Patent Application
20210142642
Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, and as is generally well known in the prior art, parents and caregivers through forgetfulness leave young children alone in parked vehicles. This creates a health and safety risk for the child, especially if the outside temperature is particularly hot or cold. These dangers have been known to cause hypothermia, hyperthermia, dehydration or even the death of young children. Additionally, the forgetful parent or caregiver could face criminal charges for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.
If a baby or toddler is inadvertently or purposefully left in a vehicle by a caregiver, the child can quickly be in danger of serious heat-related problems. Even if the vehicle's windows are cracked open, the vehicle is parked in the shade, and the outside temperature seems temperate to an adult, the interior temperature of the vehicle can quickly become unbearable to a child trapped therein. Tragically, some well-meaning but stressed and busy caregivers forget to remove their sleeping infant or toddler from the car and the child succumbs to the heat.
In response to this dilemma, a number of child car seat safety systems have been introduced to the prior art in an attempt to prevent such tragedy. Although such systems are adequate in their designated purpose, they still have many shortcomings. One disadvantage of many such systems is the fact that they do not provide a means that can accurately and economically notify a parent of an unattended child left in a vehicle. Additionally, many such systems also do not require that you use them and therefore may be easily defeated and therefore rendered useless. Other systems require sometime complex electronics which need to engage with complex systems within the vehicle, that may or may not work, and therefore may be unreliable. Additionally, some systems may annoy the user and lead to the user deactivating the system in order to prevent the system from sounding all the time.
Accordingly, a need remains for a child seat safety system for vehicles in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a child seat safety system for vehicles that is easy to use, provides peace of mind to parents, and achieves increased safety and reliability for babies and toddlers. Such a system advantageously reminds a driver when a child is left unattended in a car seat when the driver is leaving or leaves a vehicle and moves out of the proximity of the child. This conveniently ensures that a tendency for busy parents to be forgetful does not result in the death of their child.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.
In one aspect, an apparatus for providing an alert regarding an unattended child in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a tethered coupling device connected with a stationary device, an untethered coupling device connected with or near a caregiver of the child, and a presence detection device for detecting the presence of a child in a seat of the vehicle. The untethered coupling device is coupled with the tethered coupling device and the presence detection device is connected with a presence detection alarm. Once the presence of a child is detected in the seat of the vehicle by the presence detection device and the tethered coupling device is not coupled with the untethered coupling device, the presence detection alarm is activated and generates an alert. Once the presence of a child is detected in the seat of the vehicle and the tethered coupling device is coupled with the untethered coupling device, the presence detection alarm is deactivated.
In another aspect, a method for providing an alert regarding an unattended child in a vehicle is provided. The method includes, but is not limited to, generating a secondary signal upon detection of a child in the seat of the vehicle by a presence detection device, and activating a presence detection alarm upon generating the secondary signal, indicating the unmonitored presence of a child in the seat of the vehicle. The method further includes deactivating the presence detection alarm upon connecting a tethered coupling device with an untethered coupling device. The tethered coupling device is connected with or near a stationary device. The stationary device is connected with or near the seat of the vehicle. The untethered coupling device is connected with or near a caregiver of the child.
In another aspect, an apparatus for providing an alert regarding an unattended child in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a tethered coupling device connected with a stationary device at one end and removably coupled with a movable object at an opposing end, and a presence detection device for detecting the presence of a child in a seat of the vehicle. The presence detection device is connected with a presence detection alarm. Once the presence of a child is detected in the seat of the vehicle by the presence detection device and the tethered coupling device is not coupled with the movable object, the presence detection alarm is activated and generates an alert. Once the presence of a child is detected in the seat of the vehicle and the tethered coupling device is coupled with the movable object, the presence detection alarm is deactivated.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
In the description that follows, the subject matter of the application will be described with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed by one or more computers, unless indicated otherwise. As such, it will be understood that such acts and operations, which are at times referred to as being computer-executed, include the manipulation by the processing unit of the computer of electrical signals representing data in a structured form. This manipulation transforms the data or maintains it at locations in the memory system of the computer which reconfigures or otherwise alters the operation of the computer in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. The data structures where data is maintained are physical locations of the memory that have particular properties defined by the format of the data. However, although the subject matter of the application is being described in the foregoing context, it is not meant to be limiting as those skilled in the art will appreciate that some of the acts and operations described hereinafter can also be implemented in hardware, software, and/or firmware and/or some combination thereof.
Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.
With reference to
These and other input devices 190 can be connected to processor 111 through a user input interface that is coupled to a system bus 192, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). Computers such as computer 110 may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers and/or display devices, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 194 and the like.
Preferably, computer 110 includes a radio 198 for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data for the computer 110 with the aid of an antenna. Radio 198 may wirelessly transmit and receive data using WiMAX′, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth™, 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and 4G, wireless standards.
Computer 110 may operate in a networking environment 199 using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 185. The remote computer 185 may be a smartphone, a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and may include many if not all of the elements described above relative to computer 110. Networking environments 199 are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet. For example, in the subject matter of the present application, computer 110 may comprise a source machine from which data is being migrated, and the remote computer 185 may comprise a destination machine. Note, however, that source and destination machines need not be connected by networking environment 199 or any other means, but instead, data may be migrated via any media capable of being written by the source platform and read by the destination platform or platforms. When used in a LAN or WLAN networking environment 199, computer 110 is connected to the LAN through a network interface 196 or an adapter. When used in a WAN networking environment 199, computer 110 may include a modem or other means for establishing communications over the WAN to environments such as the Internet. It will be appreciated that other means of establishing a communications link between computers 110 and other computers, such as remote computer 185, may be used. According to one embodiment, computer 110 is connected in a networking environment 199 such that processor 111 can process incoming and outgoing data.
With reference to
Child monitoring apparatus 10 includes a tethered coupling device 20, an untethered coupling device 30, and a presence detection device 50. The tethered coupling device 20 is connected with a stationary device 22 on or within the vehicle 14.
Preferably, the stationary device 22 is connected with or near the child 12 or a portion of a car in which the child 12 is situated. In one embodiment, the stationary device 22 is connected with or is attached to or is a seat 16 in which the child 12 is seated, such as a child safety seat 18. A child safety seat 18 is a seat that is designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during vehicle collisions, and is commonly referred to as a child seat. In another embodiment, the stationary device 22 is located at or near the caregiver 24. In one embodiment, the stationary device 22 is one of any seat 16 of the vehicle 14, a portion of a vehicle 14 in which the seat 16 of the vehicle is situated, a seat belt, a seat belt buckle, a console, a dashboard, a door, a seat, or any portion or part of the interior or exterior of the vehicle 14. The stationary device 22 may be moved with respect to the vehicle 14, for example, if the stationary device 22 were a seat belt buckle that moves from one part of the vehicle 14 to another. However, preferably, the stationary device 22 is connected with a part or portion of the vehicle 14, either directly or indirectly, and remains connected with the vehicle 14 when the child monitoring apparatus 10 is in use. With reference to
The untethered coupling device 30 is connected with or near a caregiver 24 of the child 12. With reference to
In one embodiment, the untethered coupling device 30 includes an electronic device with communication circuitry which can send and/or transmit an electronic signal, and preferably, which can send and receive a wireless electronic signal using a wireless communication device, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular, or any other form of radio communications. If the untethered coupling device 30 sends and/or transmit a wireless electronic signal, that signal can then be picked up by the tethered coupling device 20 and be used to determine whether or not the untethered coupling device 30 is in close proximity to or connected with the tethered coupling device 20, and therefore connected with the tethered coupling device 20.
