Processing method, program, processing apparatus, and detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272920-B2
Application number	US-201414509251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2014
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A processing method for a processing apparatus, the processing method causing a computer of the processing apparatus to execute steps comprising: detecting a position and a state of a passenger inside a vehicle on the basis of information indicating a state of space including seats of the vehicle, the information obtained from a sensor provided inside the vehicle, notifying an operator of the vehicle of the detected position and state of the passenger, and transmitting, upon detecting an operation, which is performed by the operator of the vehicle, for controlling a device near the detected position of the passenger, a control command corresponding to the operation to the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing method for a processing apparatus, the processing method causing a computer of the processing apparatus to perform a process comprising:
detecting a position and a state of a passenger inside a vehicle on a basis of information indicating a state of space including seats inside the vehicle, the information being obtained from a sensor provided inside the vehicle;
notifying an operator of the vehicle of the detected position and the detected state of the passenger inside the vehicle; and
transmitting, upon detecting an operation, the operation being performed by the operator of the vehicle in response to the notifying, for controlling a device near the detected position of the passenger, a control command corresponding to the operation to the device,
wherein, the processing apparatus is connected to a display in front of the operator of the vehicle,
wherein, in the notifying, a display screen indicating a diagram including the seats inside the vehicle is displayed on the display, an icon corresponding to the detected state of the passenger inside the vehicle at a position of the diagram corresponding to the detected position of the passenger is displayed on the display, and an icon for controlling the device near the detected position of the passenger in the diagram is displayed on the display,
wherein, if it has been detected that the icon for controlling the device has been selected, a control command for the device corresponding to the selected icon for controlling the device is transmitted to the device,
wherein the information obtained from the sensor is information indicating temperature distribution in the space including the seats inside the vehicle, and
wherein the detected position of the passenger and whether the passenger is asleep are determined on a basis of the temperature distribution, and, if it has been determined that the passenger is asleep, an icon, indicating that the passenger is asleep, is displayed on the display.

2. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein an icon for controlling, among air conditioners installed at a plurality of positions inside the vehicle, an air conditioner installed near the detected position of the passenger is displayed, as the icon for controlling the device, on the display, and
wherein, if it has been detected that the icon for controlling the air conditioner has been selected, a control command for controlling at least any of air volume, set temperature, and a wind direction of the air conditioner corresponding to the icon for controlling the air conditioner.

3. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein whether the passenger is wearing a seatbelt is detected on a basis of the temperature distribution in the vehicle, and, if it has been determined that the passenger is not wearing the seatbelt, the operator of the vehicle is notified that the passenger is not wearing the seatbelt.

4. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a position of a seatbelt worn by the passenger is detected on a basis of the temperature distribution in the vehicle, and warning information is issued on a basis of the detected position of the passenger and the detected position of the seatbelt.

5. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
the processing method further causes the computer of the processing apparatus to perform detecting whether the vehicle is running or stationary,
wherein the display is inhibited from displaying the icon for controlling the device when the detecting detects that the vehicle is running, and
wherein the display is permitted to display the icon for controlling the device when the detecting detects that the vehicle is stationary.

6. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is an infrared array sensor, and
wherein the information obtained from the sensor is a thermal image indicating temperature distribution in the space including the seats inside the vehicle.

7. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle is an automobile.

8. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detected state of the passenger is a physiological state of the passenger.

9. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detected position and the detected state of the passenger is detected based on thermal imaging by the sensor.

10. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detected state of the passenger is a sleep state of the passenger.

11. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detected position is a position of a particular body part of the passenger.

12. The processing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operator of the vehicle is a driver of the vehicle.

13. A processing method for a processing apparatus, the processing method causing a computer of the processing apparatus to perform a process comprising:
detecting a position and a state of a passenger inside a vehicle on a basis of information indicating a state of space including seats inside the vehicle, the information being obtained from a sensor provided inside the vehicle;
notifying an operator of the vehicle of the detected position and the detected state of the passenger inside the vehicle; and
transmitting, upon detecting an operation, the operation being performed by the operator of the vehicle in response to the notifying, for controlling a device near the detected position of the passenger, a control command corresponding to the operation to the device,
wherein, the processing apparatus is connected to a display in front of the operator of the vehicle,
wherein, in the notifying, a display screen indicating a diagram including the seats inside the vehicle is displayed on the display, an icon corresponding to the detected state of the passenger inside the vehicle at a position of the diagram corresponding to the detected position of the passenger is displayed on the display, and an icon for controlling the device near the detected position of the passenger in the diagram is displayed on the display,
wherein, if it has been detected that the icon for controlling the device has been selected, a control command for the device corresponding to the selected icon for controlling the device is transmitted to the device,
wherein the information obtained from the sensor is information indicating temperature distribution in the space including the seats inside the vehicle, and
wherein whether the passenger is asleep is determined on a basis of an amount of variation in the temperature distribution over time, the variation in the temperature distribution being obtained from the sensor, and, if it has been determined that the passenger is asleep, an icon, indicating that the passenger is asleep, is displayed on the display.

14. A processing method for a processing apparatus, the processing method causing a computer of the processing apparatus to perform a process comprising:
detecting a position and a state of a passenger inside a vehicle on a basis of information indicating a state of space including seats inside the vehicle, the information being obtained from a sensor provided inside the vehicle;
notifying an operator of the vehicle of the detected position and the detected state of the passenger inside the vehicle; and
transmitting, upon detecting an operation, the operation being performed by the operator of the vehicle in response to the notifying, for controlling a device near the detected position of the passenger, a control command corresponding to the operation to the device,
wherein the information obtained from the senso

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Shikii Shinichi
• Kusukame Koichi

Classifications

• B60W2040/0827

  due to sleepiness · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title

• B60H1/00785

  by the detection of humidity or frost · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title