Vehicle occupant sensor apparatus and method including scanned, phased beam transmission for occupant characteristic determination

• US 7,016,537 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Cooper, Stephen R. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joe
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERALI, ISHRAT I
• Application Number:
  US09/897,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20030002738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382/106, 382/199, 382/181, 382/224, 348/143, 348/148, 280732-735, 2807281-7282, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 340/436, 340/438, 340/443, 340/447, 180/271, 180/272, 250/221, 250/224, 250/222.1, 250/208.1, 359/208.2, 359/291, 701 45- 47, 356 3- 41, 356601-613, 356622-623
• US Class Current: 382/199
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/36 with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

An apparatus (34) and associated method are provided for vehicle occupant sensing. An EM energy driver component (36) and associated EM energy source (40) provide a modulated beam (44, e.g., IR light), and a movable reflection component (46) scans the beam onto an occupant location. A detector (92) detects beam reflection and a phase determination component (96) processes phase information that is provided to a controller (24). Within the controller (24) processing (114, 116, and 118) provides mapping of occupant contours and determination of an occupant characteristic.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant sensor apparatus comprising:

beam means for emitting a beam;

modulation means for modulating the beam;

scan means for directing the beam toward the occupant in a pattern that moves across a plurality of points on the occupant;

receiver means for receiving reflection of the beam from the occupant;

phase determination means for determining phase difference between the emitted beam and the reflection associated with each point on the occupant;

map means for mapping a contour and location representation of the occupant using the determined phase differences; and

characteristic determination means for determining at least one occupant characteristic of the occupant using the contour and location representation of the occupant.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said beam means comprises an infrared LED.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said scan means comprises a microelectronic machine device.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said microelectronic machine device comprises a reflective surface component that is movable about two axes relative to a base portion of the microelectronic machine device.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the movement of said reflective surface component about a first of the two axes is an oscillation on the order of 3,000 Hz and the movement of said reflective surface component about a second of the two axes is an oscillation on the order of 30 Hz.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said modulation means comprising means for modulating the beam at a frequency on the order of 3 MHz.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said characteristic determination means comprises distance determination means for determining distance to each point on the occupant using determined phase difference.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for providing an indication of the determined occupant characteristic to means for determining control of an occupant protection device.

9. A method of vehicle occupant sensing comprising:

emitting a beam;

modulating the beam;

directing the beam toward the occupant in a pattern that moves across a plurality of points on the occupant;

receiving reflection of the beam from the occupant;

determining phase difference between the emitted beam and the reflection associated with each point on the occupant;

mapping a contour and location representation of the occupant using the determined phase differences; and

determining at least one occupant characteristic of the occupant using the contour and location representation of the occupant.