Method and device for optically detecting the open state of a vehicle door

• US 7,457,437 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Ertl, Ludwig, Köhler, Thorsten, Rösl, Reinhard, Zittlau, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US10/483,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting the position of an object within the interior or a vehicle equipped with a door (4). The inventive method is characterized by recording a sequence of images by means of a camera (2) and calculating the actual position of the object by electronically evaluating the images of the sequence of images, and generating a differential image by comparing an actual recorded image with a previously stored image. The position of the object is calculated on the basis of the differential image. To achieve this, the camera (2) records images of the door (4). The images of the door (4) are evaluated and the open state of the door (4) is established on the basis of the differential image between the closed state and the opened state.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a position of an object in a vehicle and/or an object forming a part of the vehicle, comprising:

recording a sequence of images of a door of a vehicle with a camera;

generating a differential image by comparing a currently recorded image of the door with a previously stored image of the door;

determining whether the door is in an open state or a closed state by evaluating the differential image; and

if the door is in the open state, switching off a security device protecting at least one occupant of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining an opening angle of the door by evaluating the differential image.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

determining whether a window located in the door is open by evaluating the differential image; and

if an object is within an open area of a frame of the door, generating a signal indicating the presence of the object within the open area;

the open area of the frame of the door being formed when the window is open.

4. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises preventing the window from being closed if the signal indicates the presence of the object within the open area.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises using gray-scale images when performing the step of determining whether the door is in the open state or the closed state.

6. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises defining virtual image areas to obtain the gray-scale images such that changes in a plurality of gray-scale values occur if there is a change in the open state of the door.

7. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises, for each of the gray-scale images, defining a curve of gray-scale values as a function of a location, obtaining a differentiated curve by differentiating the curve of gray-scale values with respect to the location, storing the differentiated curve, and using the differentiated curve when performing the step of determining whether the door is in the open state or the closed state.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

obtaining three-dimensional distance images with the camera; and

using the three-dimensional distance images when performing the step of determining whether the door is in the open state or the closed state.

9. The method according to claim 8, which further comprises:

after transforming distance points into a vehicle system, projecting all of the distance points onto a vehicle floor or onto a plane parallel to the vehicle floor;

storing the projected images; and

using the stored projected images in a comparison when performing the step of determining whether the door is in the open state or the closed state.

10. The method according to claim 8, which further comprises defining point clouds of the door.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the security device is an airbag system.

12. A method for detecting a position of an object in a vehicle and/or an object forming a part of the vehicle, comprising:

recording a sequence of images of at least a portion of a door of a vehicle with a camera;

generating a differential image by comparing a currently recorded image of at least the portion of the door with a previously stored image of at least the portion of the door;

determining whether a window located in the door is in an open state by evaluating the differential image; and

if an object is within an open area of a frame of the door, generating a signal indicating the presence of the object within the open area;

the open area of the frame of the door being formed when the window is open.

13. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises preventing the window from being closed if the signal indicates the presence of the object within the open area.

14. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises using gray-scale images when performing the step of determining whether the window is in the open state.

15. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises defining virtual image areas to obtain the gray-scale images such that changes in a plurality of gray-scale values occur if there is a change in the open state of the door.

16. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises, for each of the gray-scale images, defining a curve of gray-scale values as a function of a location, obtaining a differentiated curve by differentiating the curve of gray-scale values with respect to the location, storing the differentiated curve, and using the differentiated curve when performing the step of determining whether the window is in the open state.

17. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises:

obtaining three-dimensional distance images with the camera; and

using the three-dimensional distance images when performing the step of determining whether the window is in the open state.

18. The method according to claim 17, which further comprises:

after transforming distance points into a vehicle system, projecting all of the distance points onto a vehicle floor or onto a plane parallel to the vehicle floor;

storing the projected images; and

using the stored projected images in a comparison when performing the step of determining whether the window is in the open state.

19. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises defining point clouds of the door.

20. A device for detecting a position of an object in a vehicle and/or an object forming a part of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a camera recording a sequence of images of a door of a vehicle; and

a monitoring device configured to;

generate a differential image by comparing a currently recorded image of the door with a previously stored image of the door;

determine whether the door is in an open state or a closed state by evaluating the differential image; and

switch off a security device protecting at least one occupant of the vehicle if the door is in the open state.

21. The device according to claim 20, in combination with the security device, wherein the security device is an airbag system.

22. A device for detecting a position of an object in a vehicle and/or an object forming a part of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a camera recording a sequence of images of at least a portion of a door of a vehicle; and

a monitoring device configured to;

generate a differential image by comparing a currently recorded image of at least the portion of the door with a previously stored image of at least the portion of the door;

determine whether a window located in the door is in an open state by evaluating the differential image; and

generate a signal indicating whether an object is within an open area of a frame of the door;

the open area of the frame of the door being formed when the window is open.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the signal generated by said monitoring device prevents the window from being closed if the signal indicates that the object is within the open area.