Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
  • G08B21/18—Status alarms
  • G08B21/22—Status alarms responsive to presence or absence of persons
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
  • G08B21/18—Status alarms
  • G08B21/24—Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
  • G08B13/16—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid
  • G08B13/1654—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid using passive vibration detection systems
  • G08B13/1672—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid using passive vibration detection systems using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical field of accessories for motor vehicles.
• the invention relates to an innovative equipment enabling not to forget accidentally a subject, for example a child or a pet, inside one's own car, even in the event of an unauthorized access of the latter .
• Some solutions to the problem concern the use of a weight sensor arranged on the child seat on which the child is arranged in the car.
• the Italian patent number 0001408654 is known, which describes a system for detecting the presence of a child through the use of a weight sensor that detects the presence of the child arranged in his child seat inside the car and a sensor that detects the condition of engine on or off.
• the problem may occur even to old, disabled persons, in particular adult persons with mental diseases (such as old persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease) which could get voluntarily in the car thus remaining locked dangerously inside.
• the described system is complex since it is based on microphones controlled by a neural net which is instructed to recognize the effective type of sound and where this sound comes.
• the aim of the present invention is to provide an assembly, which is capable of resolving at least in part said technical disadvantages.
• the aim of the present invention is to provide an assembly and relative method of operation thereof capable of detecting the presence of a subject, preferably a child, inside the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle in effective manner and with a constructively simple solution, without needing the presence of weight sensors arranged on a child seat.
• This assembly comprises:
• At least a first element for acquiring the sound (6) which can be installed in use inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said element for acquiring the sound being suitable for detecting a sound;
• At least a second element for acquiring the sound (5) which can be installed in use outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said second element for acquiring the sound being suitable for detecting a sound;
• a processing unit (10) configured for receiving the sound (A, A' , B) intercepted by said first and second element (5, 6) and programmed for processing an analysis of said sound so as to identify a potential sound (B) whose source is inside the passenger compartment (2);
• Said processing unit (10) sending a command signal for generating an alarm when said potential inner sound (B) exceeds a predetermined threshold and, at the same time, occurring one or more predetermined operative conditions of the vehicle in which said assembly is operating in use.
• the system when a potential sound generated inside the vehicle is detected, the system is capable of analysing the loudness thereof and compare this data with one or more operative condition of the vehicle.
• this system operates through the detection and analysis of the sound and it is not bound to traditional weight sensors. In this manner, it is very functional .
• said first and second elements for acquiring the sound (5, 6) are in the form of microphones.
• At least two outer microphones and two inner microphones can be provided.
• said processing unit is a powertrain control unit.
• a stand-by system can be further provided .
• said first and second element for acquiring a sound are in the form of microphones.
• said analysis for checking a potential random activation of pre-existing sensors of the vehicle concerns the sensor present on the seat which activates the alarm indicating the missed fastening of the safety belts.
• the said subject can be a child or an infant in general.
• a particularly advantageous embodiment of interest for the present invention is that of an assembly to detect the presence of a subject inside the passenger compartment (2) of a vehicle (1) which comprises:
• At least a first element for acquiring the sound (6) which is installed in use inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said element for acquiring the sound being suitable for detecting a sound;
• a processing unit (10) configured for receiving the sound (A, A' , B) intercepted by said first and second element (5, 6) and programmed for processing an analysis of said sounds;
• This analysis provides a comparison, such as a difference, between the sound detected by the second element for acquiring the sound (5) and the sound detected by said first element for acquiring the sound (6) so as to identify a potential sound (B) whose source is inside the passenger compartment (2) .
• Said processing unit (10) sending a command signal for generating an alarm when said potential detected inner sound (B) exceeds a predetermined threshold and, at the same time, occurring one or more predetermined operative conditions of the vehicle in which said assembly is operating in use.
• the microphone arranged outside can be for example of directional type and/or arranged away from the passenger compartment so as to detect only the outer noise while the inner microphone detects the outer noise (unless there is an element of reduction of walls) and a potential noise whose inner source is inside the passenger compartment.
• the outer sound is transformed to a complementary sound wave which, being subtracted from the sound detected from the inner microphone, only the sound originated inside remains, therefore cleaned from any noise .
• This technology by using a simple comparison between sounds detected by two microphones arranged in different areas, is capable of obtaining a predetermined required sound cleaned from the other sound considered to be noises, such as the sound inside the passenger compartment which is originated only by an element arranged inside the passenger compartment.
• Figure 1 schematizes a car and the presence of microphones which are arranged inside and outside the passenger compartment
• Figure 2 always schematizes a passenger compartment with inner and outer microphones and depicts the sound A coming from outside the passenger compartment and detected by the outer microphone and the sounds A' and B inside the passenger compartment and detected by the inner microphone;
• Figure 3 schematizes the loudness of sounds in a chart
• Figure depicts a flow chart of operation of the invention .
• figure 1 schematizes a vehicle, for example a car.
• the car as per prior art, is equipped with a passenger compartment 2 where controls and seats of driver and passengers are arranged.
• systems for acquiring the sound are provided, for example microphones (5, 6) .
• one or more microphones 6 can be arranged, therefore installed, within the passenger compartment .
• the person skilled in the art can freely select convenient points for installing the microphones so that they can acquire a sound.
• a predetermined number or microphones 5 are installed outside the passenger compartment .
• microphones 6 within the passenger compartment and microphones 5 outside the passenger compartment are used to determine univocally and quite precisely a sound whose source comes exclusively from the interior of the passenger compartment.
