Vehicular driver monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11348374-B2
Application number	US-202117445631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 27, 2006
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed in a vehicle and including a mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly and views a driver sitting at a driver seat of the equipped vehicle. The camera is operable to capture image data. A control includes a vision system-on-a-chip image processor that processes image data captured by the camera. The control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines driver movement. The vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output responsive at least in part to the determined driver movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
a frameless interior rearview mirror assembly disposed in a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system, wherein the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror reflective element;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises a electro-optic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween;
wherein the front glass substrate comprises a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of the front glass substrate, and wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is at the second side of the front glass substrate and contacts the electro-optic medium;
wherein the rear glass substrate comprises a third side and a fourth side separated by a thickness of the rear glass substrate, and wherein an electrically conductive coating is at the third side of the rear glass substrate and contacts the electro-optic medium;
a camera disposed at the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein the camera views a driver sitting at a driver seat of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the camera is operable to capture image data;
a control comprising a vision system-on-a-chip image processor that processes image data captured by the camera;
wherein the control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines driver movement; and
wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output responsive at least in part to the determined driver movement.

2. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the determined driver movement comprises a hand gesture by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

3. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, recognizes hand gestures by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

4. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the control, responsive at least in part to recognition of a hand gesture, generates the output to control a device of the equipped vehicle.

5. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, recognizes sign language.

6. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror casing.

7. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 6 , wherein the front glass substrate of the electro-optic mirror reflective element is nested in a portion of the mirror casing.

8. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the portion of the mirror casing has an outer rounded surface that provides a curved transition from a sidewall of the mirror casing to the first side of the front glass substrate.

9. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 6 , wherein the camera is disposed behind the electro-optic mirror reflective element and views through the electro-optic mirror reflective element.

10. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a head up display device that projects information toward a windshield of the vehicle so as to be viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

11. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 1 , comprising a video display device having a video display screen operable to display video images viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

12. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the video display screen displays video images derived from image data captured by an exterior viewing camera disposed at the equipped vehicle.

13. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the video display device is disposed in the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein displayed video images are viewable through the electro-optic mirror reflective element of the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly.

14. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein, when a portable hand-held device is present in an interior cabin of the equipped vehicle, the portable hand-held device communicates a signal to a vehicle-based receiver, and wherein the video display device displays a listing of choices in responsive to communication of the signal, and wherein the listing of choices displayed by the video display device comprises at least one of (a) a listing of voice mail messages of a portable phone, (b) a listing of phone numbers of a portable phone, (c) a listing of received or transmitted emails, and (d) a listing of titles or tracks stored in memory of a portable playback device or downloadable from an external provider.

15. A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
a frameless interior rearview mirror assembly disposed in a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system, wherein the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween;
wherein the front glass substrate comprises a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of the front glass substrate, and wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is at the second side of the front glass substrate and contacts the electrochromic medium;
wherein the rear glass substrate comprises a third side and a fourth side separated by a thickness of the rear glass substrate, and wherein an electrically conductive coating is at the third side of the rear glass substrate and contacts the electrochromic medium;
a camera disposed at the frameless interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein the camera is disposed behind the electrochromic mirror reflective element and views through the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein the camera views a driver sitting at a driver seat of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the camera is operable to capture image data;
a control comprising a vision system-on-a-chip image processor that processes image data captured by the camera;
wherein the control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines driver movement; and
wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output responsive at least in part to the determined driver movement.

16. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein the determined driver movement comprises a hand gesture by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

17. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 16 , wherein the control, via processing at the vision system-on-a-chip image processor of image data captured by the camera, recognizes hand gestures by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

18. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 17 , wherein the control, responsive at least in part to recognition of a hand gesture, generates the output to control a device of the equipped vehicle.

19. The vehicular driver monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein the front glass substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element is nested in a portio

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc
• Magna Electronics

Inventors

• Kramer Mark E
• Lynam Niall R
• O'Connell David P
• Nise Vernon R

Classifications

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• B60K35/265

  Voice · CPC title

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title