WO2020031874A1

WO2020031874A1 - Image capture unit and passenger monitoring device

Info

Publication number: WO2020031874A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/030416
Authority: WO
Inventors: 民雄藤崎; 智史廣田
Original assignee: オムロン株式会社
Priority date: 2018-08-08
Filing date: 2019-08-02
Publication date: 2020-02-13
Also published as: JP2020025207A

Abstract

An image capture unit (10) is provided with an image capture unit (1) which captures an image of the face of the driver of a vehicle, an illumination unit which emits light illuminating the driver, a substrate (6) on which the image capture unit (1) and the illumination unit are mounted, and a housing (9) in which various parts are accommodated. The substrate (6) is disposed in the housing (9) with a plate surface (6a) lying along a front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions). The image capture unit (1) and the illumination unit are disposed on the plate surface (6a) so as to face upward (Z1-direction). A front face (9f) of the housing (9) opposing the driver is provided with a light entry window (9a) and a light exit window. The housing (9) has provided therein: a reception light reflecting unit (8a) which reflects light from the driver that has passed through the light entry window (9a) and guides the light to the image capture unit (1); a projection light reflecting unit which reflects light from the illumination unit, causes the light to pass through the light exit window, and guides the light to the driver; and a light shield wall (14) which, with respect to a light reception path from the light entry window (9a) to the image capture unit (1), partitions a light projection path from the illumination unit to the light exit window.

Description

Imaging unit, occupant monitoring device

The present invention relates to an imaging unit that images an occupant of a vehicle and an occupant monitoring device that monitors an occupant based on an image captured by the imaging unit.

車両 Some vehicles are equipped with an occupant monitoring device that monitors the occupants of the vehicle based on images captured by an imaging unit in order to prevent accidents in the vehicle. The imaging unit includes an imaging unit including an optical system such as an imaging element and a lens. The occupant monitoring device includes, in addition to the imaging unit, a control unit that performs image processing on an image signal output from the imaging unit, monitors a state of the occupant's face and eyes, and controls the operation of the imaging unit. ing. There is also an occupant monitoring device provided with a lighting unit for illuminating the occupant in order to make it easy to photograph the occupant.

For example, in the occupant monitoring device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, an imaging unit (camera), a control unit (control unit), and an illumination unit (near-infrared light irradiator) are separately installed in a vehicle. And the illumination unit are electrically connected, and the control unit controls operations of the imaging unit and the illumination unit. In addition, an image pickup unit and a mirror are arranged below the driver's front (instrument panel) so as not to obstruct the driver's view of the vehicle, and light from the occupant is reflected by the front window and the mirror of the vehicle. To the imaging unit.

Further, in the occupant monitoring device disclosed in Patent Document 2, an imaging unit (face image imaging device) in which an imaging unit (camera) and an illumination unit (light emitter) are housed in a single housing, faces a vehicle dash. It is installed near the meter on the board. Further, an imaging unit is electrically connected to a control unit (imaging control device) installed at another position of the vehicle.

In the occupant monitoring device disclosed in Patent Document 3, an imaging unit, a lighting unit, a control unit, an image processing unit, and the like are housed in a single housing, and the imaging unit and the lighting unit are directed toward the driver's face of the vehicle. In addition, the housing is installed on a handle shaft portion, an instrument panel, a rearview mirror, or the like of the vehicle.

JP 2009-136551 A JP 2013-146032 A JP 2017-207584 A

The imaging unit of the occupant monitoring device generally captures an image of the face of an occupant of a vehicle, for example, as disclosed in Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3. It is installed inside the dashboard, instrument panel, steering shaft, or rearview mirror. However, if the imaging unit protrudes greatly from the interior of the vehicle, the occupant's view of the front of the vehicle is narrowed, or the display on the instrument panel or the like is hidden, so that driving is hindered.

Further, as in Patent Document 1, when an imaging unit and a mirror are arranged at a position below the front of the occupant and light from the occupant is reflected by the front window of the vehicle and the mirror and guided to the imaging unit, the mirror is used. In addition to adjusting the position and orientation, the position and orientation of the imaging unit must be adjusted, which complicates the installation work on the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to reduce the size of the imaging unit of the occupant monitoring device and to facilitate the installation work.