• Microphones are necessary both inside and outside the passenger compartment since it is necessary to isolate the only sound which is generated inside, that is with source within the passenger compartment, thus eliminating the sound coming from outside which can be identified as noise .
• this comparison can provide algebraically a difference between the outer sound (sound detected by the outer microphone) and the inner sound (sound detected by the inner microphone) in order to detect the potential sound with inner origin only.
• Noise cancelling headphones are based on this principle and they are equipped with an electronic system capable of analyzing sound waves coming from the outside .
• the helmet of pilots of helicopters is equipped with a microphone arranged in front of the mouth to receive the voice emitted by the pilot and a microphone arranged behind the head or in any case distant from the mouth.
• the microphone arranged in front of the mouth In order to prevent the microphone arranged in front of the mouth from detecting the background noise of the helicopter in motion, which completely suffocates the sound of the voice, the sound of the voice is cleaned from the background noise through the comparison that provides precisely an algebraic difference of the sounds detected by the two distinct microphones.
• the microphone near the mouth detects background noise and voice while the microphone arranged behind the head substantially detects only the background noise.
• the algebraic difference makes the microphone near the mouth transmit only the voice, having been cleaned from the background noise formulating a difference between the sounds detected by the two distinct microphones.
• the sound detected by the inner microphones is substantially the sound coming from the outside but reduced by the walls of the passenger compartment that have certain factor of reduction of the sound depending on the structure of the vehicle .
• each wall will have its value of reduction . Therefore, as schematized in figure 2, the sound detected inside by microphones 6 has a certain loudness A' , corresponding to the sound A which is reduced by a certain factor.
• the sound detected by outer microphones 5 has a loudness greater and equal to A.
• the outer sound A is equal to the inner sound A' minus the factor of reduction.
• Figure 2 always depicts the sound A' which comes from the outside and the sound B which is emitted by a source inside the passenger compartment, such as a child who got into the passenger compartment and got trapped.
• the microphone 6 detects A' and B while the outer microphone 5 detects A.
• the system is capable of detecting, comparing and managing electric signals coming from microphones and those ones resulting from the comparison by means of electronic circuits or even processors and/or other programmable devices which work by means of suitable software .
• the system subject of the invention is equipped with a suitably programmed processing control unit.
• This control unit could be for example the same suitably programmed powertrain control unit of the car or it could be a suitably programmed control unit which can be sold together with the set of microphones, the whole ready for the installation in the car.
• the control unit is connected to microphones and acquires sounds coming from the outer and inner microphones .
• the control unit analyzes these sounds by using the outer sound to "clean" the sound detected by the inner microphone and understand if a further sound B coming from the subject inside the vehicle is added.
• the ways in which an alarm can be generated, when the detected inner sound exceeds a certain threshold, can be different and variable.
• Detecting an inner sound B whose source is inside the passenger compartment, with the engine off and/or closed doors and windows, may indicate the fact that a subject is present inside the vehicle because it has accidentally got in or has been forgotten inside the vehicle and is in a condition of danger.
• the levels of alarm can be different and modifiable at will, without exceeding the scope of the present inventive concept.
• the suitably programmed control unit 10 receives the sounds detected by the outer and inner microphones and processes this information, according to a software for analyzing sound, in order to extrapolate the only sound coming from a source arranged inside the passenger compartment .
• the system will not carry on and will not generate an alarm.
• control unit 10 will check some functional parameters relating to the vehicle.
• a condition of engine off, closed doors and inner noise over a certain threshold activate a condition of alarm.
• a condition of sound over a certain threshold but, for example, open doors or engine on can be interpreted by the system as a non-alarm condition.
• the levels of alarm can be selected and programmed freely and can include sound alarms and/or subsequent sending of SMS or alert calls to preset numbers.
• the e-Call system or other emergency system can be activated automatically.
• the control unit can first of all check the operating conditions of the vehicle (therefore, as mentioned above, it checks whether the engine is on or off and/or the insertion of key or other freely selectable conditions in the step of project). If these operating conditions correspond to those selected as operating conditions of potential risk (for example engine off and closed doors), then the system for acquiring sound and its relative analysis are activated, thus activating the alarm sequences in the event that an inner sound over a certain threshold is detected.
• the system for acquiring sounds can be activated for example after a certain time preset by the positive detection of the condition of activation.
• This configuration enables energy savings since acquisition and analysis of sound occurs only under certain conditions of potential risk.
• the central unit can also be deactivated.
• an integrative circuit comparison and threshold may remain on, when it detects a difference between the inner and outer signals over a predetermined threshold, but also simply when the inner microphone detects a noise, even in this case higher than one preset threshold, it can send a signal of activation to the central unit which from that moment will be activated to perform its functions.
• the analysis of inner and outer sounds can also be addressed to certain frequencies and decibel values through the use of special filter systems.
• the present invention although preferably addressed to the protection of children, can obviously be equally used for any subject, person or animal, for example disabled persons, but also possible animals.
• the term passenger compartment of a vehicle does not mean only the driving area and the area where the passengers sit but also includes the possible luggage compartment even if it is physically separated from the seating area of the passengers and of the driver.
• microphones are used for acquiring the sound.
• the present system can be combined with these sensors so that the system of central analysis can possibly detect a random activation of these sensors.
• This condition is indicative of the presence of a subject trapped in a car and moving randomly. Cross-checking this data with the operating conditions of the vehicle verifies whether there is a presence in the passenger compartment of a subject in general.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)
• Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=64902254

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (2)

Citations (4)

• 2018
  • 2018-10-09 IT IT102018000009289A patent/IT201800009289A1/it unknown
• 2019
  • 2019-10-07 WO PCT/IB2019/058512 patent/WO2020075035A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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