REAR COMPARTMENT OCCUPANT WARNING SYSTEM

Abstract

Vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) comprising: an in-vehicle sensor (206-C, 206D) configured to detect an object on a vehicle rear seat (204-C, 204-D); and a controller, characterized in that the controller is designed to: Receiving an indication of an object on the rear seat (204-C, 204-D) from the sensor (206-C, 206-D), wherein the sensor (206-C, 206-D) is a motion sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a temperature sensor and Transmitting, in response to the indication, presence information to a mobile device (152) to cause the device (152) to transmit a command to a portable device (202), the command including instructions for an alert at the portable device (202).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] A vehicle rear occupant warning system is revealed here. BACKGROUND

[0002] Vehicles are often equipped with various mechanisms for detecting the presence of occupants inside the vehicle. These mechanisms are often used to alert a driver if an object, person, pet, etc., has been left inside the vehicle. However, many of these alerts do not efficiently or discreetly warn a user that anything or anyone remains in the vehicle.

[0003] DE 10 2014 216 937 A1 discloses a method for alerting a user to the presence of a mobile device in a vehicle. US 2013 / 0009766 A1 discloses a child safety and warning system. SUMMARY

[0004] According to the invention, a vehicle occupant warning system is provided according to claim 1. Furthermore, the invention provides a vehicle occupant warning system according to claim 7. Furthermore, the invention provides a system according to claim 12. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure are carefully pointed out in the appended claims. However, other features of the various embodiments will become clearer and best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B illustrates an example diagram of a system that may be used to provide telematics services to a vehicle; Fig. 2 illustrates an example diagram of an occupant detection system including a vehicle, a portable device, and a mobile device; Fig. 3 illustrates an example method for the occupant detection system; and Fig. 4 illustrates another example method for the occupant detection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0006] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are therefore not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously practice the present invention.

[0007] A system may be designed to transmit warnings to a user via a wearable device that an object, animal, or person has been left in a vehicle after the key has been turned off. By using a wearable device as a mechanism for triggering warnings, the warnings can be implemented in a haptic or inaudible manner. The haptic warning can be discreet or imperceptible to others in the immediate vicinity of the wearer. At the same time, the subtle vibrations on their body are difficult for the wearer to ignore.

[0008] Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B illustrate an example diagram of a system 100 that may be used to provide telematics services for a vehicle 102. The vehicle 102 may be one of various types of passenger vehicles, such as a crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a sport utility vehicle (SUV), a truck, a recreational vehicle (RV), a boat, an aircraft, or other mobile machine for transporting people or goods. Telematics services may include, as some non-limiting possibilities, turn-by-turn directions, vehicle health reports, local business locator, accident reports, and hands-free calling. In one example, the system 100 may include the SYNC system manufactured by The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, MI. It should be understood that the illustrated system 100 is merely an example and that more, fewer, and / or differently arranged elements may be used.

[0009] The computing platform 104 may include one or more processors 106 configured to execute instructions, commands, and other routines in support of the methods described herein. For example, the computing platform 104 may be configured to execute instructions from vehicle applications 110 to provide features such as navigation, crash notification, satellite radio decoding, and hands-free calling. Such instructions and other data may be maintained in a non-transitory manner using a variety of types of computer-readable storage medium 112. The computer-readable medium 112 (also referred to as a processor-readable medium or memory) includes any non-transitory medium (e.g., a tangible medium) that participates in providing instructions or other data readable by the processor 106 of the computing platform 104.

[0010] Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted by computer programs created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including, but not limited to, Java, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Fortran, Pascal, Java Script, Python, Perl, and PL / SQL, either alone or in combination.

[0011] The computing platform 104 may be provided with various features that allow vehicle occupants to connect to the computing platform 104. For example, the computing platform 104 may include an audio input 114 configured to receive spoken commands from vehicle occupants via a connected microphone 116, and an auxiliary audio input 118 configured to receive audio signals from connected devices. The auxiliary audio input 118 may be a physical connection, such as an electrical signal line or fiber optic cable, or a wireless input, such as a BLUETOOTH audio connection. In some examples, the audio input 114 may be configured to provide audio processing capabilities, such as pre-amplification of low-level signals and conversion of analog inputs to digital data for processing by the processor 106.

