Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SAFETY DETECTION IN SEALED VEIII(:!LE SPACES USING CAPACITVE
¨
SENSORS OR THE LIKE
Honey -Jones
This invention is in the field of automobile safety. It deals with a detection
system and
method for the detection of the stranding or unsafe location of a human in a
vehicle in an
unsafe temperature or carbon dioxide level environment.
Background:
One of the key safety threats for people travelling in or living in proximity
to motor vehicles
is the stranding of children or other adults for a long period in a sealed
vehicle cabin with
no oxygen or air refreshment. Particularly where the temperature within the
vehicle cabin
is high or rising, the lack of fresh air and the increasing levels of carbon
dioxide present
within a vehicle cabin can cause discomfort or in a worst case scenario
fatality for an
individual stranded within a vehicle cabin. Situations where this occurs or is
a possibility
include circumstances in which parents might for example leave their children
in a vehicle
while they are running errands, children trapping themselves in a stationary
vehicle while
playing or the like.
If it were possible to detect the presence of an individual stranded in such a
situation and
provide an alert or alarm this would be desirable. One detection parameter
which can be
used is to monitor the relative carbon dioxide levels within the vehicle
cabin, as humans
exhaust carbon dioxide from breathing, and in the lack of refreshment of the
air within the
confined space, a breathing human will cause eventual detectable increase in
carbon
dioxide levels.
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=
Problems in the prior art attempts at addressing this safety situation include
the cost and
complexity of installing a monitoring system to detect the existence of such
threat
conditions. For example, incorporating an OEM installed carbon dioxide threat
detection
system is complex and costly. If it were possible to provide a carbon dioxide
detection
method and apparatus for either OEM or retrofit applications of reasonable
cost and simple
to install it is felt that the adoption rate of such safety monitoring
technology would be
maximized, and lives could be saved.
Besides addressing complexity and cost for the use this type of an apparatus
to save lives,
another technical limitation to be addressed is that of the power demand on
the battery
system of the vehicle. The primary time for operation and use of such a system
is when
the vehicle is not running and as such it would require a power draw on the
battery of the
vehicle. In order to minimize the power draw of the unit or adverse effect on
the power
system of the vehicle, a detection device with minimal power draw or enhanced
power
management features would be desirable.
Some of the attempts in the prior art to provide for a vehicle seat occupancy
detection with
a lower power draw and enhanced reliability use capacitive sensors, with at
least one
electrode which makes use of a change in capacitance to obtain parameters
related to the
occupant. Capacitance values measured by a sensor attached thereto are read
for use in
instrumentation applications. A capacitive sensor such as this achieves a
highly sensitive,
low power consumption biological detection, which could be used in safety
detection
environments including the problem desired to be addressed in the present
scenario.
Accelerometers can also be used to distinguish overall and local vibration in
the vehicle,
and information captured from the accelerometers when combined with a
capacitive sensor
can help in determining and instrumenting a most accurate real-time situation
the vehicle
cabin.
Summary of the Invention:
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
It is the object of the present invention to provide a safety alert system and
method to allow
for the detection of the presence of one or more living beings within a
confined space such
as a vehicle cabin, and provide local or remote alarm notifications of the
potential stranding
of those individuals in that circumstance.
As further outlined above, it is the object of the present invention to
provide a safety alert
system and method to allow for the detection of the presence of one or more
living beings
within a confined space such as a vehicle cabin which uses equipment
reasonably simple
to install in a vehicle and can be used cost-effectively in both OEM or
retrofit applications.
As further outlined above, it is the object of the present invention to
provide a safety alert
system and method to allow for the detection of the presence of one or more
living beings
within a confined space such as a vehicle cabin, the detection method of which
is based
.. upon the detection of increasing carbon dioxide levels within the confined
space.
The invention, a safety alert system for use in a motor vehicle having a
vehicle cabin,
accomplishes its objectives comprising a controller for mounting on board the
vehicle,
which controller has a processor with safety detection software executable
thereon. The
controller could comprise any number of different electronic processors,
programmable
logic controllers or the like, as understood to those skilled in the art. In
certain
embodiments the controller will have a carbon dioxide sensor for location
within the
vehicle cabin, operatively connected thereto, to provide carbon dioxide
readings from
within the vehicle cabin to the processor, along with a temperature sensor for
location
within the vehicle cabin to operatively connected to the controller provide
temperature
readings from within the vehicle cabin to the processor. A local alarm or
notification
device is also operatively connected to the controller and attached on board
the vehicle to
provide audible notification outside the vehicle when actuated.
In some embodiments of the system of the present invention, a capacitive
sensor will be
used to determine the presence of one or more individuals in the seal vehicle
cabin. Many
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
types of capacitive sensors, implantable in the seating service or otherwise
deployable
within the vehicle cabin will be understood by those skilled in the art and
any capacitive
sensor capable of determining seat occupancy within a vehicle cabin is
contemplated
within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments capacitive
sensors are
.. used in combination with accelerometers, or a microphone, to enhance the
accuracy of
information captured. Those types of modifications to other embodiments of the
system
of the present invention are also contemplated herein.
The alarm condition which the system of the present invention will detect is
the unsafe
presence of at least one living being within the vehicle cabin, which is
typically
contemplated to comprise the unattended presence in a dangerous situation of
at least one
living being in the vehicle cabin in an elevated carbon dioxide environment
i.e. where the
living being was unattended in the vehicle and unsafe levels of carbon dioxide
were
accumulating therein. The seat sensor, being a capacitive sensor or a carbon
dioxide sensor
and the temperature sensor, which readings are provided to the controller, can
based upon
the readings in conjunction provide sufficient information either in real time
or and
compared sample readings to determine the presence of humans or other living
beings
within the vehicle, where increasing carbon dioxide levels could be an
indicator of a
heightened threat situation within that area.
An auxiliary sensor such as a carbon dioxide sensor could be used in
additional isolated
areas of the vehicle, either with or without another paired temperature
sensor, to allow the
same controller and system to monitor more than one area within the vehicle
for alert
purposes.
If it was determined that an alarm condition existed within the vehicle i.e.
if it was
determined that the parameters for the detection of the alarm condition were
met, for
example by determining the carbon dioxide levels were increasing along with
the presence
of at least one living being in the vehicle in an unsafe situation, a local
alarm or notification
.. being an audible or visible alarm could be triggered and hopefully
individuals in proximity
to the vehicle would come to the aid of those living beings trapped therein.
An audible
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
alarm could comprise a siren, or a speaker with a prerecorded local-area
announcement
near the vehicle in question, and or visible alarm could comprise blinking the
likes of the
vehicle, flashing and added light or other visual indicator. Both audible and
visible alarms
could be used although we primarily assume an audible alarm would have to
provide
maximum local-area notification for the safety of the living beings who might
be trapped
within the vehicle.
In some embodiments of the system and method of the present invention the
system might
also include a network interface and or a geolocation interface operatively
connected to the
remainder of the controller and the system, by which remote alert
notifications could be
transmitted to safety authorities, owners or otherwise if an alert condition
was detected.
Where geolocation interface was included, the location of the vehicle could be
captured
and transmitted with the remainder of a remote alert notification, where a
remote alert
notification was being transmitted to alert authorities or the owner etc. to
the existence of
an alarm condition within the vehicle.
