Detection system, informing system, actuation system and vehicle

• US 8,059,867 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Jayesh A
• Application Number:
  US11/355,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20060186651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A detection system is provided for easily detecting information about respective objects seated on a plurality of vehicle seats. An occupant information detection apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed which, in one form, comprises a single photographing section capable of detecting image, a projector lens and a mirror which have viewing angles wider than that of the single photographing section and can independently project the objects seated to the single photographing section to correspond to respective vehicle seats, and a control section for detecting information about objects seated on the respective vehicle seats.

Claims

1. A detection system for detecting objects on vehicle seats in a vehicle, the detection system comprising:

an image capturing device having a predetermined viewing angle and being mounted to the vehicle to direct the viewing angle in a predetermined direction so that the viewing angle provides a predetermined angular field of view;

a projecting mechanism having a single predetermined viewing angle that is larger than the predetermined viewing angle of the image capturing device to provide a single predetermined angular field of view that is wider than the predetermined angular field of view of the image capturing device, the projection mechanism being mounted to the vehicle to be disposed within the narrower field of view of the image capturing device and to direct the projecting mechanism viewing angle in a single predetermined direction different than that of the direction in which the predetermined viewing angle of the image capturing device is directed and so that vehicle seat portions otherwise outside the image capturing device predetermined field of view are within the wider field of view of the projecting mechanism and images thereof are projected to the image capturing device by the projecting mechanism, the projecting mechanism being configured so that the images within the wider field of view thereof are projected to the image capturing device without requiring warping correction;

a safety device of the vehicle for protecting a vehicle occupant in the event of emergency conditions; and

a controller that receives and analyzes image information from the image capturing device for actuation of the safety device,

wherein the image capturing device comprises a camera, and the projecting mechanism comprises a prism, and

wherein the controller is configured to approximate a portion of a profile of an object or occupant on a seat in the predetermined viewing angle of the projecting mechanism and which is hidden from view.

2. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined angular field of view of the image capturing device is approximately 80 degrees, and the predetermined angular field of view of the prism is between approximately 100 degrees to approximately 120 degrees.

3. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the safety device comprises an occupant restraint device that is configured to restrain the vehicle occupant in a vehicle seat during emergency conditions.

4. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the safety device comprises an indicator device configured to provide information regarding state of the vehicle occupant or object on a vehicle seat relative to proper use of an occupant restraint device of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle occupant detection system for a vehicle, the vehicle occupant detection system comprising:

front and rear seats of the vehicle;

a camera mounted to the vehicle;

a projector lens mounted to the vehicle to have a field of view directed toward an area of the vehicle in which one of the front and rear vehicle seats is disposed; and

a plane mirror mounted to the vehicle adjacent the projector lens so that the projector lens is between the camera and the plane mirror with the plane mirror having a field of view directed toward another area of the vehicle in which the other of the front and rear vehicle seats is disposed so that images of the area of the one of the front and rear vehicle seats are projected to the camera by only the projector lens and images of the other area of the other of the front and rear vehicle seats are projected to the camera by both the plane mirror and the projector lens with the plane mirror and the projector lens configured so that the images of the areas of the front and rear vehicle seats are projected to the camera without requiring warping correction,

wherein the front seats comprise a driver seat and a passenger seat that are in a wider field of view relative to the camera than that provided by the field of view of the camera, and the plane mirror comprises two plane mirrors with one of the plane mirrors reflecting images from the driver seat to the camera and the other plane mirror reflecting images from the passenger seat to the camera.

6. The vehicle occupant detection system of claim 5 wherein the projector lens field of view is directed toward the vehicle area in which the rear seats are disposed and the plane mirror and projector lens project images of the other area in which the vehicle front seats are disposed to the camera.

7. The vehicle occupant detection system of claim 5 wherein the camera field of view is formed by a predetermined viewing angle, and the plane mirror is configured and arranged so that a predetermined portion of the camera viewing angle is redirected toward the other area of the vehicle in which the other of the front and rear seats are disposed.

8. The vehicle occupant detection system of claim 7 wherein the camera is mounted to be closer to the front seats, the plane mirror redirects the predetermined portion of the camera viewing angle toward the front seats, and the camera viewing angle includes another predetermined portion directed toward the rear seats that is smaller than the predetermined viewing angle portion redirected toward the front seats.

9. The vehicle occupant detection system of claim 5 including a control section having a processing device that processes the images photographed by the camera to determine one of size and posture or both of an occupant on the seats, and a control device that receives information relating to the object from the control section for actuating a target device.

10. The vehicle occupant detection system of claim 9 wherein the target device comprises an occupant protection device.