[0012] The computing platform 104 may also provide one or more audio outputs 120 to an input of an audio module 122 having audio playback functionality. In other examples, the computing platform 104 may provide audio output to an occupant using one or more dedicated speakers (not shown). The audio module 122 may include an input selector 124 configured to provide audio content from a selected audio source 126 to an audio amplifier 128 for playback through the vehicle speakers 130 or headphones (not shown). The audio sources 126 may include, as some examples, decoded amplitude-modulated (AM) or frequency-modulated (FM) radio signals and audio signals from compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD) audio playback.The audio sources 126 may also include audio received from the computing platform 104, such as audio content generated by the computing platform 104, audio content decoded from flash memory drives connected to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) subsystem 132 of the computing platform 104, and audio content passed through the computing platform 104 from the auxiliary audio input 118.

[0013] The computing platform 104 may use a voice interface 134 to provide a hands-free interface to the computing platform 104. The voice interface 134 may support speech recognition of audio received via the microphone 116, according to grammar associated with available commands, and voice prompt generation for output via the audio module 122. In some cases, the system may be configured to mute or otherwise override the audio source selected by the input selector 124 when an audio prompt is ready for presentation by the computing platform 104 and another audio source 126 is selected for playback.

[0014] The computing platform 104 may also receive inputs from human-machine interface (HMI) controllers 136 configured to provide occupant interaction with the vehicle 102. For example, the computing platform 104 may interface with one or more buttons or other HMI controllers configured to invoke functions on the computing platform 104 (e.g., steering wheel audio buttons, a push-to-talk button, instrument console controls, etc.). The computing platform 104 may also control or otherwise communicate with one or more displays 138 configured to provide visual output to the vehicle occupants via a video controller 140.In some cases, the display 138 may be a touchscreen further configured to receive operator touch inputs via the video controller 140, whereas in other cases, the display 138 may be just a display, with no touch input capabilities.

[0015] The computing platform 104 may be further configured to communicate with other components of the vehicle 102 via one or more in-vehicle networks 142. The in-vehicle networks 142 may include a vehicle controller area network (CAN), an Ethernet network, and / or a media-oriented system transfer (MOST) network. The in-vehicle networks 142 may allow the computing platform 104 to communicate with other systems of the vehicle 102, such as a vehicle modem 144 (which may not be present in some configurations), a global positioning system (GPS) module 146 configured to provide current location and heading information of the vehicle 102, and various vehicle ECUs 148 configured to interoperate with the computing platform 104.As some non-limiting possibilities, the ECUs 148 may include: a powertrain control module configured to provide control of engine operating components (e.g., idle control components, fuel delivery components, emission control components, etc.) and monitoring engine operating components (e.g., status of engine diagnostic codes); a body control module configured to manage various power control functions, such as exterior lighting, interior lighting, keyless entry, remote start, and access point status verification (e.g., closed state of the hood, doors, and / or trunk of the vehicle 102); a radio transceiver module configured to communicate with key fobs or other local devices of the vehicle 102; and a climate control management module configured to provide control and monitoring of heating and cooling system components (e.g.,compressor clutch, blower fan, temperature sensor information, etc.).

[0016] As shown, the audio module 122 and the HMI controllers 136 may communicate with the computing platform 104 via a first in-vehicle network 142-A, and the vehicle modem 144, the GPS module 146, and the vehicle ECUs 148 may communicate with the computing platform 104 via a second in-vehicle network 142-B. In other examples, the computing platform 104 may be connected to more or fewer in-vehicle networks 142. Additionally or alternatively, one or more HMI controllers 136 or other components may be connected to the computing platform 104 via in-vehicle networks 142 other than those shown, or directly without a connection to an in-vehicle network 142.

[0017] The computing platform 104 may also be configured to communicate with mobile devices 152 of the vehicle occupants. The mobile devices 152 may be any of various types of portable computing devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, smartwatches, laptop computers, portable music players, or other devices capable of communicating with the computing platform 104. In many examples, the computing platform 104 may include a wireless transceiver 150 (e.g., a BLUETOOTH module, a ZIGBEE transceiver, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an IrDA transceiver, an RFID transceiver, etc.) configured to communicate with a compatible wireless transceiver 154 of the mobile device 152.Additionally or alternatively, the computing platform 104 may communicate with the mobile device 152 via a wired connection, such as a USB connection between the mobile device 152 and the USB subsystem 132.