Certain embodiments of the system can also include additional sensors or
detection routes
within the vehicle cabin which could provide a higher level of certainty or
alternative
detection mechanisms for determination of the unsafe presence of living beings
within the
cabin of this vehicle. For example, a video capture device such as a video
camera might
be integrated into the system of the present invention and by its operative
connection to the
controller video capture and video based detection abilities could be added to
the system.
For example with integrating at least one video capture device into the
system, if an alarm
condition were detected so a local or remote notification were to be provided
of an unsafe
condition within the vehicle, video from the video capture device could be
captured and
stored. Where the system included a network interface operatively connected to
at least
one remote notification device or remote notification system, video captured
from the video
capture device upon detection of the alarm condition could be transmitted to
the remote
notification device with the remainder of the remote notification. Even if the
video capture
device was not used to capture and transmit video from within the cabin of the
vehicle, the
controller could process video captured from the video capture device to
ascertain one or
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
more living beings within the cabin of the vehicle and the video capture
approach could
validate with more certainty for example the forecast or detection of living
beings within
the vehicle cabin based upon the carbon dioxide and temperature readings.
Other types of sensors could also be used to provide a higher degree of
certainty in the
detection or validation of the detection of living beings within the cabin of
the vehicle. For
example an audio capture device could be operatively connected to the
controller, so audio
captured within the cabin of the vehicle could also assist in the detection of
the presence of
living beings within the vehicle cabin. A seismic sensor could also be used to
enhance the
degree of accuracy of the remainder of the device by providing seismic sensor
readings to
the controller and the software thereon for use in the detection of the
existence of an alarm
condition within the cabin of the vehicle. It is also specifically
contemplated that a
capacitive sensor within a seating surface could be used in place of war along
with a
temperature and carbon dioxide since in combination and that any such
combination of
sensor interfaces is contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Some embodiments of the system of the present invention could also be
connected to the
vehicle data bus, which would allow for vehicle environmental or control data
which could
be read from that bus by the controller and the remainder of the method of the
present
invention. Many motor vehicles of newer manufacturer provide a simple ODB port
connection by which devices such as the controller of the present invention
can be
connected in a read-only way to the data bus of the vehicle and we explicitly
assume certain
embodiments of the system and method of the present invention could exploit
this a
integration or interface to again provide a higher level of functionality or
certainty in
.. operating the detection method of the present invention. Connection to the
vehicle data
bus would not only allow for the simplified use of vehicle ignition
information in operating
the method of the present invention, but the values are readings which could
be obtained
from certain sensors within or upon the vehicle could also be used ¨ for
example some
vehicles may have a cabin temperature sensor installed which could be used in
the place of
.. the need for a separate sensor operatively connected or manufactured
integrally with the
remainder of the controller of the present invention.
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We primarily assume the system of the present invention would operate when the
ignition
of the vehicle in which it is installed is turned off. Besides simply
monitoring the ignition
status of the vehicle, some embodiments of the system and method of the
present invention
might include additional parameters by which the operability of the system
could be
determined ¨ for example in order to preserve power of the vehicle, it might
be determined
that it would operate the system of the present invention only within a
particular
temperature range. If the temperature range was lower than a particular preset
number, it
could be assumed that at least from the purpose of monitoring carbon dioxide
levels, the
individual or individuals would all be out of the vehicle. Many types of
monitoring
condition parameters or even alarm condition parameters can all be
contemplated and will
all be understood to those skilled in the art of safety system design
electronic hardware
design for use in motor vehicles as outlined herein and all such ideas are
contemplated
within the scope of the present invention.
The safety alert system hardware of the present invention could be further
enhanced by
incorporating elements of redundancy into the system to allow for an
additional level of
comfort and security to the user ¨ for example by incorporating redundant
sensors,
controllers or power supplies as required or desirable in manufacturing
particular
embodiments of this hardware.
=
Besides the system of the present invention there is also disclosed the method
of detection
of an alarm condition in the environment of the vehicle cabin of the motor
vehicle, the
alarm condition being the unsafe presence of at least one human in an elevated
carbon
dioxide environment in the vehicle cabin. The method would comprise providing
within
the vehicle a safety alert system in accordance with the present invention
which overall
comprises a controller for mounting on board the vehicle which has a process
or the safety
detection software executing thereon, a sensor to be located within the
vehicle cabin
operatively connected to the controller which may comprise a carbon dioxide
sensor, a
temperature sensor or a capacitive sensorõ and a local alarm or notification
device
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
operatively connected to the controller attached onboard the vehicle to
provide notification
outside the vehicle when actuated.
Using the safety alert system, the method further comprises the steps of first
periodically
capturing occupancy or other within the cabin the vehicle, from the occupancy
sensor(s) ¨
being at least one of a capacitive sensor, temperature sensor and the carbon
dioxide sensor
etc. - to the controller, and then using the controller and the safety
detection software to
determine the existence of an alarm condition based on the captured
temperature and
carbon dioxide readings. If no alarm condition exists and monitoring
conditions do
continue to exist, monitoring can continue. Where it is determined by the
controller and
the resident software that an alarm condition exists within the cabin of the
vehicle, the
controller can actuate the local alarm or notification device to provide local
notification
alarm near the vehicle.
In certain embodiments of the method of the present invention, the controller
of the safety
alarm system could be operatively connected to the vehicle data bus so the
controller could
use on board control or data readings from the vehicle in determining the
existence Of the
alarm condition. Onboard vehicle sensors could be used in place of separate
carbon dioxide
and temperature sensors, if they existed and were readable via the vehicle
data bus. For
example if the vehicle had an integrated interior temperature sensor within
the vehicle
cabin, that could be used either as the primary temperature sensor or could
also be a failover
or redundant temperature sensor if required to obtain a temperature sensor
related to the
interior temperature of the vehicle. Similarly other data readings on the
vehicle, which
could be read from the vehicle data bus, could also be used by the remainder
of the system
and the controller of the present invention in the safety alert detection
method of the present
invention. It is specifically contemplated that capacitive sensors within the
seating surfaces
of the vehicle, with or without accelerometers, could be used in this
capacity.
We specifically assume to minimize the power consumption of the system of the
present
invention on the vehicle it would only operate to monitor the interior of the
vehicle cabin
of times ¨ for example it may be assumed that it is unnecessary to monitor the
interior of
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
the vehicle while the ignition is engaged, the vehicle is moving or the like.
Many can be
captured again either from the vehicle data passive the system is operatively
connected
thereto, or the controller could operatively be connected until to the other
relevant control
systems on the vehicle to allow for such detection. We specifically assume
when the
vehicle is turned off, living beings within the vehicle cabin can be
determined by sensing
increasing temperature and increasing carbon dioxide levels in the cabin. If
the vehicle is
in operation it can reasonably be assumed that the method of the present
invention is not
required, so the actuation of the vehicle or other conditions could also be
included within
the detection parameters used by the controller to determine the existence of
the alarm
condition.
