SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING VEHICLE OCCUPANTS

• US 20130314536A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frank, Jeffrey D., Richards, Austin A., Hgasten, Nicholas, Hoelter, Theodore R., Strandemar, Katrin, White, Victoria L., Fairfield, Nile E., Stout, Arthur, Lee, David W.
• Application Number:
  US13/902,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• 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 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/677 for reducing the column or line fixed pattern noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Various techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using small form factor infrared imaging modules to monitor occupants in an interior compartment of a vehicle. For example, a vehicle-mounted system may include one or more infrared imaging modules, a processor, a memory, alarm sirens, and a communication module. The vehicle-mounted system may be mounted on, installed in, or otherwise integrated into a vehicle that has an interior compartment. The infrared imaging modules may be configured to capture thermal images of desired portions of the interior compartments. Various thermal image processing and analytics may be performed on the captured thermal images to determine the presence and various attributes of one or more occupants. Based on the determination of the presence and various attributes, occupant detection information and/or control signals may be generated. Occupant detection information may be used to perform various monitoring operations, and control signals may adjust various vehicle components.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an interior compartment;

an infrared imaging module comprising a focal plane array (FPA) configured to capture thermal images of at least a portion of the interior compartment; and

a processor configured to;

analyze the thermal images to determine a presence of one or more occupants and one or more attributes associated with the one or more occupants, and

generate occupant detection information based on the determination of the presence and the attributes of the one or more occupants.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether there is an unwanted occupant in the interior compartment based at least in part on the occupant detection information, and

generate an alarm upon the determination that an unwanted occupant is present.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the alarm to at least one of an on-board security system, a key fob, a remote monitoring station, a mobile phone, or a networked computer.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to generate a vehicle disable signal upon the determination that an unwanted occupant is present.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the interior compartment is a trunk or a cargo area of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal images identify thermal radiation from a facial area of a driver; and

the processor is configured to;

track the facial area of the driver based at least in part on the occupant detection information,

determine whether the driver is inattentive by analyzing an orientation and/or a movement of the tracked facial area, and

generate an alarm upon the determination that the driver is inattentive.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the occupant detection information identifies corresponding positions of the occupants and a count of the occupants; and

the processor is configured to generate occupant status information including a user-viewable thermal image of the vehicle interior, the positions and/or the count.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

the occupant detection information further identifies corresponding approximate body temperatures of the occupants;

the processor is configured to determine corresponding health conditions of the one or more occupants based at least in part on the approximate body temperatures; and

the occupant status information further identifies the health conditions and/or the approximate body temperatures.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the occupant status information to at least one of a remote monitoring station, a mobile phone, or a networked computer.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal images are unblurred thermal images of the at least a portion of the interior compartment;

the infrared imaging module is configured to capture intentionally blurred thermal images of the at least a portion of the interior compartment; and

the processor is configured to determine a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images and apply the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise form the unblurred thermal images.

11. A method comprising:

capturing, at a focal plane array (FPA) of an infrared imaging module, thermal images of at least a portion of an interior compartment of a vehicle, wherein the infrared imaging module is mounted in or on the vehicle so that the at least a portion of the interior compartment is within a field of view (FOV) of the infrared imaging module;

analyzing the thermal images to determine a presence of one or more occupants and one or more attributes associated with the one or more occupants; and

generating occupant detection information based on the determination of the presence and the attributes of the one or more occupants.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether there is an unwanted occupant in the interior compartment based at least in part on the occupant detection information; and

generating an alarm based upon the determination that an unwanted occupant is present.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the alarm to at least one of an on-board security system, a key fob, a remote monitoring station, a mobile phone, or a networked computer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a vehicle disable signal upon the determination that an unwanted occupant is present.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the interior compartment is a trunk or a cargo area of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal images identify thermal radiation from a facial area of a driver, the method further comprising:

tracking the facial area of the driver based at least in part on the occupant detection information;

determining whether the driver is inattentive based on an orientation and/or a movement of the tracked facial area,

generating an alarm based on the determination that the driver is inattentive.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the occupant detection information identifies corresponding positions of the occupants and a count of the occupants, the method further comprising:

generating occupant status information including a user-viewable thermal image of the vehicle interior, the positions and/or the count.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the attributes associated with the one or more occupants further identify corresponding approximate body temperatures of the occupants, the method further comprising:

determining corresponding health conditions of the one or more occupants based at least in part on the approximate body temperatures, the occupant status information further identifying the health conditions and/or the approximate body temperatures.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the occupant status information to at least one of a remote monitoring station, a mobile phone, or a networked computer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal images are unblurred thermal images, the method further comprising:

capturing intentionally blurred thermal images of the at least a portion of the interior compartment;

determining a plurality of non-uniform correction (NUC) terms based on the intentionally blurred thermal images; and

applying the NUC terms to the unblurred thermal images to remove noise from the unblurred thermal images.