Field

The present disclosure relates to alarm or alert systems. In particular, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to alarm or alert systems that are provided in the occupant compartment of passenger vehicles.

Background

With the ever increasing pressures of traffic congestion in cities of the world, many metropolitan authorities have actively encouraged cycling as a means of transport. For example, one may consider the local authority-backed cycling schemes that are well- established in London and Paris, where bicycles can be hired for short periods of time. Unfortunately, the increase in the number of cyclists has brought a concomitant increase in the number of accidents that take place between cars, lorries, vans etc. and other road users, with cyclists.

One particular type of accident that has seen an increase occurs when the door of a vehicle is opened into the path of another road user or pedestrian. This is colloquially referred to as “dooring” or being “doored.” Such accidents can have serious consequences for both the occupant of the vehicle and the third party road user into whose path the door was opened, and both parties can be badly injured. The vehicles involved may also suffer extensive damage. These accidents often arise as a result of a moment’s inattention on the part of the vehicle occupant, who opens a door of a vehicle without checking for other road users in the vicinity. Other accidents may occur when a vehicle occupant exiting a vehicle steps into the path of a third party road user or pedestrian. The problem for cyclists is particularly pronounced due to their relative inconspicuousness amongst other, often larger, road users and the speeds involved in the collision.

In the present context, the term“vehicle occupants” encompasses a driver and any passengers. The occupant compartment means the volume of a vehicle housing accommodation for the vehicle’s occupants, comprising 2, 3, 4, 5 or more seats, and includes any separate driver compartment and the driver location. Access to the occupant compartment is effected by the opening of doors typically located at the side of the vehicle. Such vehicles usually have 2 or 4 doors providing access to the l occupant compartment, although the skilled person will readily appreciate that the number of doors is not limiting. The doors to which the invention relates are typically considered to be doors that are attached by way of conventional, vertical hinges, although the skilled person will readily appreciate that the invention is equally applicable to any kind of door, including sliding doors, folding doors or so-called“gull wing” doors.

Systems for detecting road users in the vicinity of a vehicle from which an occupant may be about to alight are known from, for example, GB2505763, assigned to Daimler AG, whereby cameras detect the presence of road users including cyclists and pedestrians. The system further detects the approach of a vehicle occupant’s hand towards the interior door handle of the vehicle and triggers an alarm when a potential collision between an opening door and a passing road user is likely.

Other camera-based systems are known from, for example, US20060254142 (Siemens AG), whereas GB2491258 (Robert Bosch GmbH) discloses ultrasonic, infrared, LIDAR, radar or optical sensors or capacitive distance measuring technology to monitor the area surrounding the vehicle.

A system disclosed in FR2797422 (Valeo) uses switches or capacitive sensors to detect the approach or touch of the hand of a vehicle occupant on the interior door handle before triggering an alarm alerting third party road users to the imminent opening of a vehicle door. However, the alert may be ineffective due to distractions caused by the road environment and the noise of other road users.

However, described known systems are highly complex and cannot be readily retrofitted to an existing vehicle without costly modifications. One or more aspects and embodiments of the present invention were devised with the foregoing in mind.

Summary

Viewed from a first aspect, the present invention provides an alert system for the occupant compartment of a vehicle, the alert system comprising: at least one sensor configured to respond to pressure exerted upon the sensor by a vehicle occupant in the process of exiting the occupant compartment of the vehicle by transmitting a trigger signal to at least one alarm device, the at least one alarm device responsive to the trigger signal to create an alarm the intensity of which is greater on the inside of the vehicle than it is on the outside and the system comprising sensors solely internal to the occupant compartment.

Thus, there may be provided an alarm or alert system that in one or more embodiments can be retrofitted to existing vehicles without significant modifications being required, bringing the protection provided by more sophisticated alarm or alert systems to a wider proportion of road users.

In this way, there may be provided a reminder to vehicle occupants to check for third party road users in the vicinity of their vehicle, particularly road users approaching from the rear of the vehicle, before opening their door and exiting the vehicle. In particular, providing an alarm or alert system that detects when a door is likely to be opened before emitting an audible and/ or visual alert may remind vehicle occupants to check before opening a door.