We specifically assume as with the system and controller of the present
invention that the
method could also be practised using a system with a network interface on the
controller
connected to a network by which the controller could communicate the at least
one remote
notification device, whereby the detection of the existence of an alarm
condition in the
vehicle cabin a remote alert notification will be transmitted to the at least
one remote
notification device. The remote notification device might be the remote or
portable device
of the vehicle owner or operator, or might be a data centre or other device of
safety
personnel or law enforcement authorities . The network interface could be a
wide area IP
network interface, a cellular modem, or any number of other types of remote
communication technologies understood to those skilled in the art of design of
such
systems and all such approaches are contemplated within the scope of the
present
invention.
Where the system of the present invention included a video capture device
within the cabin
and operatively connected to the controller, the controller could trigger the
capture and
storage of video within the cabin of the vehicle where alarm condition was
detected, or it
could also be the case that the safety detection software on the controller
could process
video captured by the video capture device to identify living beings within
the vehicle cabin
to enhance the level of accuracy of the temperature and carbon dioxide based
detection
method otherwise outlined. In certain cases , the presence of the video
capture device could
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
be used in the place of the temperature carbon dioxide sensors, as the
captured data stream
used to determine at least one living beings within the cabin of the vehicle.
In embodiments
of the system of the present invention including a remote network interface
and a video
capture device, upon detection of alarm condition captured video could be
transmitted to
the remote notification device again whether that be the device of the
operator or owner of
the vehicle or to safety personnel etc. Similar to using video signals
captured within the
cabin to validate or determine living beings , there could also be the use of
an audio capture
device within the cabin of the vehicle provided as an alternative datastream
or enhancement
to enhance the level of validation or certainty in the detection method
outlined othetwise
herein. Other types of sensors could also be used, including seismic sensors
or the like, to
further enhance the accuracy of the method.
Brief Description of the Drawings:
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with like numerals, and where:
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the safety alert system of the
present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a flow chart demonstrating the steps in one embodiment of the safety
monitoring method of the present invention, using the hardware of Figure 1;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the safety alert system of
the
present invention, incorporating an auxiliary carbon dioxide sensor and a
remote
network interface on the controller;
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Fig. 4 is a flow chart demonstrating the steps in an alternate embodiment of
the
safety monitoring method of the present invention, using the hardware of
Figure 3;
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the safety alert system of
the
present invention, incorporating video capture and additional sensors
operatively
connected to the controller, and a connection to the vehicle data bus;
Fig. 6 is a flow chart demonstrating the steps in an alternate embodiment of
the
safety monitoring method of the present invention, using the hardware of
Figure 5;
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram demonstrating the use of a network enabled
safety
alert system under the remainder of the present invention installed in a motor
= vehicle, including an external network interface.
Detailed Description of the Invention:
The general focus of the present invention is to provide a streamlined and
cost-effective
method to monitor the interior of a vehicle cabin such as the cab or the trunk
of a motor
vehicle, to ascertain if there is one or more living beings within that
vehicle space in an
increasingly toxic carbon dioxide environment, and upon detection of such
alarm condition
to provide either a local alarm or notification or a remote notification of
these conditions
to ensure the safety of these living beings. In the invention, "living beings"
is primarily
intended to encompass humans, although pets or other animals could also be
detected for
safety and that is also contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
Method overview:
The system and method of the present invention will monitor the temperature
within a
vehicle cabin, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air. The system of
the present
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
invention will be active whenever the ignition of the vehicle was turned off,
so if the
ignition of the vehicle is off and it is determined that the temperature and
the carbon dioxide
concentration within the vehicle cabin is increasing, that is an indicator of
the presence of
a life form within the vehicle which may require attendance or alert. The
specific
parameters of the rise in temperature or carbon dioxide concentration which
would
occasion the detection or characterization of an alarm condition could be
adjusted based
upon numerous environmental parameters. The device itself could be programmed
to
allow the user to adjust these parameters for a level of sensitivity although
this would likely
explicitly be avoided and a hardcoded alarm condition algorithm incorporated.
The safety monitoring method would be engaged within the cabin or other
confined spaces
for monitoring in a motor vehicle, when the vehicle ignition was turned off.
It is assumed
for monitoring that if the vehicle is running, there is enough air circulation
or there is an
attentive operator in the vehicle to mitigate the need for monitoring when the
vehicle
ignition was turned on. In certain embodiments if it was desired to operate
the method and
hardware of the present invention during ignition time frames for the vehicle
that could
also be easily adjusted into the programming of the electronic circuitry of
the invention
and the overall method.
Generally the steps in the method of the present invention are as follows.
When the ignition
of the vehicle is turned off, a controller with the temperature sensor and the
carbon dioxide
sensor within the vehicle cabin such as the cabin will be activated. The
controller will
either in an immediate real time method, or based upon a programmed timeframe
for
snapshots or sampling of the environment within the vehicle, monitor the
vehicle cabin to
detect an increase in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration in the air
within that
vehicle cabin, which would signify one or more living beings within the
vehicle cabin. An
individual within the vehicle breathing would create more carbon dioxide in
the
environment within the vehicle, every time they breathed, subject to there
being enough
ventilation in the vehicle or the vehicle being in operation. If the carbon
dioxide in
temperature levels within the cabin or other confined space of the vehicle
were increasing,
this would signify a living being within the confined space which, when that
threshold was
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
met, would constitute the alarm condition which the system should detect and
notify. It is
specifically contemplated that in certain embodiments of the present
invention, capacitive
sensors within the seating services of the vehicle could be used to determine
the presence
of an occupant within the sealed vehicle cabin at a time of increased danger
from raising
temperature or carbon dioxide levels.
If the controller detects an alarm condition within the vehicle cabin, which
would
effectively be the determination there was one or more living beings in the
vehicle during
rising carbon dioxide levels, a local alarm or notification could be
triggered. The local
alarm or notification is explicitly contemplated to be an audible sound
outside of the
vehicle with a speaker seeking to capture the attention of one or more
individuals nearby
who could examine the vehicle and ascertain the safety of anyone . A visible
local alarm
could also be used ¨ a flashing light or the like. Upon triggering of a local
alarm or
notification based upon determining the existence of an alarm condition, the
local alarm or
notification could continue to sound either until it was deactivated or until
the alarm
condition ceased to exist.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the controller might have one
or more
additional sensors attached thereto which were in additional confined spaces
on the vehicle
¨ for example we specifically assume an additional carbon dioxide sensor might
be
mounted within the trunk of the vehicle so for example children playing in the
vehicle or
for some other reason someone got locked in the trunk of the vehicle, the
increasing carbon
dioxide levels again could trigger the local alarm or notification, or
sometimes additional
remote notification if the particular system or hardware question at remote
notification
capabilities.
The local alarm or notification is contemplated to most likely comprise a
customizable
audio file for playback on a speaker outside of the vehicle. It will be
understood that the
audio file itself could be varied based upon the programming installed by the
vendor of the
hardware, or even in certain cases additional audio files could be used and
selected by the
programming and controller hardware based upon the level of severity of the
readings .
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Any type of an audible or visible alarm is contemplated within the scope of
the present
invention.
