Occupant reminder system and vehicle
The intelligent reminder system, which combines seat detectors with reading lights, luggage rack seat number lights, speakers, and other components, solves the problem of unclear reminders for passengers not wearing seat belts, achieving high-precision and intelligent passenger reminders while saving costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHENGZHOU YUTONG BUS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies for reminding passengers not to wear seat belts are easily overlooked and cannot accurately locate the position of passengers not wearing seat belts, especially when multiple passengers are not wearing seat belts, making it difficult to provide timely and accurate reminders.
The system uses a seat detector to monitor the seat status in real time and provides targeted reminders through components such as reading lights, roof rack seat lights, speakers, in-vehicle displays, and electronic clocks. These reminders include flashing lights and voice prompts, and the system determines whether to activate the voice reminder based on the vehicle speed.
It achieves high-precision and intelligent reminders for passengers who are not wearing seat belts, allowing passengers to receive the reminder signal immediately without the need for additional equipment, thus saving costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025146547_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
An occupant alert system and vehicle Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of bus safety, and more particularly to an occupant alert system and vehicle. Background Technology
[0002] The current technology involves seats detecting their actual status based on built-in pressure switches and seatbelt buckle signals. Each pair of seats has a built-in buzzer that automatically sounds an alarm when the seatbelt is not fastened. However, the alarm information is unclear and the alert method is limited.
[0003] Meanwhile, existing technologies for alerting passengers to unfastened seatbelts have low accuracy. Simply using a buzzer is insufficient to clearly identify the exact location of unfastened passengers. When multiple passengers are unfastened, multiple buzzers sound simultaneously, making it difficult to determine the number of unfastened passengers or their specific locations, indicating a low level of intelligence. For example, patent application CN113752973A discloses a vehicle seatbelt warning control system. When a passenger is detected as unfastened, the in-vehicle loudspeaker receives instructions from the monitoring module and specifically reminds the passenger with a voice message, "Passenger in seat number X, please fasten your seatbelt." However, this loudspeaker can only remind one passenger at a time, failing to promptly remind each unfastened passenger when multiple passengers are present. Furthermore, passengers often forget their seat numbers or are busy with other things and ignore the loudspeaker's message; in such cases, simply announcing the seat number does not provide a targeted reminder to unfastened passengers. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an occupant reminder system and vehicle, addressing the technical problems of existing methods of notifying passengers that are easily ignored by passengers and fail to prompt passengers to fasten their seat belts immediately.
[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an occupant reminder system, comprising a seat detector and a reminder module. The seat detector acquires the seat status and, upon detecting a passenger not wearing a seatbelt, provides a reminder via the reminder module. The reminder module includes a reading light and / or a luggage rack seat number light. When the seat detector detects a person in a seat who is not wearing a seatbelt, it controls the reading light and / or luggage rack seat number light on that seat to flash to remind the passenger not to wear a seatbelt.
[0006] Furthermore, the reminder module also includes an in-vehicle display, which displays the status of each seat detected by the seat detector, including: no seat and no seatbelt, no seat and seatbelt, seat and no seatbelt, and seat and seatbelt.
[0007] Furthermore, the in-vehicle displays include a cockpit screen and a passenger screen. The cockpit screen monitors the actual seat status in real time for the driver, while the passenger screen displays the seat status for the passengers.
[0008] Furthermore, the cockpit screen is equipped with a speaker. When the seat detector detects that a person is sitting in a seat without a seatbelt, if the vehicle speed reaches a threshold, the speaker will be activated to remind the passenger. If the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, the speaker will not be activated to remind the passenger.
[0009] Furthermore, the reminder module also includes an electronic clock located at the front of the cabin. When the seat detector detects that someone is in a seat but not wearing a seatbelt, it controls the electronic clock screen to scroll and display the seat number of the passenger who is not wearing a seatbelt.
[0010] Furthermore, the seat detector is connected to the backend and / or terminal application module via a network module, and the seat detector transmits the actual seat status it monitors to the backend and / or terminal application module in real time.