The at least one sensor may be situated in any suitable location in the interior of the vehicle; particularly of the occupant compartment that an occupant of a vehicle is likely to touch, press or engage with as they prepare to alight from the vehicle. Suitable locations include interior door handles, seatbelt releases, a central locking release button, an ignition key lock mechanism or similar. Notably, all of the sensors are located inside the vehicle, more particularly inside the occupant compartment of the vehicle.

In one or more embodiment where the at least one sensor is affixed to a door handle, should a vehicle occupant accidentally or inadvertently get close to actuating the door handle or irresponsibly attempt to actuate the door handle at an inappropriate time during vehicle motion, the vehicle occupants will be alerted. This may be for example, if children are present in the vehicle, and is not dependent on whether or not the child locks (if fitted) are engaged. Furthermore, the at least one sensor may be attached to or included within the suitable locations in the occupant compartment in any way considered suitable by the skilled person. However, to minimise the need to modify or damage the interior fittings of the vehicle to which the alarm system is to be fitted, the at least one sensor and the at least one alarm device may be fitted by an adhesive. More particularly, at least the at least one sensor is attached to a suitable location by way of an adhesive, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Optionally, biomimetic systems such as so-called gecko tape may be used. Optionally or additionally, the at least one sensor may be mounted on a sleeve that fits to retain it around an interior fitting, such as around an interior door handle. The sleeve may be retained in place by tension, with an adhesive or other suitable retention arrangement. Optionally or additionally, the at least one sensor may be included within or upon the surface of the suitable locations at manufacture.

The at least one sensor may take a number of different forms as long as it is capable of registering pressure applied thereto above a given threshold. The given threshold may be set to be a brushing contact, but is optionally set to register a greater pressure such that the at least one sensor is triggered when it is actually being pressed, i.e. a pressure action which may be indicative of a deliberate pressure on the sensor. Examples of sensors suitable for one or more embodiments of the present invention are membrane switches including capacitive switches, dome switches, piezo switches, tactile switches and resistance switches, although the skilled person will realise that other types of sensors may be suitable. For convenience, tactile switches, dome switches and broken electrical contact switches, all of which require physical movement of an actuator, will be referred to hereafter as displacement switches.

Furthermore, the at least one sensor may provide haptic feedback either to assist an occupant of a vehicle to which an embodiment of the system has been fitted to locate the sensor with their fingers, or to provide an indication that the sensor has been actuated. Examples of haptic feedback include tactile features such as pips or ridges that serve to differentiate the switch from the surrounding area to which is has been applied. Optionally, haptic feedback may be active such as taking the form of vibrations, or apparent temperature differences resulting from, for example, a difference in thermal conductivity between the materials of the sensor and those of the surrounding area to which it has been applied. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor components may be integrally formed within a door handle or other suitable location, such that haptic feedback may be provided by a part of or the whole of a suitable location. In some embodiments, a suitable location such as a door handle may comprise the at least one sensor and a haptic feedback mechanism as described in the foregoing. Particularly, a door handle may vibrate in response to activation of the at least one sensor. This would provide an immediate alert to the user via the very mechanism by which a potential accident may occur, thereby having a synergistic effect which may overcome the present issue that the claimed subject-matter seeks to resolve.

Further, false alerts may be avoided, such as those being triggered when part of an occupant’s body, an item of clothing or a piece of luggage are inadvertently brought into the vicinity of the at least one sensor, as the at least one sensor requires positive pressure to be applied in order to be activated. Where combination sensors are used, the different pressures required to actuate the different parts of the sensor provides additional protection against false alarms. In a further embodiment, different types of switches can be combined within a single instance of a sensor such that that sensor responds to different stimuli according to where it is touched. For example, a switch with a low actuating pressure may be located adjacent to another switch that has a higher actuating pressure such that an embodiment of the system is responsive to changing conditions applied to at least one sensor. Such a structure may inhibit or reduce the occurrence of false positives or activate the higher pressure switch so that it is only active when the low pressure switch has been activated, which may reduce power consumption. In certain embodiments, the displacement switch may be activated by the displacement of a vehicle door so as to further provide a mechanism to avoid false positives.