Referring first to Figure 1 there is shown one embodiment of a safety alert
system 1
.. under the present invention. The safety alert system 1 in this Figure is
connected to the
power system 6 vehicle. In other embodiments as outlined in further detail
below the
power system 6 might be integrated into the system 1 itself and both such
approaches are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
.. The primary component of the system 1 is a controller 2. The controller 2
will be an
electronic controller, with related safety detection software, that can
facilitate the method
of the present invention under or with the remaining components outlined below
and the
method outlined. The controller 2 would be capable of communication with a
plurality of
inputs from sensors, and triggering at least one output to a local alarm 5
based upon the
detection of an alarm condition. Many types of microprocessors, programmable
logic
controllers or other hardware will be understood to those skilled in the art
of electronic
circuit design as being capable of functioning as the central controller 2
under the
remainder of the present invention at all such hardware, or hardware and
software
combinations, are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Also shown in this Figure is the safety detection software 20 executable on
the controller
2. The safety detection software 20 will comprise any necessary processor
instructions
for execution by the controller 2 to execute the method of the present
invention and it will
be understood that many approaches or modifications could be taken to the
development
or coding of the safety detection supper 20 to implement the method as
desired, and all
such approaches, meaning all such hardware and software combinations of the
controller
2 and the safety detection supper 20, are again contemplated within the scope
of the
present invention.
Shown connected to the controller 2 is firstly a temperature sensor 3. The
temperature
sensor 3 will monitor the temperature within the vehicle cabin, such as the
vehicle cabin
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
or the like, within which the system 1 is installed. The temperature sensor 3
might be
integral within the system 1 itself, or might be wired to the remainder of the
controller 2
where the temperature sensor 3 was to be in a separate location within the
vehicle cabin
from the remainder of the system 1. Both such approaches are contemplated
within the
scope.
The temperature sensor 3 will be capable of either ongoing or on a periodic
sampling
basis capturing the temperature reading within the vehicle cabin, and
communicating the
temperature reading within the vehicle cabin to the controller 2 via a input
bus, for the
execution of the remainder of the method of the present invention.
Also shown besides the temperature sensor 3 is a second sensory input to the
controller 2,
namely a carbon dioxide sensor 4. The carbon dioxide sensor 4 would sample
carbon
dioxide readings within the vehicle cabin again on a real-time or periodic
sampling basis,
and communicate those sensor readings from the carbon dioxide sensor 4 to the
controller
2 via an input bus. The software and hardware of the controller 2 would
receive and
process readings from the temperature sensor 3 and the carbon dioxide sensor 4
for the
conduct of the remainder of the method of the present invention.
In other embodiments of the system of the present invention, the temperature
sensor 3
and the carbon dioxide sensor 4 could be used in conjunction with, or could be
replaced
in whole or in part by at least one capacitive sensor in the seating surface
of the vehicle,
which would allow for detection of the presence of human beings within the
seal vehicle
cabin.
Also shown connected to the controller 2 is a local alarm or notification 5.
The local
alarm or notification 5 will comprise a speaker or any other an audible or
visible alert
system capable of generating an alert within proximity of the vehicle itself,
to cause.
individuals within proximity of the vehicle to check on the safety of living
beings . The
local alarm or notification 5, similar to the temperature sensor 3 and the
carbon dioxide
sensor 4, could be integral within the system control unit 1, or could be a
separately
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CA 2978809 2017-09-11
attached speaker 5 on the vehicle or somewhere else outside the vehicle so it
could cause
enough indication or alert on its activation to cause proximity awareness of a
potential
problem.
In the embodiment of Figure 1, the local alarm or notification 5 is
specifically
contemplated to be a speaker, and the local alarm or notification activity
specifically.
contemplated when an alarm condition is detected is an alarm within the
proximity of the
vehicle. The local alarm or notification 5 being a speaker located outside of
the vehicle
would sound, causing local awareness for individuals in proximity of the
vehicle to look
and make sure there is no safety issue for individuals . As outlined elsewhere
herein, the
local alarm or notification 5 might also comprise visible alarm components.
Figures 2 and 3 show an alternate embodiment of the system and method of the
present
invention. Referring first to the system itself as shown in Figure 3, there is
shown a
safety alert system 1 under the present invention. The system 1 in this Figure
includes an
onboard power system 9, versus being connected to the power system of the
vehicle.
Either approach will be understood to be within the scope of the present
invention.
Various types of power systems can be contemplated, to provide power and
control to the
remainder of the system 1 present invention.
Similar to the system 1 in Figure 1, there is shown a controller 2 with an
input bus with a
temperature sensor 3 and the carbon dioxide sensor 4 attached thereto. The
controller 2
also is shown with safety detection software 20 which are the processor
instructions for
the control 2 to administer and execute the method of the present invention
also shown,
similar to the embodiment of Figure 1, is a local alarm 6 again operatively
connected to
the controller to so it's actuated to provide a local alert or alarm
notification when the
alarm condition is determined to exist under the remainder of the method.
The system embodiment of Figure 3 also shows an auxiliary carbon dioxide
sensor 5,
which could be mounted in an additional isolated compartment of the vehicle
besides the
cabin in which the primary carbon dioxide sensor 4 was mounted. We basically
assume
17
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
additional auxiliary carbon dioxide sensors 5 could operably be connected to
the
controller 2 to provide extended applicability and operability of the
monitoring method of
the present invention in additional isolated spaces in the vehicle. Additional
sealed areas
of the vehicle might also require an additional temperature sensor 3, although
with the
trunk of the vehicle, since really no humans should ever be in the trunk of
the vehicle for
any an extended period of time monitoring only the carbon dioxide levels in
the cavity
should be enough as there should be no one in there for long enough that the
monitoring
of an increased temperature level should be required. The carbon dioxide
sensor 5 Will
be connected to the controller 2 and will be integrated into the remainder of
the
programming of the software and the controller 2, for monitoring the carbon
dioxide
levels in an additional area of the vehicle.
Also shown as a network interface 7, by which the controller 2 could
communicate with
external and remote notification devices. We basically assume where a network
interface
7 was included with the controller 2, the controller 2 could communicate with
remote
notification devices being a remote or portable device of the operator or
owner of the
vehicle, or even law enforcement or safety and emergency personnel, so when
the alarm
condition was detected remote condition notifications could be dispatched
besides a local
notification or alarm be provided within the vicinity of the vehicle. As
outlined
elsewhere herein, the network interface 7 could be an IP interface to a local
area network
or wide-area network or a cellular modem or the like to allow for transmission
of
communications further afield. The network interface can also be an SMS
interface or an
interface allowing for communication by one or more protocols on one or more
communications networks to transmit a notification of the existence of an
alarm condition
of the system 1.
Also shown in the embodiment of Figure 3 is a geolocation module 8. Certain
controllers
2 might include the geolocation module 8 on the board of the controller 2, or
the
geolocation module 8 might be a freestanding module separately attached to the
controller 2. The geolocation module 8 is contemplated to be a GPS module
which
would allow for determination and capture of the location of the vehicle, so
the vehicle
18
=
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
location could be included in remote alarm notifications dispatched upon the
termination
of alarm conditions in the vehicle.
As outlined throughout this document, at least one capacitive sensor in a
seating surface
of the vehicle could be used to determine seat occupancy. Different types of
capacitive
occupancy sensors are known in the art and will be understood for use in this
application.
Some such capacitive sensors use accelerometers or other sensors in
conjunction with
their capacitive measurement, to enhance their accuracy ¨ all such capacitive
sensors are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Referring to Figure 4 there is shown of flowchart demonstrating an alternate
embodiment
of the safety alert method of the present invention. The method of Figure 4
would be
executed using a system 1 similar in configuration to that shown in the block
diagram of
Figure 3.
