Airbag device and occupant classification device

• US 20050263992A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Mieko
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A seating state of an occupant including a presence, absence, and posture of the occupant is accurately determined. The device includes a seat belt provided with marks whose image is to be taken, an imaging portion that takes an image of the marks provided on the seat belt, and a seating state determining portion that determines the seating state of the occupant based on the image of the marks taken by the imaging portion.

Claims

1. A device for classifying a seating state of an occupant, comprising:

a seat belt having a string of labels;

a camera which takes an image of said string of labels on said seat belt;

a detector which detects an arrangement pattern of said string of labels on said image; and

an estimator which estimates said seating state of the occupant fastening said seat based on said arrangement pattern.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said estimator includes a distance estimator which obtains a distance between the occupant and a predetermined position based on said detected arrangement pattern, and

wherein said estimator outputs said distance as said seating state.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said estimator includes a seating state estimator which estimates a presence, absence, and posture of the occupant based on said detected arrangement pattern, and

wherein said estimator outputs a result of estimation as said seating state.

4. The device according to claim 3,

wherein said estimator includes a storage which stores an association between:

(A) said presence, absence, and posture of the occupant; and

(B) said arrangement pattern,

wherein said seating state estimator compares;

(C) said association; and

(D) said detected arrangement pattern, and

wherein said seating state estimator determines said presence, absence, and posture of the occupant.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said estimator includes:

a determiner which determines a presence, absence, and posture of the occupant based on said detected arrangement pattern; and

a distance estimator which obtains a distance between the occupant and a predetermined position based on said detected arrangement pattern when said determiner outputs a specific determination result, and

wherein said estimator outputs said result of determination by said determiner and said distance obtained by said distance estimator as said seating state.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said estimator includes a storage which stores an association between said presence, absence, and posture of an occupant fastening said seat belt and said arrangement pattern, and

wherein said determiner in said estimator compares said association and said detected arrangement pattern of said string of labels on said image and determines said presence, absence, and posture of the occupant.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said seat belt has a plurality of strings of labels arranged at different label intervals, and

wherein said detector includes:

an extractor which extracts each of said plurality of strings of labels from said image, and

an estimator which estimates a part of each of said extracted strings of labels using another extracted string of labels.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said seat belt has a string of continuous labels,

wherein said detector includes:

an extractor which extracts said string of continuous labels from said image; and

a bending point detector which detects a bending point in said extracted string of continuous labels, and

wherein said estimator estimates said seating state of the occupant based on said detected bending point.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said seat belt has a string of continuous labels and a string of discrete labels,

wherein said detector includes:

a first extractor which extracts said string of continuous labels from said image;

a second extractor which extracts said string of discrete labels from said image;

a string estimator which estimates apart of said string of discrete labels using information on said string of continuous labels, and a part of said string of continuous labels using information on said string of discrete labels;

an arrangement pattern estimator which estimates an arrangement pattern of said string of discrete labels; and

a distance estimator which estimates a distance between the occupant and a predetermined position based on said arrangement of said extracted string of continuous labels and the arrangement pattern of said extracted string of discrete labels, and

wherein said estimator outputs said estimated distance as said seating state.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a light source that irradiates said seat belt,

wherein said labels of said seat belt are made of a material that reflect light from said light source more strongly than said seat belt does.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said light source is an infrared light source, and

wherein said camera can carry-out imaging with infrared light.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an airbag having a mechanism for adjusting its inflation amount or inflation speed; and

a controller which controls said inflation amount or inflation speed of said airbag according to said seating state of an occupant estimated by said estimator.

13. An airbag device, comprising:

a seat belt having a string of labels;

a camera that takes an image of said string of labels on said seat belt;

an airbag having a mechanism for adjusting its inflation amount or inflation speed;

a processor; and

a memory accessible from said processor,

wherein said memory stores program code executed by said processor, said program code including the steps of;

detecting an arrangement pattern of said string of labels from said image;

estimating a seating state of an occupant fastening said seat belt based on said detected arrangement pattern; and

controlling the inflation amount or inflation speed of said airbag according to said seating state of the occupant.

14. The airbag device according to claim 13, wherein said estimating step comprises obtaining a distance between the occupant and a predetermined position based on said arrangement pattern, and

wherein said controlling step further comprises using said obtained distance as said seating state.

15. The airbag device according to claim 13, wherein said estimating step further comprises estimating a presence, absence, and posture of the occupant based on said detected arrangement pattern, and

wherein said controlling step further comprises using said result of estimation as said seating state.