Vehicle mirror adjustment

• US 9,296,338 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kaplan, David, Rider, Tomer, Ron, Aviv, Taite, Shahar
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/188,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 359/843, 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80

Abstract

Technologies for mirror adjustment include an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle to determine a position of a feature of a face of a driver of the vehicle in an image captured by a camera of the vehicle. The in-vehicle computing system determines a position of the feature of the face of the driver relative to a mirror of the vehicle based on configuration data of the vehicle and the captured image. The in-vehicle computing system further determines an angle between the feature of the face of the driver, the mirror, and an ideal normal of the mirror. The configuration data identifies a location of the camera relative to the mirror, and the ideal normal is an imaginary line normal to the mirror and extending therefrom when the mirror is positioned in a reference position. The in-vehicle computing system adjusts an orientation of the mirror based on the determined angle.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle for mirror adjustment, the in-vehicle computing system comprising:

an image analysis module to determine a position of a feature of a face of a driver of the vehicle in an image captured by a camera of the vehicle; and

a mirror adjustment module to (i) determine a position of the feature of the face of the driver relative to a mirror of the vehicle based on the captured image and configuration data that identifies a location of the camera relative to the mirror, (ii) determine an angle between the feature of the face of the driver, the mirror, and an ideal normal of the mirror, and (iii) adjust, by one or more signals supplied to a movement device of the mirror, an orientation of the mirror by an angle equal to half the determined angle;

wherein the ideal normal of the mirror is an imaginary line normal to the mirror and extending therefrom when the mirror is positioned in a reference position.

2. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein to determine the position of the feature of the face of the driver comprises to determine a position of eyes of the driver.

3. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 2, wherein to determine the position of the eyes of the driver comprises to determine a midpoint between the eyes of the driver in the captured image.

4. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 2, wherein to determine the position of the eyes of the driver relative to the mirror comprises to determine a distance between the camera and the eyes of the driver.

5. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 2, wherein to determine the angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal of the mirror comprises to:

determine a distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror;

determine an angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror based on the determined distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror; and

determine an angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal based on the determined angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror.

6. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 5, wherein to determine the distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror comprises to determine a distance, D, according to D =√

{square root over (C²+E²−

2CE cos(θ

_e+θ

_c))}, wherein;

D is the distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror;

C is a distance between the camera and the mirror;

E is a distance between the eyes of the driver and the camera;

θ

_e is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the eyes of the driver toward a direction of the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the camera; and

θ

_c is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the camera toward a direction of the eyes of the driver, the camera, and the mirror.

7. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 6, wherein to determine the angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror comprises to determine an angle, θ

_d, according to

8. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 7, wherein to determine the angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal comprises to determine an angle, θ

₀, according to θ

₀=θ

_e+θ

_d, wherein;

θ

₀ is the angle between the eyes of the driver, the minor, and the ideal normal;

θ

_e is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the eyes of the driver toward a direction of the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the camera; and

θ

_d is an angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror.

9. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data further identifies a position of the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle relative to at least one of the camera or the mirror.

10. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein to adjust the orientation of the mirror comprises to rotate the mirror along a horizontal plane defined by the mirror.

11. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 10, wherein the mirror adjustment module is further to tilt the mirror along a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

12. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the imaginary line is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

13. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine a position of a feature of a face of a driver of a vehicle in an image captured by a camera of the vehicle;

determine a position of the feature of the face of the driver relative to a mirror of the vehicle based on configuration data of the vehicle and the captured image, wherein the configuration data identifies a location of the camera relative to the mirror;

determine an angle between the feature of the face of the driver, the mirror, and an ideal normal of the mirror, wherein the ideal normal is an imaginary line normal to the mirror and extending therefrom when the mirror is positioned in a reference position; and

adjust an orientation of the mirror by an angle equal to half the determined angle.

14. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to determine the position of the feature of the face of the driver comprises to determine a position of eyes of the driver.

15. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein to determine the angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal of the mirror comprises to:

determine a distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror;

determine an angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror based on the determined distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror; and

determine an angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal based on the determined angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror.

16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein to determine the distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror comprises to determine a distance, D, according to D =√

{square root over (C²+E²−

2CE cos(θ

_e+θ

_c))}, wherein;

D is the distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror;

C is a distance between the camera and the mirror;

E is a distance between the eyes of the driver and the camera;

θ

_e is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the eyes of the driver toward a direction of the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the camera; and

θ

_c is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the camera toward a direction of the eyes of the driver, the camera, and the mirror.

17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein to determine the angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror comprises to determine an angle, θ

_d, according to

18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein to determine the angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal comprises to determine an angle, θ

₀, according to θ

₀=θ

_e+θ

_d, wherein;

θ

₀ is the angle between the eyes of the driver, the minor, and the ideal normal;

θ

_e is an angle between a hypothetical normal extending from the eyes of the driver toward a direction of the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the camera; and

θ

_d is an angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror.

19. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to adjust the orientation of the mirror comprises to adjust an angle of the mirror relative to a current position of the mirror.

20. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to adjust the orientation of the mirror comprises to rotate the mirror along a horizontal plane defined by the mirror.

21. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the imaginary line is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

22. A method for mirror adjustment by an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by the in-vehicle computing system, a position of a feature of a face of a driver of the vehicle in an image captured by a camera of the vehicle;

determining, by the in-vehicle computing system, a position of the feature of the face of the driver relative to a mirror of the vehicle based on configuration data of the vehicle and the captured image, wherein the configuration data identifies a location of the camera relative to the mirror;

determining, by the in-vehicle computing system, an angle between the feature of the face of the driver, the mirror, and an ideal normal of the mirror, wherein the ideal normal is an imaginary line normal to the mirror and extending therefrom when the mirror is positioned in a reference position; and

adjusting, by the in-vehicle computing system, an orientation of the mirror by an angle equal to half the determined angle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the position of the feature of the face of the driver comprises determining a position of eyes of the driver.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal of the mirror comprises:

determining a distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror;

determining an angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror based on the determined distance between the eyes of the driver and the mirror; and

determining an angle between the eyes of the driver, the mirror, and the ideal normal based on the determined angle between the camera, the eyes of the driver, and the mirror.