[0011] Furthermore, the seat detector includes N seat belt detection ECUs, each seat belt detection ECU being connected to a corresponding set number of seat sensors to obtain the status of the corresponding number of seats.
[0012] A vehicle includes a seat, a seat detector, and a reading light and / or a luggage rack seat number light on the seat. When the seat detector detects that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, the reading light and / or the luggage rack seat number light will flash to remind the passenger.
[0013] Furthermore, the vehicle is also equipped with in-vehicle displays that show the status of each seat detected by the seat detectors. The in-vehicle displays include a driver's cockpit screen and a passenger cockpit screen.
[0014] Furthermore, a speaker is installed on the cockpit screen. When the seat detector detects that a person is sitting in a seat without a seatbelt, the speaker will be activated to remind the passenger if the vehicle speed reaches a threshold. If the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, the speaker will not be activated to remind the passenger.
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: As an improved invention, this invention utilizes a seat detector to monitor the seat status in real time, and when it detects that a passenger is not wearing a seat belt, it provides a targeted reminder to the passenger by flashing a reading light, flashing a luggage rack seat number light, or flashing both the reading light and the luggage rack seat number light simultaneously. This allows the passenger to receive the reminder signal immediately, achieving rapid and highly accurate intelligent reminders without the need for additional new equipment. The reading light and luggage rack seat number light built into the vehicle can be used to remind passengers who are not wearing seat belts, saving costs. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 is a system structure diagram of the present invention;
[0017] Figure 2 is a system block diagram of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the EUC principle of the present invention;
[0019] Figure 4 is an example of the seat ECU arrangement of the present invention ①;
[0020] Figure 5 is an example ② of the seat ECU arrangement of the present invention;
[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the cockpit screen display effect ①;
[0022] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the cockpit screen display effect ②. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0024] This invention utilizes a seat detector to detect the actual status of the seat and sends out the status information. The reminder module uses flashing reading lights, flashing luggage rack seat number lights, or both flashing simultaneously to provide targeted reminders to passengers, ensuring that passengers receive the reminder signal immediately and achieving rapid and highly accurate intelligent reminders.
[0025] Occupant Reminder System Implementation Example
[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an occupant reminder system of the present invention includes a seat detector for monitoring the actual status of the seats and a reminder module. The reminder module includes a seat reminder module that uses flashing reading lights and overhead luggage rack seat number lights to provide a targeted reminder to the passenger. When the seat detector detects that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, it controls the corresponding reading light and overhead luggage rack seat number light to turn on, thus providing a targeted reminder to the passenger.
[0027] Meanwhile, to prevent passengers from overlooking the reading lights and luggage rack seat number lights during the day due to their inconspicuousness, the reminder module also includes a cabin reminder module that uses speakers, in-vehicle displays, and an electronic clock to remind passengers who are not wearing seat belts. For example, when the seat detector detects a passenger not wearing a seat belt, it plays an audio reminder through the speaker to fasten the seat belt. The in-vehicle display shows the actual status of all seats in the vehicle, indicating passengers wearing seat belts and those not wearing seat belts in different ways. The electronic clock screen at the front of the cabin will cycle through the seat numbers of passengers not wearing seat belts. In addition, to facilitate staff and passengers to view the real-time seat status online, the seat detector transmits the monitored seat status to the backend and / or terminal application module in real time via a network module.
[0028] The seat detector can monitor the actual status of the seats in real time based on pressure sensors and seat belt buckle signals. It can also acquire real-time images of the seats via cameras, analyzing these images to detect whether someone is in the seat and whether that person is wearing a seat belt. The actual seat status includes: no seat and no seat belt, no seat and seat belt, seated but not seated, and seated and seat belt. The seat detector transmits the monitored seat status to the reminder module in real time, using reading lights and / or roof rack seat number lights to provide targeted reminders to passengers not wearing seat belts, and using speakers, in-vehicle displays, and an electronic clock to provide vehicle-wide reminders to those not wearing seat belts. The in-vehicle displays include cockpit screens and driver's cockpit screens.
