DRIVER MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ILLUMINATOR THEREOF

• US 20160148065A1
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: LEE, Seok Beom
• Granted Patent: US 10,373,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

A driver monitoring apparatus includes: a driver monitoring camera configured to obtain an image of a user while adjusting an irradiation range of irradiated light; and a driver state sensor configured to request the driver monitoring camera to adjust the irradiation range depending on an operation mode.

Claims

1. A driver monitoring apparatus comprising:

a driver monitoring camera configured to obtain an image of a user while adjusting an irradiation range of irradiated light; and

a driver state sensor configured to request the driver monitoring camera to adjust the irradiation range depending on an operation mode.

2. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver monitoring camera includes:

an image sensor configured to obtain the image of the user;

an illuminator configured to emit the irradiated light and variably adjust the irradiation range; and

a controller configured to control operations of the image sensor and the illuminator.

3. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the illuminator includes:

a light source configured to emit light;

a lens configured to collect the light emitted from the light source; and

a driving unit configured to adjust a position of at least one of the light source and the lens.

4. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the illuminator further includes a reflector configured to reflect transmitted light passing through the lens.

5. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the illuminator includes:

a light source configured to emit light; and

a reflector configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source.

6. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the illuminator is implemented by an array in which one or more light sources are arrayed.

7. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator selectively turns on the one or more light sources.

8. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode is one of a face tracking mode and an eye tracking mode.

9. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver state sensor includes:

a face tracking module configured to extract face information from the image of the user;

an eye tracking module configured to extract eye information from the image of the user; and

a processing module configured to decide a state of a driver using the face information and the eye information.

10. A method for controlling an illuminator of a driver monitoring apparatus, comprising:

confirming an operation mode of the driver monitoring apparatus;

determining an irradiation range of the illuminator provided in a camera depending on the operation mode; and

adjusting an irradiation range of the illuminator depending on the determined irradiation range.

11. The method for controlling an illuminator of a driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the operation mode is one of a face tracking mode and an eye tracking mode.

12. The method for controlling an illuminator of a driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the determining of the irradiation range of the illuminator, it is determined that a face region is the irradiation range when the operation mode is the face tracking mode.

13. The method for controlling an illuminator of a driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the determining of the irradiation range of the illuminator, it is determined that an eye region is the irradiation range when the operation mode is not the eye tracking mode.

14. The method for controlling an illuminator of a driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 13, wherein in the determining of the irradiation range of the illuminator, it is determined that the irradiation range is a pupil region in the case in which lighting reflection by glasses is generated at the time of irradiating light to the eye region.