VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH DRIVER MONITORING

• US 20150294169A1
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhou, Yong, Ghinaudo, Diego
• Application Number:
  US14/675,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294169A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera and a control. The camera is disposed in the vehicle and has a field of view encompassing a portion of a windshield of the vehicle. The control includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The control, responsive to processing of captured image data by the image processor, is operable to determine a driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction via reflection at the windshield of the vehicle. The vision system may include an illumination source that emits illumination towards the windshield to enhance determination of the driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction. The control, responsive to processing of captured image data by the image processor, may be operable to determine precipitation at the windshield.

Claims

1. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera disposed in a vehicle and having a field of view encompassing a portion of a windshield of the vehicle;

a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera; and

wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine a driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction via reflection of the driver'"'"'s head and eyes off a surface of the windshield of the vehicle.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein an optical path between said camera and the driver'"'"'s eyes has a generally vertical portion between said camera and the windshield and a generally horizontal portion between the windshield and the driver'"'"'s eyes.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein the generally horizontal portion of the optical path is above a steering wheel of the vehicle.

4. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said camera is disposed at or above a steering column of the vehicle and having a field of view generally upwardly towards the windshield of the vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 4, wherein an optical path between said camera and the driver'"'"'s eyes passes over the steering wheel of the vehicle and is substantially unobstructed by the steering wheel and the driver'"'"'s arms during normal operation of the vehicle by the driver.

6. The vision system of claim 1, comprising an illumination source that emits illumination towards the windshield to enhance determination of the driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction.

7. The vision system of claim 6, wherein said illumination source comprises an infrared light emitting illumination source.

8. The vision system of claim 6, wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine precipitation at an outer surface of the windshield.

9. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine precipitation at an outer surface of the windshield.

10. The vision system of claim 1, comprising a second camera disposed in the vehicle and having a second field of view encompassing the portion of the windshield.

11. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said camera and said second camera are disposed at opposite sides of a plane along a steering column axis and wherein the portion of the windshield is generally centered over the steering column axis, and wherein said camera and said second camera are angled towards the portion of the windshield.

12. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera disposed in a vehicle and having a field of view encompassing a portion of a windshield of the vehicle;

wherein an optical path between said camera and the driver'"'"'s eyes has a generally vertical portion between said camera and the portion of the windshield and a generally horizontal portion between the portion of the windshield and the driver'"'"'s eyes;

a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

an illumination source that, when activated, emits illumination towards the portion of the windshield;

wherein said camera is operable to capture image data at least when said illumination source is activated; and

wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine a driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction via reflection of the driver'"'"'s head and eyes off a surface of the windshield of the vehicle.

13. The vision system of claim 12, wherein the generally horizontal portion of the optical path is above a steering wheel of the vehicle.

14. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said camera is disposed at or above a steering column of the vehicle and having a field of view generally upwardly towards the windshield of the vehicle, and wherein an optical path between said camera and the driver'"'"'s eyes passes over the steering wheel of the vehicle and is substantially unobstructed by the steering wheel and the driver'"'"'s arms during normal operation of the vehicle by the driver.

15. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said illumination source comprises an infrared light emitting illumination source.

16. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine precipitation at an outer surface of the windshield.

17. The vision system of claim 12, comprising a second camera disposed in the vehicle and having a second field of view encompassing the portion of the windshield, and wherein said camera and said second camera are disposed at opposite sides of a plane along a steering column axis and wherein the portion of the windshield is generally centered over the steering column axis, and wherein said camera and said second camera are angled towards the portion of the windshield.

18. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera disposed in a vehicle and having a field of view encompassing a portion of a windshield of the vehicle;

a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

an illumination source that, when activated, emits illumination towards the portion of the windshield, wherein said illumination source comprises an infrared light emitting illumination source;

wherein said camera is operable to capture image data at least when said illumination source is activated;

wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine a driver'"'"'s head and eyes and gaze direction via reflection of the driver'"'"'s head and eyes off a surface of the windshield of the vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine precipitation at an outer surface of the windshield.

19. The vision system of claim 18, wherein said camera is disposed at or above a steering column of the vehicle and having a field of view generally upwardly towards the windshield of the vehicle, and wherein an optical path between said camera and the driver'"'"'s eyes passes over the steering wheel of the vehicle and is substantially unobstructed by the steering wheel and the driver'"'"'s arms during normal operation of the vehicle by the driver.

20. The vision system of claim 18, comprising a second camera disposed in the vehicle and having a second field of view encompassing the portion of the windshield, and wherein said camera and said second camera are disposed at opposite sides of a vertical plane along a steering column axis and wherein the portion of the windshield is generally centered over the steering column axis, and wherein said camera and said second camera are angled towards the portion of the windshield.