The first step in the method of Figure 4, shown at step 4-1, is the Boolean
determination
of whether monitoring conditions exist. Basically this determines whether the
monitoring
method of the present invention is activated i.e. if it is desired to conduct
only a
monitoring method of the present invention when the mission of the vehicle was
turned
off or the like, the controller 2 via its various sensors could determine
whether the
method and the controller 2 with its related hardware should be activated. If
it is
determined that monitoring conditions do not exist i.e. the vehicle is
operating and
otherwise the method of determination of a safety alarm condition and the
vehicle is not
required, vehicle operation etc. could be continued, as shown at 4-2. It is
primarily
considered that the existence of a monitoring condition would equate to
whether or not
the vehicle ignition is turned on, but there could be other monitoring
conditions which
could be programmed or activated, based upon the programming on the controller
2 or
one or more control inputs connected to the controller 2 from the remainder of
the
vehicle.
19
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
We primarily assume a monitoring condition exists if the ignition of the
vehicle in which
the remainder of the system 1 is installed is turned off, versus if the
vehicle is operating
an attentive and capable driver in the vehicle operates controls the vehicle
so the carbon
dioxide threat should not be problematic. There could however be additional
layers of
logic applied to the detection of a monitoring condition.
=
It will be understood to those skilled in the art of system design that the
detection loop
here for the detection of a monitoring condition could be configured in
different ways .
For example rather than testing the operating parameters within the
environment of the
vehicle to determine the existence of a monitoring addition, the monitoring
condition
logic could be simplified, and power consumption of the device further
optimized, by
simply enabling the system 1 and the remainder of the method of the present
inventi9n
purposefully when the vehicle ignition is turned off. If the vehicle ignition
is turned on,
the system I is turned off, and vice versa. Many types of approach to this can
be
contemplated and all are contemplated herein. If a capacitive sensor is used
to determine
occupancy within the cabin, an occupied reading from the capacitive sensor
could be
used in place of or alongside other sensory inputs by the controller to
execute the
remainder of the method of the present invention.
If it is determined that the method of the present invention should be
activated, the
controller 2 would conduct, either on a periodic sampling or real-time basis,
the
environmental sampling required within the environment of the vehicle cabin to
ascertain
whether the danger condition of at least one living being in an elevated
carbon dioxide
environment exists within the vehicle. This is shown at 4-3. The sampling at
this step in
the process would comprise temperature and carbon dioxide sampling taking
place using
the temperature sensor 3 carbon dioxide sensor 4 within the vehicle cabin. The
controller
2 would assess, based upon the readings captured from the temperature sensor 3
and the
carbon dioxide sensor 4 the presence of living beings within the vehicle cabin
based upon
increasing temperature or increasing carbon dioxide levels within the vehicle
cabin.
Where a capacitive sensor was used in the place of the temperature and carbon
dioxide
sensor combination, the capacitive sensor could also be used in a single
reading, with or
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
without accelerometer refinement, to determine the presence of individuals
within the
sealed vehicle cabin. The specific parameters to be used in the comparison or
assessment
of those readings would be programmed within the safety monitoring software 20
executed on the controller 2.
If based upon the sample readings obtained at step 4-3, the controller 2
determines there
is no alarm condition i.e. there are no living beings left in the vehicle
cabin in a
monitoring situation, the monitoring loop in the Figure would continue. The
logic block
related to determining the existence of the alarm condition is shown at 4-4.
If for
example based on data and readings between samples from those sensors, it is
determined there is a risk to individuals within the vehicle and the vehicle
is determined
to even have individuals contained therein, the local alarm or notification
could be
triggered.
If it was determined in a monitoring situation that the alarm condition which
is monitored
by the system of the present invention existed i.e. that living beings were
left in the
vehicle cabin in an unsafe environment, the local alarm would be triggered by
the
controller 2 activating the local alarm 6 connected thereto, shown at step 4-
5.
Additionally, using the system 1 in Figure 3, the geolocation module 8 would
capture the
location of the vehicle, shown at step 4-6, and at least one remote alarm
notification will
be transmitted by the controller 2 via the network interface 7 to at least one
remote
notification device ¨ the vehicle location, captured by the geolocation module
8 ¨ could
be included in that remote notification, so the person receiving the remote
notification
could easily and quickly locate the vehicle. The unsafe environment in which
the living
beings were left might comprise an elevated carbon dioxide environment within
the
vehicle cabin i.e. it may be the case that the system is used to actually
detect the presence
of living beings in a vehicle cabin with enough carbon dioxide presence to be
dangerous,
or it may also be the case that elevated carbon dioxide levels are simply used
to otherwise
detect an unsafe environment be for example a person or companion animal etc.
being
abandoned within the cabin of the vehicle for an extended period even where
the carbon
21
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
dioxide level in the vehicle itself may not pose a threat or risk, but the
carbon dioxide
level is simply used as an indicator of the presence of living beings in the
vehicle.
The safety monitoring software 20 could obviously use other internal
parameters as well
in determining the existence of an alarm condition ¨ for example monitoring a
period of
time associated with the presence of the living beings in the vehicle cabin
besides the
rising carbon dioxide or temperature levels might be an added parameter used
in certain
embodiments to determine the existence of the alarm condition i.e. even though
the
system might reasonably quickly determine living beings within the vehicle
cabin it may
be for example desired to allow for 15 minutes delay from the turning off the
ignition of
the vehicle, before an alarm was to be sounded on the presence of living
beings in the
vehicle cabin. In other applications at least one capacitive sensor in the
seating surface of
the vehicle could be used to detect the presence of human beings therein.
This is entirely optional but it will be understood to those skilled in the
art of safety
monitoring and software design such as that outlined herein that any number of
types of
either sensor-based parameters or internally programmed parameters could be
used by the
safety monitoring software 20 in determining the existence of alarm condition
and any
such approaches are all contemplated within the scope of the present
invention. Based
upon the local alarm or notification and the remote notifications transmitted
it is hoped
that the individual or individuals within the cabin of the vehicle potentially
stranded at
elevated temperature or carbon dioxide levels would be saved before
encountering health
difficulty therefrom.
Figures 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the system 1 and method of the
present
invention. Shown in Figure 5 is a system 1 present invention which
incorporates a
connection to the vehicle data bus 18 vehicle in which the system is
installed, for the use
of sensors or other information within the vehicle in accordance or to support
the
remainder of the method of the present invention.
22
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Referring to the system embodiment in Figure 5 there is shown a system 1 under
the
present invention which comprises a controller 2 with safety detection
software 20
accessible thereto, a power supply or power system 9 and a plurality of
sensors and
outputs as outlined in the embodiment of Figure 3. The carbon dioxide sensor 4
is shown
=
operatively connected to the controller 2 with a video camera 15, an audio
capture device
16, and a seismic sensor 17. The local alarm 6, network interface 7 for the
dispatch of
remote alarm notifications to remote notification devices, and the geolocation
module 8
are also shown.