[0029] To facilitate the transmission of seat status signals to the entire vehicle, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) is used as the seat detector. This ECU detects the occupant status and seatbelt status, determines whether the conditions for a seatbelt reminder are met, and transmits the information to the entire vehicle via a LIN bus. As shown in Figure 3, each ECU can support up to 6 seats, and a vehicle typically requires a maximum of 10 ECUs. Through algorithms and different software configurations, the ECU system achieves self-learning, enabling adaptive adaptation to seat configurations. This allows the ECU to automatically map seats to their corresponding seat numbers after the vehicle is powered on. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, multiple ECUs are deployed to monitor seat status according to different seating arrangements. As shown in Figure 4, for a 47-seat vehicle with a 2+2 seating layout on both sides of the aisle, the first, second, and third rows on the left side of the aisle are connected to the same ECU; the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows are connected to the same ECU; the seventh, eighth, and ninth rows are connected to the same ECU; and the tenth and eleventh rows are connected to the same ECU. On the right side of the aisle, the first, second, and third rows are connected to the same ECU; the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows in front of the middle door are connected to the same ECU; the seventh, eighth, and ninth rows behind the middle door are connected to the same ECU; and the tenth row is connected to a single ECU. The three seats on the left of the last row are connected to the same ECU, and the two seats on the right of the last row are connected to the same ECU. As shown in Figure 5, for a 23-seat vehicle with a 2+1 seating layout on both sides of the aisle, the first, second, and third rows on the left side of the aisle are connected to the same ECU; the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows are connected to the same ECU. On the right side of the aisle, the first, second, and third rows are connected to the same ECU; the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows are connected to the same ECU; and the seventh row is connected to a single ECU. The two seats on the left of the last row are connected to the same ECU, and the two seats on the right of the last row are connected to the same ECU.
[0030] Because vehicles have a large number of seats, multiple ECUs are needed to monitor the actual seat conditions in a single vehicle. Therefore, the occupant reminder controller is used to summarize the actual seat status collected by the seat detectors and control the cabin reminder module and seat reminder module based on the monitoring results of the seat detectors to achieve linked reminders to passengers who are not wearing seat belts.
[0031] The occupant reminder controller is primarily used to aggregate the actual seat status detected by the seat detectors and control the activation of the cabin reminder module and seat reminder module based on the actual seat status. When any seat in the cabin is occupied but not fastened, the occupant reminder controller activates the cabin reminder module and seat reminder module to remind the occupant to fasten their seatbelt.
[0032] During operation, after receiving a signal from the occupant reminder controller, the cabin reminder module plays a reminder voice message such as "Please fasten your seatbelt" through a speaker, with a 3-second interval between messages. The speaker can be the same as the cabin screen's speaker. The cabin screen and driver's cockpit screen display the vehicle's seating status based on the information sent by the cabin reminder module, using different colors to represent different seat statuses. The cabin screen display effect is shown in Figures 6 and 7. For example, red marks indicate seats occupied but not wearing seatbelts (as shown in Figure A), and green marks seats occupied and wearing seatbelts (as shown in Figure B). The electronic clock screen scrolls through the seat numbers of occupied but unbelted seats, displaying each seat number for 2 seconds, and then displays the time after all seat numbers have been displayed.
[0033] After receiving a signal from the occupant reminder controller, the seat reminder module reminds occupants to fasten their seat belts by flashing the reading light and the luggage rack seat number light.
[0034] In another embodiment, the seat detector also monitors the vehicle speed. When the vehicle speed reaches a threshold, the seat detector sends a command to the occupant alert controller to control the speaker to alert the passenger. When the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, that is, when the vehicle is not in motion, the seat detector does not activate the speaker.
