System and method for providing rear seat monitoring within a vehicle

• US 10,446,011 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Stuart Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US15/981,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20190057595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system and method for providing rear seat monitoring within a vehicle that include activating a vehicle camera system to capture images of at least one rear seat of the vehicle. The system and method also include determining if at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle. The system and method additionally include determining that an ignition of the vehicle is disabled. The system and method further include providing at least one type of alert upon determining that the ignition of the vehicle is disabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing rear seat monitoring within a vehicle, comprising:

activating a vehicle camera system to capture images of at least one rear seat of the vehicle;

determining if at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein image data associated with the images of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle is analyzed to determine if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat;

determining that an ignition of the vehicle is disabled; and

providing at least one type of alert upon determining that the ignition of the vehicle is disabled, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is not determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein activating the vehicle camera system to capture images occurs when at least one rear door of the vehicle is determined to be opened and closed before the ignition of the vehicle is enabled.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including activating vehicle microphone sensors to capture audio within a rear portion of the vehicle that includes the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat includes receiving audio data from the vehicle microphone sensors and analyzing a pitch and frequency of captured audio against at least one predetermined pitch threshold and at least one frequency threshold to determine if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat, wherein a location of the at least one rear seat passenger is determined from the audio data when the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including storing a detection indication flag when the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the detection indication flag includes a location of the at least one rear seat passenger.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein providing the at least one type of alert includes analyzing the detection indication flag and providing a user interface that includes a video feed of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the video feed is presented with at least one rear seat of the vehicle as highlighted over at least one location where the at least one passenger is determined to be located.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the user interface also includes a user interface notification warning, an audio warning, and a dismiss user interface input that dismisses the user interface notification upon input.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including storing a non-detection indication flag when the at least one rear seat passenger is not determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein providing the at least one type of alert includes analyzing the non-detection indication flag and providing a user interface that includes a video feed of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, a user interface notification warning, and a dismiss user interface input that dismisses the user interface notification upon input.

10. A system for providing rear seat monitoring within a vehicle, comprising:

a memory storing instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to;

activate a vehicle camera system to capture images of at least one rear seat of the vehicle;

determine if at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein image data associated with the images of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle is analyzed to determine if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat;

determine that an ignition of the vehicle is disabled; and

provide at least one type of alert upon determining that the ignition of the vehicle is disabled, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is not determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein activating the vehicle camera system to capture images occurs when at least one rear door of the vehicle is determined to be opened and closed before the ignition of the vehicle is enabled.

12. The system of claim 10, further including activating vehicle microphone sensors to capture audio within a rear portion of the vehicle that includes the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat includes receiving audio data from the vehicle microphone sensors and analyzing a pitch and frequency of captured audio against at least one predetermined pitch threshold and at least one frequency threshold to determine if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat, wherein a location of the at least one rear seat passenger is determined from the audio data when the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat.

14. The system of claim 10, further including storing a detection indication flag when the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the detection indication flag includes a location of the at least one rear seat passenger.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein providing the at least one type of alert includes analyzing the detection indication flag and providing a user interface that includes a video feed of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the video feed is presented with at least one rear seat of the vehicle as highlighted over at least one location where the at least one passenger is determined to be located.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface also includes a user interface notification warning, an audio warning, and a dismiss user interface input that dismisses the user interface notification upon input.

17. The system of claim 10, further including storing a non-detection indication flag when the at least one rear seat passenger is not determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein providing the at least one type of alert includes analyzing the non-detection indication flag and providing a user interface that includes a video feed of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, a user interface notification warning, and a dismiss user interface input that dismisses the user interface notification upon input.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer, which includes a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

activating a vehicle camera system to capture images of at least one rear seat of the vehicle;

determining if at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein image data associated with the images of the at least one rear seat of the vehicle is analyzed to determine if the at least one rear seat passenger is located within the at least one rear seat;

determining that an ignition of the vehicle is disabled; and

providing at least one type of alert upon determining that the ignition of the vehicle is disabled, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the at least one type of alert is based on if the at least one rear seat passenger is not determined to be located within the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further including activating vehicle microphone sensors to capture audio within a rear portion of the vehicle that includes the at least one rear seat of the vehicle.