[0018] The communication network 156 may provide communication services, such as packet-switched network services (e.g., Internet access, VoIP communication services), to devices connected to the communication network 156. An example of a communication network 156 may include a cellular phone network. Mobile devices 152 may provide network connectivity to the communication network 156 via a device modem 158 of the mobile device 152. To facilitate communications over the communication network 156, the mobile devices 152 may be associated with unique device identifiers (e.g., mobile device numbers (MDNs), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, etc.) to identify the communications of the mobile devices 152 over the communication network 156.In some cases, occupants of the vehicle 102 or the devices permitted to connect to the computing platform 104 may be identified by the computing platform 104 according to paired device data 160 maintained in the storage medium 112. For example, the paired device data 160 may indicate the unique device identifiers of mobile devices 152 previously paired with the computing platform 104 of the vehicle 102 such that the computing platform 104 automatically reconnects, without user intervention, to the mobile devices 152 referenced in the paired device data 160.

[0019] When a mobile device 152 supporting network connectivity is paired with the computing platform 104, the mobile device 152 may allow the computing platform 104 to use the network connectivity of the device modem 158 to communicate with the remote telematics services 162 via the communications network 156. In one example, the computing platform 104 may use a data-over-voice plan, or data plan, of the mobile device 152 to communicate information between the computing platform 104 and the communications network 156. Additionally or alternatively, the computing platform 104 may use the vehicle modem 144 to communicate information between the computing platform 104 and the communications network 156 without using the communications facilities of the mobile device 152.

[0020] Like the computing platform 104, the mobile device 152 may include one or more processors 164 configured to execute instructions from mobile applications 170 loaded from a storage medium 168 of the mobile device 152 into a memory 166 of the mobile device 152. In some examples, the mobile applications 170 may be configured to communicate with the computing platform 104 via the wireless transceiver 154 and with the remote telematics services 162 or other network services via the device modem 158. The computing platform 104 may also include a device connection interface 172 to facilitate the integration of functionality of the mobile applications 170 into the grammar of commands available via the voice interface 134 and into the display 138 of the computing platform 104.The device connection 172 may also provide the mobile applications 170 with access to vehicle information available on the computing platform 104 via the in-vehicle networks 142. Some examples of device connection interfaces 172 include the SYNC APPLINK component of the SYNC system provided by The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, MI, the CarPlay protocol provided by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, or the Android Auto protocol provided by Google, Inc. of Mountain View, California. The vehicle component interface application 174 may be one such application installed on the mobile device 152.

[0021] The vehicle component interface application 174 of the mobile device 152 may be configured to facilitate access to one or more features of the vehicle 102 that have been made available by the vehicle 102 for device configuration. In some cases, the available features of the vehicle 102 may be accessed from a single vehicle component interface application 174, in which case the vehicle component interface application 174 may be configured to be customizable or maintain configurations that support the specific make, model, and option packages of the vehicle 102.In one example, the vehicle component interface application 174 may be configured to receive a definition of the features available for control from the vehicle 102, display a user interface describing the available features, and provide user input from the user interface to the vehicle 102 to enable the user to control the displayed features. As detailed below by way of example, a suitable mobile device 152 for displaying the vehicle component interface application 174 may be identified, and a definition of the user interface to be displayed may be provided to the identified vehicle component interface application 174 for display to the user.

[0022] Systems such as system 100 and system 200 may require mobile device 152 to pair with computing platform 104 and / or other setup operations. However, as explained in detail below, a system may be configured to enable vehicle occupants to seamlessly interact with user interface elements in their vehicle or any other fabric-enabled vehicle without requiring mobile device 152 or portable device 202 to be paired with or in communication with computing platform 104.

