Eye Monitoring System and Method for Vehicular Occupants

• US 20070280505A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means

Abstract

System and method for determining the location of the eyes of a vehicular occupant includes one or more wave-receiving transducers each arranged to receive waves from the passenger compartment generated or modified by the occupant, and a processor coupled to the transducer(s) for analyzing the waves and determining the location of the occupant'"'"'s eyes relative to the passenger compartment based on the analysis of the received waves. The processor may include a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained using data about known locations of the eyes of occupants in different positions and waves received from the passenger compartment when the occupants in the different positions are present. The location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment may be used to control one or more components, each of which has a variable or adjustable operation based on the location of the eyes of the occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle including a passenger compartment, comprising:

an arrangement for determining the position of the eyes of an occupant in a vehicle, said arrangement comprising;

at least one wave-receiving transducer arranged to receive waves from the passenger compartment generated or modified by the occupant, and

a processor coupled to said at least one transducer for analyzing the waves received by said at least one transducer and determining the location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment based on the analysis of the received waves.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained using data about known locations of the eyes of occupants in different positions and waves received from the passenger compartment when the occupants in the different positions are present.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said pattern recognition algorithm comprises a neural network.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one transducer comprises a plurality of transducers.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one transducer is arranged to transmit waves in the direction of the occupant and receive waves reflected by the occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one component each having a variable or adjustable operation based on the location of the eyes of the occupant, said processor being arranged to control said at least one component based on the determined location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the component comprises a light filter.

8. A vehicle including a passenger compartment, comprising:

an arrangement for determining the position of the eyes of an occupant in a vehicle, said arrangement comprising;

at least one wave-receiving transducer arranged to receive waves from the passenger compartment generated or modified by the occupant, and

a processor coupled to said at least one transducer for analyzing the waves received by said at least one transducer and determining the location of the eyes of the occupant based on the analysis of the received waves, said processor comprising a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained using data about known locations of the eyes of occupants in different positions and waves received from the passenger compartment when the occupants in the different positions are present.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said processor is arranged to determine the location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said pattern recognition algorithm comprises a neural network.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising at least one component each having a variable or adjustable operation based on the location of the eyes of the occupant, said processor being arranged to control said at least one component based on the determined location of the eyes of the occupant.

12. A method for determining the location of eyes of an occupant of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:

mounting at least one wave-receiving transducer in the vehicle in a position to receive waves from an area of the passenger compartment expected to be occupied by an occupant;

operationally receiving waves generated or modified by the occupant via the at least one transducer; and

providing the received waves or a signal representative thereof to a processor which provides an output of the location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing the processor with a trained pattern recognition algorithm; and

training the pattern recognition algorithm using data about known locations of the eyes of occupants in different positions and waves received from the passenger compartment when the occupants in the different positions are present.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pattern recognition algorithm comprises a neural network.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting waves in the direction of the occupant to enable the reception of waves by the at least one transducer.

16. A method for controlling at least one component in the vehicle, each having a variable or adjustable operation based on the location of the eyes of the occupant, the method comprising:

determining the location of the eyes of the occupant in accordance with claim 12;

and

controlling the at least one component based on the determined location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment.

20. A method for controlling at least one component in the vehicle, each having a variable or adjustable operation based on the location of the eyes of the occupant, the method comprising:

determining the location of the eyes of the occupant in accordance with claim 16;

and

controlling the at least one component based on the determined location of the eyes of the occupant relative to the passenger compartment.

17. A method for determining the location of eyes of an occupant of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:

mounting at least one wave-receiving transducer in the vehicle in a position to receive waves from an area of the passenger compartment expected to be occupied by an occupant;

training a pattern recognition algorithm to determine the location of the eyes of an occupant based on waves received by the at least one transducer;

operationally receiving waves generated or modified by the occupant via the at least one transducer; and

providing the received waves or a signal representative thereof to a processor embodied the trained pattern recognition algorithm which provides an output of the location of the eyes of the occupant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pattern recognition algorithm comprises a neural network.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting waves in the direction of the occupant to enable the reception of waves by the at least one transducer.