Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/01—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents
  • B60R21/015—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
  • B60R21/01512—Passenger detection systems
  • B60R21/01542—Passenger detection systems detecting passenger motion
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R1/00—Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/01—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents
  • B60R21/015—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
  • B60R21/01512—Passenger detection systems
  • B60R21/0153—Passenger detection systems using field detection presence sensors
  • B60R21/01538—Passenger detection systems using field detection presence sensors for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R2300/00—Details of viewing arrangements using cameras and displays, specially adapted for use in a vehicle
  • B60R2300/10—Details of viewing arrangements using cameras and displays, specially adapted for use in a vehicle characterised by the type of camera system used
  • B60R2300/107—Details of viewing arrangements using cameras and displays, specially adapted for use in a vehicle characterised by the type of camera system used using stereoscopic cameras
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
  • B60Y2400/00—Special features of vehicle units
  • B60Y2400/30—Sensors
  • B60Y2400/304—Acceleration sensors
  • B60Y2400/3042—Collision sensors

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device and a method for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a vehicle.
• Non-contact optical sensors are preferably used to determine the occupant position in the vehicle.
• a known device for object and person detection is arranged in the vehicle interior as a device separately formed from the actual control device for the personal protection means in such a way that either detection of an occupant on the vehicle seat or scanning of a danger zone in front of the folded airbag is made possible.
• the vehicle interior or at least part of it is preferably examined for the presence of an object or a person. If a child seat or a body part of an occupant is recognized in this danger zone, the airbag is not triggered or is triggered only in a metered manner.
• Such devices have, for example, at least one image acquisition unit and an evaluation unit for the data transmitted by the image acquisition unit.
• the detection unit supplies images which are subjected to pattern recognition or classification in a first operating mode in the following method.
• the classification takes place cyclically in the evaluation unit, for example by means of an image processing algorithm.
• the classification of the seat occupancy is linked to a complex evaluation in the first operating mode. This applies all the more if the entire observation area of the image acquisition unit (s) (from the dashboard to the seat back, from the seat cushion to the headliner) is evaluated, which has an impact on the computing time, particularly in the case of stereoscopic 3D image acquisition systems.
• the computing time is also strongly influenced if a comparatively high resolution is required; if a comparatively complex classification of the seat occupancy is carried out; when the head position in the room and its distance from the dashboard is calculated; and / or the entire image area (in the case of stereo also two full images) is read out by the image acquisition unit.
• evaluation means and / or methods which require valuable time units for the position evaluation are used by the control system as reaction time for personal protection are sometimes missing, which do not regularly meet the strict requirements.
• Known tracking methods have the following properties, alternatively or cumulatively: evaluation of a smaller image area, so-called subwindow, around the position of a defined body part; less spatial triggering; usually no classifications; Calculation of the body part position and the distance to the dashboard, or as an alternative, the definition of a danger area with checking the mere penetration of an object into the area with no distance calculations; and / or finally the limitation of the readout area of the image sensor (s) or acquisition units and thereby saving of readout time.
• the switchover from the first operating or classification mode to the second operating or tracking mode has been controlled by the image processing algorithm of the evaluation unit itself.
• the body part of the occupant to be tracked in particular its head, has already left the evaluation area that is restricted in the second operating mode, or that another object, for example an object flying around, is already located there.
• COOP Cosmetic Out Of Position
• This zone 13 is typically about 65 cm from the rest position 0 cm of the head 17. Up to the tap board 11 it is typically 80cm from the rest position at 0cm.
• a device 1, for example arranged on the headlining 14 of the interior 10 of a motor vehicle, for capturing an object or a person 16 in the interior 10 of a vehicle comprises an image acquisition unit 2, for example a stereoscopic 3D camera system, which transmits corresponding image data to an evaluation unit 3.
• the evaluation is ready at 0 ms, since the evaluation itself requires 100 ms.
• the 3D camera does not see any movement of the head after 100 ms.
• the evaluation is ready at 100 ms.
• the 3D camera sees a movement of approx. 5 cm, which, however, is not yet significant with a typical measurement error of +/- 2 cm.
• the evaluation is ready at 200 ms. The camera now perceives a significant movement of 20 cm.
• the center of a subwindow should be calculated using a suitable model so that it is set to the 45cm position at the current time.
• the head has moved more than one head diameter compared to the last 100 ms old evaluation.
• the head will reach the COOP zone within the next evaluation cycle.
• a message should be sent to the airbag control unit to deactivate the airbag in about 50ms. This would require an extrapolation of the measurement results from 20 cm to 80 cm - at least four times the distance traveled so far.
• the evaluation is ready at 300 ms, the 3D camera now detects a movement of 45 cm. In fact, the head has been in the COOP zone for about 50ms. But even at this point the current head position can only be medium of a model can be calculated from the history. In doing so, extrapolation must be carried out over twice the distance covered so far.
• the present invention is therefore based on the object, on the basis of the above-mentioned known device and the above-mentioned known method for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a vehicle, to take precautions which improve, in particular more timely, switching between the Allow device operating modes.
• the evaluation unit is preferably designed such that the second operating mode is activated as soon as the value of the vehicle acceleration exceeds a threshold value or the first operating mode is activated as soon as the value of the vehicle acceleration falls below a threshold value again.
