Seatbelt buckling detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501048-B2
Application number	US-201815875411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A computer is programmed to identify first and second regions of an image representing a seatbelt, actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and in the second region, and actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising a computer, the computer programmed to:
identify first and second regions of a seatbelt image;
actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and
actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

2. The system of claim 1 , the computer further programmed to:
actuate the output device to deliver the first output upon detecting an occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and an absence of the seatbelt in the second region; and
actuate the output device to deliver the second output upon detecting the occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

3. The system of claim 1 , the computer further programmed to select a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant.

4. The system of claim 1 , the computer further programmed to select a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of an occupant.

5. The system of claim 1 , the computer further programmed to actuate the output device to deliver a third output upon determining that an occupant is inattentive.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in a seat is expected to be located.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.

9. A method comprising:
identifying first and second regions of a seatbelt image;
actuating an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and
actuating the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
actuating the output device to deliver the first output upon detecting an occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and an absence of the seatbelt in the second region; and
actuating the output device to deliver the second output upon detecting the occupant in the image, an absence of the seatbelt in the first region, and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of an occupant.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising actuating the output device to deliver a third output upon determining that an occupant is inattentive.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in a seat is expected to be located.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.

17. A vehicle comprising:
a seat;
a camera aimed at the seat; and
a computer in communication with the camera and programmed to
identify first and second regions of a seatbelt image from the camera;
actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of a seatbelt in the first region and in the second region; and
actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the computer is further programmed to select a location in the image for the first region at a chest of an occupant and to select a location in the image for the second region above a shoulder and beside a head or neck of the occupant.

19. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the first region is located in the image where a chest of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located, and the second region is located in the image above where a shoulder and beside where a head or neck of an occupant of 50th-percentile stature sitting in the seat is expected to be located.

20. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the first output includes a first actuation of a user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed, and the second output includes a second actuation of the user interface and a limitation of vehicle speed.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Szawarski Hubert
• Le Jialiang

Classifications

• B60R2022/4891

  preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened · CPC title

• B60R22/48 Primary

  Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness · CPC title

• B60R2022/4866

  Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B60R2022/485

  for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like · CPC title

• G06K9/00845

  Physics · mapped topic