Device for classifying persons or objects

• US 6,859,707 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Mack, Frank, Meyer, Michael, Marchthaler, Reiner, Lich, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/343,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/1, 701/36, 280/734, 280/738, 280/730.1, 280/748, 340/500, 340/666, 340/667, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A device for classifying persons or objects, in particular for occupant classification in a motor vehicle, includes an arrangement for acquiring characteristic data on the person to be classified or the object to the classified; at least one algorithm for extracting features from the instantaneously acquired characteristic data; at least one filter for determining the classification of the person or the object from the instantaneously extracted features, taking into account the time progression of the features extracted for the person to be classified or the object to be classified; and a first counter for initiating the resetting of the filter when the algorithm, during the first time interval specified by the first counter, has exclusively provided features for the non-presence of a person or an object, so that the resetting behavior of the algorithm, or the filter downstream from the algorithm, may be decoupled from the output of the determined classification in a simple manner. A holding member is connected downstream from the filter to forward the classification determined by the filter, and a second counter is provided to initiate the resetting of the holding member if the algorithm, even after the second time interval specified by the second counter has elapsed, has provided only features for the non-presence of a person or an object.

Claims

1. A device for classifying persons and objects, comprising:

a first arrangement for acquiring characteristic data on one of a person and an object to be classified;

a second arrangement for executing at least one algorithm for extracting features from instantaneously acquired characteristic data;

at least one filter for determining a classification of one of the person and the object from instantaneously extracted features, wherein the at least one filter takes into account progression of previously extracted features over time for the one of the person and the object to be classified; and

a first counter for initiating a resetting of the at least one filter when, during a first time interval specified by the first counter, the at least one algorithm has exclusively supplied features for an absence of the one of the person and the object;

a holding member arranged downstream from the at least one filter for outputting the classification determined by the at least one filter; and

a second counter for initiating a resetting of the holding member if the at least one algorithm only supplies features for the absence of the one of the person and the object, even after a second time interval specified by the second counter has elapsed.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is used for occupant classification in a motor vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement includes an arrangement for one of video sensing, ultrasound sensing, and radar sensing.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement includes one of foil strain gauges for determining an absolute weight and a pressure-sensor system for determining a pressure distribution in a contact surface.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein one of the person and the object is classified based on weight.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first counter is configured to initiate the resetting of the at least one filter if the at least one algorithm, for at least 3 seconds, has exclusively provided features for the absence of the one of the person and the object.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second counter is configured to initiate the resetting of the holding member if the at least one algorithm, for at least 20 seconds, has exclusively provided features for the absence of the one of the person and the object.