The controller 2 would in this embodiment be connected to the vehicle data bus
18 which
is the data bus within the vehicle via which the controller 2 could read the
status of
various sensors and controls within the vehicle. Most vehicles now
manufactured include
an ODBC port through which devices such as the controller 2 present invention
can be
connected to read information from the vehicle data bus 18, and any necessary
amendments and modifications to the controller 2 or the safety detection
software 20 to
allow for connection and interoperability of the control 2 with the vehicle
data bus 18 of a
particular vehicle will be understood to be within the scope of the present
invention.
Shown in this Figure for demonstration, the temperature sensor 3 is already
integrated
with the vehicle, and which is accessible to the controller 2 via the vehicle
data bus 18.
A video capture device 15 is also shown operatively connected to the
controller 2. We
specifically assume in certain embodiments of the system of the present
invention a video
capture device 15 such as a camera could capture video within the cabin or
other isolated
space of the vehicle to archive, storage or transmission of that video to
ascertain the
safety or status of living beings within the vehicle space upon the detection
of alarm =
condition, or in other embodiments as outlined elsewhere herein, the safety
detection
software 20 could actually be programmed to analyse video captured by the
video capture
device or camera 15 to further validate the detection or determination of the
presence of
living beings within the vehicle. We specifically assume both such
enhancements could
be provided to the system 1 in the method of the present invention where a
video camera
23
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
or capture device 15 is included i.e. video could be captured, stored and/or
transmitted
with a controller 2 having a remote network interface 7, so the recipient of
remote alarm
notifications could check on the status of the living beings within the
vehicle cabin or
isolated space, and/or the video captured by the camera 15 could also analyse
whether or
not there was living beings within the vehicle for the determination of an
alarm condition.
One or more video capture devices 15 could be used and any a video capture
device
which could be installed within the cabin or isolated space of the vehicle to
ascertain the
presence of living beings and/or capturing video to verify their state or
status are all
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Also shown in this Figure for demonstrative purposes is an audio capture
device 16 a
microphone or the like ¨ which could detect sound within the vehicle space or
cabin and
the sound captured could again be stored and transmitted with a remote alarm
notification, or could at the very least be used again to detect living beings
within the
vehicle cabin or isolated vehicle space. Finally a seismic sensor 17 is shown,
which
could detect movement within the cabin the vehicle ¨ as outlined elsewhere. It
will be
understood that many different sensors can ascertain the presence of living
beings within
an unsafe environment in the vehicle and any a sensor which could be connected
to the
controller 2 and its input integrated into the algorithm or logic applied by
the safety
detection software 20 for determination of an alarm condition are all
contemplated within
the scope of the present invention. Also as outlined elsewhere, sensors
previously
installed in the vehicle and the readings from which are accessible via the
vehicle data
bus 18 could also be used by the controller 2 and the software 20 to determine
living
beings. For example occupancy sensors and the seats of the vehicle could be
used --
where they already existed for example in the vehicle ¨ so the determination
of alarm
condition and the vehicle could be made by sensing bodies on the seats in the
vehicle etc.
besides or in place of the sensing of carbon dioxide and temperature levels in
the cabin or
isolated space.
Figure 6 is a flowchart demonstrating the operation of the method of the
system 1 in.
Figure 5. The method demonstrated in the flowchart of Figure 6 is shown
identical to
24
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
that of Figure 4 in its first number of stamps. Where an alarm condition is
determined to
exist, at 6-4, a local alarm would be triggered, at step 6-5 and video would
then be
captured from the video capture device 15. The video could either just be
stored in the
memory of the controller 2, or could be transmitted via the network interface
7 controller
2 with the remainder of a remote alarm notification to at least one remote
notification
device so the recipient of the remote alarm notification could review the
video to
ascertain the status or safety of the living beings within the cabin or
isolated space in the
vehicle.
Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the overall system of the present invention
installed in
a vehicle. The system 1 is shown installed in the vehicle 10. The system 1, as
outlined
elsewhere above, includes the geolocation module 8. One or more geolocation
towers,
satellites or other external GPS transmitters or inputs are shown at 12 ¨ the
geolocation
module 8 would use this input to locate the vehicle 10 and include application
within the
transmission of remote notification of an alarm condition is determined to
exist.
Besides the geolocation module 8, the network interface 7 is also shown. The
network
interface 7 could be one or more network interfaces to one or more networks or
communication protocols 11, by which remote notifications of an alarm
condition within
the cabin of the vehicle 10 could be transmitted. The network interface or
interfaces .7
could for example transmit via the cloud or various network protocols 11 an IP-
based
notification to a communications centre of safety personnel 13, for example or
additionally or in place of an IP network or other type of wide-area network
protocol, an
SMS message could for example be sent to the cell phone of a user, shown at
14.
It will be understood that the basic hardware configuration demonstrated in
Figure 5,is
intended to simply demonstrate the high-level components which would be in for
more
than a basic embodiment of the system and method of the present invention will
be
understood that other approaches and more complicated hardware embodiments can
also
be created which would be encompassed within the scope of the present
invention.
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Controller:
The system controller 2 would be an electronic module capable of operation
based upon
.. software 20 installed thereon to execute the protection method of the
present invention.
Many types of microprocessors and similar devices are known to those skilled
in the art of
electronic component design and all are contemplated within the scope .
One key element of the controller 2 would be the software 20 installed
thereon. The
software 20 installed on the controller 2 would contain or dictate the
parameters for the
execution of the remainder of the method of the present invention again,
microprocessor
programming and the compiling of code capable of controlling such a
microprocessor will
be understood to those skilled in the art of microprocessor and electronic
component design
and programming and again any such software is contemplated within the scope
of the
present invention. A typical microprocessor such as contemplated for the
controller 2
would comprise a CPU, a clock circuit and memory containing both operating
instructions
and potentially software instructions. The memory on the controller 2 might
also contain
additional software files or media such as audio files for playback if a local
alarm or
notification 5 is triggered which comprises an audio file playback or the
like.
The software 20 on the controller 2 would also include the algorithms or
parameters used
to characterize or detect the existence of an alarm condition. By adjusting
the software 20
on the controller 2, the parameters of either such algorithm or other aspects
of the method
of the present invention is are executed by the controller 2 software thereon
could be
modified without departing from the intended scope.
The controller 2 would have an input bus, being a communications bus by which
one or
more input sensors could communicate with the controller 2. The input bus
would be a
key physical aspect with related software and control instructions, to allow
the software 20
and the remainder of the components on the controller 2 to communicate with
the
temperature sensor 3 and the carbon dioxide sensor 4. Many types of
microprocessors or
26
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
controllers 1, which included an input bus capable of communicating with
sensors can be
contemplated and will be understood by those skilled in the art design and all
such types
of controllers 1 are contemplated again within scope of the present invention.
Certain embodiments of the controller 2, as outlined regarding the hardware
embodiment
in Figure 3 or Figure 5, might also include a network interface 7 which would
allow the
controller 2 to transmit remote alarm notifications of alarm conditions to
remote users
including the owner of the vehicle of the system, police or safety authorities
or the like.
The network interface 7 could be integrated within the remainder of the
controller 2, or
could be a separate component connected by a communications bus with the
controller 2.
