Body position detecting apparatus

• US 20090103815A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Takahiro, Inada, Junya
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

In a body position detecting apparatus, a controller repeatedly acquires image data that includes an object and an operator in a place where the operator is capable of operating the object. When the controller detects that the operator is in an operating position where the operator operates the object, the controller detects a position of a body part of the operator in the image data and the controller sets the position of the body part to an initial position. The controller detects a position of the body part of the operator in the image data that is acquired after the initial position is set, by detecting a displacement from a position of the body part detected last time and accumulating the displacement to the initial position.

Claims

1. A body position detecting apparatus comprising:

image acquisition means for repeatedly acquiring image data that includes an object and an operator in a place where the operator is capable of operating the object;

instructing means for instructing the operator to operate the object when a predetermined instructing condition is satisfied;

initial position detecting means for detecting a position of a body part of the operator in the image data that is acquired after the instructing means instructs the operator and for setting the position of the body part to an initial position; and

accumulating means for detecting a position of the body part of the operator in the image data that is acquired after the initial position is set, by detecting a displacement from a position of the body part detected last time and accumulating the displacement to the initial position.

2. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operator is a driver of a vehicle; and

the operated object is a steering wheel of the vehicle.

3. A body position detecting apparatus comprising:

image acquisition means for repeatedly acquiring image data that includes an object and an operator in a place where the operator is capable of operating the object;

position detecting means for detecting that the operator is in an operating position where the operator operates the object;

initial position detecting means for detecting a position of a body part of the operator in the image data when the position detecting means detects that the operator is in the operating position and for setting the position of the body part to an initial position; and

accumulating means for detecting a position of the body part of the operator in the image data that is acquired after the initial position is set, by detecting a displacement from a position of the body part detected last time and accumulating the displacement to the initial position.

4. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

operating position determining means for determining whether the position of the body part detected by the accumulating means corresponds to the operating position detected by the position detecting means,

wherein the initial position detecting means redetects the position of the body part when the operating position determining means determines that the position of the body part detected by the accumulating means does not correspond to the operating position detected by the position detecting means.

5. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

operation detecting means for detecting that the object is operated,

wherein the position detecting means detects that the operator is in the operating position when the operation detecting means detects that the object is operated.

6. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operation detecting means includes a touch sensor disposed at the object for detecting that the object is touched.

7. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the operator is a driver of a vehicle;

the operated object is a steering wheel of the vehicle; and

the touch sensor is disposed at the steering wheel.

8. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the operation detecting means is an electronic device disposed in a vehicle; and

the electronic device is configured to output a signal when the device is operated by a driver of the vehicle.

9. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the electronic device includes a shift switch for detecting a selected position of a shift lever of the vehicle.

10. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the electronic device includes a navigation switch for controlling a navigation device provided in the vehicle.

11. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the electronic device includes an air-conditioner switch for controlling an air conditioner of the vehicle.

12. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

vehicle state detecting means disposed in a vehicle for detecting a state of the vehicle,

wherein the position detecting means determines whether the operator is in the operating position based on the state of the vehicle detected by the vehicle state detecting means when the operation detecting means detects that the object is operated.

13. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle state detecting means includes a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle.

14. The body position detecting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the operator is a driver of the vehicle;

the operating position is a position of a driver in a state where the driver operates the steering wheel so that the vehicle goes straight; and

the position detecting means detects that the operator is in the operating position when the steering angle detected by the vehicle state detecting means is in a predetermined range including zero degree.