Wavelength selectivity enabling subject monitoring outside the subject's field of view
First Claim
1. A system for enabling automatic determinations of information regarding a person engaging in a business transaction comprising:
- an optical member positioned between an intended location of a viewer and an environment of interest to said viewer, said viewer being said person engaging in said business transaction and said environment of interest including an anticipated location of a second person engaging in said business transaction, said optical member being a divider that is fixed in position relative to said environment of interest, wherein a visible light path from said viewer to objects in said environment has a substantially unitary magnification, at least a portion of said optical member being wavelength-selective with respect to reflectivity characteristics, such that said optical member is generally transmissive with respect to visible light and is substantially reflective with respect to a particular detection wavelength;
a detector for receiving light of said detection wavelength reflected by said optical member from said viewer within said intended location, said detector having a detector output that is responsive to said received light; and
a processor connected to said detector for processing said detector output, wherein optical properties along said visible light path from said viewer to said objects remain independent of said processing, said processor being configured to identify information regarding said viewer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A detection system for monitoring a subject remains outside the normal field of view of the subject by using a wavelength selective optical member. In one application, an eye of a driver is repeatedly or continuously illuminated and imaged without effect on the field of view of the driver. A dichroic mirror may be used to provide the wavelength selectivity. For the application in which the system is used for a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, the dichroic mirror may be achieved by coating a portion or all of the windshield so as to pass visible light, while reflecting detection light. Other applications of the detection system include monitoring a subject engaged in a person-to-person interaction, wherein a dichroic mirror is defined by a divider between the two persons.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for enabling automatic determinations of information regarding a person engaging in a business transaction comprising:
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an optical member positioned between an intended location of a viewer and an environment of interest to said viewer, said viewer being said person engaging in said business transaction and said environment of interest including an anticipated location of a second person engaging in said business transaction, said optical member being a divider that is fixed in position relative to said environment of interest, wherein a visible light path from said viewer to objects in said environment has a substantially unitary magnification, at least a portion of said optical member being wavelength-selective with respect to reflectivity characteristics, such that said optical member is generally transmissive with respect to visible light and is substantially reflective with respect to a particular detection wavelength; a detector for receiving light of said detection wavelength reflected by said optical member from said viewer within said intended location, said detector having a detector output that is responsive to said received light; and a processor connected to said detector for processing said detector output, wherein optical properties along said visible light path from said viewer to said objects remain independent of said processing, said processor being configured to identify information regarding said viewer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for eye detection comprising:
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a dichroic mirror which is generally transparent to visible light and which reflects light having a specific wavelength range; a first light source for emitting first light to impinge said dichroic mirror such that said first light is reflected at a first illumination angle; a second light source for emitting second light to impinge said dichroic mirror such that said second light is reflected at a second illumination angle greater than said first illumination angle, said first light and said second light being equal with respect to wavelength and having substantially equal intensity within said specific wavelength range; and a detector located for receiving back-reflected light from said dichroic mirror as a consequence of reflection of said first and second light toward said dichroic mirror from a subject'"'"'s eyes; wherein said subject'"'"'s eyes are detectable using the difference between back-reflected said first light and back-reflected said second light. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for a motor vehicle comprising:
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a windshield with at least a portion having a coating which defines a dichroic mirror that is generally transparent to visible light and substantially reflective with respect to a driver-detection wavelength range; a first pulsed light source for emitting timed pulses of first light toward said dichroic mirror, said first pulsed light source being positioned such that said first light is reflected toward an anticipated location of a face of a driver of said motor vehicle; a second pulsed light source for emitting timed pulses of second light toward said dichroic mirror for reflection toward said anticipated location to illuminate said face at an angle greater than illumination by said first light, said first and second pulsed light sources being controlled to provide alternating emissions of said first and second light; a detector for receiving reflected light within said driver-detection wavelength range following reflection from said windshield, said detector being controlled to form separate frames of back-reflected said first light and back-reflected said second light; and a processor connected to said detector for determining information regarding said driver of said motor vehicle on a basis of differences between said frames of said back-reflected first light and said back-reflected second light. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:
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providing a windshield having a coating which defines a dichroic mirror that is generally transparent with respect to visible light and provides reflection of first light within a driver-detection range of wavelengths; emitting timed pulses of first light from a first pulsed light source toward said dichroic mirror, said first pulsed light source being positioned such that said first light is reflected toward an anticipated location of a face of a driver of said motorized vehicle; emitting timed pulses of second light from a second pulsed light source toward said dichroic mirror for reflection toward said anticipated location to illuminate said face at an angle greater than illumination by said first light, said first and second pulsed light sources being controlled to provide alternating emissions of said first and second light; providing a detector in a position to receive reflected said first and second light from said windshield without obstructing vision through said windshield, including controlling said detector to form separate frames of back-reflected said first light and back-reflected said second light; determining information regarding a driver of said motorized vehicle on a basis of differences between said frames of back-reflected first light and said back-reflected second light, including accessing data indicative of persons authorized to drive said motorized vehicle; and selectively enabling said motorized vehicle on a basis of whether said driver is authorized. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification