Operating a warning system and warning system to prevent leaving a child in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating a warning system (1) to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle (2). After determining whether the motor vehicle (2) is locked, the interior (5) of the motor vehicle (2) is scanned by a detection device (6). If an occupant (1) is detected who cannot be reliably identified as an adult according to a predetermined detection criterion, a control device (4) of the warning system (1) first issues a confirmation request. Only if this request is not acknowledged does the control device trigger an alarm. The invention further relates to a warning system (1) configured to carry out the method according to the invention.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle.

[0002] Warning systems for motor vehicles are known in which sensors scan the vehicle's interior when the doors are closed and the vehicle is parked. If the sensors detect a child, an alarm is triggered after a predefined delay. This alarm is intended to warn, for example, the driver that the child is still inside and may be at risk from dehydration or similar issues. No alarm is triggered if the sensors detect an adult.

[0003] A disadvantage of such warning systems is that they cannot always reliably determine whether only a child or an adult is actually inside the vehicle. Even a small adult, one with limited mobility, or a sleeping adult can sometimes be detected as a child, so known warning systems will still sound an alarm in this case as a precaution.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate, or at least partially eliminate, the aforementioned disadvantage of a warning system for preventing a child from being left in a motor vehicle. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating a warning system for preventing a child from being left in a motor vehicle, as well as a warning system for preventing a child from being left in a motor vehicle, which avoid issuing alarms in a simple and cost-effective manner when an adult is still inside the vehicle.

[0005] The aforementioned problem is solved by the claims. Accordingly, the problem is solved by a method for operating a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle, comprising the features of independent claim 1, and by a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle, comprising the features of dependent claim 10. Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the method according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the warning system according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention always makes, or can make, reciprocal references.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a method for operating a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle. The method comprises: - Determining the locked status of the vehicle doors by a control device of the warning system, - Scanning the interior of a motor vehicle by a detection device of the motor vehicle to detect the presence of a living being in the interior, when the control device determines that the vehicle doors are closed, - Issuance of a confirmation request to an occupant of the motor vehicle by the control device if the detection device detects a living being in the interior according to a predetermined detection criterion during scanning, - Issuance of an alarm by the control device if the occupant does not comply with the confirmation request, and - Detection of a non-critical occupancy situation in the interior of the motor vehicle by the control device when the occupant fulfills the confirmation request.

[0007] First, the control device of the warning system determines whether the vehicle doors are closed. For the purposes of this invention, a closed vehicle door is understood to mean, for example, that the vehicle doors are in a locked position in which the interior of the vehicle is separated from its surroundings by the vehicle doors. In this locked position, a latching mechanism is preferably active, which holds the vehicle door in the locked position and allows it to be easily opened via an opening device. Furthermore, according to the invention, a closed vehicle door can also be understood to mean that the vehicle doors are arranged in the locked position and locked by a locking mechanism in such a way that unauthorized opening of the vehicle doors, for example without a vehicle key, is prevented.In the locked state, the vehicle can be parked securely, preventing unauthorized access by third parties. The locked state can be achieved, for example, by actively locking the vehicle, removing a transponder, or similar means. Determining the locked state is preferably done using sensors in the warning system or the vehicle itself. These sensors are interconnected with the control unit.

[0008] When the control device determines that the vehicle doors are closed, the vehicle's detection device scans the interior. This scanning can also occur with the vehicle doors open, preferably in such a way that the occupancy status of the interior cannot change between the last scan and the closing of the vehicle doors in the usual way, i.e., via the designated door openings. The detection device is designed to detect the presence of a living being in the interior. For this purpose, the detection device preferably has one or more sensors, which are preferably located inside the vehicle.The sensors can be integrated, for example, as a component of the warning system, an alarm system, a seat positioning device, or another vehicle component. The control device is coupled to the detection device via data communication.

[0009] The detection device scans the interior for living beings. To do this, the device compares the scan data acquired during scanning with the predefined detection criterion. Within the scope of the invention, a detection criterion is understood to be one or more conditions used to evaluate the scan data in order to determine whether one or more living beings are present in the interior and to which category these beings belong. These beings could be, for example, an animal, a human, a child, or an adult. Furthermore, the detection criterion can also provide, for example, a plausibility check of the scan result. Thus, for instance, relatively large and heavy people can be identified as adults with a higher degree of certainty than smaller and lighter people.Preferably, the detection device and / or the control device includes artificial intelligence for evaluating the scan data and / or adjusting the detection criterion, for example using data provided by the user of the motor vehicle, experience data or the like.

