Detection system with a single mode laser for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12499695-B2
Application number	US-202318500187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2023
Priority date	Nov 4, 2022
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A detection system for a vehicle includes an imaging device configured to capture an image of an interior surface of the vehicle. An illumination assembly includes an array of laser diodes each configured to project an illumination, each laser diode is configured as at least one of a single mode laser or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (“VCSEL”). An optical element is proximate to the array of laser diodes and includes a collimation element for guiding the illumination to form at least one light spot. A processor is in communication with the imaging device and the illumination assembly. The processor is configured to communicate a signal to operate the array of laser diodes and process the image of the interior surface to detect at least one of a change in a location or a speckle content of the at least one spot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A detection system for a vehicle, comprising:
an imaging device configured to capture an image of an interior surface of the vehicle; an illumination assembly including:
an array of laser diodes each configured to project an illumination, each laser diode being configured as at least one of a single mode laser or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (“VCSEL”);
an optical element proximate to the array of laser diodes and including a collimation element for guiding the illumination to form an at least one light spot; and
a processor in communication with the imaging device and the illumination assembly, the processor configured to communicate a signal to operate the array of laser diodes, process the image of the interior surface to detect both a change in a location of the at least one light spot and pixel data that includes a speckle content of the at least one light spot corresponding to a grayscale intensity value that corresponds to the level of reflected light from the at least one light spot toward the imaging device.

2 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a presence of a vehicle occupant with the change in the location or the speckle content of the at least one light spot.

3 . The detection system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a vital sign of the vehicle occupant by changes in the speckle content as a result of movement in a micrometer or micro-radian scale.

4 . The detection system of claim 3 , wherein the vital sign includes at least one of a rate and magnitude of breathing or a pulse.

5 . The detection system of claim 2 , wherein determining the change in the speckle content of the at least one light spot includes comparing first pixel data of the at least one light spot captured at a first time to second pixel data of the at least one light spot captured at a second time that is after the first time.

6 . The detection system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect movement of the vehicle occupant by capturing the change in the location of the at least one light spot and extrapolate a depth and contour of the interior surface based on the change in the location of the at least one light spot.

7 . The detection system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a left behind condition if the vehicle occupant is in a rear compartment of the vehicle and a driver is not detected.

8 . The detection system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to generate an alert on a mobile device associated with the driver after a left behind condition is detected.

9 . The detection system of claim 7 , further including a temperature detection module communicating a current temperature within the vehicle to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to generate a signal to a vehicle system to at least one of open a window or control an HVAC system after the left behind condition is detected and the current temperature is within a threshold.

10 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light spot includes a plurality of light spots in a spot array.

11 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein each laser diode in the array of laser diodes is configured as the VCSEL.

12 . The detection system of claim 9 , wherein each laser diode is spaced uniformly on a common substrate.

13 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein each laser diode in the array of laser diodes is configured as the single mode laser.

14 . A detection system for a vehicle, comprising:
an imaging device configured to capture an image in a field of view of an interior surface of the vehicle; an illumination assembly configured to illuminate the field of view with a structured light pattern, the illumination assembly including:
a plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes (“VCSELs”) arranged in a laser diode array and configured to project a plurality of illuminations; and
at least one optical element configured to collimate the plurality of illuminations into the structured light pattern having a plurality of light spots; and
a processor in communication with the imaging device and the illumination assembly, the processor configured to communicate a signal to operate the laser diode array, process the image of the interior surface to determine a position of plurality of light spots in the structured light pattern, and extract a depth of the interior surface based on the position of the plurality of light spots.

15 . The detection system of claim 14 , wherein the optical element further includes a diffractive element configured to guide and replicate the illumination from a collimation element and increase the number of the plurality of light spots from the plurality of illuminations.

16 . The detection system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one optical element includes a plurality of optical elements, each optical element in alignment with one of the plurality of illuminations.

17 . The detection system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a presence of a vehicle occupant by extrapolating a contour of the interior surface based on the extracted depth.

18 . The detection system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a presence of a vehicle occupant and detect a vital sign of the vehicle occupant by changes in a speckle content of at least one of the plurality of light spots as a result of movement in a micrometer or micro-radian scale.

19 . A detection system, comprising:
an imaging device configured to capture an image in a field of view of a surface of an object; an illumination assembly configured to illuminate the field of view with a spot array pattern, the illumination assembly including:
a plurality of single mode lasers arranged in a laser diode array and configured to project a plurality of illuminations; and
an optical element configured to collimate the plurality of illuminations into at least one light spot; and
a processor in communication with the imaging device and the illumination assembly, the processor configured to communicate a signal to operate the laser diode array, process the image of the surface of the object to develop a baseline amount of vibrations based on environmental factors, to detect a change in a speckle content of the at least one light spot in the spot array pattern outside of the baseline, and identify a condition of the object based on the detected change in the speckle content outside of the baseline.

20 . The detection system of claim 19 , wherein the object is a vehicle occupant and the condition is a vital sign of the vehicle occupant detected by changes in the speckle content as a result of movement of the vehicle occupant in a micrometer or micro-radian scale.

Assignees

• Gentex Corp

Inventors

• Turnbull Robert R
• Raz Guy

Classifications

• G06V10/145

  Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings · CPC title

• E05Y2900/55

  Windows · CPC title

• E05F2015/767

  using cameras · CPC title

• G06T7/521

  from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light · CPC title

• G06T7/248

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title