System and method for occupant height

• US 9,919,670 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Le, Jialiang, Rao, Manoharprasad K., Dong, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US14/827,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/80 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01265 Seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• 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: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239

Abstract

An image is received from an image sensor. The image includes an occupant'"'"'s head. A seated height of the occupant is determined based at least in part on a distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head, and a detected angle of a vehicle seat. A safety device is adjusted based at least in part on the seated height of the occupant.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

receive an image including an occupant'"'"'s head from an image sensor;

determine a seated height of the occupant from a top of a vehicle seat base, the seated height based at least in part on a distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head determined from the image, an eye height from the top of the vehicle seat base that is based on the distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head, and a detected angle of a vehicle seat;

receive an occupant weight from a weight sensor;

calculate a mass index based on the seated height and the occupant weight; and

adjust a seat belt payout rate of a safety belt based at least in part on the mass index.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to locate eye pupils in the image of the occupant.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the seated height of the occupant based at least in part on a distance from the image sensor to the pupils.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a head posture angle based on the image of the occupant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the safety device is a seat belt, and the instructions include instructions to adjust a seat belt position based on the mass index.

6. A system, comprising:

an image sensor;

a seat including a seat back, a seat base, and an angle sensor disposed on the seat back; and

a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive an image including an occupant'"'"'s head from the image sensor;

determine a seated height of the occupant from a top of the seat base, the seated height based at least in part on a distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head determined from the image, an eye height from the top of the seat base that is based on the distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head, and a detected angle of the seat;

receive an occupant weight from a weight sensor;

calculate a mass index based on the seated height and the occupant weight; and

adjust a seat belt payout rate of a safety belt based at least in part on the mass index.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a head posture angle based on the image of the occupant.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the safety device is a seat belt, and the instructions include instructions to adjust a seat belt position based on the mass index.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving an image including an occupant'"'"'s head from an image sensor;

determining a seated height of the occupant from a top of a vehicle seat base, the seated height based at least in part on a distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head determined from the image, an eye height from the top of the vehicle seat base that is based on the distance from the image sensor to the occupant'"'"'s head, and a detected angle of a vehicle seat;

receive an occupant weight from a weight sensor;

calculate a mass index based on the seated height and the occupant weight; and

adjust a seat belt payout rate of a safety belt based at least in part on the mass index.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising locating eye pupils in the image of the occupant.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the safety device is a seat belt, the method further comprising adjusting a seat belt position based on the mass index.