Both such approaches are contemplated within the scope of the present
invention. The
network interface 7 itself might for example comprise an IP protocol interface
to an IP
network which would allow for wide area communications, or might comprise an
SMS
connection, cellular modem or the like ¨ IP or SMS communications would be
only two of
many types of network communications or protocols which could be used in
certain
embodiments of the controller 2 present invention to allow for communications
of various
types to be dispatched to remote parties when the safety or alarm condition
exists.
Also as outlined elsewhere herein, the controller 2 might contain a
geolocation module 8 ¨
this would be a GPS unit or otherwise ¨ by which the controller 2 could
capture a geo-
location of the controller 2 and the related vehicle, so the related location
coordinates could
be transmitted with other details to be transmitted to embodiments of the
present invention
which included the dispatch a remote notification, either to an owner or to
safety authorities
. Again we primarily assume the geolocation module 8 would be a GPS receiver,
but it
could also be one of many types of equipment and any a receiver or transceiver
which
would by some communications protocol allowed the controller 2 to capture a
meaningful
location coordinates regarding the device are all contemplated within the
scope of the
present invention.
27
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
As outlined elsewhere herein , we explicitly assume one or more embodiments of
the
controller 2 might be capable of operable connection to the vehicle data bus,
also known
as the ODB port, on a vehicle to allow for the capture and use of various data
readings from
the onboard control systems and the vehicle in operating the system and
method.. For
example, integrated audio or video capture devices such as the pre-existing
microphone for
a Bluetooth phone step, pre-existing video cameras in the vehicle, pre-
existing or
permanently installed temperature sensors, or even occupancy sensors within
the seats
operatively connected to the remainder of the control system of the vehicle,
will all provide
data channels and data points which could be used by the controller 2 software
20 in the
execution of the method of the present invention and the operable connection
of the
controller 2 to the vehicle data bus so these onboard systems can be
additional or
replacement data channels to the freestanding carbon dioxide and temperature
sensors
otherwise outlined and disclosed herein are all contemplated within the scope
of the present
invention.
Sensors:
Many different types of occupancy sensors and other sensors could be used in
the execution
of the method of the present invention, including capacitive sensors,
temperature sensors
and carbon dioxide sensors.
Capacitive sensors and their use in seat occupancy detection and motor vehicle
cabins is
understood in the art and will be understood to be applicable to the system
and method of
the present invention. At least one capacitive sensor in the seating surface
of the vehicle
could be used to determine the presence of a human being in the sealed vehicle
cabin.
The temperature sensor 3 would be any sensor capable of capturing the
temperature within
the vehicle cabin being monitored by the system 1 and controller 2 present
invention. The
temperature sensor 3 would communicate with the controller 2 by the input bus
thereon.
Any a temperature sensor 3 capable of interaction with the controller 2 under
the remainder
28
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
of the present invention, capable of capturing the temperature within the
cabin of the
vehicle or whatever other isolated and sealed space in the vehicle was being
monitored by
the system of the present invention, and which could communicate such
temperature
reading to the controller 2 by the input bus therefore are contemplated to be
within the
scope of the present invention and any temperature sensor 3 capable of
participating in the
method in this way are being integrated into the hardware and software of this
method will
be understood to those skilled in the art again of instrumentation and
hardware design. We
assume in certain circumstances and embodiments of the system and method, the
controller
2 might be connected to the vehicle data bus, so it could capture readings
from pre-existing
or onboard sensors on the vehicle which might include an integrated
temperature sensor or
the like. Use of integrated sensors pre-existing in installation on the
vehicle, either besides
or in place of sensors built into the controller or operatively connected to
the controller 2
is another approach explicitly contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
Similar to the temperature sensor 3, the controller 2 will also be connected
to at least one
carbon dioxide sensor 4. The carbon dioxide sensor 4, as shown in the hardware
embodiment of Two 1 would be within the primary monitoring or sealed space or
cabin of
the vehicle and again would be capable of capturing the carbon dioxide
readings within the
cabin of the vehicle and communicating those by the input bus to the
controller 2. Any a
carbon dioxide sensor 4 capable of operating in this fashion is contemplated
to be within
the scope of the present invention. They also be the case that the temperature
sensor 3 and
the carbon dioxide sensor 4 might be manufactured in an integrated fashion
i.e. both
sensors might be in the same physical hardware unit and might even communicate
via a
single input bus connection with the controller 2. The temperature sensor 3
and/or the
carbon dioxide sensor or sensors 4 could also be integral with the remainder
of the
controller 2 in the system 1, or could be remotely located sensors, connected
by a wired or
wireless communications protocol being the input bus, to the controller 2.
Certain embodiments of the system 1 present invention, such as that shown in
Figure 3,
include more than one carbon dioxide sensor 4. We assume certain portions of
the vehicle,
in which humans might not normally be present such as the trunk or the like,
may not
29
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
require a temperature sensor 3 for properly determining an individual , but
rather in the
trunk of the vehicle for example simply the detection of a rising carbon
dioxide level and
applying a living individual exhausting carbon dioxide into the cavity would
trigger the
detection of alarm condition. There, and with the hardware in Figure 3,
another carbon
dioxide sensor 4 could be included and mounted in that space, in communication
with the
controller 2 by the input bus, for providing secondary monitoring of
additional portions of
the vehicle in which a safety condition by the presence of elevated carbon
dioxide levels
could be detected or rectified based upon proper or early detection.
We also assume in certain embodiments of the system of the present invention
additional
types of sensors besides the temperature sensor 3 and the carbon dioxide
sensor 4 could
also be used. For example, a seismic sensor could detect movement within the
cabin of the
vehicle, or in other embodiments as outlined in further detail below, a video
capture device
or an audio capture device operatively connected to the controller 2 could be
another type
of a sensor within the cabin of the vehicle to allow for either visual or
audible detection of
the presence of individuals within the cabin. Any number of different sensors
will be
understood to those skilled in the art of design which could be helpful in
determining the
presence of living beings within the cabin or other isolated space of a
vehicle when being
monitored under the remainder of the method of the present invention and will
be
understood that all such sensors including those outlined herein and others
which might
logically be understood to those skilled in the art and are all contemplated
within the scope
of the present invention.
With an embodiment of the system 1 present invention connected to the vehicle
data bus
18, sensors or other data readings from the vehicle itself could be used in
the measurement
or determination of an alarm condition ¨ for example where an audio sample was
required
from inside the vehicle and a microphone was integrated in the vehicle
accessible via the
vehicle data bus, audio from the microphone can be sampled in that way rather
than needing
to incorporate an additional microphone in the controller 2. Readings of the
instruments
in the vehicle or even the ignition status of the vehicle could be captured
from the vehicle
data bus 18 , minimizing the need for additional vehicle connections of the
system 1
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Local alarm or notification:
In basic embodiments of the present invention we assume the alert provided
upon detection
of an alarm condition within the cabin of the vehicle would be a local alarm
or notification
5, such as a visible or audible signal to those near the motor vehicle to
check the safety of
individuals etc. If the local alarm or notification 5 is an audible alarm, the
local alarm or
notification 5 could include an external speaker on the vehicle so an alert
tone or siren, or
any a playable electronic audio file, could explain to those near the vehicle
what type of
condition might exist and the steps that should be taken. For example an audio
file Could
be played back on an external speaker which explicitly outlined that the
vehicle should be
checked for the safety of individuals within the vehicle based upon the carbon
dioxide
levels etc. It will be understood to those skilled in the art of electronic
systems design that
many alarm hardware from the perspective of an audible alarm audible outside
of the motor
vehicle in which the system 1 present invention was installed could be used
and all such
approaches are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. The
local alarm
might also or comprise a connection to the form of the vehicle so the horn
could be set on
where an alarm condition was determined to exist within the cabin or isolated
space of the
vehicle.
Local alarm or notification hardware 5 could comprise a portion of the
freestanding system
module 1, or an extra speaker for example might be mounted underneath the hood
or
outside of the vehicle and connected to the remainder of the system module 1.
Integrated
hardware or separate components will both be understood to be possible
approaches to this
aspect of the invention . We explicitly assume in first instance that the
local alarm or
notification 5 will comprise a weatherproof speaker mounted outside of the
vehicle cabin,
although as outlined, many other approaches can be tried and which are
contemplated
within the scope. Any a visible or audible alarm 5 which would within the
vicinity of the
.. vehicle causing alert for those around the vehicle to check the safety of
anyone is what is
contemplated from this perspective.
31
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
Besides an audible alarm which could be played back or sound locally upon the
detection
of condition and the remainder of the method of the present invention, visible
alarms 5 can
also be used. This might comprise flashing lights of the vehicle with an
operative system
interconnect for the system 1 with the electrical systems of the vehicle, or a
purpose built
Beacon or visible signal could be installed on the vehicle and connected to
the remainder
of the system module 1 for activation upon the detection of a condition
requiring the
triggering of a local alarm or notification under the remainder of the method
of the present
invention. Again, whether the visible alarm components, if used, comprise a
portion of an
integrated hardware module 1, or were separately installed on the vehicle and
operatively
interconnected therewith, both such approaches are contemplated within the
scope .
Network interface and remote notification:
In other embodiments of the system 1 present invention, such as that shown in
Figure 3
and 5, besides a local alarm or notification 5, the system 1 could also be
configured with a
network interface 7 to allow the system 1 to transmit a remote alert or
notification to other
devices operatively connected to one or more communications networks via set
network
interface 7, when alarm condition exists. For example, the network interface 7
might
operate with the remainder of the controller hardware and software to allow
for the dispatch
of electronic notification of the existence an alarm condition to a device of
the owner of
the vehicle ¨ for example an SMS text message or the like could be dispatched
via the
network interface 7. The owner of the vehicle, safety authorities can also be
summoned
by remote notification. An additional aspect of the remote alert a remote
notification
functionality would be to also incorporate a geolocation module 8 within the
remainder of
the device ¨ a GPS receiver or the like ¨ whereby upon the detection of alarm
condition
occasioning of remote notification to be transmitted via the network interface
7, the
location of the system 1 and the related vehicle could be captured from the
geolocation
.. module 8 and transmitted with the remainder of the application so for
example if safety
authorities would be notified that could be notified not only of the work
condition but also
32
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
of the location of the vehicle from the perspective of the most streamlined
dispatch of safety
personnel.
Geolocation interfaces, such as a GPS receiver of the like 8, are well
understood to those
skilled in the art of mobile electronics design, and any number of different
modules or
interfaces 8 could be incorporated for this purpose. In certain embodiments of
the system
I present invention, the hardware of the system 1 might also use a pre-
existing GPS
network or receiver on the vehicle in the place of a purpose built geolocation
module 8,
and for example could then capture the GPS location of the vehicle off of the
main
.. communications bus in the vehicle for incorporation into a remote
notification. Both such
approaches are contemplated within scope of the present invention.
Supplemental sensors:
More than one carbon dioxide sensor could be placed in locations within the
vehicle, to
provide monitoring, and safety redundancy, functionality to the system 1
present invention.
For example, redundancy of more than one carbon dioxide sensor might be
provided within
the primary cabin of the vehicle, so if one carbon dioxide sensor responsible
for monitoring
levels within the cabin of the vehicle was to fail, having a second carbon
dioxide sensor
operatively connected to the remainder of the control system 1 which could
operate in
failover mode to provide continued monitoring of the carbon dioxide levels in
the vehicle
cabin until the primary sensor could be replaced or repaired, is contemplated
modification
to the basic system 1 present invention which we assume to be within the scope
.
Besides the possibility of providing additional sensors from a redundancy
perspective
within a primary monitoring space in the vehicle, it will also be understood
that in other
embodiments of the present invention, auxiliary carbon dioxide sensors might
be provided
in other sealed locations on the same vehicle, so effectively more than one
sensor could
monitor carbon dioxide levels in more than one sealed area of the vehicle,
using the same
33
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
hardware and notification components. For example, in the embodiment in Figure
3, there
is shown a second carbon dioxide sensor.
Other sensor types might also add enhanced cabin monitoring to a vehicle
besides the basic
method outlined. These might include audio sensors, video detection and image
processing
equipment, seismic sensors, occupancy sensors of different types already built
into the
vehicle, or any number of additional types of sensors capable of assisting in
determining
the presence of living beings within the confined spaces of vehicle when a
alarm condition
is to be determined under the remainder of the system and method of the
present invention.
As outlined elsewhere herein any such sensor is contemplated within the scope
of the
present invention.
Other possible detection actions:
The system of the present invention either in place of or besides the remote
or local alarm
or notification a notification functionality might be configured to
automatically start the
vehicle to reduce the carbon dioxide levels , operate the heating or cooling
in the vehicle
or the like. Any number of other types of controls or actions which could be
triggered
based upon a control output from the safety alert system 1 present invention
exist. It will
be understood that any such modification or enhancement to the basics safety
monitor
system 1 present invention which would allow for additional interactivity with
the existing
systems of a motor vehicle in which the system 1 was installed, or otherwise,
are all
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Redundancy:
As outlined elsewhere herein, the system and method of the present invention
might
include further hardware redundancy to maximize the safety and uptime or
availability of
the system of the present invention. For example redundant power supplies,
redundant
34
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
sensors, or entire redundant system could be installed in the cabin of a
particular motor
vehicle in certain cases. Some embodiments of the system of the present
invention might
include complete component redundancy, and other embodiments of the system of
the
present invention might only include redundancy on particular electronic
components.
Both such approaches are contemplated within the scope.
1. It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that by routine
modification the present
invention can be optimized for a wide range of conditions and application. It
will
also be obvious to those of skill in the art there are various ways and
designs with
which to produce the apparatus and methods of the present invention. The
illustrated embodiments are therefore not intended to limit the invention, but
to
provide examples of the apparatus and method to enable those of skill in the
art to
appreciate the inventive concept. Those skilled in the art will recognize that
many
more modifications besides those already described are possible without
departing
from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject , therefore, is not
to be
restricted except in the appended claims. In interpreting both the
specification and
the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner
consistent with the context.the-existenc-e-of-loaated-apar4-from-hesjdes.fareh-
that-sp.
located-from-said-video-from the video the-presenee-ofthe-presenee-of-loc-ate-
d-the
prestoae-of in the determination-of-in determining in the vicinity of near in-
the
vieinity of near loeated-apart-from-besides stieh-that so loeatecl-theTresence
of the
pfeere4lee of from said video from the video looateÃ14he-pfesenee-of-loeeted
along
CA 2978809 2017-09-11