[0023] Fig. 2 illustrates a rear passenger / object warning system 200 including vehicle 102 having a plurality of vehicle seats 204A-204D (collectively 204), each having a sensor mechanism 206A-206D (collectively 206). The sensor mechanism 206 may include any mechanism capable of detecting the presence of an object, animal, or person (hereinafter referred to as an object or objects) in the respective seat 204. In one example, these sensors may be occupancy sensors within the seats 204 configured for actuation by an object sitting on the seat 204. In other examples, the sensors may be motion sensors, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, temperature sensors, etc. Each vehicle door 210A-D (collectively 210) may include a door sensor 212A-212D (collectively 212). The door sensors 212 may be configured to detect when a door is opened or closed.The sensor mechanism 206 and the door sensors 212 may be coupled to the computing platform 104 via a wired or wireless connection and may be configured to transmit a presence signal and a door status signal to the computing platform 104 upon detecting the presence of an object within the seats 204.

[0024] As in Fig. 2, a wearable device 202 may be associated with the mobile device 152. The wearable device 202 may include a smartwatch, smart glasses, a fitness band, a control ring, or other personal mobility or accessory device configured to be worn. Additionally or alternatively, the wearable device 202 may be integrated as part of the wearer's clothing, headwear, jewelry, etc. The wearable device 202 may be configured to communicate with the mobile device 152. For example, the wearable device 202 may communicate data with the mobile device 152 via a communication link or a wireless connection 208-A (e.g., via the mobile device modem 158). Additionally or alternatively, the wearable device 202 may be directly connected to the vehicle's computing platform 104 via a communication link or a wireless connection 208-B (e.g.,via the vehicle's internal modem 144 or another wireless network).

[0025] The wireless connection 208-A may be a low-energy Bluetooth (BLE) connection, although other types of wireless connections, such as Wi-Fi or Zigbee, may also be used. Using the connection 208-A, the mobile device 152 may provide access to one or more control or display functions of the mobile device 152 to the portable device 202. For example, the mobile device 152 may enable the portable device 202 to accept a phone call to the mobile device 152, enable and execute a mobile application of the mobile device, receive and present a notification sent to the mobile device 152, and / or a combination thereof.

[0026] Additionally, in response to presence data received from the computing platform 104, the mobile device 152 may transmit instructions to the portable device 202. The mobile device 152 may provide instructions indicating certain warnings or alerts to be issued to the user via the portable device 202. These alerts may be in the form of a haptic alert, such as a vibration. By issuing a haptic alert, the portable device 202 may alert the user of certain situations within or around the vehicle 102 without disturbing others. In one example, the computing platform 104 may receive information from the sensor mechanisms 206 indicating that an object is present on at least one of the seats 204. The computing platform 104 may then transmit such information to the mobile device 152.Mobile device 152, in turn, may transmit a command to portable device 202 instructing portable device 202 to trigger an alarm. The process is described in more detail below.

[0027] In addition to receiving rear presence information, the data processing platform 104 may also receive engine and vehicle state information from the vehicle ECUs 148, such as the engine control module and / or the body control module. The engine state may indicate whether the engine is currently running or off, as well as timing information indicating when the engine was turned off with the key. The data processing platform 104 may use the timing information to determine the length of time the engine was in a particular state (e.g., an off state). If the engine was in an off state and the body control module indicates that the vehicle driver door 210-A was opened and closed and that a predetermined period of time has passed before one of the rear vehicle doors 210-C, 210-D is opened (e.g.,approximately 3 minutes), and if the sensor mechanism 206 detects an object in the vehicle rear seats 204-C, 204-D, the data processing platform 104 may send rear compartment presence information to the mobile device 152, which in turn may instruct the portable device 202 to trigger the alarm. The data processing platform 104 may also provide the vehicle user with the option to change the above predetermined time period to a different value according to the user's individual preferences. By using the rear compartment presence information, the engine status, and the timing information regarding the opening and closing of the driver's door 210-A and the rear vehicle door 210-C or 210-D, opening alarms may only be triggered when it is highly likely that the user left the vehicle with the intention of not returning.This means the user is only warned if there is an object in the rear seats and if the user has moved away from the vehicle after turning off the key. This minimizes the likelihood of a false alarm, thus increasing the effectiveness of the warning.

[0028] Once the alarm is triggered via wearable device 202, the user can return to vehicle 102 to retrieve the object. Wearable device 202 and / or mobile device 152 can also selectively block the feature.

[0029] Fig. 3 illustrates a method 300 for the rear object / occupant detection system 200. In particular, Fig. 3 illustrates a method for determining whether backspace presence information should be sent from the data processing platform 104 to the mobile device 152. Although with reference to Fig. 3 specifically refers to the data processing platform 104, the method 300 may be performed at the mobile device 152, the remote server 162, or other controllers and processors.

