Seatbelt buckling detection

• US 10,501,048 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Szawarski, Hubert, Le, Jialiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/875,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20190225186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/485 for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4891 preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

A computer is programmed to identify first and second regions of an image representing a seatbelt, actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and in the second region, and actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

Claims

1. A system comprising a computer, the computer programmed to:

identify first and second regions of a seatbelt image;

actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and

actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

2. The system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to:

actuate the output device to deliver the first output upon detecting an occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and an absence of the seatbelt in the second region; and

actuate the output device to deliver the second output upon detecting the occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

3. The system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to select a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant.

4. The system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to select a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of an occupant.

5. The system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to actuate the output device to deliver a third output upon determining that an occupant is inattentive.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in a seat is expected to be located.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.

9. A method comprising:

identifying first and second regions of a seatbelt image;

actuating an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and

actuating the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

actuating the output device to deliver the first output upon detecting an occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and an absence of the seatbelt in the second region; and

actuating the output device to deliver the second output upon detecting the occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of an occupant.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising actuating the output device to deliver a third output upon determining that an occupant is inattentive.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in a seat is expected to be located.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.

17. A vehicle comprising:

a seat;

a camera aimed at the seat; and

a computer in communication with the camera and programmed to

identify first and second regions of a seatbelt image from the camera;

actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and

actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the computer is further programmed to select a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant and to select a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of the occupant.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located, and the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.