Object detecting system

• US 7,847,229 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• 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:
  US11/705,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/205, 250/208.1, 382/104, 701/36, 701/45, 701/49, 348/140, 348/148
• US Class Current: 250/205
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4911 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4918 Controlling received signal intensity, gain or exposure of sensor

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 illumination device is sectioned into a plurality of illuminants, such as a first illuminant and a second illuminant, so that the light emitting modes of the illuminants are controlled to be changed individually.

Claims

1. An object detecting system comprising:

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism,

wherein the light emitting modes of respective light emitting sections are each controlled such that incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized on a respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

2. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitting modes of the respective light emitting sections in the light emitting mechanism are each controlled such that quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to the respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

3. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a first light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a central portion of an aperture area of an objective lens of the optical lens and a second light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a peripheral portion of the aperture area of the objective lens such that the quantity of light emitted from the second light emitting section is larger than the quantity of light emitted from the first light emitting section.

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

wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting modes of the light emitting sections based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distance, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

5. An object detecting system comprising:

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism,

wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a driver-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a driver seat, a front-passenger-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a front passenger seat, and a rear-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a rear seat.

6. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control mechanism, based on information about an object occupying any of the vehicle seats, changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting section corresponding to the object.

7. An operation device control system comprising:

an object detecting system, the object detecting system comprising;

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a 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 of the object detecting system; and

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

wherein the light emitting modes of respective light emitting sections are each controlled such that incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized on a respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light emitting modes of the respective light emitting sections in the light emitting mechanism are each controlled such that quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to the respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

9. The control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a first light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a central portion of an aperture area of an objective lens of the optical lens and a second light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a peripheral portion of the aperture area of the objective lens such that the quantity of light emitted from the second light emitting section is larger than the quantity of light emitted from the first light emitting section.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about position, information about distance, and information about motion as the information about the object, and

wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting modes of the light emitting sections based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distance, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

11. An operation device control system comprising:

an object detecting system, the object detecting system comprising;

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward an object occupying a vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a 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 of the object detecting system; and

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

wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a driver-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a driver seat, a front-passenger-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a front passenger seat, and a rear-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a rear seat.

12. The control system as claims in claim 11, wherein the control mechanism, based on information about an object occupying any of the vehicle seats, changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting section corresponding to the object.

13. A vehicle comprising:

an engine/running system;

an electrical system;

an actuation control device for conducting the actuation control of the engine/running system and the electrical system; and

an object detecting mechanism for detecting information about an object occupying a vehicle seat,

wherein the object detecting mechanism comprises an object detecting system including;

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward the object occupying the vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism, and

wherein the light emitting modes of respective light emitting sections are each controlled such that incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized on a respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light emitting modes of the respective light emitting sections in the light emitting mechanism are each controlled such that quantity of incident light on the distance measuring image chip is equalized to the respective portion of the focusing area corresponding to the respective light emitting section.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a first light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a central portion of an aperture area of an objective lens of the optical lens and a second light emitting section which emits a quantity of light to be incident on a peripheral portion of the aperture area of the objective lens such that the quantity of light emitted from the second light emitting section is larger than the quantity of light emitted from the first light emitting section.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processing mechanism is adapted to derive information about position, information about distance, and information about motion as the information about the object, and

wherein the control mechanism changes the light emitting modes of the light emitting sections based on at least one of the information about position, the information about distance, and the information about motion derived by the processing mechanism.

17. A vehicle comprising:

an engine/running system;

an electrical system;

an actuation control device for conducting the actuation control of the engine/running system and the electrical system; and

an object detecting mechanism for detecting information about an object occupying a vehicle seat,

wherein the object detecting mechanism comprises an object detecting system including;

a light emitting mechanism which emits light toward the object occupying the vehicle seat and which is sectioned into a plurality of light emitting sections, wherein the light emitting sections have light emitting modes that are individually controlled;

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 a focused image on the distance measuring image chip of the photographing mechanism,

wherein the light emitting mechanism includes a driver-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a driver seat, a front-passenger-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a front passenger seat, and a rear-seat-side light emitting section which emits light toward an object on a rear seat.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control mechanism, based on information about an object occupying any of the vehicle seats, changes the light emitting mode of the light emitting section corresponding to the object.