Passenger safety system

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for passenger safety. A sensing unit, remote device, and/or fob may interoperate to provide various alerts and other indications representative of aspects of a context environment proximate to a sensing unit. In this manner, passenger safety may be enhanced.

1 . A safety system comprising:
 a sensing unit,   wherein the sensing unit is a part of a securement system; and   a portable electronic device to provide human readable indications corresponding to signals from the sensing unit,   wherein the portable electronic device indicates at least one of a presence of a person secured by a seat belt associated with the sensing unit and a distance of the portable electronic device from the sensing unit in response to the radio signals.   
     
     
         2 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device and the sensing unit are connected via a Bluetooth connection. 
     
     
         3 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the the portable electronic device and the sensing unit are connected via a cellular connection. 
     
     
         4 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is a portion of a child safety seat. 
     
     
         5 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is interstitially connectable between a conjugate slot and tab of a seat belt connection, the sensing unit configured to determine whether the conjugate slot and tab are both properly fastened to a housing of the sensing unit. 
     
     
         6 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensing unit is further configured for operative communication with a remote device comprising a smart phone via a remote device communication channel comprising a cellular connection, and   wherein the remote device indicates at least one of a securement of a seat belt associated with the sensing unit, a temperature proximate to the sensing unit, and a distance of the remote device from the sensing unit.   
     
     
         7 . The passenger safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises:
 a first attachment mechanism comprising a first shoulder strap of a child safety seat;   a second attachment mechanism comprising a second shoulder strap of a child safety seat;   a housing selectively connectable to the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism and having a release button configured to selectively disconnect the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism from the housing; and   an attachment mechanism sensor array disposed in the housing to determine whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and to determine whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected.   
     
     
         8 . The passenger safety system of  claim 7 , wherein the attachment mechanism sensor array comprises Hall-Effect sensors to determine whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and to determine whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected. 
     
     
         9 . The passenger safety system of  claim 8 , the sensing unit further comprising a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The passenger safety system of  claim 7 , the sensing unit further comprising a sensing unit indicator array comprising LEDs selectably illuminable to indicate whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected. 
     
     
         11 . A fob of a safety system comprising:
 a portable electronic device to provide human readable indications corresponding to signals from a sensing unit,   wherein the portable electronic device indicates at least one of a securement of a belt associated with the sensing unit, a temperature proximate to the sensing unit, and a distance of the portable electronic device from the sensing unit, in response to the radio signals, and   wherein the portable electronic device comprises:
 a transceiver configured to send and receive the radio signals to and from the sensing unit via a communication channel; 
 at least one visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator comprising at least one of:
 a visual battery indicator configured to provide a visual indication of whether a battery of the portable electronic device is charged beyond a battery charge threshold; 
 a visual attachment indicator configured to provide a visual indication of whether one or more sensors of the sensing unit indicate the securement of a belt associated with the sensing unit; 
 a visual temperature indicator configured to provide a visual indication of whether a temperature proximate to the sensing unit is within an acceptable range; and 
 a visual range indicator configured to provide a visual indication of whether the portable electronic device has exceeded a predetermined range from the sensing unit. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . A sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit comprises:
 a housing connectable by a first attachment mechanism to a first strap and by a second attachment mechanism to a second strap, the housing having a release button configured to selectively disconnect at least one of the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism from the housing;   an attachment mechanism sensor array disposed in the housing to determine whether at least one of the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism is disconnected; and   a radio transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate to at least one of a fob and a smartphone at least one of whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected.   
     
     
         13 . The sensing unit according to  claim 12 , wherein the first attachment mechanism is a first buckle portion of the first strap and wherein the second attachment mechanism is a second buckle portion of a second strap. 
     
     
         14 . The sensing unit according to  claim 13 , wherein the first buckle portion and the second buckle portion are connectable together. 
     
     
         15 . The sensing unit of  claim 14 , wherein the attachment mechanism sensor array comprises Hall-Effect sensors to determine whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and to determine whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected. 
     
     
         16 . The sensing unit of  claim 15 , the sensing unit further comprising a temperature sensor, and wherein the radio transmitter is further configured to wirelessly communicate to at least one of a fob and a smartphone whether a temperature is within a predetermined acceptable range. 
     
     
         17 . The sensing unit of the passenger safety system of  claim 16 , the sensing unit further comprising a sensing unit indicator array comprising LEDs selectably illuminable to indicate whether the first attachment mechanism is disconnected and whether the second attachment mechanism is disconnected.