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Operator identifying device

  • US 7,098,812 B2
  • Filed: 06/06/2003
  • Issued: 08/29/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An operator identifying device for a vehicle with an operating section located between a driver'"'"'s seat and a non-driver'"'"'s seat to be operated from the driver'"'"'s seat and the non-driver'"'"'s seat, comprising:

  • a photographing section configured and arranged to obtain image data of a prescribed region encompassing at least the operating section and at least one of a hand of a driver and a hand of a non-driver when the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver is extended toward the operating section; and

    an image processing section configured to extract a hand image that represents the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver from the image data by applying binary processing to the image data, to find a center of gravity of the hand image, and to determine an operator of the operating section based on whether the center of gravity is on a driver'"'"'s seat side or a non-driver'"'"'s seat side of a reference line that divides the image data into the driver'"'"'s seat side and the non-driver'"'"'s seat side when the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver has been extended into the prescribed region, the image processing section being further configured to output an identification result to control an operation of a vehicle apparatus based on the identification result.

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