Motor vehicle alarm device for detecting the presence of children and / or animals inside the vehicle

Abstract

The present invention pertains to an alarm and sensor system designed to alert drivers to the presence of children and pets inside motor vehicles. The primary field of application for this system is child and animal safety, aiming to prevent accidents resulting from children or pets being forgotten inside a vehicle.

Description

"AUTOMOTIVE ALARM DEVICE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF CHILDREN AND / OR ANIMALS INSIDE" Field of Application

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm and sensor device developed to alert drivers to the presence of children and pets in motor vehicles. The main field of application of this device is child and animal safety, aiming to prevent accidents resulting from forgetting children or pets inside a car. State of the Art

[0002] The problem of leaving children and pets inside motor vehicles has been a subject of concern and debate in various parts of the world. Cases of tragedies related to this problem date back several decades, and the consequences have been tragic and, in many cases, fatal.

[0003] Over the years, numerous incidents have occurred in which children and animals have been inadvertently left inside hot cars. The high temperatures inside the vehicle can become extremely dangerous, even on seemingly mild days. The temperature inside the car can rise rapidly, creating a suffocating and lethal environment. Unfortunately, many of these incidents have resulted in deaths due to heatstroke, dehydration, or hyperthermia.

[0004] These tragedies drew the attention of security authorities, child and animal rights organizations, as well as the general public. Awareness of the risks and... The serious consequences of leaving children and animals locked in vehicles have increased considerably over the years.

[0005] As a result, initiatives have emerged to develop technologies that help prevent these incidents and protect the lives of vulnerable victims. Alarm devices and sensors have been designed to detect the presence of occupants in the vehicle and alert drivers, thus preventing accidents and saving lives.

[0006] The search for effective solutions continues, with government actions, awareness campaigns, and the development of increasingly advanced technologies. Concern for child and animal safety in the automotive context is a growing priority and a relevant topic for today's society.

[0007] In this context, document CN205103990U describes an alarm device that is triggered when the car's temperature exceeds critical levels. This technology comprises an infrared heat sensor, a temperature monitoring system, a light-emitting system, and a sound-emitting system.

[0008] Thus, with the car turned off and locked, the infrared heat sensor checks for the presence of human heat inside the car. If present, the temperature monitoring system is activated, and the thermometer begins to check for temperature increases. When the temperature reaches 35°C and there is no external movement inside the vehicle, a message is sent to the responsible party's cell phone, and the sound and light system is activated, emitting a normal, quick sound and turning on the car lights. If the temperature reaches... At 45°C, the sound emitted is continuous and may attract the attention of people passing by, neighbors, etc.

[0009] Alternatively, document KR101851563B1 describes an alarm device attached to a child seat, making it a smart child seat. Thus, the product of this patent comprises a control unit, a sensor that indicates the presence of a child in the seat through a piezoelectric system and the temperature, an alarm that indicates if the child is in a critical state inside the car, emitting sounds and lights. In addition, the technology includes a fan positioned above the child seat, to be activated if the measured temperature is too high for cooling the vehicle. This entire device is controlled by the control unit connected via Bluetooth to a remote terminal, preferably a cell phone belonging to a person responsible for the vehicle.

[0010] In this way, the sensors measure the temperature and, if it reaches a critical state, even with the fan activated, the control unit sends repeated signals to the responsible person's cell phone, in addition to activating the audible and visual alarms.

[0011] Similarly, US patent 10232821B1 describes a smart seatbelt with a built-in alarm device that connects to the car key. Thus, the seatbelt comprises a primary safety buckle and a transceiver connected to the key. The buckle contains two input sensors that indicate when the child has been placed in the car seat and a sensor that indicates when the buckle has been activated and consequently the alarm device.

[0012] When activated, the driver can move away from the vehicle with the key to a certain distance; upon exceeding this distance, the seatbelt alarm will sound until the driver removes the child from the car, thus deactivating the alarm built into the seatbelt.

[0013] Thus, the three documents cited differ from the present patent application because they are alarms that only warn drivers about the presence of an incapacitated person in the vehicle after a certain time, after exceeding a critical temperature, or due to the driver's distance from the vehicle while in possession of the key.

[0014] This device has a weight sensor in the driver's seat, and when it detects that the responsible adult is not in the car, it activates a programmed timer so that the responsible adult can remove the child from the vehicle.

[0015] If the incapacitated person is not removed within this time, the audible and visual alarm systems are triggered, in addition to sending an alert signal to a specialized company platform, which immediately notifies the driver.

[0016] In addition, the device also unlocks the car's windows and doors to prevent the incapacitated person from suffocating, and it also has a GPS that is tracked by the specialized platform at all times.

