Occupant monitoring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10742857-B2
Application number	US-201916352665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

An occupant monitoring apparatus includes: an imaging unit; an illumination unit; a casing in which the imaging unit and the illumination unit are installed; optical films provided on driver's sides of the imaging unit and the illumination unit and optically adjusting incident light; a cover covering the imaging unit, the illumination unit, the casing, and the optical films; windows provided in the cover so as to face the optical films; supports provided on window frame portions; and supports provided in the casing so as to face the window frame portions. The supports provided in the casing support end portions of the optical films from the windows side. The supports provided on the window frame portions support the end portions from an imaging unit side or an illumination unit side. The optical films are sandwiched in the thickness direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupant monitoring apparatus comprising:
an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an occupant of a vehicle;
an illumination unit configured to project light toward an occupant side;
a casing in which one of the imaging unit and the illumination unit is installed; and
an optical film provided on the occupant side of one of the imaging unit and the illumination unit and configured to optically adjust incident light,
the occupant monitoring apparatus monitoring the occupant according to an image captured by the imaging unit, the occupant monitoring apparatus further comprising:
a covering member configured to cover the imaging unit, the illumination unit, the casing, and the optical film;
a window provided in the covering member so as to face the optical film,
a first support provided on a window frame portion of the window of the covering member; and
a second support provided in the casing so as to face the window frame portion,
the first support supporting an end portion of the optical film from a window side,
the second support supporting the end portion of the optical film from one of an imaging unit side and an illumination unit side, and
the optical film being sandwiched in a thickness direction of the optical film by the first support and the second support.

2. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a depression is provided in one of the window frame portion and the casing so as to be adjacent to one of the first support and the second support in a radial direction of the optical film,
wherein the first support and the second support are shifted from each other in the radial direction of the optical film, and
wherein the depression and one of the first support and the second support not adjacent to the depression face each other in the thickness direction of the optical film.

3. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the first support and the second support is provided so as to protrude toward the optical film.

4. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the optical film is formed in a rectangular shape, and
wherein at least one of the first support and the second support is provided in a plural manner so as to support vicinities of four corners of the optical film.

5. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first guide portion provided in the casing; and
a second guide portion provided in the covering member,
wherein the first guide portion and the second guide portion slide in a state of being engaged with each other and guide the first support and the second support such that the first support and the second support approach each other in the thickness direction of the optical film.

6. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the optical film is made of a polarizing film configured to change a phase of a polarization direction of incident light, and
wherein the window is configured of a hole formed so as to penetrate the covering member,
the occupant monitoring apparatus further comprising:
a transmission plate attached to the window so as to close the hole and configured to transmit light; and
a lens configured to form an image of incident light on an imaging surface of the imaging unit, and
wherein the transmission plate is provided such that a plate surface of the transmission plate is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the lens.

7. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the casing includes:
a through hole serving as a light path for one of the imaging unit and the illumination unit; and
an accommodation portion provided in the casing so as to communicate with the through hole and to face the window and configured to accommodate the optical film, and
wherein the second support is provided around the through hole in the accommodation portion.

8. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the imaging unit and the illumination unit are installed in the casing so as to be isolated from each other; and
wherein the optical film, the first support, the second support, the through hole, and the accommodation portion are provided for each of the imaging unit and the illumination unit.

Assignees

• Hirota Satoshi
• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Hirota Satoshi

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• B60R11/04 Primary

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2040/0872

  Driver physiology · CPC title