Method and device for detecting a seating position in a vehicle

• US 9,330,305 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Hong, Valentine, Mark F
• Primary Examiner(s): Allison, Andrae S
• Application Number:
  US14/219,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

In one embodiment a method performed by an electronic device for determining a seating position of a person in a vehicle, the method comprises capturing at least one image of an environment of a vehicle, detecting, from the at least one captured image, an orientation of a retraining device within the vehicle, and determining the seating position of a person within the restraining device based on the orientation of the restraining device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device and using low power radio frequency technology, an indication that the electronic device is within a vicinity of a vehicle;

detecting execution of an application by the electronic device while the electronic device is within the vicinity of the vehicle;

responsive to detecting the execution of the application, capturing, by a camera of the electronic device, at least one image of an environment of the vehicle;

detecting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the at least one image, an orientation of a restraining device within the vehicle;

determining, by the electronic device and based on the orientation of the restraining device, whether a user of the electronic device is sitting on a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or a passenger side of the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle, determining, based on the at least one image, whether the user is sitting in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat, performing, by the electronic device, an action including one or more of stopping the execution of the application or outputting an alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of a steering wheel, a dashboard, a window, or a back of a seat of the vehicle,

wherein determining whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat is further based on the one or more of the steering wheel, the dashboard, the window, or the back of the seat of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of head motion of the user, arm motion of the user, or movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

wherein determining whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat is further based on at least one of the head motion, the arm motion, or the movement of the steering wheel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the at least one image, a face of the user within the restraining device; and

confirming, by the electronic device and based on the face, detection of the restraining device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the electronic device, a geographic location of the electronic device,

wherein determining whether the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or the passenger side of the vehicle is further based on the geographic location of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the electronic device, a type of the vehicle,

wherein determining whether the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or the passenger side of the vehicle is further based on the type of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the type of the vehicle is determined using a web mapping application executing on the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the execution of the application comprises detecting the execution of at least one of a texting session, a browsing session, a voice call, or an application that requires user interaction with a touchscreen of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the action further includes storing data corresponding to at least one of the determined seating position or the at least one captured image to a storage device external to the electronic device.

10. An electronic device comprising:

an interface configured to receive, using low power radio frequency technology, an indication that the electronic device is within a vicinity of a vehicle;

a processor configured to detect execution of an application by the electronic device while the electronic device is within the vicinity of the vehicle;

imaging apparatus configured to, responsive to the processor detecting the execution of the application, capture a set of images, which includes at least one image of a person within a restraining device of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine, based at least in part on the at least one image, an orientation of a restraining device within the vehicle;

determine, based on the orientation of the restraining device, whether a user of the electronic device is sitting on a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or a passenger side of the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle, determine, based on the at least one image, whether the user is sitting in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat, perform an action including one or more of stopping the execution of the application or outputting an alert.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of a steering wheel, a dashboard, a window, or a back of a seat of the vehicle; and

determine whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat based on the one or more of the steering wheel, the dashboard, the window, or the back of the seat of the vehicle.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of head motion of the user, arm motion of the user, or movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

determine whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat based on at least one of the head motion, the arm motion, or the movement of the steering wheel.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, a face of the user within the restraining device; and

confirm, based on the face, detection of the restraining device.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a global positioning system transceiver configured to receiving global positioning system data,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine, based on the global positioning system data, a geographic location of the electronic device; and

determine whether the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or the passenger side of the vehicle based on the geographic location of the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a type of the vehicle; and

determine whether the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or the passenger side of the vehicle based on the type of the vehicle.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an electronic device to:

receive an indication that the electronic device is within a vicinity of a vehicle;

detect execution of an application by the electronic device while the electronic device is within the vicinity of the vehicle;

responsive to detecting the execution of the application, receive at least one image of an environment of the vehicle;

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, an orientation of a restraining device within the vehicle;

determine, based on the orientation of the restraining device, whether a user of the electronic device is sitting on a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or a passenger side of the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle, determine, based on the at least one image, whether the user is sitting in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat, perform, by the electronic device, an action including one or more of stopping execution of the application or outputting an alert.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of a steering wheel, a dashboard, a window, or a back of a seat of the vehicle; and

determine whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat based on the one or more of the steering wheel, the dashboard, the window, or the back of the seat of the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, one or more of head motion of the user, arm motion of the user, or movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

determine whether the user is sitting in the driver'"'"'s seat based on at least one of the head motion, the arm motion, or the movement of the steering wheel.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

detect, based at least in part on the at least one image, a face of the user within the restraining device; and

confirm, based on the face, detection of the restraining device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a global positioning system transceiver of the electronic device, global positioning system data;

determine, based on the global positioning system data, a geographic location of the electronic device; and

determine whether the user is sitting on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle or the passenger side of the vehicle based on the geographic location of the electronic device.