In one embodiment, the untethered coupling device 30 is connected with, and preferably removably connected with, the tethered coupling device 20, either physically, or virtually when in close proximity. In one embodiment, the coupling devices 20 and 30 are physically connected with each other, either mechanically, magnetically, or chemically coupled together. With Reference to
In one embodiment, the untethered coupling device 30 is electronically coupled with the tethered coupling device 20 via an electrical connection which forms when the two coupling devices 20, 30 are in close proximity or actually in contact. For example, with reference to
With reference to
However, the reverse may be true as well, and additionally, an infinite number of circuits 60 may be designed to function in a same or similar manner. For example, with reference to
As one of ordinary skill in the art is aware, there are a limitless number of circuits which can be designed that allow for the presence detection alarm 52 to emit an alert 54 when the presence detection device 50 detects the presence of a child 12 and the tethered coupling device 20 is not near or couple with the untethered coupling device 30, and to stop emitting an alert 54 either: 1) when the presence detection device 50 does not detect the presence of a child 12; or 2) when the presence detection device 50 detects the presence of a child 12 and the tethered coupling device 20 is near or coupled with the untethered coupling device 30. The electrical circuit 60, 60′ shown in
In one embodiment, the untethered coupling device 30 is virtually coupled with the tethered coupling device 20 via a wireless electrical connection which forms when the two coupling devices 20, 30 are in close proximity. In this embodiment, each coupling device 20, 30 includes at least one of a transmitter, a receiver, and/or a transceiver which send/receive wireless radio signals. With reference to
In one embodiment, one of the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 would generate a coupling signal 68 when the devices 20, 30 were brought into close proximity of each other or moved away from each other. Preferably, depending on the strength of the coupling signal 68 received, or if a coupling signal 68 was received at all, one of the devices 20, 30 would then generate and transmit a primary signal 64 to the electrical circuit 60 which would then either activate or deactivate the presence detection alarm 52, preferably based upon the strength of the coupling signal 68 received by the opposing device 20, 30 that did not generate the coupling signal 68. In one embodiment, with reference to
In one embodiment, the coupling device 20 or 30 that is not generating the coupling signal 68 would either receive or not receive a coupling signal 68, and based upon the strength of this signal 68, the electrical circuit 60 would then either activate or deactivate the presence detection alarm 52. For example, in one embodiment, a coupling signal 68 would be generated by one coupling device 20 or 30 and received by the opposing coupling device 30 or 20 and based upon the strength of the signal 68 received, or based upon receiving the signal at all, the presence detection alarm 52 would either generate an alert 54 or not generate an alert 54. In one embodiment, the coupling devices 20 and 30 can be electrically connected via a physical electrical contact, via magnetic induction, or some other type of physical electrical connection, so that a signal can be transmitted from one coupling device 20 or 30 to an opposing coupling device 30 or 20, to indicate that the two coupling devices 20 and 30 are near each other or coupled with each other.
The presence detection device 50 is for detecting the presence of a child 12 in a seat 16 of the vehicle 14. The present detection device 50 is any device or sensor which is capable of detecting the presence of a body, such as a child 12. Preferably, the presence detection device 50 is one of a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch, an electrical switch, a pressure sensor, and weight sensor, an optical sensor, and electro-optical sensor, a vibration sensor, and an optical camera 48. Preferably, the presence detection device 50 generates a secondary signal 66 once the presence of a child 12 in the seat 16 or 18 is detected. Preferably, the secondary signal 66 is generated when there is the detection and presence of a human or child 12 in the seat 16 or 18. However, the presence detection device 50 can be configured so that the secondary signal 66 is generated when there is no detection or no presence of a human or child 12 in the seat 16 or 18.
With reference to
In one embodiment, once the presence of a child 14 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 in the vehicle 14 by the presence detection device 50 and the tethered and untethered coupling devices 20, 30 are not connected, a secondary signal 66 is either generated and transmitted to or prevented from being generated and transmitted to the presence detection alarm 52, causing the presence detection alarm 52 to be activated and to preferably generate an alert 54. In this application and its claims, the term “to generate” may also be used synonymously with the term “to not generate,” as the generation of a primary or secondary signal 64, 66 or the lack of generation of a primary or secondary signal 64, 66 can be seen to represent the same thing. For example, in one embodiment, the generation of a secondary signal 66 may represent the presence of a child 12 in the seat 18, however, in another embodiment, the lack of generation of a secondary signal 66 may be seen to represent the presence of a child 12 in the seat 18 as well. Therefore, both techniques can be used to indicate the presence or lack thereof, of the child 12 in seat 18.
