Apparatus for commanding energization of electrical device

• US 4,768,088 A
• Filed: 12/02/1986
• Issued: 08/30/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ando, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US06/937,154
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 340/365 R, 358/83, 358/93, 358/94, 358/103, 351/210, 180/316, 901/47, 364/550
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation

Abstract

An apparatus controls an on/off condition of an electrical device or devices mounted on an automobile, such as a car radio set, an air conditioner, a cigar lighter or the like. The face of a driver who is mounted on the vehicle is photographed by a television camera, which produces a video signal that is subject to a digital processing operation for storage in a frame memory. A video signal processing system essentially comprising CPU, RAM and ROM is operative, based upon the video data stored in the frame memory, to detect the pupil and mouth of the driver as well as their locations and configurations. A change in the location of the pupil as well as a change in the configuration of the pupil and the mouth is detected as a time sequence, and an on/off command signal is supplied to an electrical device in accordance with such changes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for commanding an energization of an electrical device comprising:

illumination means for illuminating an object;

camera means for converting an optical image of the object into a video signal;

memory means for storing at least one frame of the video signal;

output means for delivering an on/off command signal to an electrical device;

video signal processing means which operates

(a) to write the video signal into the memory means;

(b) to read the video signal from the memory means and to detect at least part of an outer profile of the object within an image frame and to detect the location of the part;

(c) on the basis of the location detected, to detect a particular area of the object which is located within the outer profile of the object as well as its location;

(d) to calculate a window region which is greater in size than the particular area and less in size than the image frame and centered about the particular area;

(e) to write at least one fresh frame of video signal into the memory means;

(f) to read the video signal located within the window region from the memory means, to detect the particular area and the location thereof on the basis of the video signal which is read from the memory means, and to calculate a fresh window region which is centered about the location detected;

(g) to repeat the steps (e) and (f) to detect any change in a given status of the particular area; and

(h) to command the output means to feed an on/off command signal in response to a given change in the status,

illumination control means for adjusting the brightness achieved by the illumination means, whrein the memory means includes halftone video signal memory means which stores halftone data and bi-level data, and wherein the video signal processing means writes halftone data which is obtained by an A/D conversion of the video signal into the halftone video signal memory means, determines the brightness of an object based on the halftone data which is written into and to provide a command to increase or decrease the brightness level to the illumination control means when the brightness level is low or high, respectively, thus establishing the brightness level of an illumination lamp, writes the halftone data which is obtained by an A/D conversion of the video signal which is obtained at the established brightness level into the halftone video signal memory means and then reads the halftone data written into the memory means therefrom and convert it into bi-level data which is then written into the bi-level video signal signal memory means during the step (a), the video signal processing means reading the bi-level data from the bi-level video signal memory means during the step (b),

the video signal processing means writing halftine data which is obtained by an A/D conversion of fresh video data into the halftone video signal memory means, reads the halftone data from the memory means and converts is into bi-level data which is then written into the bi-level video signal memory means during the step (e), the video signal processing means reading the bi-level data from the bi-level video signal memory means during the step (f).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the change in a given status represents a change in the location of the particular area.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the video signal processing means examines an on/off condition of an electrical device which prevails when a change in a given status is detected, and causes the output means to provide an on or off command signal when the electical device is on or off, respectively. an

4. An apparatus for commanding an energization of electrical device comprising:

illumination means for illuminating an object;

camera means for converting an optical image of the object into a video signal;

memory means for storing at least one frame of the video signal;

output means for delivering an on/off command signal to an electrical device;

video signal processing means which operates

(a) to write the video signal into the memory means;

(b) to read the video signal form the memory means and to detect at least part of an outer profile of the object within an image frame and to detect the loaction of the part;

(c) on the basis of the location detected, to detect a particular area of the object which is located within the outer profile of the object as well as its location;

(d) to calculate a window region which is greater in size than the particular area and less in size than the image frame and centered about the particular area;

(e) to write at least one fresh frame of video signal into the memory means;

(f) to read the video signal located within the window region from the memory means, to detect the particular area and the location thereof on the basis of the video signal which is read from the memory means, and to calculate a fresh window region which is centered about the location detected;

(g) to repeat the steps (e) and (f) to detect any change in a given status of the particular area; and

(h) to command the output means to feed an on/off command signal in response to a given change in the status,

in which the change in a given status represents a change in the configuration of the particular area.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 in which the video signal processing means examines an on/off condition of an electrical device which prevails when a change in a given status is detected, and causes the output means to provide an on or off command signal when the electrical device is on or off, respectively.

