Vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298433-B2
Application number	US-202217745001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2022
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle includes a sensor and a determiner. The sensor is configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object including an occupant in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle and baggage in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle. The determiner is configured to determine a type of the in-vehicle object in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle based on a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor. The determiner is configured to perform a determination, the determination including determining that the in-vehicle object is either one of a child as the occupant or the baggage based on a tendency of a change in the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object; and
a processor configured to:
determine whether a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave is equal to or greater than a threshold;
in response to determining that the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave is equal to or greater than the threshold, determine that the in-vehicle object is an adult;
in response to determining that the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave is not equal to or greater than the threshold, obtain a temporal change in the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor; and
based on the temporal change, determine whether the in-vehicle object is either a child or a baggage.

2. A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object; and
a processor configured to:
determine that the in-vehicle object is a baggage in a case where a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor temporally decreases as compared with a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave immediately after boarding of the in-vehicle object to the vehicle, and
determine that the in-vehicle object is a child in a case where the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor immediately after the boarding is maintained even after a time period has elapsed.

3. The vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to
determine that the in-vehicle object is the baggage in a case where the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor temporally decreases by a predetermined amount or more as compared with the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave immediately after the boarding of the in-vehicle object to the vehicle.

4. A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object; and
a processor configured to determine a type of the in-vehicle object in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle based on a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor,
wherein, in a case where the vehicle shakes while the vehicle is in a stopped state, the processor is configured to:
determine that the in-vehicle object is a baggage in a case where the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor increases or decreases by a predetermined amount or more as compared with a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave prior to the shaking of the vehicle; and
determine that the in-vehicle object is a child in a case where the detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor does not increase or decrease by the predetermined amount or more as compared with a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave prior to the shaking of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object; and
a processor configured to determine a type of the in-vehicle object in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle based on a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor,
wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the in-vehicle object is a baggage in a case where a variation range of the detection level increases or decreases or in a case where the variation range of the detection level decreases beyond a variation range caused by movement of a chest surface that varies in accordance with respiration of an occupant of the vehicle.

6. A vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to output a millimeter radio wave toward a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and detect a millimeter reflection wave from an in-vehicle object; and
a processor configured to determine the in-vehicle object in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle based on a detection level of the millimeter reflection wave detected by the sensor,
wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the in-vehicle object is a baggage in a case where a variation range of the detection level increases or decreases or in a case where the variation range of the detection level decreases beyond a variation range caused by movement of a chest surface that varies in accordance with respiration of an occupant of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the in-vehicle object is the baggage in a case where a variation range of the detection level increases or decreases or in a case where the variation range of the detection level decreases beyond a variation range caused by movement of a chest surface that varies in accordance with respiration of an occupant of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle-interior monitoring apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the in-vehicle object is the baggage in a case where a variation range of the detection level increases or decreases or in a case where the variation range of the detection level decreases beyond a variation range caused by movement of a chest surface that varies in accordance with respiration of an occupant of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kawamura Kousei
• Kanagawa Tomoya

Classifications

• G01S13/886

  for alarm systems (alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22) · CPC title

• G01S7/415

  Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target · CPC title

• G01S7/412 Primary

  based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values · CPC title

• G01S13/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• B60R1/29 Primary

  for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo · CPC title