MONITORING A BACK ROW SEAT AREA OF A VEHICLE

• US 20150077561A1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Schulz, Jason A.
• Application Number:
  US14/333,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/29 for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring

Abstract

A back row monitoring system for a vehicle disclosed includes a display upon which imagery of at least a portion of a back row seat area of a vehicle can be displayed. The imagery can be captured by an imagery sensor. The back row monitoring system can detect one or more biometric markers from one or more passengers located in the back row seat area. The detected biometric markers, or a portion thereof, can be displayed on the display. The displayed biometric markers can be overlaid on the imagery. The back row monitoring system can also enable a user to pause currently playing audio and/or video from a vehicle infotainment system such that the driver can communicate to one or more passengers in the back row area through the infotainment system.

Claims

1. A method of back row monitoring for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a biometric marker of a passenger seated in a back row seat area of the vehicle;

displaying imagery of at least a portion of the back row seat area on a display; and

displaying the detected biometric marker on the display.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting a biometric marker of a passenger seated in a back row seat area of the vehicle includes detecting at least one of a heart rate, a skin temperature, an eye movement, and a sudden bodily movement of a passenger seated in a back row seat area of the vehicle.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detected biometric marker is overlaid on the displayed imagery of at least a portion of the back row seat area.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording the imagery of the back row seat area.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the recording is performed as a continuous loop.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising selectively tagging at least a portion of the recorded imagery for later review.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the selectively tagging includes storing the at least a portion of the recorded imagery for later review.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising communicating the at least a portion of the recorded imagery for later review to a personal electronic device.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the selectively tagging is effectuated through a touch screen.

10. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising communicating the at least a portion of the recorded imagery for later review to a display on a human-machine interface.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the selectively tagging is effectuated through a touch screen on a human-machine interface and the at least a portion of the recorded imagery for later review is displayable on the touch screen.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selectively muting an infotainment system in the back row seat area.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selectively pausing an infotainment system in the back row seat area.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising selectively providing audio communication with the back row seat area from a driver area through the infotainment system.

15. A back row monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

an imagery sensor operable capture imagery of at least a portion of a back row seat area of the vehicle;

a biometric sensor operable to detect a biometric marker of a passenger seated in the back row seat area of the vehicle; and

a display system operatively connected to the imagery sensor, the display system operable to display thereon imagery captured by the imagery sensor, and the display system operatively connected to the biometric sensor to display the detected biometric marker.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a control system operatively connected to the imagery sensor and the biometric sensor, the control system operable to record a predetermined time period of the imagery as a continuous loop recording; and

a replay control operatively connected to the control system to enable selective tagging of at least a portion of the continuous loop recording.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the display system includes a touch screen, and wherein one or more user interface elements associated with the replay control are presented on the touch screen.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the control system includes a memory, and wherein the portion of the continuous loop recording is stored in the memory.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the detected biometric marker that is displayed on the display system is color-coded.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the control system is configured to process the detected biometric marker to determine information to display on the display system.