Alert system for vehicle to output alert about occupant being left in vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11798394-B2
Application number	US-202217744962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2022
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

An alert system includes an in-vehicle object detector and an alert controller. The in-vehicle object detector detects objects in a vehicle compartment, including an occupant. The alert controller is configured to control execution of alert output operations if the occupant is left in the compartment after the vehicle's driver has left the vehicle. The alert output operations include at least an output operation of an alert to a mobile terminal of the driver. The alert controller is configured to cause the in-vehicle object detector to begin a detection processing for detecting the occupant being left in the compartment if the driver has left the vehicle, determine whether the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment, and switch between the alert output operations in accordance with whether the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An alert system for a vehicle to output an alert about an occupant being left in the vehicle, the alert system comprising:
an in-vehicle object detector configured to detect objects in a compartment of the vehicle, the objects including the occupant; and
an alert controller configured to control execution of alert output operations in a case where the occupant is being left in the compartment after a driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle, the alert output operations including at least an output operation of an alert to a mobile terminal of the driver,
wherein the alert controller is configured to
cause the in-vehicle object detector to begin a detection processing for detecting the occupant being left in the compartment of the vehicle in a case where the driver has left the vehicle,
in a case where the occupant is being left in the compartment after the driver has left the vehicle, determine whether the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment, and
output the alert to at least a corresponding one of the mobile terminals that belongs to one of persons other than the driver in a case where the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment.

2. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the alert output operations include
at least one of (i) an output operation of an emergency call as the alert, (ii) an alert output operation of the alert using a horn of the vehicle, and (iii) an alert output operation of the alert using a meter of the vehicle.

3. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the alert controller is configured to output the alert to the mobile terminal of the driver having left the vehicle in a case where the mobile terminal of the driver is not left in the compartment.

4. The alert system according to claim 2 , wherein the alert controller is configured to output the alert to the mobile terminal of the driver having left the vehicle in a case where the mobile terminal of the driver is not left in the compartment.

5. The alert system according to claim 3 , wherein the alert controller is configured to output an emergency call as the alert in a case where there is no response to the alert output to the mobile terminal of the driver.

6. The alert system according to claim 4 , wherein the alert controller is configured to output the emergency call as the alert in a case where there is no response to the alert output to the mobile terminal of the driver.

7. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein
the alert controller is configured to output an emergency call as the alert in a case where there is no response to the alert output to the corresponding one of the mobile terminals which belongs to the one of the persons other than the driver, and
the alert controller is configured not to output an emergency call as the alert in a case where there is a response to the alert output to the corresponding one of the mobile terminals which belongs to the one of the persons other than the driver.

8. The alert system according to claim 2 , wherein
the alert controller is configured to output the emergency call as the alert in a case where there is no response to the alert output to the corresponding one of the mobile terminals which belongs to the one of the persons other than the driver, and
the alert controller is configured not to output an emergency call as the alert in a case where there is a response to the alert output to the corresponding one of the mobile terminals which belongs to the one of the persons other than the driver.

9. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle object detector is configured to detect the objects including the occupant in the compartment of the vehicle by using a millimeter-wave sensor, the millimeter-wave sensor outputting a millimeter radio wave to the compartment of the vehicle and detecting a millimeter wave reflected by in-vehicle objects, the in-vehicle objects including the occupant and belongings in the compartment of the vehicle.

10. The alert system according to claim 2 , wherein the in-vehicle object detector is configured to detect the objects including the occupant in the compartment of the vehicle by using a millimeter-wave sensor, the millimeter-wave sensor outputting a millimeter radio wave to the compartment of the vehicle and detecting a millimeter wave reflected by in-vehicle objects, the in-vehicle objects including the occupant and belongings in the compartment of the vehicle.

11. The alert system according to claim 3 , wherein the in-vehicle object detector is configured to detect the objects including the occupant in the compartment of the vehicle by using a millimeter-wave sensor, the millimeter-wave sensor outputting a millimeter radio wave to the compartment of the vehicle and detecting a millimeter wave reflected by in-vehicle objects, the in-vehicle objects including the occupant and belongings in the compartment of the vehicle.

12. The alert system according to claim 4 , wherein the in-vehicle object detector is configured to detect the objects including the occupant in the compartment of the vehicle by using a millimeter-wave sensor, the millimeter-wave sensor outputting a millimeter radio wave to the compartment of the vehicle and detecting a millimeter wave reflected by in-vehicle objects, the in-vehicle objects including the occupant and belongings in the compartment of the vehicle.

13. An alert system for a vehicle to output an alert about an occupant being left in the vehicle, comprising:
a detector including a sensor, the sensor being configured to detect objects in a compartment of the vehicle, the objects including the occupant; and
circuitry configured to
control execution of alert output operations in a case where the occupant is being left in the compartment after a driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle, the alert output operations including at least an output operation of an alert to a mobile terminal of the driver,
cause the detector to begin a detection processing for detecting the occupant being left in the compartment of the vehicle in a case where the driver has left the vehicle,
in a case where the occupant is being left in the compartment after the driver has left the vehicle, determine whether the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment, and
output the alert to at least a corresponding one of the mobile terminals that belongs to one of persons other than the driver in a case where the mobile terminal of the driver is left in the compartment.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kawamura Kousei
• Kanagawa Tomoya

Classifications

• G08B21/22 Primary

  responsive to presence or absence of persons · CPC title

• G08B25/004

  Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi® not available use GSM · CPC title

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60Q9/004 Primary

  using wave sensors (radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931) · CPC title

• G08B21/24

  Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms · CPC title