SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISCRIMINATING PASSENGER ATTITUDE IN VEHICLE USING STEREO IMAGE JUNCTION

• US 20060280336A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai AMCO Company Limited (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai AMCO Company Limited (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Seok Joo
• Application Number:
  US11/422,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20060280336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects

Abstract

A system and method for discriminating a passenger attitude in a vehicle using a stereo image junction is provided. The system includes: a controller for generating an airbag control signal for enabling an airbag depending on the passenger attitude; an image obtaining unit having at least two cameras, and capturing an image of a vehicle interior and generating stereo two-dimensional image data; a preprocessor for receiving the stereo two-dimensional image data, correcting distortion of the received two-dimensional image data, and generating three-dimensional model information; and a digital signal processor for receiving and analyzing the corrected stereo two-dimensional image data and the three-dimensional model information to discriminate the passenger attitude, and generating and outputting passenger attitude information to the controller.

Claims

1. A system for discriminating a passenger attitude in a vehicle using a stereo image junction, the system comprising:

a controller for generating an airbag control signal for enabling an airbag depending on the passenger attitude;

an image obtaining unit having at least two cameras, and capturing an image of a vehicle interior and generating stereo two-dimensional image data;

a preprocessor for receiving the stereo two-dimensional image data, correcting distortion of the received two-dimensional image data, and generating three-dimensional model information; and

a digital signal processor for receiving and analyzing the corrected stereo two-dimensional image data and the three-dimensional model information to discriminate the passenger attitude, and generating and outputting passenger attitude information to the controller.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image obtaining unit comprises an infrared rays illuminator for irradiating infrared rays to secure a reliability of height information from a change of an illumination condition, a texture, existence of a shade area.

3. A method for discriminating a passenger attitude using a stereo image junction, in a vehicle having a controller for generating an airbag control signal for enabling an airbag depending on the passenger attitude, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of a vehicle interior using at least two cameras, and generating stereo two-dimensional image data;

receiving the stereo two-dimensional image data, correcting distortion of the received two-dimensional image data, and generating three-dimensional model information;

receiving and analyzing the corrected stereo two-dimensional image data and the three-dimensional model information to discriminate the passenger attitude; and

generating and outputting passenger attitude information to the controller.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the discriminating of the passenger attitude comprises the steps of:

determining a position (X, Y, and Z) of a passenger; and

determining a head position (X and Y) of the passenger.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the determining of the head position of the passenger comprises the steps of:

removing a background image from an obtained image;

performing dilation and erosion operations for the image with the background image removed, and generating a binary image;

generating a contour image from the binary image; and

detecting a passenger head from the contour image.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a contour of the contour image is detected by enlarging a diameter of a circle centering on a centroidal position of the binary image while extracting a feature point.