Automatic mirror adjustment using an in-car camera system

• US 9,598,015 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambarella International LP (Ambarella Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ambarella Incorporated
• Inventors: Fink, Alexander, Pertsel, Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US14/639,479
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 359/843, 359/877, 307/10.1, 307/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/02 Rear-view mirror arrangements periscope arrangements B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a sensor, an interface and a processor. The sensor may be configured to generate a video signal based on a targeted view of a driver. The interface may be configured to receive status information about one or more components of a vehicle. The processor may be configured to generate a control signal in response to a determined field of view of the driver. The control signal may be used to adjust one or more mirrors of the vehicle. The field of view may be determined based on (i) the video signal and (ii) the status information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to generate a video signal based on a targeted view of a driver;

an interface configured to receive status information about one or more components of a vehicle; and

a processor configured to generate a control signal in response to a determined field of view of said driver, wherein (A) said control signal is used to adjust one or more mirrors of said vehicle, (B) said field of view is determined based on (i) location coordinates for eyes of said driver and (ii) an orientation of said one or more mirrors, (C) said location coordinates for said eyes are determined based on analysis of one or more video frames of said video signal to determine (i) one or more of a first location coordinate and a second location coordinate of said eyes and (ii) a depth coordinate representing a distance of said eyes from said sensor, and (D) said depth coordinate is determined based on a comparison of a reference number of pixels of an object in a reference video frame to a current number of pixels of said object in said video frames.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said status information comprises said orientation of said one or more mirrors.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said status information comprises a position of a seat of said driver.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said position of said seat of said driver comprises a height, depth, recline and an angle of a bottom cushion of said seat.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interface is configured to connect to a communication device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said communication device is at least one of a satellite, an on-board diagnostics port of said vehicle and a cellular system.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is implemented as one of (i) a component of a camera and (ii) a video capturing device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reference number of pixels for said object is based on an object of known size.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said reference number of pixels is determined when said object of known size is at a known distance from said sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control signal is configured to generate a warning.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment is performed based on (i) a manual activation in a first mode, (ii) a pre-determined amount of time in a second mode and (iii) a change of said status information in a third mode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is configured to implement a depth sensing camera system for determining said depth coordinate.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said (i) adjustment of said mirrors is performed automatically and (ii) manual controls for said mirrors are available for manual adjustment of said mirrors.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determined field of view of said driver comprises a number of fields of view, each corresponding to one of a plurality of mirrors of said vehicle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said number of said fields of view is three.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second processor configured to (i) receive a bitstream generated by said sensor and (ii) transform said bitstream into said video signal of said driver.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said video signal comprises a plurality of digital images.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to generate a bitstream based on a targeted view implemented by a video capture device, wherein said targeted view is selected to capture a driver of a vehicle;

a first processor configured to (i) receive said bitstream from said sensor and (ii) generate a video signal based on said bitstream;

an interface configured to receive status information about one or more components of a vehicle; and

a second processor configured to generate a control signal in response to a determined field of view of said driver, wherein (A) said control signal is used to adjust one or more mirrors of said vehicle, (B) said field of view is determined based on (i) location coordinates for eyes of said driver and (ii) an orientation of said one or more mirrors, (C) said location coordinates for said eyes are determined based on analysis of one or more video frames of said video signal to determine (i) one or more of a first location coordinate and a second location coordinate of said eyes and (ii) a depth coordinate representing a distance of said eyes from said sensor, and (D) said depth coordinate is determined based on a comparison of a reference number of pixels of an object in a reference video frame to a current number of pixels of said object in said video frames.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said analysis of said video frames from said video signal is performed by (i) said first processor in a first mode and (ii) said second processor in a second mode.