are purchased and installed by consumers. Many regions require children defined by age, weight, and/or height to use a government-approved child safety seat when riding in a vehicle. Child safety seats provide passive restraints and must be properly used to be effective. 
     Parents and caregivers can become distracted and can forget that children are in the backseat, especially if the child falls asleep or is otherwise quiet. Unfortunately, if parents or caregivers exit the car without remembering to remove the child, the child can suffer a number of health conditions, possibly even death. The interior of a vehicle is capable of heating up or cooling down quickly, which leaves a child vulnerable to both hyperthermia and hypothermia. In addition, an unattended child is also at risk of being kidnapped. A suitable solution is desired. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,522 to Stephen R. Flanagan relates to an object-proximity monitoring and alarm system. The described object-proximity monitoring and alarm system includes a weight-sensitive mat or other sensor determines whether a child seat in a vehicle is occupied, a transmitter is proximate to the sensor, and a keychain fob or other portable unit includes a receiver and an alarm. Generally, if the child seat is occupied and the keychain fob is removed from proximity to the transmitter, the transmitter communicates this to the keychain fob receiver and the alarm is activated. Exemplary embodiments include an add-on kit including a base unit with a transceiver for use with existing car seats having a base and a detachable shell, an add-on kit without the base unit for use with existing unitary car seats, a car seat with the child sensor, transmitter, and/or base unit built into it, and an automatic checklist feature for diaper bags, strollers, etc. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known safety systems art, the present disclosure provides a novel car seat alarm system. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an effective safety system for preventing children from being left unattended in a vehicle. 
     A car seat alarm system is disclosed herein. The car seat alarm system includes a weight-sensor plate assembly, a power source, a dashboard sensor, and a portable device including a speaker. The weight-sensor plate assembly is positioned underneath a car seat and configured to detect a weight of a child in the car seat. The weight-sensor plate assembly includes a weight-sensor plate within a housing. The housing is a cushioned fabric for concealing the weight-sensor plate. 
     The weight-sensor plate assembly is in communication with the dashboard sensor including a transceiver. the dashboard sensor is configured to communicate that the weight of the child is present within the car seat. The dashboard sensor is in wireless communication with the portable device having a receiver. The dashboard sensor is mountable within a vehicle. The dashboard sensor is configured to activate an alarm through the speaker when the portable device extends past a pre-determined proximity range from the dashboard sensor is reached and if the weight of the child is present within the car seat. The alarm is deactivated when pressure is removed from the weight-sensor plate assembly. The car seat alarm system is further configured to communicate with a mobile application hosted on the smartphone and configured to provide alerts through the mobile application for viewing on a mobile display. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a car seat alarm system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the car seat alarm system during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the car seat alarm system of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the car seat alarm system of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the car seat alarm system of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the car seat alarm system of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a safety system and more particularly to a car seat alarm system as used to provides an alert to prevent children from being left unattended in a vehicle. 
     Generally, the car seat alarm system is designed to increase the likelihood of survival for an infant or child in the backseat of a vehicle. The invention is comprised of a weighted sensor, key fob, a dashboard sensor, and an app for a mobile phone. The weighted pressure plate is transferable to any car seat for infants or children. Using Bluetooth technology, the weighted pressure plate, which is concealed in a cushioned fabric, is able to communicate to the dashboard/visor sensor that weight is present. The visor and key fob communicate via Bluetooth that the proximity has been reached and will sound the alarm. The optional app for the mobile phone will also alert the driver that the child is still in the backseat (weight is present). The key fob includes a speaker on the back for sounding an alert. The alert may sound until the child is removed from the seat and therefore the pressure sensor. This further prevents children from being left unattended in a vehicle, reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities. The present invention assists parents and caretakers in remembering to remove a child from the backseat of a vehicle. 
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , various views of a car seat alarm system  100 .  FIG. 1  shows a car seat alarm system  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the car seat alarm system  100  may include a weight-sensor plate assembly  110 , a power source  112 , a dashboard sensor  120 , and a portable device including a speaker  132 . The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is positioned and configured to detect a weight of a child in a car seat  10 . The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is in communication with the dashboard sensor  120  including a transceiver. The dashboard sensor  120  is configured to communicate that the weight of the child is present within the car seat  10 . The dashboard sensor  120  is in wireless communication with the portable device  130  having a receiver. The dashboard sensor  120  is configured to activate an alarm to be outputted through the speaker  132  when the portable device  130  extends past a pre-determined proximity range from the dashboard sensor  120  is reached and if the weight of the child is present within the car seat  10 . The portable device  130  includes a key fob  134 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the car seat alarm system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the car seat alarm system  100  may include the weight-sensor plate assembly  110 , the power source  112 , the dashboard sensor  120 , and the portable device  130  including the speaker  132 . The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  includes a weight-sensor plate  114  within a housing  116 . The weight-sensor plate  114  is pressure sensitive such that when a child is sitting in a car seat  10 , the weight is registered. The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is portable and transferable allowing a user to use the device with different car seats  10 . The housing  116  is a cushioned fabric for concealing the weight-sensor plate  114 . The power source  112  is internally housed within the housing  116  and electronically coupled to the weight-sensor plate  114 . The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is in communication with the dashboard sensor  120  via a wireless network (Bluetooth®). The dashboard sensor  120  is in wireless communication with the key fob  134  via a wireless network (Bluetooth®). 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the car seat alarm system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the car seat alarm system  100  may include the weight-sensor plate assembly  110  in communication with the dashboard sensor  120  and the dashboard sensor  120  in wireless communication with the key fob  134  via a wireless network. If a child is left unattended in the car seat, the system  100  is configured to alert a parent with an alarm or other visual or audible alert. The alarm is deactivated when pressure is removed from the weight-sensor plate assembly  110 . In certain embodiments, the portable device further includes a smartphone. The car seat alarm system  100  is further in communication with a mobile application hosted on the smartphone and configured to provide alerts through the mobile application for viewing on a mobile display. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the car seat alarm system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the car seat alarm system  100  may include the weight-sensor plate assembly  110 , the power source  112 , the dashboard sensor  120 , and the portable device  130  including the speaker  132  in combination to provide a safety alert device. The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is substantially planar. The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  is preferably positioned underneath the car seat  10  to detect the weight of a child in the car seat  10 . The weight-sensor plate assembly  110  comprises a width approximately equal to a width of a seat portion of the car seat  10 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the car seat alarm system  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the car seat alarm system  100  may include the weight-sensor plate assembly  110 , the dashboard sensor  120  and the portable device  130  such as a key fob  134  in communication with each other via a wireless network. The dashboard sensor  120  is mountable within a vehicle. The dashboard sensor  120  includes a clip for mounting the dashboard sensor  120 . The dashboard sensor  120  may be applied to a vehicle sun visor. The dashboard sensor  120  is configured to activate an alarm to be relayed through the speaker  132  when the portable device  130  extends past a pre-determined proximity range from the dashboard sensor  120  is reached and if the weight of the child is present within the car seat  10 . In a preferred embodiment, the pre-determined proximity range is approximately greater than 10 feet. 
     It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., are taught herein. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.