[0030] Method 300 begins at block 305, where computing platform 104 monitors the engine (not shown) to determine an engine state. As explained, the engine state (e.g., on or off) may be received from other vehicle modules, such as an engine control module.

[0031] At block 310, the computing platform 104 may monitor the state of the driver and rear doors. The door state for each door 210 may include open and closed, as well as timing information regarding when a door 210 was opened or closed. The computing platform 104 may continuously monitor the door state. Alternatively, the computing platform 104 may monitor the door state in response to a key-off engine shutdown.

[0032] At block 315, the computing platform 104 may monitor the rear seats 204-C, 204-D of the vehicle via the sensor mechanisms 206-C, 206-D. Such monitoring may include determining whether a person or object is located at or on the rear seats 204-C or 204-D. At block 320, the computing platform 104 determines whether a rear object presence signal has been received from at least one of the rear seat sensor mechanisms 206-C and 206-D. As explained, a presence signal may include an indication that an object is detected at or on at least one of the rear seats 204-C and 204-D. The presence signal may be transmitted from the rear seat sensor mechanisms 206-C and 206-D via a wireless or wired connection. If the computing platform 104 determines that the rear seat presence signal was received, the process 300 proceeds to block 325.Otherwise, process 300 returns to block 305 until a rear seat presence signal is received.

[0033] At block 325, the computing platform 104 may determine whether the engine of the vehicle 102 is currently off. Information regarding the engine status may be monitored and received at block 305. If the computing platform 104 determines that the engine is off, the process 300 proceeds to block 330. Otherwise, the process 300 proceeds to block 305.

[0034] At block 330, the computing platform 104 may determine whether the driver door 210-A was opened and closed. Information about the opening and subsequent closing of the driver door 210-A may be received from the door sensor 212-A, or from the vehicle ECUs 148, or other vehicle modules or applications. If the driver door 210-A is opened and subsequently closed, the process 300 proceeds to block 335. Otherwise, the process 300 proceeds to block 305.

[0035] At block 335, the computing platform 104 may monitor the door status of each of the rear doors 210-C, 210-D. For example, the computing platform 104 may receive door status and timing information corresponding to that of the door sensors 212.

[0036] At block 340, the computing platform 104 may determine whether at least one of the rear doors 210-C, 210-D has been opened. As in block 330, information about the rear doors 210-C, 210-D may be received from the door sensors 212-C, 212-D or from the vehicle ECU 148, or from other vehicle modules or applications. If the computing platform 104 determines whether at least one of the rear doors 210-C, 210-D has been opened, the process 300 continues to the end. Otherwise, the process 300 continues to block 345.

[0037] At block 345, the computing platform 104 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the driver's door 210-A was opened and closed. The computing platform 104 may determine the elapsed time using the current time and the time data included in the door state information (i.e., the opening and closing of the driver's door 210-A at block 330). The elapsed time may then be compared to a predefined threshold time. If the elapsed time exceeds the predefined threshold time, the process 300 may proceed to block 350. If the elapsed time is less than the predefined threshold time, the process 300 may return to block 335.

[0038] At block 350, in response to one of the rear vehicle doors 210-C, 210-D not being opened within a predetermined period of time after the driver's door 210-A is opened and closed, the computing platform 104 may transmit rear object presence information to the mobile device 152. This rear object presence information may indicate that an object remains in at least one of the rear seats 204-C and 204-D in the vehicle. Although not shown as part of process 300, the mobile device 152 may transmit an alert command to the portable device 202 once the mobile device 152 receives the presence information from the computing platform 104. Upon receiving the alert command, the portable device 202 may proceed to issue a haptic or otherwise inaudible alert to the user.Once the computing platform 104 transmits the presence information to the mobile device 152, the process 300 may end.

[0039] Fig. 4 illustrates another method 400 for the occupant detection system 200. In particular, Fig. 4 illustrates a method 400 for sending alarm commands from the mobile device 152 to the portable device 202. However, specific alarm commands may be transmitted directly from the vehicle 102 to the portable device 202 via the wireless network 208-B. Accordingly, although with reference to Fig. 4 specifically refers to the mobile device 152, the process 400 may be performed at the data processing platform 104, the remote server 162, or other controllers and processors.