[0035] The terminal application module includes a passenger version and a staff version. Seat detectors upload real-time seat status data via the network module. The passenger version can be used on passengers' mobile phones to send real-time reminders to passengers not wearing seatbelts. The staff version displays the current vehicle occupancy status to vehicle owners, drivers, or tour guides. Owners, drivers, or tour guides can obtain headcount reports through the staff version network module, which can be used on staff's mobile phones or other mobile devices. Simultaneously, owners, drivers, or tour guides can obtain real-time information on the status of each seat through the terminal application module and remind passengers. The backend is mainly used to aggregate the real-time status of all seats in multiple vehicles, allowing dispatchers to monitor vehicle occupancy information and passenger status in real time, facilitating overall dispatch and supervision.
[0036] Vehicle Example
[0037] The occupant alert system proposed in this invention is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle includes seats and seat detectors. Each seat is equipped with a reading light and / or a luggage rack seat number light. When the seat detector detects that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, the reading light and / or luggage rack seat number light will flash to remind the passenger. The vehicle also has in-vehicle displays showing the seat status detected by the seat detectors. The in-vehicle displays include a driver's cockpit screen and a passenger cabin screen. The driver's cockpit screen is located on the vehicle's dashboard for easy viewing by the driver, while the passenger cabin screen is located at the front of the passenger cabin. A speaker is installed on the passenger cabin screen. When the vehicle speed reaches a threshold, the speaker is activated to remind the passenger; when the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, the speaker is not activated. The specific implementation process has been described in detail in the occupant alert system embodiments and will not be repeated here.
Claims
1. An occupant reminder system, comprising a seat detector and a reminder module, wherein the seat detector is used to acquire seat status and, when it detects that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, the reminder module provides a reminder, characterized in that, The reminder module includes a reading light and / or a luggage rack seat number light. When the seat detector detects that someone is in the seat but not wearing a seat belt, it controls the reading light and / or luggage rack seat number light on that seat to flash to remind the passenger that they are not wearing a seat belt.
2. The occupant alert system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reminder module also includes an in-vehicle display, which displays the status of each seat detected by the seat detector, including: no seat and no seatbelt, no seat and seatbelt, seat and no seatbelt, and seat and seatbelt.
3. The occupant alert system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The in-vehicle displays include a cockpit screen and a passenger screen. The cockpit screen monitors the actual seat status in real time for the driver, while the passenger screen displays the seat status for the passengers.
4. The occupant alert system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cockpit screen is equipped with a speaker. When the seat detector detects that a person is sitting in a seat without a seatbelt, the speaker will be activated to remind the passenger if the vehicle speed reaches a threshold. If the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, the speaker will not be activated to remind the passenger.
5. The occupant alert system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reminder module also includes an electronic clock located at the front of the cabin. When the seat detector detects that someone is in a seat but not wearing a seatbelt, it controls the electronic clock screen to scroll and display the seat number of the passenger who is not wearing a seatbelt.
6. The occupant alert system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seat detector is connected to the backend and / or terminal application module via a network module, and the seat detector transmits the actual seat status it monitors to the backend and / or terminal application module in real time.
7. The occupant alert system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seat detector includes N seat belt detection ECUs, each seat belt detection ECU is connected to a corresponding set number of seat sensors to obtain the status of the corresponding number of seats.
8. A vehicle comprising a seat, a seat detector, and a reading light and / or a luggage rack seat number light, characterized in that, When the seat detector detects that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, the reading light and / or the luggage rack seat number light will flash to remind the passenger.
9. The vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The vehicle is also equipped with in-vehicle displays that show the status of each seat detected by the seat detectors. The in-vehicle displays include a driver's cockpit screen and a passenger cockpit screen.
10. The vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cockpit screen is equipped with a speaker. When the seat detector detects that a person is sitting in a seat without a seatbelt, the speaker will be activated to remind the passenger if the vehicle speed reaches a threshold. If the vehicle speed does not reach the threshold, the speaker will not be activated to remind the passenger.