Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B83/00—Vehicle locks specially adapted for particular types of wing or vehicle
  • E05B83/16—Locks for luggage compartments, car boot lids or car bonnets
  • E05B83/26—Emergency opening means for persons trapped in the luggage compartment

Definitions

• This invention relates to a system and method for detecting the likely presence of a warm, animate body in a latched confined compartment such as a vehicle trunk, and for taking automatic action in such situations.
• the present invention is directed to a system and method for causing a vehicle trunk compartment to be automatically unlatched when it is suspected that a person or other living being may have become inadvertently confined.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram of a typical vehicle
• FIG. 2 is a diagram of a vehicle trunk having features of the present invention
• FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a preferred embodiment
• FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart.
• trunk 10 typically located at the rear of the vehicle.
• a person ordinarily gains access to the interior of the trunk by disengaging a trunk latch 12 from a trunk striker bolt 14, causing the trunk lid 16 to open.
• Inserting and turning a key 20 within the lock cylinder 22 is one well-known mechanism for releasing the trunk latch.
• a cable 24 to the latch release mechanism, so that pulling the cable causes the trunk latch to release the striker.
• a trunk release button 31 at a remote location, such as near the steering wheel
• Remote keyless entry systems build upon this feature by allowing the user to send a radio or infrared trunk release signal 33 from a wireless transmitter 34 to the automobile.
• a controller 36 of the automobile receives the unlatch signal, and the trunk latch 12 is released. This is generally accomplished by the controller 36 sending an unlatch signal via an electrical connection 38 to the electric device 30, to drive the latch out of engagement with the striker.
• FIG. 2 depicts the interior of an exemplary vehicle trunk.
• Infrared sensors 50, 52 are mounted within the trunk compartment. These sensors detect variations in heat and movement.
• the sensors 50, 52 are electrically connected 54, 56 to the vehicle electrical system so as to receive power and return signals representative of their sensed values.
• Each sensor senses heat and motion within its field of vision.
• These fields of vision are figuratively depicted as detection array vectors 58 and 59. Sensors for detecting heat variations and motion are well-known in the art, and their precise operation need not be detailed here to understand the present invention.
• the sensors 50, 52 are aimed so that their fields of vision 58, 59 adequately entail the majority of the trunk compartment.
• FIG. 3 depicts the function of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• the trunk release controller 36 is electrically connected 38 to the trunk latch solenoid 30. When energized, the solenoid 30 causes the trunk latch 12 to be moved, releasing the trunk lid.
• the solenoid is operated under normal conditions by one of two means. Depressing a trunk release button 31 directly energizes the solenoid 30. The other method of actuating the solenoid is by emitting an unlatch signal 33 from a transmitter 34, which is received by the trunk controller 36. The trunk controller 36 then energizes the solenoid 30. To unlatch the trunk automatically, at least one of the heat and motion sensors 50, 52 must detect the likely presence of a warm or moving object.
• the detection signal is electrically transmitted 54, 56 to the trunk controller 36, and the solenoid 30 is energized to release the latch 12.
• the goal of the present invention is to automatically unlatch the trunk only when it is likely that there is a person or animal accidentally trapped within the trunk. If only detected motion were required to effect an automatic trunk release, there may be situations where the trunk would unlatch when it is in fact less likely that there is something animate trapped within. For example, inanimate contents of the trunk may shift while the vehicle is in motion.
• the preferred embodiment includes a connection 98 whereby a velocity or acceleration signal is provided to the trunk controller 36. This connection 98 interfaces to the engine or body controller 100, which is responsible (among other things) for processing signals such as wheel speed 102, vehicle acceleration 104 and engine speed 106.
• FIG. 4 shows a simplified flow chart of an algorithm for effecting the preferred embodiment.
• the automatic release features are not yet invoked when the vehicle is in motion if only movement, and no heat signature, is detected within the trunk. This is shown as logic path 200, 202, 204, 206, 208.
• heat and movement signatures detected during vehicle movement would result in the controller 36 setting the unlatch signal. This is shown as logic path 200, 202, 204, 210.
• the automatic release could be effected immediately, however in this embodiment it is temporarily inhibited until the vehicle speed has fallen below a desired threshold. This is logic path 210, 212.
• Employing an inhibition threshold would avoid opening the trunk when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds. During successive iterations, the temporarily inhibited unlatch command would be effected as soon as the vehicle speed falls below the threshold. This is logic path 214, 216, 212, 218.
• the present invention also is adapted to handle situations where the trapped person or animal falls unconscious, and thus becomes inanimate, before the controller 36 can effect an unlatch signal 38. In those situations, mere detection of an appropriate heat signature is sufficient to effect unlatching.
• This is logic path 202, 220. During successive iterations, earlier detected movement while the vehicle is in motion is combined with any detected heat signature. If a heat signature is then detected, an unlatch is requested. This is logic path 214, 222, 220, 210. Then, depending upon whether the vehicle speed is above or below the threshold 212, the trunk is unlatched.
• the sensors 50, 52 could alternatively be ultrasonic and designed to detect an acoustic signature representative of breathing.
• the sensors could alternatively be carbon dioxide/oxygen sensors designed to detect the falling oxygen levels and rising carbon dioxide levels typical of someone or something breathing in a confined space.
• touch sensors One of ordinary skill would be able to readily adapt the embodiment disclosed here, without engaging in undue experimentation, to employ these and other types of sensors.

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• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22427979

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2000
  • 2000-03-31 JP JP2000608057A patent/JP2002540327A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-03-31 WO PCT/US2000/008815 patent/WO2000058584A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-03-31 EP EP00920061A patent/EP1165915A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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