[0010] If the detection device detects a living being in the interior according to the predefined detection criterion during scanning, the control device issues a confirmation request to the occupants of the vehicle. Within the scope of the invention, this also includes the control device at least initiating the issuance of the confirmation request. The confirmation request is preferably issued in such a way that it is perceptible from all seating positions. Alternatively, the confirmation request is preferably issued in such a way that it is more perceptible from a seating position where an occupant, preferably a possible adult, was identified during scanning than from other seating positions where no occupant, preferably at least no adult, was identified during scanning.

[0011] In the context of the invention, an acknowledgment prompt is understood to be a message from the warning system which an occupant is required to acknowledge in a manner specified by the acknowledgment prompt, preferably in a manner specified by the prompt itself, in order to prevent the alarm from being triggered. The warning system preferably allows a predefined period of time, for example 3, 5, or 10 seconds, to elapse between the acknowledgment prompt and the alarm being triggered. It may be provided that further acknowledgment prompts, warning tones, or the like are issued to expedite the occupant's timely acknowledgment of the acknowledgment prompt and to warn of the impending alarm.

[0012] If the occupant does not comply with the confirmation request, the control device issues an alarm. Within the scope of the invention, this also includes the understanding that the control device at least initiates the alarm's issuance. Conversely, if the occupant complies with the confirmation request, the control device recognizes that the occupancy situation in the vehicle's interior is not critical and does not issue an alarm.

[0013] An inventive method for operating a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle has the advantage over conventional methods that, with simple means and in a cost-effective manner, it is easier to avoid situations in which an alarm is triggered even though an adult is still inside the vehicle. By means of a confirmation prompt, which is preferably designed in such a way that a small child cannot easily comply with it, the warning system can determine, particularly in cases where the initial pat-down is unclear, whether an adult is indeed inside the vehicle and thus whether triggering the alarm is unnecessary or even undesirable.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method for operating a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle may include the detection criterion of the presence of respiratory activity and / or movement. Respiratory activity can be detected, for example, by acoustic sensors, infrared sensors, CCD sensors, or the like. Movement can also be detected, for example, by infrared sensors, CCD sensors, or the like. This has the advantage of further improving the detection of the presence of a living being inside the vehicle using simple and cost-effective means.

[0015] According to the invention, it is preferred that the detection criterion includes a minimum intensity of respiratory activity and / or movement. Preferably, the detection criterion defines an intensity of respiratory activity and / or movement such that it is determined not only whether a living being is present in the interior, but also whether it is an adult, a child, or an animal. According to the invention, several situations can be distinguished. In one situation, the presence of an adult can be clearly determined. In another situation, the presence of a child or an adult is possible according to the detection result. In a further situation, the presence of a child as well as the absence of an adult can be clearly determined.If, for example, the presence of an adult is determined with absolute certainty based on the intensity of breathing activity and / or movement, the control device can refrain from issuing an alarm, as the occupancy situation is considered non-critical. If the detection result is ambiguous, the confirmation prompt, in conjunction with the feedback received or not, ensures that no child is left unattended inside the parked vehicle. This has the advantage of further improving the detection of the presence of a person inside the vehicle in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0016] Preferably, the detection criterion is defined such that the presence of a baby or child is reliably determined when the detection device scans the interior. In other words, the detection device preferably has such accuracy that even the slightest breaths and movements of babies or children are reliably detected. For example, if the detection device reliably detects the presence of a baby and the absence of an adult, an alarm is preferably triggered without prior confirmation. If the detection of an adult is ambiguous, a confirmation prompt is issued. This has the advantage of further improving the detection of the presence of living beings in the interior using simple and cost-effective means.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a method may be provided that the detection criterion is defined such that the presence of an average adult is reliably determined when the interior is scanned by the detection device. In other words, the detection device reliably recognizes when an adult with average physical characteristics is sitting in the interior, so that no confirmation prompt needs to be issued and preferably is not issued. An alarm is also unnecessary in this case, since the control device has thus recognized a non-critical occupancy situation in the vehicle's interior. If the detection of an adult is not unambiguous, the confirmation prompt is issued. This has the advantage that the detection of the presence of a person in the interior is further improved in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0018] Preferably, the interior is scanned using a UWB sensor in the detection device. UWB sensors are also known as "ultra-wideband sensors" and are used, for example, in vehicle alarm systems. The UWB sensors are preferably designed to detect objects and movements in the interior with particularly high accuracy, so that average-sized children and adults can be easily identified by the detection device. Preferably, the UWB sensors are integrated into the vehicle's alarm system or at least coupled to it. This has the advantage of further improving the detection of the presence of a living being in the interior using simple and cost-effective means.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method for operating a warning system to prevent leaving a child in a motor vehicle can be provided for by the control device to detect a non-critical occupancy situation in the vehicle's interior when the detection device reliably identifies an adult in the interior according to the predefined detection criterion, without issuing a confirmation request or an alarm. In other words, a situation is reliably detected in which the vehicle doors are closed and at least one adult is almost certainly present in the interior. The issuance of a confirmation request or an alarm is therefore unnecessary, since the presence of the adult ensures that all occupants in the interior are supervised.This has the advantage that the user-friendliness of the warning system is further improved in a simple and cost-effective manner, since in such clear-cut cases the adult occupant is not bothered by confirmation requests.