An imaging unit according to the present invention accommodates an imaging unit that images an occupant of a vehicle, an illumination unit that emits light that illuminates the occupant, a substrate on which the imaging unit and the illumination unit are mounted, an imaging unit, an illumination unit, and a substrate. And a housing. The board is provided in the housing such that one surface of the board is along a first direction that is a direction in which the housing and the occupant face each other. The imaging unit and the illumination unit are provided on one plate surface of the substrate so as to face a second direction intersecting the first direction. The imaging unit is further provided in the housing so as to be inclined with respect to the imaging unit and the light entrance window provided on one side surface of the housing facing the occupant, and the occupant having passed through the light entrance window. A light receiving / reflecting unit that reflects light from the light source and guides the light to the imaging unit; a light emitting window provided on the one side surface of the housing so as to be adjacent to the light entering window; an illumination unit and a light emitting window adjacent to the light receiving / reflecting unit It is provided in the housing so as to be inclined with respect to the light, it reflects the light from the illumination unit, passes through the light exit window, guides to the occupant, and passes from the light entrance window in the housing to the light reception / reflection unit And a light-shielding wall for dividing a light-projecting path from the illumination unit to the light-emitting window via the light-projecting / reflecting unit with respect to the light-receiving path to the imaging unit.

Further, the occupant monitoring device according to the present invention monitors the occupant of the vehicle based on an image captured by the imaging unit of the imaging unit and the imaging unit, and controls the operation of the imaging unit. And a control unit.

According to the above, in the imaging unit of the occupant monitoring device, a light-entering window and a light-emitting window are provided on one side surface of the housing facing the occupant of the vehicle, and the inside of the housing has one plate surface in the first direction. A substrate is provided along the direction in which the body and the occupant face each other, and an imaging unit and a lighting unit are provided on one plate surface of the substrate so as to face a second direction intersecting the first direction. In addition, a light receiving / reflecting portion is provided in the housing so as to be inclined with respect to the imaging unit and the light entrance window, and a light projecting / reflecting unit is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the illumination unit and the light exit window. For this reason, by directing each window toward the occupant of the vehicle and projecting a portion of the housing where each window and each reflecting portion are provided from the interior of the vehicle, the light from the lighting unit is reflected by the light reflecting unit. Then, the occupant can be illuminated by passing through the light exit window to the occupant. Further, the light from the occupant can be transmitted through the light entrance window, reflected by the light receiving / reflecting unit, guided to the imaging unit, and the occupant can be imaged by the imaging unit. Then, the housing projecting from the interior and the projecting portion of the imaging unit can be reduced in size, and the occupant's view is less likely to be disturbed. Further, if the projecting portion of the housing is formed to be inclined in the same manner as each of the reflection portions, the projecting portion of the housing can be made smaller and the imaging unit can be made smaller. In addition, when installing the imaging unit in the interior of the vehicle, the position and orientation of each window with respect to the occupant may be adjusted, so that the operation of installing the imaging unit becomes easy. Further, a light receiving path from the light entrance window in the housing via the light receiving / reflecting unit to the imaging unit and a light emitting path from the lighting unit via the light emitting / reflecting unit to the light emitting window are separated by a light shielding wall. Therefore, the illumination light from the illumination unit and the reflected light from the occupant are reliably separated from each other so that stray light does not occur in the housing, and the occupant can be accurately imaged by the imaging unit.

According to the present invention, in the imaging unit, the direction in which the illumination unit is adjacent to the imaging unit, the direction in which the light emission window is adjacent to the light entrance window, and the direction in which the light projection reflection unit is adjacent to the light reception reflection unit are the same direction. The third direction may intersect the first direction and the second direction.

Further, according to the present invention, in the imaging unit, the imaging unit is mounted on one plate surface of the substrate and an optical system that optically adjusts light from the occupant, and converts the light from the optical system into an electric signal. An image sensor, and a lens barrel fixed to one surface of the substrate, holding the optical system at one end, and having the image sensor arranged inside the other end, the optical axis of the optical system and the lens barrel The central axis of the section and the imaging central axis of the imaging element may be perpendicular to the plate surface of the substrate.

According to the present invention, in the imaging unit, the illumination unit includes a light emitting element mounted on one plate surface of the substrate and a light emitting element fixed to the one plate surface of the substrate and emitting light emitted from the light emitting element on a light emitting / reflecting surface. And a reflector portion that diffuses toward the substrate, and the optical axis of the light emitting element and the central axis of the reflector portion may be perpendicular to the plate surface of the substrate.

According to the present invention, the imaging unit may further include a connector to which external wiring drawn from the housing is fitted, and the connector may be provided on one surface of the board.

Further, according to the present invention, in the imaging unit described above, the connector has a fitting portion that opens toward the other side of the housing facing the occupant, and the other side of the housing includes a fitting portion of the connector. An opening for exposing the portion may be provided.

According to the present invention, the size of the imaging unit of the occupant monitoring device can be reduced, and the installation operation can be facilitated.