The at least one alarm device may be fitted to provide a general alert for any or all vehicle occupants. Optionally, individual alarm devices may be provided for each door of the vehicle such that an occupant sat adjacent to a given door is reminded to check for third party road users that would be endangered by the opening of that door. A combination of individual and general alerts is also contemplated. The at least one alarm device may take a number of different forms as long as they are capable of alerting vehicle occupants to remind them to check for other road users and pedestrians in the vicinity of the vehicle before opening the doors to alight from the vehicle. Illustrative alarm devices creating an audible alarm include buzzers, bells, whistles, pre-recorded sounds, verbal messages and similar. Where the alarm device uses pre-recorded sounds or verbal messages, these may include voice prompts or bespoke sounds according to the door to which they refer. For example, an alarm for a nearside door may provide a verbal reminder to the vehicle occupant to check for pedestrians, whereas an alarm for an offside door may remind a vehicle occupant to check for cyclists or overtaking motor vehicles. Audible alarm devices may be provided in a central location within the vehicle, or separate devices may be provided in the front and rear parts of the occupant compartment.

Illustrative alarm devices creating a visual alarm include lighting elements such as incandescent bulbs or light-emitting diodes. These may be arranged anywhere where they attract the attention of the vehicle occupants. In one arrangement, a visual alarm device is arranged on the dash board in the front of the occupant compartment such that it lies in the region of vision commonly referred to as the central or macular region. The central or macular region of vision may be defined as the central 17 - 19° of vision measured from the direction of gaze and corresponds to the region of vision in which visual acuity is greatest. In a further arrangement, visual alarm devices may be arranged in locations such as on the doors of the occupant compartment that are generally situated in the region of vision referred to as peripheral vision. The peripheral vision region extends from the edge of the macular region to the extremity of vision lying at about 100 - 110° in the lateral direction. Optionally, visual alarm devices may be arranged in the extreme part of the peripheral vision lying between approximately 60° and 100° to the general direction of travel of the vehicle. This peripheral vision region is considered to be well adapted to the detection of movement, possibly an evolutionary response to the detection of threat. In a still further arrangement, visual alarm devices may be arranged in both the central and peripheral regions of vision. In particular, the visual alarm device arranged in the peripheral region may be a flashing alarm, whereas the visual alarm device arranged in the central region may comprise a device upon which text may be displayed. In a further illustrative embodiment, the lights may be arranged on a door handle and/or each door handle of the occupant compartment of a vehicle.

In an illustrative embodiment, the intensity of the alarm is directed such that it is greater on the inside of the vehicle than it is on the outside. Optionally, the intensity of an audible alarm may be directed such that it is louder on the inside of the vehicle than it is on the outside. Optionally, the intensity of a visual alarm may be directed such that it is brighter or has a higher contrast on the inside of the vehicle than it has on the outside.

In one arrangement, the intensity of an audible alarm is 1dB louder on the inside of the vehicle than on the outside, more preferably 2dB louder, and still further more preferably 3dB louder on the inside of the vehicle than the outside. Such arrangements reduce the disturbance to those outside of the vehicle. An embodiment in which the alarm is not discernible outside of the vehicle would be particularly suitable for use in quiet environments such as residential roads and/ or at night.

In an illustrative embodiment, the alarm device may operate in one of at least two modes depending on whether the vehicle to which it is fitted is in motion or stationary. For example, the alarm device may emit a first alarm signal when the sensors are touched when the vehicle is in motion, this alarm serving to discourage vehicle occupants from actuating the interior door handles in the moving vehicle. Where the vehicle is stationary, the alarm may operate in a second mode to raise their awareness towards third party road users in the vicinity of the vehicle, thereby lowering the risk of a collision between the third party road users and the occupants of the vehicle. For example, the first type of alarm signal may be disruptive or unpleasant such as very loud or at an annoying pitch; or visually disruptive and annoying.

The at least one sensor may be electrically connected with the alarm device in any way considered suitable by the skilled person. However, to minimise the need to modify or damage the interior fittings of the vehicle to which the alarm system is to be fitted, the at least one sensor and the at least one alarm device may be connected by a wireless connection, optionally using wireless protocols such as Bluetooth®, Zigbee or Induction Wireless. Where an intermediate control circuit is employed, the connections between the at least one sensor, the control circuit and the at least one alarm device may be wireless connections.