• the values of the vehicle acceleration can preferably be obtained from an external airbag control unit.
• the device according to the invention preferably comprises an acceleration sensor itself.
• This can be an integral part of the evaluation unit or the image processing sensor, for example.
• the transmission rates of the acceleration value are advantageously just as small as the probability of errors when the information is transmitted, for example via a
• the integration of the acceleration sensor in the device has the one The advantage is that it is independent of the airbag control unit and any interference. On the other hand, no changes to the common airbag control units themselves are required. Thirdly, no additional data line, no additional utilization of existing data lines, and no increased computing power is advantageously required to send the data.
• the second operating mode preferably provides a scanning area for the image acquisition unit that is reduced compared to the first operating mode, which advantageously takes up less computing time.
• the second operating mode also provides an evaluation cycle for the evaluation unit that is shortened compared to the first operating mode. Due to the shorter cycle time, preferably 25 ms for each update, about four times more measurement values are available within the same measurement time interval, so that the head position can advantageously be extrapolated with considerably higher accuracy.
• cameras preferably stereoscopic 3D cameras, are preferably used as image acquisition units
• an object or person position can be o- when the object is actively irradiated.
• the person can preferably be determined using the methods of measuring the transit time or triangulation.
• the value of the vehicle acceleration is queried by the evaluation unit, preferably with a cycle time of 2 ms, in particular of 1 ms, which advantageously represents a significantly shorter cycle time than in the pure image evaluation.
• the first, current operating mode is terminated and the second operating mode, for example fast head tracking, is immediately interrupted , preferably based on the position data of the last head position measurement. Since the last head position, as illustrated by the example in the introduction to the description, is at most 100 ms old and the head has not yet experienced any external acceleration, the position will advantageously have changed significantly less than 5 cm.
• the next head position during tracking can then preferably be estimated even better using a comparison model.
• the second, current operating mode is terminated and the first operating mode is started again.
• the advantages of the invention lie in particular in the fact that the operating mode of the device can be switched significantly earlier, approximately 200 ms to 300 ms earlier, and thus in a timely manner. This increases the operational safety of the device considerably, since the physical parameter acceleration is now subject to a direct measurement, and no longer has to be determined indirectly from position measurements of the occupant.
• the timely switchover of the operating modes for example the head position in the second operating or tracking mode, can be measured with much higher security than before.
• the subwindow for tracking can be centered exactly on the head or another part of the body.
• the head position can be measured with much higher accuracy during the tracking by switching the operating modes in time.
• FIG. 2 shows the device according to the invention with an acceleration sensor arranged inside the evaluation unit
• FIG 3 shows the device according to the invention with an acceleration sensor arranged inside the image acquisition unit
• Fig. 4 is a flow chart of the method according to the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows schematically the forward displacement of an occupant's head during a braking operation from a rest position at 0 cm to a dashboard.
• the direction is indicated by means of an arrow, and the individual positions of the forward displacement are indicated by means of a dimension path.
• the device 2 shows the device 1 according to the invention with an image acquisition unit 2 and an evaluation unit 3 for the image data transmitted by the image acquisition unit 2.
• the evaluation unit 3 is connected to an external airbag control unit 5 for personal protection.
• the evaluation device 3 preferably comprises an acceleration sensor 4.
• FIG. 3 shows the device 1 according to the invention with an image acquisition unit 2 and an evaluation unit 3 for the data transmitted by the image acquisition device 2.
• the evaluation unit 3 is connected to an external airbag control unit 5.
• an acceleration sensor 4 is now part of the image capturing device 2.
• FIG. 4 schematically shows a flow diagram of the method according to the invention.
• Values of the vehicle acceleration are queried by the evaluation unit 3 with a cycle time of 1 ms to 2 ms. If these exceed a possibly filtered threshold value S, which is preferably approximately 2 m / s 2 , the current classification cycle is terminated and rapid head tracking based on the position data of the last head position measurement is started immediately. After the last head position is a maximum of 100 ms old and the head has not yet experienced any external acceleration, its position will have changed significantly less than 5 cm. Based on the measured acceleration values, the next head position during tracking can then be estimated even better using a model. When acceleration ends, the head will continue to move or slow down at maximum constant speed. If the A threshold speed can then be switched back to the classification mode.
• S possibly filtered threshold value
• an acceleration signal from an airbag control unit is used together with a measured movement of the occupant during a crash to define the deployment behavior of an airbag.
• the present invention advantageously makes use of the idea of using an acceleration signal to switch between different operating modes of a device for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a vehicle. For this purpose, not only crash signals, as in the aforementioned documents, but rather acceleration signals, such as those that occur, for example, during sharp braking, are evaluated and transmitted to an airbag control unit for the purpose of further processing, which is advantageous for personal protection.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=31983912

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2002
  • 2002-09-11 DE DE10241993A patent/DE10241993B3/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-09-04 US US10/527,250 patent/US7403635B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 KR KR1020057004131A patent/KR20050057300A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-04 WO PCT/DE2003/002939 patent/WO2004026637A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2003-09-04 EP EP03750318A patent/EP1536987A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-09-04 JP JP2004536838A patent/JP2005537986A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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