6. An apparatus for commanding an energization of an electrical device comprising:

illumination means for illuminating an object;

camera means for converting an optical image of the object into a video signal;

memory means for storing at least one frame of the video signal;

output means for delivering an on/off command signal to an electrical device;

video signal processing means which operates

(a) to write the video signal into the memory means;

(b) to read the video signal from the memory means and to detect at least part of an outer profile of the object within an image frame and to detect the location of the part;

(c) on the basis of the location detected, to detect a particular area of the object which is located within the outer profile of the object as well as its location;

(d) to calculate a window region which is greater in size than the particular area and less in size than the image frame and centered about the particular area;

(e) to write at least one fresh frame of video signal into the memory means;

(f) to read the video signal located within the window region from the memory means, to detect the particular area and the location thereof on the basis of the video signal which is read from the memory means, and to calculate a fresh window region which is centered about the location detected;

(g) to repeat the steps (e) and (f) to detect any change in a given status of the particular area; and

(h) to command the output means to feed an on/off command signal in response to a given change in the status,

wherein the camera means comprises a television camera disposed in front of a driver'"'"'s seat within an automobile for taking a picture of the face of a driver who is seated upon the driver'"'"'s seat and looking forward of the automobile, the particular area being at least one pupil.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 in which the change in a given status represents a change in the location of the particular area.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 in which the video signal processing means examines an on/off condition of an electrical device which prevails when a change in a given status is detected, and causes the output means to provide an on or off command signal when the electrical device is on or off, respectively.

9. An apparatus for commanding an energization of an electrical device comprising:

illumination means for illuminating an object;

camera means for converting an optical image of the object into a video signal;

memory means for storing at least one frame of the video signal;

output means for delivering an on/off command signal to an electrical device;

video signal processing means which operates

(a) to write the video signal into the memory means;

(b) to read the video signal from the memory means and to detect at least part of an outer profile of the object within an image frame and to detect the location of the part;

(c) on the basis of the location detected, to detect a particular area of the object which is located within the outer profile of the object as well as its location;

(d) to calculate a window region which is greater in size than the particular area and less in size than the image frame and centered about the particular area;

(e) to write at least one fresh frame of video signal into the memory means;

(f) to read the video signal located within the window region from the memory means, to detect the particular area and the location thereof on the basis of the video signal which is read from the memory means, and to calculate a fresh window region which is centered about the location detected;

(g) to repeat the steps (e) and (f) to detect any change in a given status of the particular area; and

(h) to command the output means to feed an on/off command signal in response to a given change in the status,

wherein the camera means comprises a television camera disposed in front of a driver'"'"'s seat within an automobile for taking a picture of the face of a driver who is seated upon the driver,s seat and looking forward of the automobile, the particular area being a mouth of the driver.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 in which the video signal processing means examines an on/off condition of an electrical device which prevails when a change in a given status is detected, and causes the output means to provide an on or off command signal when the electrical device is on or off, respectively.

11. An apparatus for commanding an energization of an electical device comprising:

illumination means for illuminating an object;

camera means for converting an optical image of the object into a video signal;

memory means for storing at least one frame of the video signal;

output means for delivering an on/off command signal to an electrical device;

video signal processing means which operates

(a) to write the video signal into the memory means;

(b) to read the video signal from the memory means and to detect at least part of an outer profile of the object within an image frame and to detect the location of the part;

(c) on the basis of the location detected, to detect a particular area of the object which is located within the outer profile of the object as well as its location;

(d) to calculate a window region which is greater in size than the particular area and less in size than the image frame and centered about the particular area;

(e) to write at least one fresh frame of video signal into the memory means;

(f) to read the video signal located within the window region from the memory means, to detect the particular area and the location thereof on the basis of the video signal which is read from the memory means, and to calculate a fresh window region which is centered about the location detected;

(g) to repeat the steps (e) and (f) to detect any change in a given status of the particular area; and

(h) to command the output means to feed an on/off command signal in response to a given change in the status,

wherein the camera means comprises a television camera disposed in front of a driver'"'"'s seat within an automobile for taking a picture of the face of a driver who is seated upon the driver,s seat and looking forward of the automobile, the particular area being at least one pupil and mouth of the driver.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which the change in a given status represents a change in the location of the pupil and in which the change in a given status represents a change in the configuration of the mouth.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which the video signal processing means examines an on/off condition of an electrical device which prevails when a change in a given status is detected, and causes the output means to provide an on or off command signal when the electrical device is on or off, respectively.