The at least one sensor, alarm device and any control circuitry may be powered by any known arrangement or apparatus, including batteries, piezoelectric generators, supercapacitors, etc. In at least one embodiment, the at least one sensor, alarm device and control circuitry are powered by the electrical system of the vehicle to which they are fitted. However, to assist the alarm or alert system to be retrofitted to existing vehicles, the alarm system’s power supply is separate from that of the vehicle. At least one sensor and the alarm device and control circuitry may each be powered by independent power systems. Optionally, they may all draw power from a central power source. The alarm or alert system may normally operate in a quiescent state in which minimal power is required, before awakening in response to a stimulus.

In some embodiments, the at least one alarm device and the at least one sensor can be linked to and arranged in a vehicle during manufacture. In such embodiments, the at least one sensor and the at least one alarm device may be operably connected by one or more operable connections. The one or more operable connections may allow interactions between the in-vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN) and the at least one alarm device and enable further warnings by influencing conditions within the occupant compartment. In one embodiment, the at least one alarm device may introduce a short delay between the actuation of the at least one sensor and unlocking the doors to the vehicle, providing an additional reminder. In such an embodiment, the at least one alarm device may be configurable to be overridden by the airbag electronic control unit, to override the at least one alarm device via the operable connections to the in-vehicle Controller Area Network, responsive to an event in which the airbags are deployed.

In some embodiments, the alert system may monitor the speed reported by the in- vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN) and disable or enable the alarm device responsive to the value of the vehicle speed. There may be a pre-determined threshold speed, above which the alarm device is disabled, and below which the alarm device is disabled. The in-vehicle Controller Area Network may be configured to transmit a signal to the alarm device to indicate that a threshold has been crossed responsive to which the alarm device may become enabled or disabled.

Further features and details of one or more embodiment of the invention may be derived from the following description as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and/or shown alone in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respective indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a view of part of the occupant compartment of a vehicle;

Figure 2 shows a view of part of the occupant compartment of a vehicle;

Figure 3 illustrates schematically the electronic components of an alarm system according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a view of an interior door handle equipped with a sensor device provided on a sleeve according to the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a view of an interior door handle equipped with a single sensor device according to the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a view of an interior door handle equipped with a combination sensor device according to the present invention;

Figure 7 shows a view of an interior door handle in the actuated position equipped with a pressure sensor;

Figure 8 shows a plan and cross-sectional view of a foldable ignition key equipped with an alarm device according to the present invention;

Figure 9 shows a schematic of the connections between the components of a vehicle controller area network and the present invention;

Figure 10 illustrates schematically the electronic components of another alarm system according to the present invention;

Figure 11 shows a schematic of the connections between the components of another vehicle controller area network and the present invention; and Figure 12 shows a view of an interior door handle in the actuated position, wherein the at least one sensor is incorporated within the handle.

In the figures, the same elements or element having the same functions are provided with the same reference.

Description

Figure 1 shows part of the occupant compartment 1 of a vehicle including a partial view of the two front seats, as well as a number of key controls. Door release handles 2 may be seen in the interior panel of the near- and offside doors. Handbrake 3 and seatbelt buckles 4 are also indicated. Pressure sensors may be mounted or otherwise attached or applied by any appropriate fixing at these and/or other locations that are likely to be pressed or engaged with by a vehicle occupant intent on alighting from the vehicle. An alarm device may be situated in any convenient location as long as it is held securely in the vehicle and may be accessed for maintenance. By way of example, the alarm device may be located in the central console or dashboard, be retained under a seat, or may be attached to a seat belt. An audible warning device is represented schematically by the speaker symbol 5. Optionally or additionally to the audible warning device, a visual warning device, such as one or more lamps or LED’s, may be provided as represented schematically by the lamp symbol, 6.

Figure 2 shows part of the occupant compartment 1 of the vehicle including a partial view of the rear seats. Again, door release handles 2 and seatbelt buckles 4 are indicated, these being examples of locations that are likely to be touched or pressed by a vehicle occupant intent on alighting from the vehicle. An audible warning device is represented schematically by the speaker symbol 5. Alternatively or additionally to the audible warning device, 5, a visual warning device, such as one or more lamps or LED’s may be provided, as represented schematically by the lamp symbol, 6.