[0020] The confirmation prompt is preferably delivered as a voice announcement and / or via a vehicle display. The voice announcement can, for example, inform the occupants of a potential alarm. Alternatively or additionally, the voice announcement can provide instructions on how to acknowledge the confirmation prompt. The display can, for example, show a text message informing the occupants of the impending alarm and / or providing instructions on how to acknowledge the confirmation prompt. The confirmation prompt can, for example, require the occupants to enter a PIN, a predefined text, a predefined sequence of numbers, or similar information. This has the advantage of further improving the user-friendliness of the warning system in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0021] According to the invention, it is preferred that the confirmation prompt includes a request for verbal confirmation, confirmation by touch, confirmation by gesture, and / or confirmation by actuating a device of the motor vehicle. Verbal confirmation may, for example, include repeating a word, a sentence, a confirmation word, or the like. Confirmation by touch may, for example, include touching a touchscreen, such as that of the motor vehicle's entertainment system, a button, or the like. A gesture may, for example, include raising a hand, forming the hand into a predetermined hand gesture, or the like. The confirmation prompt preferably includes a note or instructions on how the occupant is to perform the confirmation.This has the advantage that the user-friendliness of the warning system can be further improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner.

[0022] According to a second aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a warning system to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle. The warning system comprises a control device for determining the locked state of a vehicle door, for issuing a confirmation request to a vehicle occupant, and for issuing an alarm depending on the detection of the presence of a living being in the vehicle's interior according to a detection criterion and a response to the confirmation request. According to the invention, the warning system is configured to carry out a method according to the invention.

[0023] The warning system can be integrated into a motor vehicle and preferably has its own detection device for scanning the interior or is at least designed to be coupled to a detection device of the motor vehicle. To issue the confirmation prompt, the control device is preferably coupled to an output device. The output device can, for example, be a component of the warning system or a component of another system of the motor vehicle, such as an entertainment system, a display system, or the like.

[0024] The warning system according to the invention offers all the advantages already described in relation to a method for operating a warning system to prevent leaving a child in a motor vehicle according to the first aspect of the invention. Accordingly, the warning system according to the invention has the advantage over conventional warning systems that it allows for a better and more cost-effective prevention of situations in which an alarm is triggered even though an adult is still inside the vehicle. By means of a confirmation prompt, preferably designed in such a way that a small child cannot easily comply with it, the warning system can determine, particularly in cases where the initial pat-down is unclear, whether an adult is indeed inside the vehicle and thus whether triggering the alarm is unnecessary or even undesirable.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These schematically depict: Fig. 1 in a side view a motor vehicle with a warning system according to the invention in a first occupancy state, Fig. 2 in a side view a motor vehicle with a warning system according to the invention in a second occupancy state, Fig. 3 in a side view a motor vehicle with a warning system according to the invention in a third occupancy state, and Fig. 4 in a flowchart a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating a warning system to prevent leaving a child behind in a motor vehicle.

[0026] Elements with the same function and mode of operation are in the Fig. Numbers 1 to 4 are each labelled with the same reference numerals.

[0027] In Fig. Figure 1 schematically depicts a motor vehicle 2 with a warning system 1 according to the invention in a first occupancy state in a side view. The warning system 1 comprises a control device 4 and a detection device 6 for scanning the interior 5 of the motor vehicle 2. The motor vehicle 2 has vehicle doors 3, which are closed. An occupant I is seated in the driver's seat of the motor vehicle 2. Occupant I is an adult of average build. The detection device 6 recognizes that occupant I is an adult, so that the control device 4, when carrying out the method according to the invention, detects a non-critical occupancy situation and does not generate a confirmation request for occupant I or an alarm.

