Occupant monitoring device for vehicle and occupant protection system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155227-B2
Application number	US-201916458642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

An occupant monitoring device for a vehicle is configured to monitor an occupant sitting on a seat provided in the vehicle and includes a light projector, an imaging device, and a processor. The light projector is configured to project light toward the occupant sitting on the seat. The imaging device is configured to capture an image of the occupant sitting on the seat. The processor is configured to control the light projector and the imaging device to capture the image of the occupant sitting on the seat. In a case where a collision of the vehicle is neither predicted nor detected, the processor causes the imaging device to capture an image of behavior of the occupant corresponding to either one of travel control and behavior of the vehicle so as to change occupant protection control.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupant monitoring device for a vehicle configured to monitor an occupant sitting on a seat provided in the vehicle, the occupant monitoring device comprising:
a light projector configured to project light toward the occupant sitting on the seat;
an imaging device configured to capture an image of the occupant sitting on the seat; and
a processor configured to:
control the light projector and the imaging device to capture the image of the occupant sitting on the seat;
determine that a collision of the vehicle is unpredicted and undetected; and
control, based on the determination that the collision of the vehicle is unpredicted and undetected, the imaging device to capture an image of behavior of the occupant corresponding to one of travel control and behavior of the vehicle so as to change occupant protection control.

2. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, comprising:
an airbag member;
a seatbelt member;
the occupant monitoring device according to claim 1 ; and
an occupant protection controller configured to:
execute the occupant protection control based on the image of the occupant captured by the occupant monitoring device; and
change settings for the airbag member and the seatbelt member on a basis of the image of the occupant captured by the occupant monitoring device in a state where the collision of the vehicle is unpredicted and undetected,
wherein the seatbelt member is configured to support the occupant sitting on the seat, and
wherein, in a case where the collision of the vehicle is detected, the occupant protection controller is further configured to actuate the airbag member and the seatbelt member in the changed settings.

3. The occupant protection system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a traveling mode of the vehicle is a predetermined behavior-measurement traveling mode; and
control the imaging device to capture an image of a head of the occupant based on the determination that the traveling mode is the predetermined behavior-measurement traveling mode, and

wherein the occupant protection controller is further configured to change the occupant protection control in accordance with a position of the head and behavior of the head of the occupant imaged by the imaging device when the traveling mode is the predetermined behavior-measurement traveling mode.

4. The occupant protection system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the occupant protection controller is further configured to:
control operation of the airbag member and operation of the seatbelt member; and
change at least one of a start timing for actuating the seatbelt member, a support strength of the seatbelt member, a start timing for releasing the seatbelt member, a start timing for deploying the airbag member, a position of deployment of the airbag member, a direction of deployment of the airbag member, a size of deployment of the airbag member, a speed of deployment of the airbag member, or firmness of the airbag member when deployed, based on a position of a head and behavior of the head of the occupant in the captured image.

5. The occupant protection system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the occupant protection controller is further configured to:
control operation of the airbag member and operation of the seatbelt member; and
change at least one of a start timing for actuating the seatbelt member, a support strength of the seatbelt member, a start timing for releasing the seatbelt member, a start timing for deploying the airbag member, a position of deployment of the airbag member, a direction of deployment of the airbag member, a size of deployment of the airbag member, a speed of deployment of the airbag member, or firmness of the airbag member when deployed, based on the position of the head and the behavior of the head of the occupant in the captured image.

6. The occupant protection system according to claim 4 , wherein
the occupant protection controller is further configured to determine that the occupant is capable of sitting firmly in accordance with one of behavior of an upper body and the behavior of the head of the occupant in the image captured by the imaging device, and
based on the determination that the occupant is capable of sitting firmly, the occupant protection controller is further configured to delay the start timing for actuating the seatbelt member, increase the support strength, advance the start timing for releasing the seatbelt member, delay the start timing for deploying the airbag member, increase the speed of deployment of the airbag member, or increase the firmness of the airbag member when deployed, as compared with a case where the occupant is not capable of sitting firmly.

7. The occupant protection system according to claim 5 , wherein
the occupant protection controller is further configured to determine that the occupant is capable of sitting firmly in accordance with one of behavior of an upper body and the behavior of the head of the occupant in the image captured by the imaging device, and
based on the determination that the occupant is capable of sitting firmly, the occupant protection controller is further configured to delay the start timing for actuating the seatbelt member, increase the support strength, advance the start timing for releasing the seatbelt member, delay the start timing for deploying the airbag member, increase the speed of deployment of the airbag member, or increase the firmness of the airbag member when deployed, as compared with a case where the occupant is not capable of sitting firmly.

8. The occupant protection system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the occupant protection controller is further configured to change one of the position of deployment of the airbag member, the direction of deployment of the airbag member, and the size of deployment of the airbag member in accordance with one of a position of an upper body or the position of the head of the occupant in the image captured by the imaging device such that the airbag member deploys in a direction and to a position where one of the upper body and the head of the occupant is expected to tilt in response to an input of the collision.

9. The occupant protection system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the occupant protection controller is further configured to change one of the position of deployment of the airbag member, the direction of deployment of the airbag member, and the size of deployment of the airbag member in accordance with one of a position of an upper body or the position of the head of the occupant in the image captured by the imaging device such that the airbag member deploys in a direction and to a position where one of the upper body and the head of the occupant is expected to tilt in response to an input of the collision.

10. The occupant protection system according to claim 2 , wherein
the occupant protection controller is further configured to determine one of an upper body and a head of the occupant shakes by a predetermined amount or more based on an image captured in a traveling mode in which the vehicle is stopped by braking in one of a self-driving mode and a driving-support mode, and
the occupant protection controller is further configured to perform, based on the determination that one of the upper body and the head of the occupant shakes by the predetermined amount or more, a changing process to quickly start actuating the airbag member and the seatbelt member or to increase a force for supporting the occupant.

11. The occupant protection system according to claim 3 , wherein
the occupant protection controller is further configured to deter

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Ryota
• Tokizaki Junpei
• Marubashi Masayuki
• Onishi Keita

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G06V20/593

  Recognising seat occupancy · CPC title

• G06V20/597

  Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness · CPC title

• G06V40/172

  Classification, e.g. identification · CPC title