SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING VEHICLE OCCUPANTS

• US 20140093133A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frank, Jeffrey D., Richards, Austin A., White, Victoria L., Fairfield, Nile E., Stout, Arthur, Lee, David W., Hgasten, Nicholas, Hoelter, Theodore R., Strandemar, Katrin
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• 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 adjustable component responsive to a control signal;

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 the control signal based on the determination of the presence and the attributes of the one or more occupants.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustable component is an airbag assembly configured to deploy one or more airbags according to one or more deployment parameters; and

the control signal is configured to adjust the deployment parameters.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the deployment parameters selectively enable and disable airbag deployment.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding positions and/or sizes of the occupants; and

the deployment parameters selectively adjust timing and/or intensity of airbag deployment based on the positions and/or sizes of the occupants.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustable component is a seatbelt tensioner configured to provide appropriate tension to a seatbelt according to one or more parameters; and

the control signal is configured to adjust the parameters.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustable component is a motorized adjuster configured to adjust a position of at least one of a seat, a steering column, or a pedal in response to the control signal; and

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding positions and/or sizes of the occupants.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustable component is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to control a climate of the interior compartment according to climate settings; and

the control signal is configured to adjust the climate settings of the HVAC system.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

the processor is configured to determine the climate from the thermal images;

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding approximate body temperatures of the occupants; and

the control signal is configured to adjust the climate settings based on the determined climate of the interior compartment and the approximate body temperatures.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to communicate wirelessly with the infrared imaging module.

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;

generating a control signal for an adjustable component of the vehicle based on the determination of the presence and the attributes of the one or more occupants; and

providing the control signal to the adjustable component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the adjustable component is an airbag assembly configured to deploy one or more airbags according to one or more deployment parameters; and

the generating comprises configuring the control signal to adjust the deployment parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the deployment parameters selectively enable and disable airbag deployment.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding positions and/or sizes of the occupants; and

the deployment parameters selectively adjust timing and/or intensity of airbag deployment based on the positions and/or the sizes of the occupants.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the adjustable component is a seatbelt tensioner configured to provide appropriate tension to a seatbelt according to one or more parameters; and

the generating comprises configuring the control signal to adjust the parameters.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the adjustable component is a motorized adjuster configured to adjust a position of at least one of a seat, a steering column, or a pedal in response to the control signal; and

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding positions and/or sizes of the occupants.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the adjustable component is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to control a climate of the interior compartment according to climate settings; and

the generating comprises configuring the control signal to adjust the climate settings of the HVAC system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the climate from the thermal images, wherein:

the attributes associated with the one or more occupants identify corresponding approximate body temperatures of the occupants; and

the generating comprises configuring the control signal to adjust the climate settings based on the determined climate of the interior compartment and the approximate body temperatures.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting is by a processor, the method further comprising:

transmitting wirelessly the thermal images captured by the infrared imaging module to the processor.

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.