Face monitoring system and method for vehicular occupants

• US 7,570,785 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/947,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/115, 382/117, 382/118, 382/282, 348/78, 348/208.15, 701/44, 701/45, 280/735
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113

Abstract

Imaging system and method for a vehicle includes an infrared source generating an infrared beam along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle, an infrared detector responsive to infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared beam and which generates image signals from the reflected infrared radiation, and a processor responsive to the image signals from the detector. The processor includes face recognition software that images and identifies facial features of a person to detect a person'"'"'s face and compares the detected image of the person'"'"'s face with stored images, and causes a vehicle operation, e.g., ignition of the vehicle, to be performed if a particular person'"'"'s face is identified. The processor may perform a frame subtracting process where the images when the infrared source is on are subtracted from the images when the infrared source is off so as to eliminate background.

Claims

1. An imaging system for a vehicle for use in obtaining information about a person in a vehicle, comprising:

an infrared source generating infrared illumination along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle in which the person is expected to be present;

an infrared detector responsive to infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared illumination including the person, said detector generating image signals from the reflected infrared radiation; and

a processor coupled to the detector and arranged to identify a person by analyzing the image signals and cause a vehicle operation to be performed upon the identification of the person.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared source is on for a predetermined period of time and off for a predetermined period of time, said processor performing a frame subtracting process where the image signals when the infrared source is off are subtracted from the image signals when the infrared source is on so as to eliminate background.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to monitor the person or a part of the person to determine if the person is falling asleep, further comprising a reactive system controlled by said processor to react to said processor determining that the person is falling asleep.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to monitor the person to determine is the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle, further comprising a reactive system controlled by said processor to react to said processor determining that the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to monitor movement of the person or a part of the person by analyzing successively generated image signals.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicular component coupled to said processor, said processor providing information about the identified person to enable said vehicular component to adjust its operation based on the provided information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared source and the detector are controlled such that the detector generates first image signals from infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared source generates the infrared illumination and second image signals from the infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared source does not generate the infrared illumination, said processor being arranged to identify the person by analyzing the first and second image signals in relation to one another.

7. An imaging method for a vehicle for use in obtaining information about a person in a vehicle, comprising:

generating infrared illumination along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle in which the person is expected to be present;

using a processor for generating image signals from infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared illumination including the person;

identifying a person by analyzing the generated image signals; and

causing a vehicle operation to be performed upon the identification of the person.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining the infrared illumination on for a predetermined period of time and off for a predetermined period of time, and

performing a frame subtracting process where the image signals when the infrared source is off are subtracted from the image signals when the infrared source is on so as to eliminate background.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the person or a part of a person to determine if the person is falling asleep; and

causing the vehicle operation to be performed upon determining that the person is falling asleep.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the person to determine is the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle; and

causing the vehicle operation to be performed upon determining that the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring movement of the person or a part of the person by analyzing successively generated image signals.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining information about the identified person; and

adjusting a vehicular component which performs the vehicle operation based on the information obtained about the identified person.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating step comprising generating first image signals from infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared illumination is being generated and second image signals from the infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared illumination is not being generated, the step of identifying the person by analyzing the generated image signals comprising analyzing the first and second image signals in relation to one another.

15. An imaging system for a vehicle for use in obtaining information about a person in a vehicle, comprising:

an infrared source generating infrared illumination along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle in which the person is expected to be present;

an infrared detector responsive to infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared illumination including the person, said detector generating image signals from the reflected infrared radiation, said infrared source and said detector being controlled such that said detector generates first image signals from infrared radiation reflected from the objects when said infrared source generates the infrared illumination and second image signals from the infrared radiation reflected from the objects when said infrared source does not generate the infrared illumination; and

a processor coupled to said detector and arranged to obtain information about the head or a part of the face of the person from which infrared radiation has been reflected, said processor being arranged to obtain the information by analyzing the first and second image signals in relation to one another.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said infrared source is on for a predetermined period of time during which said detector generates the first image signals and off for a predetermined period of time during which said detector generates the second image signals, said processor performing a frame subtracting process where the second image signals are subtracted from the first image signals so as to eliminate background.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is arranged to obtain information about the eyes of the person.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is arranged to obtain information about the ears of the person.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is arranged to obtain information about the head of the person.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is arranged to monitor movement of the head or face part of the person by analyzing successively generated image signals.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising a vehicular component coupled to said processor, said processor providing information about the head or face part of the person to enable said vehicular component to adjust its operation based on the provided information.

22. An imaging method for a vehicle for use in obtaining information about a person in a vehicle, comprising:

generating infrared illumination along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle in which the person is expected to be present;

using a processor for generating image signals from infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared illumination including the person, the generating step comprising generating first image signals from infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared illumination is being generated and second image signals from the infrared radiation reflected from the objects when the infrared illumination is not being generated;

analyzing the image signals including analyzing the first and second image signals in relation to one another; and

obtaining information about the head or a part of the face of the person from which infrared radiation has been reflected based on the analysis of the image signals.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

maintaining the infrared illumination on for a predetermined period of time during which the first image signals are generated and off for a predetermined period of time during which the second image signals are generated, and

performing a frame subtracting process where the second image signals are subtracted from the first image signals so as to eliminate background.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein information about the eyes of the person is obtained.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein information about the ears of the person is obtained.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein information about the head of the person is obtained.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising monitoring movement of the head or face part of the person by analyzing successively generated image signals.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising adjusting the operation of a vehicular component based on the information obtained about the head or face part of the person.