Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated
systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm
persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that
they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of
one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle
passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively
be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in
a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and/or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical
systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts,
unlocking doors, starting the car and/or fans or air conditioning systems and the
like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car
horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency
call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.