[0017] These differences ensure greater product efficiency because it doesn't wait for a critical temperature inside the vehicle to activate, and it also prevents immediate suffocation of the incapacitated person due to the near-instantaneous alarm device and the ability to lower the windows. Furthermore, the connection to a specialized platform guarantees... that if the person responsible does not act immediately or quickly enough, the competent authorities should be notified. Description of the Invention

[0018] This application refers to an alarm device applied to motor vehicles to prevent children, pets, and incapacitated individuals in general from being forgotten inside, thus avoiding the risk of complications due to lack of oxygen, high temperature, or death inside a closed / locked vehicle.

[0019] The device contains timed relays for alarm activation (audible / illuminated), an embedded seatbelt sensor, a real-time satellite and cellular (GPS / GPRS) tracker producing daily reports (location, route traveled, maximum speed, vehicle on / off operating status), SMS message informing of equipment activation, ignition or vehicle electrical lockout via SMS command to the equipment, personalized or audible message, and unlocking of windows and / or doors.

[0020] The device has at least two weight sensors, designated as sensor A and sensor B.

[0021] When placing the child / pet in the appropriate car seat, where sensor B is located, the device is automatically activated, waiting 30 seconds for the driver to enter the vehicle. Sensor A is located on the driver's seat, which deactivates the main alarm and activates satellite location tracking.

[0022] After the journey, upon exiting the vehicle, sensor A and the tracker enter "off" mode, and the alarm is activated and timed for a period of 30 seconds to 5 minutes, giving The driver is given time to remove the child / pet from the appropriate car seat or seatbelt, where sensor B is located, thus deactivating the device.

[0023] If the child / pet is not removed from sensor B, the alarm is activated and all its peripherals are also activated (tracker in "panic" mode, siren or personalized message, hazard lights, windows and doors unlock, and a message is sent to the programmed cell phone).

[0024] All components on the board are connected via copper traces and pads, sized according to the electrical current that will pass through them.

[0025] External components, such as sensors and actuators, will be connected via cabling that comes out of the board and will have its respective identification.

[0026] On the board we have several electronic components, such as: the diode, used to protect the board from reverse power connections; the transistors drive all the outputs by sending a positive 12V signal; the resistors are used in conjunction with the transistors to configure them as switches and pull-up resistors for the microcontroller; the relay sends a signal to the GPS and cuts off the fuel supply to the system; the microcontroller is the brain of the operation, it contains all the program logic written in C language, it is an 8-bit microcontroller widely used in industrial applications and even in aeronautics.

[0027] No communication protocol is used from the board to the physical media of the sensors and actuators; this is done directly by sending 12V or 0V signals.

[0028] The circuit board is made of fiberglass, 1.6mm thick, but this thickness is not limited to that. The case can be 3D printed using generative design technology in PLA material, which offers heat resistance up to 180°C. Designs

[0029] Figure 1 shows the 2D view of the automotive alarm device for detecting the presence of children and / or animals inside the vehicle, containing the following components: Driver's seat sensor (IA), sensor in the child / pet seat (1B), 12V battery for powering the board (2), 12V positive output (3), output for hazard lights (4), output for car horn (5), output for car electric windows and / or door unlocking (6), output for buzzer located inside the car (7), 12V positive output (8), panic signal (9), signals sent to the GPS (10) and the relay for blocking the ignition or vehicle electrical system (11).

[0030] Figure 2 shows the 3D view of the automotive alarm device for detecting the presence of children and / or animals inside the vehicle, containing the following components: Driver's seat sensor (IA), sensor in the child / pet seat (1B), 12V battery for powering the board (2), 12V positive output (3), output for hazard lights (4), output for car horn (5), output for car electric windows and / or door unlocking (6), output for buzzer located inside the car (7), 12V positive output (8), panic signal (9), signals sent to the GPS (10), relay for blocking the ignition or vehicle electrical system (11), timer relay (12) and 12V relay (13).

Claims

CLAIMS 1. AUTOMOTIVE ALARM DEVICE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF CHILDREN AND / OR ANIMALS INSIDE, characterized by containing a unique set, specifically organized in which at least two weight sensors (sensor IA and sensor 1B), located in the driver's seat (sensor IA) and in the child / pet seat (sensor 1B), the alarm being automatically activated when placing the child / pet and deactivated when the driver enters the vehicle and the satellite and cell phone tracker - GPS / GPRS (10) is activated in real time, producing daily reports, it has timed relays (12) for activating the alarms, with siren (5) and / or personalized message, warning flash (4), unlocking of windows and doors (6), panic signal (9), blocking of the vehicle's ignition or electrical system (11) through SMS command to the equipment and a message is sent to the programmed cell phone, for its operation the system also contains a 12V battery for board power supply (2), 12V positive output (3 and 8),output for buzzer located inside the car (7) and 12V relay (13).,

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