In-vehicle application selecting system and in-vehicle application selecting device

• US 20050179524A1
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Hiroshi, Kozuru, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,312,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver

Abstract

Providing a technique in which a picked-up image is given to an appropriate in-vehicle device or application and this device or application is then operated so that a variety of in-vehicle applications can be most suitably operated. According to an output from a sensor for measuring a state of a vehicle, quality of a picked-up image, a state of an occupant or the like is estimated, and based on the estimation results, an in-vehicle application to be executed is selected and executed.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle application selecting system, comprising:

a pick-up device of picking up an image of a vehicle occupant;

a plurality of in-vehicle application executing device, each using an image picked up by the pick-up device, to offer a service to the vehicle occupant;

a sensor for measuring a state of the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a selection device of selecting an in-vehicle application executing device to be operated among the plurality of in-vehicle application executing device, according to an output of the sensor, to operate the selected in-vehicle application executing device.

2. The in-vehicle application selecting system according to claim 1, comprising:

a table storing device of storing a table making the sensor output correspond to an in-vehicle application executing device which is properly operable using an image of quality estimated from the sensor output; and

a control device of selecting an in-vehicle application executing device corresponding to the sensor output from the table, to operate the selected in-vehicle application executing device.

3. The in-vehicle application selecting system according to claim 1, comprising:

a table storing device of storing a table making the sensor output correspond to an in-vehicle application executing device which is required in a driver'"'"'s state estimated from the sensor output; and

a control device of selecting an in-vehicle application executing device corresponding to the sensor output from the table, to operate the selected in-vehicle application executing device.

4. The in-vehicle application selecting system according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor includes a sensor for measuring vibration of a vehicle, and

the table makes an output of the sensor for measuring vibration of the vehicle, which indicates vibration not lower than a prescribed level, correspond only to an in-vehicle application executing device properly operable using a blurred image of a face.

5. The in-vehicle application selecting system according to claim 4, wherein the in-vehicle application executing device properly operable using a blurred image of a face is operated by detecting a position of a person'"'"'s face from an inputted image.

6. An in-vehicle application selecting apparatus, comprising:

a device of receiving an image of a vehicle occupant picked up by a pick-up device;

a device of determining a state of the vehicle when the received image of the occupant was picked up, from an output of a sensor for measuring the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a device of selecting an in-vehicle application to be provided with the received image of the occupant, among a plurality of in-vehicle applications each using an image picked up by the pick-up device to offer a service to the occupant, based on the state.

7. A program for making an information processing apparatus execute:

a step of receiving an image of a vehicle occupant picked up by a pick-up device;

a step of determining a state of the vehicle when the received image of the occupant was picked up, from an output of a sensor for measuring the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a step of selecting an in-vehicle application to be provided with the received image of the occupant, among a plurality of in-vehicle applications each using an image picked up by the pick-up device to offer a service to the occupant, based on the state.

8. A program for making an information processing apparatus, installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a pick-up device of picking up an image of a vehicle occupant;

a sensor for measuring a state of the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a plurality of in-vehicle application executing device each using an image picked up by the pick-up device to offer a service to the vehicle occupant, execute

a step of selecting an in-vehicle application executing device to be operated from the plurality of in-vehicle application executing device, according to an output of the sensor for measuring a state of the whole or part of the vehicle, and

a step of operating the selected in-vehicle application executing device.

9. A method for selecting an in-vehicle application, comprising:

a step in which an information processing apparatus receives an image of a vehicle occupant, picked up by a pick-up device;

a step in which the information processing apparatus determines a state of the vehicle when the received image of the occupant is picked up, from an output of a sensor for measuring the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a step in which the information processing apparatus selects an in-vehicle application provided with the received image of the occupant, among the plurality of in-vehicle applications each using an image picked up by the pick-up step to offer a service to the occupant, based on the state.

10. A method for selecting an in-vehicle application, comprising:

a step in which an information processing apparatus, installed in a vehicle, comprises a pick-up device of picking up an image of a vehicle occupant, a sensor for measuring a state of the whole or part of the vehicle, and a plurality of in-vehicle application executing device each using an image picked up by the pick-up device to offer a service to the vehicle occupant, the information processing apparatus selecting an in-vehicle application executing device to be operated from the plurality of in-vehicle application executing device, according to an output of the sensor for measuring a state of the whole or part of the vehicle; and

a step in which the information processing apparatus operates the selected in-vehicle application executing device.