In one embodiment, the presence detection device 50 includes an optical sensor, such as a laser, which is situated on or in the child safety seat 18, and which generates a light or laser beam which is broken or interfered with once the child 12 is seated with the child safety seat 18. Preferably, once light or laser beam which is broken or interfered with, the presence detection device 50 generates a secondary signal 66 indicating that the detection of a human or child 12.
In one embodiment, the presence detection device 50 includes a weight sensor which detect the presence or absence of a body, such as a child 12. In this embodiment, when the child 12 is placed in the seat 16, or more specifically, the child safety seat 18, the pressure sensor, which could be placed in a pad underneath where the child 12 sits. Preferably, once the weight of a child 12 is detected or beyond a set point, the presence detection device 50 generates a secondary signal 66 indicating that the detection of a human or child 12.
With reference to
In one embodiment, with reference to
In one embodiment, the presence detection device 50 is positioned at or near the seat 16 or 18 in the vehicle 14, so as to be able to determine the presence or absence of a child 12 in the seat 16 or 18.
Preferably, the presence detection device 50 is in communication with or connected with a presence detection alarm 52. The presence detection alarm 52 is activated based upon the receipt of or absence of a combination of all or one of the primary and secondary signals 64, 66, and depends on what the primary and secondary signals 64, 66 are generated for. For example, the primary signal 64 can be generated when the untethered coupling device and the tethered coupling device are either brought into close proximity of each other or moved away from each other or are not in close proximity of each other. Similarly, the secondary signal 66 can be generated when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18, or the absence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18. Preferably, in one embodiment, the presence detection alarm 52 activates when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 and the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 are not in close proximity of each other. Preferably, to be in close proximity of each other, the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 are within 1000 meters of each other, and preferably, 500 meters, and preferably, 50 meters, and preferably, 10 meters, and more preferably, 1 meter, and most preferably 0.5 meters, and most preferably 0.3 meters, and most preferably are less than 0.1 meters.
In one embodiment, a primary signal 64 is generated when the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 are in close proximity of each other, and a secondary signal 66 is generated by the presence detection device 50 when a child 12 is in the seat 16 or 18. However, the reverse can be true as well, and a primary signal 64 can be generated when the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 are in not close proximity of each other, and a secondary signal 66 can be generated by the presence detection device 50 when a child 12 is not in the seat 16 or 18. So when the electrical circuit 60 is constructed or programmed, the generation or the absence of generation of a primary signal 64 can represent either that the untethered coupling device 30 and the tethered coupling device 20 are or are not in not close proximity of each other. Additionally, the generation or the absence of generation of a secondary signal 64 can represent either that the presence of a child 12 has or has not been detected in the child safety seat 18.
In one embodiment, the primary and secondary signals 64, 66 are transmitted to electrical circuit 60 which then activates or deactivates the presence detection alarm 52 based upon the receipt of or absence of a combination of all or one of the primary and secondary signal 64, 66. The electrical circuit 60 can be a simple electrical circuit which is connected with the presence detection alarm 52 and provided power to the presence detection alarm 52 only when certain signals are received or not received. In this embodiment, the circuit 60 can be closed or opened depending on whether or not the coupling devices 20, 30 are in close proximity of each other or not, and depending on whether or not when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 or not.
In one embodiment, the circuit 60 is closed when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 and the coupling devices 20, 30 are not in close proximity of each other, causing the presence detection alarm 52 to activate. In this embodiment, the circuit 60 is opened when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 and the coupling devices 20, 30 are in close proximity of each other, or when the presence of a child 12 is not detected in the seat 16 or 18, causing the presence detection alarm 52 to become deactivated. However, these conditions can be reversed if desired. Preferably, the electrical circuit 60 causes the presence detection alarm 52 to activate when the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 and the coupling devices 20, 30 are not in close proximity of each other.
