SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ENTRANCE AND EXIT USING DRIVER FACE IDENTIFICATION WITHIN VEHICLE

• US 20120126939A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Chang, Jae Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for managing entrance and exit of a vehicle from a facility via a driver facial identification operation within a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention includes a vehicle configured to recognize driver'"'"'s face within vehicle by performing a driver identification operation, and then configured to send driver information via a wireless communication to a vehicle access control center in response to a positive identification of the driver'"'"'s face. The vehicle access control center in the present invention then performs a verification of the driver information upon receiving the driver information from the vehicle, and controls an opening and closing of a gate for vehicle access according to of the verification of the driver information.

Claims

1. A system for managing entrance and exit of a vehicle from a facility using a driver'"'"'s facial identification within a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle configured to recognize a driver'"'"'s face within vehicle by performing a driver identification operation, and send driver information via a wireless communication to a vehicle access control center in response to a positive identification of the driver'"'"'s face; and

the vehicle access control center configured perform an verification of the driver information upon receiving the driver information from the vehicle, and control an opening and closing of a gate for vehicle access according to a result of verification of the driver information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises:

a wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communications with the vehicle access control center;

an image input unit configured to photograph the driver'"'"'s face within the vehicle;

a storage unit configured to store facial characteristic information of the driver; and

a controller configured to extract facial characteristic information from data associated with the photographed image, compare the extracted facial characteristic information with the facial characteristic information of the storage unit to perform an identification of the driver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to make a positive identification of the driver when the extracted facial characteristic information is identical to the facial characteristic information of the storage unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the driver is not registered to the system when the extracted facial characteristic information is not identical with the facial characteristic information of the storage unit and initiates a new registration process in response to the determination that the driver is not registered.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the vehicle further comprises a display unit configured to display a result of the identification operation and a screen for inputting information for the new registration process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle access control center comprises:

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with a wireless communication of one or more vehicles;

a storage unit configured to store facial characteristic information for one or more individuals having permission to access the facility;

an access management unit configured to compare the facial characteristic information received from the vehicle with the facial characteristic information stored in the storage unit to perform a identification of the driver of the vehicle; and

a gate controller configured to control an opening and closing of a gate in response to a request from the access management unit.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle access control center comprises:

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate via a wireless communication with the vehicle;

a storage unit configured to store facial characteristic information for one or more individuals having permission to access the facility;

an access management unit configured to compare the facial characteristic information received from the vehicle with the facial characteristic information stored in the storage unit to perform an identification of the driver'"'"'s face; and

a gate controller configured to control an opening and closing of a gate in response to a request from the access management unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication is performed by using one of a group consisting of an infrared ray (IR), a radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, a near field communication (NFC), and a radio frequency identification (RFID).

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication is performed by using one of a group consisting of an infrared ray (IR), a radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, a near field communication (NFC), and a radio frequency identification (RFID).

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to send a request to the image input unit to photograph the driver'"'"'s face in response the vehicle ignition being turned on while the vehicle is stopped.

11. A method for managing entrance and exit of a vehicle from a facility using a driver facial identification operation within a vehicle, the method comprising:

photographing a face of driver within a vehicle;

extracting facial characteristic information from data associated with the photographed image of the driver'"'"'s face;

performing a driver identification operation by using the extracted facial characteristic information;

sending the facial characteristic information to a vehicle access control center via a wireless communication in response to a positive identification of the driver'"'"'s face;

performing a verification of the driver in the vehicle by using the facial characteristic information sent to the vehicle access control center; and

opening a gate to allow the vehicle to access the facility in response to a positive verification.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein photographing a face of driver further comprises photographing the face of driver when either when the vehicle ignition is turned on or when a door of vehicle is opened or closed, and the vehicle is stopped.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the driver identification operation further comprises determining that a positive identification has been made when the facial characteristic information of a driver which is previously stored is identical to the extracted facial characteristic information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication is performed by using one of a group consisting of an infrared ray (IR), a radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, a near field communication (NFC), and a radio frequency identification (RFID).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein opening the gate to allow the vehicle to access the facility further comprises opening the gate in response to a positive verification of the driver,

wherein a positive verification of the driver is made when facial characteristic information sent to the vehicle access center is identical to facial characteristic information previously stored for an individual that is allowed to access the facility.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein opening the gate to allow a vehicle to access a facility is requested in response to the comparing additional information and vehicle information as well as the facial characteristic information and achieving a positive verification based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the additional information comprises a social security number, a name, an address, and a telephone number of driver, and the vehicle information comprises a vehicle manufacturing company, a model name, and a frame serial number.