Object detecting system

• US 7,358,473 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi, Yokoo, Masato, Hakomori, Yuu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; John R.
• Application Number:
  US11/705,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/208.1, 250/205, 382/104, 701/36, 701/45, 701/49, 348/140, 348/148
• US Class Current: 250/205
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48

Abstract

An object detecting system, which is installed in a vehicle, uses a camera comprising an optical lens, a distance measuring image chip, and an illumination device to detect information about an object occupying a vehicle seat. The light emitting mode of a first illuminant and a second illuminant of the illumination device is controlled in such a manner that the quantity of incident light onto the distance measuring image chip is equalized to respective portions in the focusing area.

Claims

1. An object detecting system comprising:

a light emitting mechanism to emit light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat;

a control mechanism to control the light emitting mechanism;

a photographing mechanism including an optical lens and a distance measuring image chip, wherein light emitted from the light emitting mechanism and reflected by the object is incident on the distance measuring image chip through the optical lens and is focused into a focusing area of the distance measuring image chip; and

a processing mechanism to derive information about the object from the focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism;

wherein the control mechanism changes a light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on information about a quantity of incident light derived by the processing mechanism such that a quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to respective portions of the focusing area.

2. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism such that the quantity of incident light on a peripheral portion of an aperture area of an objective lens among respective portions of the optical lens becomes larger than the quantity of incident light on a central portion of the aperture area of the objective lens.

3. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about distances as the information about the object a plurality of times, and

the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting quantity of the light emitting mechanism corresponding to the object when there is certain fluctuation in information of distances derived by the processing mechanism a plurality of times.

4. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about position, information about distances, and information about motion as the information about the object, and

wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distances, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

5. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism in a manner that makes the change of the light emitting mode hardly noticed by the vehicle occupant.

6. An operation device control system comprising:

a light emitting mechanism to emit light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat;

a control mechanism to control the light emitting mechanism;

a photographing mechanism including an optical lens and a distance measuring image chip, wherein light emitted from the light emitting mechanism and reflected by the object is incident on the distance measuring image chip through the optical lens and is focused into a focusing area of the distance measuring image chip;

a processing mechanism to derive information about the object from the focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism;

an operation device which is operated based on the information about the object occupying the vehicle seat derived by the processing mechanism; and

an actuation control mechanism to control the actuation of the operation device,

wherein the control mechanism changes s light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on information about a quantity of incident light derived by the processing mechanism such that a quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to respective portions of the focusing area.

7. The operation device control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism such that the quantity of incident light on a peripheral portion of an aperture area of an objective lens among respective portions of the optical lens becomes larger than the quantity of incident light on a central portion of the aperture area of the objective lens.

8. The operation device control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about distances as the information about the object a plurality of times, and

the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting quantity of the light emitting mechanism corresponding to the object when there is certain fluctuation in information of distances derived by the processing mechanism a plurality of times.

9. The operation device control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about position, information about distances, and information about motion as the information about the object, and

wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distances, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

10. The operation device control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism in a manner that makes the change of the light emitting mode hardly noticed by a vehicle occupant.

11. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an electrical system;

an actuation control device to control actuation of the engine and the electrical system; and

an object detecting mechanism to detect information about an object occupying a vehicle seat, the object detecting mechanism comprising an object detecting system that includes;

a light emitting mechanism to emit light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat;

a control mechanism to control the light emitting mechanism;

a photographing mechanism including an optical lens and a distance measuring image chip, wherein light emitted from the light emitting mechanism and reflected by the object is incident on the distance measuring image chip through the optical lens and is focused into a focusing area of the distance measuring image chip; and

a processing mechanism to derive information about the object from the focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism;

wherein the control mechanism changes a light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on information about a quantity of incident light derived by the processing mechanism such that a quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to respective portions of the focusing area.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism such that the quantity of incident light on a peripheral portion of an aperture area of an objective lens among respective portions of the optical lens becomes larger than the quantity of incident light on a central portion of the aperture area of the objective lens.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about distances as the information about the object a plurality of times, and

the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting quantity of the light emitting mechanism corresponding to the object when there is certain fluctuation in information of distances derived by the processing mechanism a plurality of times.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about position, information about distances, and information about motion as the information about the object, and

wherein the control mechanism is configured to change the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distances, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting mechanism in a manner that makes the change of the light emitting mode hardly noticed by a vehicle occupant.