In one embodiment, the electrical circuit 60 includes a more complex circuit with a computer 110 or portions of the computer 110, such as a processor 111 and memory 120 and logic or software running on the processor 111 which decide when the appropriate conditions are met to activate or deactivate the presence detection alarm 52. The electrical circuit 60 can be electrically connected to the presence detection device 50, the presence detection alarm 52 and the coupling devices 20, 30, either directly via electrical signals that travel along physical wiring, or indirectly using wireless radio signals, or a combination of both direct and indirect means using both wired and wireless signals. Additionally, the electrical circuit 60 can reside near or on the child safety seat 18, within the presence detection device 50, the presence detection alarm 52, the tethered coupling device 20, the untethered coupling device 30, or remotely in a portable electronic device such as a smartphone 32.
In one embodiment, the tethered coupling device 20 is virtually connected with the presence detection device 50 via a wireless electrical connection or is electrically connected via a physical, wired electrical connection. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit 60, the presence detection device 50, the presence detection alarm 52, and the coupling devices 20, 30, are electrically connected either directly via electrical signals that travel along physical wiring, or indirectly/virtually using wireless radio signals, or a combination of both direct and indirect means using both wired and wireless signals.
In one embodiment, the presence detection device 50 is directly electrically connected with the presence detection alarm 52 via physical wiring. In one embodiment, the presence detection device 50 is wirelessly connected with the presence detection alarm 52. In one embodiment, the presence detection alarm is located within smartphone 32 and activated via an application or app running on the smartphone 32.
Preferably, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 of the vehicle 14 by the presence detection device 50 and the tethered coupling device 20 is not coupled with the untethered coupling device 30, the presence detection alarm 52 is activated and generates an alert 54. The alert 54 is any type of signal or message that can provide notice to a caregiver 24 of an event, such as that the child 12 is still in the vehicle 14. Preferably, the presence detection alarm 52 is located in the vehicle 14, and preferably at or around the seat 16 or 18 or at or around the caregiver 24. In one embodiment, the presence detection alarm 52 is located on a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone.
Preferably, the alert 54 is at least one of an audible, visual, or vibratory alert, or any other type of method that would activate sensory stimulus in a human. In one embodiment, the alert 54 is a message that appears on a display, such as a display of a smartphone. Preferably, the message is one of an SMS message, an email message, an smartphone alert message on the display of the smartphone. In one embodiment, in addition to simply being a message that appears on a display, an additional alert, such as a sound or vibration is emitted, preferably from the smartphone to further notice to a caregiver 24 of an event. In one embodiment, the alert 54 is generated by the vehicle 14 or by something connected with the vehicle 14, such as a vehicle alarm or horn of the vehicle. For example, in one embodiment, the alert 54 is generated by flashing headlights of the vehicle 14 and/or activating the horn of the vehicle 14. In one embodiment, the alert 54 is generated by a device connected with the presence detection alarm 52, such as a speaker, a light, or a vibration creating mechanism.
Preferably, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 or 18 of the vehicle 14 by the presence detection device 50 and the tethered coupling device 20 is coupled with the untethered coupling device 30, the presence detection alarm 52 is deactivated and the alert 54 is stopped, or a further alert is generated indicating that the child 12 is currently in close proximity to or being attended to by the caregiver 24.
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Preferably the tethered coupling device 20 is coupled with or connected to some part within the vehicle 14 or the vehicle 14 itself, and preferably the untethered coupling device 30 is connected with the caregiver 24, or with something in contact with or carried by the caregiver 24, so that every time the caregiver 24 leaves the vehicle 14, the untethered coupling device 30 becomes uncoupled from or disconnected from the tethered coupling device 20.
With reference to
With reference to
Moving to step 206, the method 200 also begins to determine whether or not the untethered coupling device 30 is connected to, that is either coupled with or near, the tethered coupling device 20. If the untethered coupling device 30 is connected to the tethered coupling device 20, then a primary signal 64 is generated by the child monitoring apparatus 10, and preferably one of the coupling devices 20 or 30.
Moving to step 210, the method 200 then determines what signals 64, 66 are being generated or not. Preferably, the method 200 activates a presence detection alarm 52 upon generating the secondary signal 66 at step 212, indicating the unmonitored presence of a child 12 in the seat of the vehicle 14, if only the secondary signal 66 is detected and not the primary signal 64. However, if both the primary and secondary signals 64, 66 are generated and detected, the method 200 then moves to step 214 and deactivates the presence detection alarm 52 upon detecting both the primary and secondary signals 64, 66. Preferably, once the secondary signal is generated at step 204, or the presence of a child 12 is detected in the vehicle 14, the alarm 52 is deactivated only upon connecting the tethered coupling device 20 with an untethered coupling device 30. Preferably, the tethered coupling device 20 is connected with or near a stationary device 22, and preferably the stationary device 22 is connected with or near the seat 16 of the vehicle 14, and the untethered coupling device 30 is connected with or near a caregiver 24 of the child 12.
In one embodiment, the presence detection alarm 52 is reactivated upon disconnecting, decoupling, or moving the tethered coupling device 20 away from the untethered coupling device 30.
With reference to
In this embodiment, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16, 18 of the vehicle 14 by the presence detection device 50 and the tethered coupling device 20 is not coupled with the movable object 90, the presence detection alarm 52 is activated and generates an alert 54. Then, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16, 18 of the vehicle 14 and the tethered coupling device 20 is coupled with the movable object 90, the presence detection alarm 52 is deactivated. Preferably, the movable object 90 is connected with the caregiver 24, so when the caregiver 24 leaves the vehicle 14, the tethered coupling device 20 becomes uncoupled from the movable object 90, and the presence detection alarm 52 is reactivated, alerting the caregiver 24 to the fact that the child 12 is still present in the seat 16, 18 of the vehicle 14.
In one embodiment, the tethered coupling device 20 includes a clip 75, having first and second movable portions 76, 77. Preferably, the movable portions 76, 77 are biased together in a normal state and have first ends 73, 74, respectively, which can be opened or moved apart when second ends 81, 82, respectively, are pressed and brought together. Preferably, the clip 75 includes a spring 80 which biases the first ends 73, 74 together and the second ends 81, 82 apart, wherein the second ends 81, 82 are opposed to the first ends 73, 74. When the second ends 81, 82 are pressed together, spring 80 is compressed, causing the first ends 73, 74 to be pushed away from each other, as shown in
In this embodiment, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 of the vehicle 14 by the presence detection device 50 and the tethered coupling device 20 is not clipped to an object, that is when the first ends 73, 74 are together or touching, the presence detection alarm 52 is activated and generates an alert 54. In this embodiment, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 of the vehicle 14, the tethered coupling device 20 must be clipped with an object in order for the presence detection alarm 52 to be deactivated. That is, once the presence of a child 12 is detected in the seat 16 of the vehicle 14, the first ends 73, 74 of the clip 75 must be moved apart from each other or not touching in order for the presence detection alarm 52 to be deactivated. Preferably, this results in the tethered coupling device being clipped to an object. Preferably, the object is on or about the caregiver 24, and includes the caregiver 24 or any part of the caregiver 24; an item of clothing on the caregiver 24, such as a dress, a shirt, pants, a belt, a purse, or wallet of the caregiver 24; or item within the vehicle 14 near the caregiver, such as a seat 16 or seat belt. Preferably, the object is movable and preferably, the object leaves the vehicle 14 or moves within the vehicle 14 at or around the same time as the caregiver 24 exits the vehicle 14.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more generic or specialized processors (or “processing devices”) such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used.
Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flash memory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