Figure 3 illustrates a schematic representation of the components of an alarm system according to the present invention. Pressure sensor 7 is in electrical communication with messaging chip 8 and transmitter 9. Transmitter 9 transmits a signal in response to pressure sensor 7 being actuated. Receiver 10 receives the signal from transmitter 9, in response to which modem 11 activates alarm device 12. The alarm device 12 is represented as speaker symbol 5 and lamp symbol 6 in figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows an illustrative view of an interior door release handle, 2. The sensor is provided on preformed sleeve, 14, placed over the end of the handle, 2. In a first arrangement, the sleeve, 14, is made of a resiliently deformable material such as a natural or synthetic rubber, SBS copolymer, etc. In a second arrangement, the sleeve, 14, is made of a rigid material, such as a rigid plastics material, e.g. ABS or polystyrene. In order to retain the sleeve in the correct position on the interior door release handle, 2, adhesive may be applied (not shown). In the interests of both operational efficacy and aesthetics the pressure sensor, 7, may be positioned on the portion of the interior door handle that faces away from the occupant compartment, i.e., towards the interior of the door.

Figure 5 shows an illustrative interior release handle provided with a single pressure sensor. Pressure sensor, 7, is positioned on the portion of the interior door handle, 2, that faces away from the occupant compartment, and thus cannot be seen by casual observation.

Figure 6 shows a corresponding interior door handle, 2, upon which a pressure sensor comprising two individual pressure sensors has been applied to operate sequentially. As in figure 5, pressure sensor, 7, is positioned on the portion of the interior door handle, 2, that faces away from the occupant compartment, and thus cannot be seen by casual observation.

Figure 7 shows the interior door handle, 2, from figure 4 in the actuated position as supported by the hand (not shown) of the vehicle occupant. The pressure sensor, 7, is positioned such that the force applied to the interior door handle, 2, is also applied to the at least one pressure sensor, 7, thereby triggering the alarm to remind the vehicle occupant to check for road users, cyclists and pedestrians etc. in the vicinity of the vehicle before opening the vehicle door. Figure 8 shows a plan and cross-sectional view of a foldable ignition key, 13, upon which a pressure sensor, 7, may be applied, for example, by adhesive means. Alternatively, the sensor may be provided on a sleeve, 14, having suitable cut-outs, 15, for the central locking and release buttons. The sleeve may be elastic or rigid and may be made to fit a particular key. By using a common communications protocol such as Bluetooth®, sleeve-mounted sensors may be swapped from one key to another and configured to operate with alarm systems in more than one vehicle.

Figure 9 shows a schematic of the operable connections between the invention and an in-vehicle Controller Area Network in one embodiment. The at least one sensor, 7, is operably connected to the at least one alarm device, 15, by at least one operable connection suitably selected by the skilled person. The at least one alarm device, 15, is operably connected by at least one connection to the in-vehicle CAN, 16, which serves as a bus over which the airbag central locking electronic control unit, 17, airbag electronic control unit, 18, and the at least one alarm device communicate. The skilled person will readily recognise that the terms‘airbag electronic control unit’ and‘central locking control unit’ can apply to any components that fulfil the task of controlling the airbags and door locks respectively.

