Wireless and redundant vehicular mass detection systems and methods
A system may be integrated within or coupled to a vehicle, in a car seat, a seat cover, a pad, or another device. The system may determine placement of an object within the vehicle. When the driver parks and turns off the vehicle, the system may provide one or more visible or audible indicators to remind the user to check the back seat, trunk, or storage area of the vehicle. The audible indicators may utilize the speakers of the vehicle or the car horn. The visible indicators may include turning on or flashing interior or exterior lights, displaying information on a dashboard display or on a projected or augmented display on the windshield, and so on. In some instances, the system may send an alert to a smartphone, a key fob, another electronic device, or an emergency system to prevent overheating of an infant, a pet, groceries, and so on.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to communicate with one or more devices;
one or more sensors; and
a processor coupled to one or more components of a vehicle and to the one or more sensors, the processor configured to:
determine presence of an object based on a first signal from a first sensor of the one or more sensors;
determine proximity of the one or more devices relative to the interface;
send an alert to at least one of the one or more devices in response to the proximity being greater than a threshold proximity; and
send a control signal to the one or more components of the vehicle to provide one or more of an audible indicator or a visual indicator of the presence of the object in response to the proximity being greater than a threshold proximity.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more components of the vehicle include one or more of a car speaker or a car horn; and
the processor controls one or more of the car speaker or the car horn to produce an audible indicator.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more components of the vehicle include one or more of an interior light, an exterior light, a dashboard display, or an augmented display; and
the processor controls one or more of the interior light, the exterior light, the dashboard display, or the augmented display to provide a visible indicator of the presence of the object.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to send an alert through the interface to the one or more devices when the proximity is greater than the threshold proximity for more than a period of time.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to send a second alert through the interface to an emergency system when the proximity is greater than the threshold proximity for more than a second period of time.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface, the one or more sensors, and the processor are integrated within a vehicle.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface, the one or more sensors, and the processor are integrated within one or more of a seat cover, a car seat, or a pad.
8. A system comprising:
a fob or wearable device, the fob or the wearable device including a transceiver and an indicator element; and
an apparatus including a circuit, the circuit including:
an interface including a transceiver to communicate with one or more of the fob, the wearable device, or one or more communication devices;
one or more-transducers configured to generate a signal in response to a presence of a mass; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver and the one or more transducers, the processor configured to:
determine the presence of a mass based on the signal from the one or more transducers;
determine a proximity of the one or more of the fob, the wearable device, or the one or more communication devices relative to the interface;
determine if the proximity exceeds a threshold proximity; and
in response to determining the proximity exceeds the threshold proximity, send a signal to the one or more of the fob, the wearable device, or the one or more communication devices indicative of the presence of the mass.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the indicator element includes one or more of a light-emitting diode, an audio circuit, or a haptic feedback mechanism configured to cause the fob or the wearable device to vibrate.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
monitor a first proximity of the fob or the wearable device and at least one second proximity of at least one device of the one or more communication devices relative to the interface; and
send a signal indicative of the presence of the mass to the fob or the wearable device and to the at least one device when the first proximity or the at least one second proximity is greater than the threshold distance from the interface for more than a first period of time.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a second signal indicative of the presence of the mass to one or more of an emergency system or the one or more communication devices when the first proximity and the at least one second proximity are greater than the threshold for more than a second period of time.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the fob provides a detectable alert via the indicator element when the proximity of the fob or the wearable device relative to the interface of the circuit is greater than the threshold proximity for more than a first period of time.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus includes one or more of an infant car seat, a convertible car seat, a booster seat, a pad, or a seat cover.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is integrated within a vehicle.
15. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to communicate with one or more devices;
one or more components including one or more of a light-emitting component, a sound-emitting component, or a haptic component;
one or more sensors; and
a processor coupled to the one or more components and to the one or more sensors, the processor configured to:
determine presence of an object based on a first signal from a first sensor of the one or more sensors;
determine proximity of one or more devices relative to the interface; and
control at least one component of the one or more components to provide one or more of an audible indicator or a visual indicator of the presence of the object in response to the proximity being greater than a threshold proximity.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the sound-emitting component includes one or more of a car speaker or a car horn; and
the processor controls the one or more of the car speaker or the car horn to produce an audible indicator.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the light-emitting component includes one or more of an interior light, an exterior light, a dashboard display, or an augmented display; and
the processor controls one or more of the interior light, the exterior light, the dashboard display, or the augmented display to provide a visible indicator of the presence of the object.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to send an alert through the interface to the one or more devices when the proximity is greater than the threshold proximity for more than a period of time.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to send a second alert through the interface to an emergency system when the proximity is greater than the threshold proximity for more than a second period of time.
20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the interface, the one or more components, the one or more sensors, and the processor are integrated within a vehicle.
21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more components includes a haptic feedback element associated with a steering wheel of a vehicle and responsive to a control signal from the processor to provide haptic feedback.