[0028] Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a motor vehicle 2 with a warning system 1 according to the invention in a second occupancy state in a side view. In the second occupancy state, a below-average-sized adult is seated in a rear seat of the motor vehicle 2. The detection device 6 recognizes with low reliability that the occupant I is an adult, so the control device 4 issues a confirmation request to the occupant I when carrying out the method according to the invention in accordance with the detection criterion. If the occupant I responds to the confirmation request as intended, for example by hand signal, voice command or the like, the control device 4 does not issue an alarm. If the occupant I fails to acknowledge the confirmation request, the control device 4 generates an alarm.

[0029] Fig. Figure 3 schematically shows a motor vehicle 2 with a warning system 1 according to the invention in a third occupancy state in a side view. In the third occupancy state, a small child is sitting on a rear seat of the motor vehicle 2. The detection device 6 reliably detects that the occupant I is a small child, so that the control device 4, when carrying out the method according to the invention, either directly issues an alarm or a confirmation request for the occupant I according to the detection criterion. Since the occupant I is a small child, he will not be able to acknowledge the confirmation request, so the control device 4 generates an alarm at the latest then.

[0030] In Fig.Figure 4 schematically illustrates a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating a warning system 1 to prevent a child from being left in a motor vehicle 2 in a flowchart. In a first process action 100, the control device 4 of the warning system 1 determines that all vehicle doors 3 of the motor vehicle 2 are closed. In a second process action 200, the detection device 6 of the motor vehicle 2 scans the interior 5 of the motor vehicle 2 for occupants I.

[0031] In a third procedural action 300, the control device 4 issues a confirmation request if the detection device 6 detects an occupant I while scanning the interior who cannot be reliably identified as either an adult or a child. If the control device 4 reliably identifies the occupant as an adult, it recognizes a non-critical occupancy situation in the interior 5 of the vehicle 2 and terminates the procedure in the third procedural action 300. If the control device reliably identifies the occupant as a child, it recognizes a critical occupancy situation in the interior 5 of the vehicle 2 and issues an alarm in the third procedural action 300.

[0032] In a fourth procedural action 400, the control device 4 issues an alarm if the occupant I does not comply with the confirmation request. If the occupant I complies with the confirmation request and acknowledges it, the control device 4 recognizes a non-critical occupancy situation in the interior 5 of the vehicle 2 and terminates the procedure in the fourth procedural action 400. Reference symbol list 1 Warning system 2 motor vehicles 3 vehicle doors 4 Control device 5 Interior 6 Detection device 100 First procedural action 200 Second procedural action 300 Third procedural action 400 Fourth procedural action I Inmate

Claims

[1] Method for operating a warning system (1) to prevent leaving a child in a motor vehicle (2), comprising: - Determining the locked state of the vehicle doors (3) of the motor vehicle (2) by means of a control device (4) of the warning system (1), - Scanning of the interior (5) of the motor vehicle (2) by a detection device (6) of the motor vehicle (2) to detect the presence of a living being in the interior (5), when the control device (4) determines that the vehicle doors (3) are closed, - Issuance of a confirmation request to an occupant (I) of the motor vehicle (2) by the control device (4) if the detection device (6) detects a living being in the interior (5) according to a predetermined detection criterion during scanning, - Issuance of an alarm by the control device (4) if the occupant (I) does not comply with the confirmation request, and - Detection of a non-critical occupancy situation in the interior (5) of the motor vehicle (2) by the control device (4) when the occupant (I) complies with the confirmation request. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the detection criterion includes the presence of respiratory activity and / or movement. [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized by that the detection criterion includes a minimum intensity of respiratory activity and / or movement. [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the detection criterion is set in such a way that when scanning the interior (5) by the detection device (6) the presence of a baby or a child is reliably determined. [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the detection criterion is set in such a way that when scanning the interior (5) by the detection device (6) the presence of an average adult is reliably determined. [6] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the scanning of the interior (5) is carried out by a UWB sensor of the detection device (6). [7] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control device (4) detects a non-critical occupancy situation in the interior (5) of the motor vehicle (2) when the detection device (6) reliably detects an adult in the interior (5) according to the specified detection criterion during scanning, without issuing a confirmation request or an alarm. [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the confirmation request is made as a voice announcement and / or via a display device of the motor vehicle (2). [9] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the confirmation request includes a request for verbal confirmation, confirmation by touch, confirmation by gesture and / or confirmation by actuation of a device of the motor vehicle (2). [10] Warning system (1) for preventing a child from being left in a motor vehicle (2), comprising a control device (4) for determining the locked state of a vehicle door (3) of the motor vehicle (2), for issuing a confirmation request to an occupant (I) of the motor vehicle (2) and for issuing an alarm depending on a detection of the presence of a living being in an interior (5) of the motor vehicle (2) according to a detection criterion and a reaction to the confirmation request, characterized by , that the warning system (1) is designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

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