Figure 10 illustrates a schematic representation of the components of an alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Pressure sensor 7 is in electrical communication with messaging chip 8, haptic feedback element 19, lights 21 and transmitter 9. In some embodiments, only one of the haptic feedback element or lights are present. Messaging chip 8 transmits a signal via transmitter 9 in response to pressure sensor 7 being actuated. In some embodiments, haptic feedback element 19 provides haptic feedback to a user responsive to actuation of the pressure sensor. In some embodiments, lights 21 illuminate responsive to actuation of the pressure sensor. In embodiments where the haptic feedback element and/or lights are incorporated within the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor may provide immediate feedback to the user via the at least one sensor, thereby immediately alerting the user to the activity that is causing activation of the alarm. This feedback thus enhances the effect of the alarm and may cause the user to take more care exiting a vehicle. Receiver 10 receives the signal from transmitter 9, in response to which modem 11 activates alarm device 12. The alarm device 12 is represented as speaker symbol 5 and lamp symbol 6 in figures 1 and 2. Figure 11 shows a schematic of the operable connections between the invention and an in-vehicle Controller Area Network in one embodiment. The at least one sensor, 7, is operably connected to the at least one alarm device, 15, by at least one operable connection suitably selected by the skilled person. The at least one alarm device, 15, is operably connected by at least one connection to the in-vehicle CAN, 16, which serves as a bus over which the central locking electronic control unit, 17, airbag electronic control unit, 18, speedometer 20, and the at least one alarm device communicate. The skilled person will readily recognise that the terms‘airbag electronic control unit’ and ‘central locking control unit’ can apply to any components that fulfil the task of controlling the airbags and door locks respectively.

Figure 12 shows the interior door handle, 2, from figure 4 in the actuated position as supported by the hand (not shown) of the vehicle occupant. The pressure sensor, 7, is incorporated within the handle and positioned such that the force applied to the interior door handle, 2, is also applied to the at least one pressure sensor, 7, thereby triggering the alarm to remind the vehicle occupant to check for road users, cyclists and pedestrians etc. in the vicinity of the vehicle before opening the vehicle door. In the illustrated embodiment, haptic feedback module 19 and lights 21 are incorporated within the door handle to provide feedback to the user responsive to actuation of pressure sensor 7. However, in some embodiments only one of the haptic feedback module or lights is incorporated within the handle.

The alarm may be configurable to be discernible to the occupants of the vehicle so that no unnecessary disturbance will arise in the vicinity of the vehicle, and passers-by and residents will not be disturbed by the alighting vehicle occupants.

As used herein any reference to“one embodiment” or“an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

In addition, use of the“a” or“an” are employed to describe elements and components of the invention. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

For example, an alarm according to the present invention may improve the safety of a vehicle’s occupants as well as that of other road users in the vicinity of a vehicle in which such a system is installed.

Although the present invention has been illustrated as being fitted to a motor vehicle, the skilled person will realise that such a device may be used in different settings. Optionally, an alarm according to the present invention may improve the safety of the occupants of a building having internal doors to which such an alarm has been fitted, particularly internal doors opening into a space in which third parties may be located or travelling.

Optionally, an alarm according to the present invention may improve the safety of people in the vicinity of a building having external doors to which such an alarm has been fitted, particularly external doors opening into a space in which third parties may be located or travelling. By way of example, optionally, the adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive or a hot melt adhesive. Other removable or non-removable fixings such as screws, nut - and - bolt combinations, rivets, hook - and - loop fastenings, etc., are also contemplated.

Furthermore, known techniques for permanently joining thermoplastic components, such as fusion techniques including thermal- and ultrasonic welding are also contemplated. Wired or wireless communication may be used.

The scope of the present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed therein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigates against any or all of the problems addressed by the present invention. The applicant hereby gives notice that new claims may be formulated to such features during prosecution of this application or of any such further application derived therefrom. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in specific combinations enumerated in the claims.

Claims

l. An alert system for the occupant compartment of a vehicle, the alert system

comprising:

at least one sensor configured to respond to pressure exerted upon the sensor by a vehicle occupant in the process of exiting the occupant compartment of the vehicle by transmitting a trigger signal to at least one alarm device,

the at least one alarm device responsive to the trigger signal to create an alarm the intensity of which is greater on the inside of the vehicle than it is on the outside and the system comprising sensors solely internal to the occupant compartment.

2. An alert system according to Claim 1 , wherein the sensor is sensitive to the touch of an occupant.

3. An alert system according to any preceding claim, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of the following:

a capacitive sensor; a resistive sensor; a piezo switch; a membrane switch or a displacement switch.

4. An alert system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one sensor provides haptic feedback.

5. An alert system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor is integrally formed within a door handle.

6. An alert system according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the at least one sensors is located on a door handle located in the interior of the occupant compartment.

7. An alert system according to Claim 6, wherein at least one sensor is located on each door handle located in the interior of the occupant compartment.