Vehicle Occupant Detection Using Radar and Transmitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety systems fail to accurately detect the presence of children or pets left inside vehicles, especially when the vehicle's temperature is within acceptable ranges, and are prone to false alarms and installation issues, lacking sensitivity to detect a wide range of child weights and small pets.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle safety system that uses a sensor to detect movement within the vehicle, including sub-millimeter chest movements, and a personal transmitter to determine when the operator has left the vehicle, triggering an alarm with a distinctive sound pattern when a being is left behind, utilizing a processor-based device with a pulsed radar transducer and partial Faraday shielding to prevent false alarms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If weight detector switches are integrated into child seats to detect the presence of a being, then the detection capability is improved, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase, and the reliability decreases due to contact buildup and spring failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from the child seat weight switch and relocates it to a portable handheld device that can detect presence through multiple sensors (motion sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors) without requiring integration into the seat structure, thereby simplifying installation while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical weight detector switch with electronic sensors (motion sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors) that detect presence through physical fields rather than mechanical contact, eliminating contact buildup and spring failure issues while improving reliability
2Measurement precision
If weight detector switches are used to detect child presence, then the detection capability is improved, but the reliability worsens due to contact buildup and spring failure over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical weight detector switch with electronic sensors (motion sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors) that detect presence through physical fields rather than mechanical contact, eliminating contact buildup and spring failure issues while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multiple sensor types (motion, temperature, humidity) in the handheld device that can detect various conditions indicating child presence, making the system more reliable by providing multiple detection pathways rather than relying on a single mechanical switch
3Measurement precision
If seat-mounted pressure sensing switches are used, then the detection capability is improved, but the adaptability worsens as they cannot detect small pets that run freely in the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple sensor types (motion, temperature, humidity) in the handheld device that can detect various conditions indicating child or pet presence, making the system more adaptable to different scenarios including small pets that may not remain seated
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses motion sensors that can detect movement patterns characteristic of children or pets, whether seated or moving freely in the vehicle, thereby improving adaptability to different behavioral states while maintaining detection capability
4Measurement precision
If temperature-based detection is used, then the detection capability is improved, but the reliability worsens during the initial period when the vehicle temperature is within acceptable ranges before the air conditioner or heater activates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the handheld device to be activated before the vehicle temperature becomes extreme, allowing the parent to verify child presence and receive alerts during the initial period when temperature is still acceptable, preventing the situation from reaching dangerous levels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous monitoring capability through the handheld device that can detect presence regardless of temperature conditions, providing ongoing verification of child safety from the moment of vehicle exit through the entire temperature transition period, eliminating gaps in detection
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively alerts nearby individuals to a potentially life-threatening situation by distinguishing the alarm from typical vehicle theft alarms, ensuring accurate detection and reducing false alarms, thus preventing heat-related or cold-related hazards.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a processor-based device with a pulsed radar transducer
Implementation Method 2
partial Faraday shielding to prevent false alarms
Data Source
AI summary
A device for detecting a being left within a vehicle includes a sensor that detects when a being (e.g. a pet, a child, etc.) is within a vehicle and the operator of the vehicle has moved away from the vehicle by more than, for example five feet. Upon detection of such, the device emits a sound to notify others nearby of the being that was left within the vehicle. The sound is preferably different than a sound of a typical vehicle theft alarm system. In a preferred embodiment, determination that the operator has left the vehicle is by a loss of a signal from a personal transmitter that is attached to the operator's key ring or worn by the operator. After moving away from the vehicle by more than five feet, the signal from the personal transmitter decreases and initiates determination if a being remains within the vehicle.