Apparatus for detecting occupant's posture
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
- a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant;
a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and
an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant;
wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor checking if the pattern of the distance distribution in each of said at least one linear field of view has symmetry in a lateral direction, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon whether the pattern of the distance distribution has symmetry or not.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture is provided which includes a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, for forming an image of an occupant, a distance measurement processor that derives distance distributions in fields of view monitored by the linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by the sensor, and an occupant discrimination processor that compares patterns of the distance distributions with model patterns of distance distributions preliminarily stored in the processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant. The linear fields of view are set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, and the occupant discrimination processor first examines at least one of symmetry of the distance distribution pattern in each field of view, concave or convex shape of the pattern, degree of similarity in variations in the distance distribution patterns between adjacent fields of view, and a distribution of distances measured at a particular position of the fields of view, and then determines the posture of the occupant by comparing the patterns of the distance distributions actually measured, with a group of model patterns that is selected in advance depending upon the result of the examination.
64 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor checking if the pattern of the distance distribution in each of said at least one linear field of view has symmetry in a lateral direction, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon whether the pattern of the distance distribution has symmetry or not. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor determining a degree of similarity in terms of variations in the pattern of the distance distribution between adjacent ones of said at least one linear field of view, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon the degree of similarity. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor determining a concave shape or a convex shape of the pattern of the distance distribution between a first position and a second position in each of said at least one linear field of view, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon whether the pattern of the distance distribution has the concave shape or convex shape. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor determining a distribution of distances measured at a predetermined position of said at least one linear field of view, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon said distribution of distances. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor determining the posture of the occupant based on an overall judgment on symmetry of the pattern of the distance distribution in each of said at least one linear field of view, a concave or convex shape of the pattern of the distance distribution, a degree of similarity in variations in the pattern of the distance distribution between adjacent ones of said at least one linear field of view, and a distribution of distances measured at a predetermined position of said at least one linear field of view.
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11. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor determining a degree of similarity between patterns of distance distributions in a pair of fields of view that are located at substantially symmetrical positions with respect to an axis of inflation of an air bag, and then determine the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon said degree of similarity. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. An apparatus for determining an occupant'"'"'s posture, comprising:
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a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant; a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; and an occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant; wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor normally determining a general posture of the occupant by deriving only a distance distribution in a field of view that is associated with an axis of inflation of an air bag, a process of determining the posture of the occupant including determination of the general posture being performed before other non-emergent processes upon occurrence of a collision.
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14. An air bag system comprising an air bag that is contained in a storage portion provided in the vicinity of a seat of a motor vehicle, and a sensor that detects a shock on the motor vehicle, to cause said air bag to be inflated, the improvement comprising:
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a distance sensor having at least one pair of sensor arrays, and providing distance distributions at a plurality of portions of the occupant or an object that is located in a space between said storage portion containing the air bag and said seat; and a processor that determines the posture of the occupant or a shape of the object by comparing patterns of the distance distributions with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions, thereby to control inflation of said air bag or determine whether the air bag is to be inflated or not, depending upon the posture of the occupant or the shape of the object.
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Specification