[0040] The method 400 begins at block 405, where the mobile device 152 may receive presence information from the computing platform 104. At block 410, the mobile device 152 may transmit an alarm command to the portable device 202 in response to receiving presence information from the computing platform 104. The alarm command may include instructions instructing the portable device 202 to initiate an alarm (e.g., instructing the portable device 202 to vibrate). Then, the process 400 may end.

[0041] Accordingly, a wearable device can be commanded by a paired mobile device to trigger a haptic, inaudible alarm in response to various vehicle components indicating that an object may have been left in the vehicle's rear seats. Alerting a driver via a wearable device provides an efficient and discreet mechanism for alerting a user remotely from a vehicle about an object left in the vehicle's rear seats.

[0042] Computing devices, such as the mixer, the remote device, the external server, etc., generally include computer-executable instructions, which instructions may be executed by one or more of the computing devices listed above. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including, but not limited to, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes those instructions to thereby perform one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein.Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.

[0043] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the invention. Instead, the terms used in the specification are for the purpose of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the features of various implementation embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.

Claims

[1] Vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) comprising: an in-vehicle sensor (206-C, 206D) configured to detect an object on a vehicle rear seat (204-C, 204-D); and a control, characterized by that the control is designed to: Receiving an indication of an object on the rear seat (204-C, 204-D) from the sensor (206-C, 206-D), wherein the sensor (206-C, 206-D) is a motion sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a temperature sensor and Transmitting, in response to the indication, presence information to a mobile device (152) to cause the device (152) to transmit a command to a portable device (202), the command including instructions for an alert at the portable device (202). [2] The vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor the opening and closing of the vehicle doors (210-A, 210-B, 210-C, 210-D) via at least one door sensor (212-A, 212-B, 212-C, 212-D). [3] The vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a driver door (210-A) has been opened and subsequently closed. [4] The vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine, subsequent to the opening and closing of the driver's door (210-A), whether a rear door (210-C, 210-D) of the vehicle (102) has opened. [5] The vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a rear door (210-C, 210-D) of the vehicle (102) has opened within a predefined time from closing the driver's door (210-A). [6] The vehicle occupant warning system (100, 200) of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the presence information in response to the indicating and in response to a rear door (210-C, 210-D) not having opened within the predetermined time from the closing of the driver's door (210-A). [7] Vehicle occupant warning system comprising: a mobile device having a processor, characterized by that the processor is designed to: Receiving presence data from a vehicle (102) indicating an object on a rear seat (204-C, 204-D) of the vehicle (102) by means of a sensor (206-C, 206-D), wherein the sensor (206-C, 206-D) is a motion sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a temperature sensor; and Transmitting, in response to the data, a command to a portable device (202), the command including instructions for a haptic warning on the portable device (202). [8] The vehicle occupant warning system of claim 7, wherein the portable device (202) is configured to come into contact with a user to implement the haptic warning. [9] The vehicle occupant warning system of claim 7, wherein the presence data further indicates that a rear door (210-C, 210-D) of the vehicle (102) has not been opened within a predefined time since a driver's door (210-A) of the vehicle (102) was closed. [10] The vehicle occupant warning system of claim 7, wherein the presence data is received via a first communication link (208-A) and the command is transmitted via a communication link (208-B) different from the first communication link. [11] The vehicle occupant warning system of claim 10, wherein the second communication link (208-B) is a communication link between the mobile device (152) and the portable device (202). [12] System comprising: a control system designed to: Receiving an indication of a closing of a driver door (210-A) from a door sensor (212-A), characterized by that the control is designed to: Receiving an indication of an object on a rear seat (204-C, 204-D) from a seat sensor (206-C, 206-D), and Transmitting, in response to the indication of the object and a rear door (210-C, 210-D) not being opened within a predetermined period of time after the driver's door (210-A) is closed, presence information to a mobile device (152), the presence information causing the mobile device (152) to transmit a command to the portable device (202) instructing the portable device (202) to trigger an alarm. [13] The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an indication of a key-off of the engine to trigger the controller to monitor the vehicle doors (210-A, 210-B, 210-C, 210-D).

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