FIG. 1 is an electrical configuration diagram of an occupant monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation example of the occupant monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the imaging unit of FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the imaging unit of FIG. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the imaging unit of FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG. FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of a conventional imaging unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First, the electrical configuration of the occupant monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is an electrical configuration diagram of the occupant monitoring device 100. The occupant monitoring device 100 includes an imaging unit 10 and a control unit 20, and is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

The imaging unit 10 includes an imaging unit 1, a lighting unit 2, and a connector 3a. The imaging unit 1 is provided with an imaging device 1a formed of an infrared image sensor. The imaging unit 1 captures an image of a driver's face, which is an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle. The lighting unit 2 is provided with a light emitting element 2a composed of an infrared LED (light emitting diode). The illumination unit 2 emits infrared light that illuminates an area including the face of the driver of the vehicle by causing the light emitting element 2a to emit light. Although the lighting unit 2 and the light emitting element 2a are each shown as one block in FIG. 1, a plurality of them are provided as shown in FIG. One end of an external wiring 30 such as a harness is electrically connected to the connector 3a.

The control unit 20 includes the control unit 4, the communication unit 5, and the connector 3b. The control unit 4 includes a microcomputer and a memory. The control unit 4 includes an image processing unit 4a and an occupant monitoring unit 4b. The communication unit 5 is provided with an electrical circuit for in-vehicle communication such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and a connector.

他端 The other end of the external wiring 30 is electrically connected to the connector 3b. For this reason, the imaging unit 10 and the control unit 20 are electrically connected via the external wiring 30, and mutually transmit and receive data and signals.

The control unit 4 controls the imaging operation of the imaging unit 1 of the imaging unit 10 and the light emitting operation of the illumination unit 2 via the external wiring 30. Data (signal) of an image captured by the imaging unit 1 is transmitted to the control unit 20 via the external wiring 30. The image processing unit 4a of the control unit 4 of the control unit 20 performs image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit 1, and detects the feature points of the driver's face in time series. The occupant monitoring unit 4b detects the driver's face direction, the state of opening / closing eyes, the line of sight, and the like based on the change in the feature point of the face, monitors these changes, and provides the driver with the driving of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not there is any abnormality that may cause trouble.

The control unit 4 outputs the monitoring result of the occupant monitoring unit 4b to another ECU provided in the vehicle via the communication unit 5 and external wiring (not shown) connected to the communication unit 5. Further, the control unit 4 receives information on the vehicle speed of the vehicle, the driver's getting on / off state, and the like from other ECUs and various sensors provided in the vehicle via the communication unit 5 and external wiring (not shown).

Next, the mechanical configuration of the occupant monitoring device 100 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of installation of the occupant monitoring device 100. The imaging unit 10 of the occupant monitoring device 100 is provided below the front of the driver 60 in the front part of the interior of the vehicle 50 so as to be able to image the face of the driver 60 sitting on the driver's seat of the vehicle 50. Installed on an interior 51 such as a dashboard, an instrument panel, or a steering shaft. Specifically, a part of the imaging unit 10 protrudes upward (Z1 direction) from the interior 51, and the rest is embedded in the interior 51. The control unit 20 is embedded in the interior 51 of the vehicle 50 and is electrically connected to the imaging unit 10 via the external wiring 30.

Next, the structure of the imaging unit 10 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the imaging unit 10. FIG. 4 is a front view of the imaging unit 10 (a view as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 3). FIG. 5 is a rear view of the imaging unit 10 (a view as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3). FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the housing 9 of the imaging unit 10 houses the imaging unit 1, the illumination unit 2, the connector 3a, the substrate 6, the holder 7, and the reflection units 8a and 8b.

には As shown in FIG. 2, a light entrance window 9a and a light exit window 9b are provided on the front surface 9f of the housing 9 facing the driver 60, as shown in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8. The light exit window 9b is provided adjacent to both sides of the light entrance window 9a in the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 directions). A transmission plate 15 for transmitting light is provided on the front surface 9f of the housing 9 so as to cover the light entrance window 9a and the light exit window 9b. An opening 9k is provided on the rear surface 9e of the housing 9 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper part 9 u of the housing 9 provided with the light entrance window 9 a, the light exit window 9 b, and the transmission plate 15 protrudes from the interior 51 of the vehicle 50, and the remaining lower part 9 d is inside the interior 51. The imaging unit 10 is installed in the interior 51 so as to be immersed in (see also FIGS. 2 to 4).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the housing 9, the substrate 6 is provided such that both plate surfaces 6 a and 6 b are parallel to the front-rear direction (X1 and X2 directions) of the housing 9. Further, a plate surface 6b facing downward (Z2 direction) of the substrate 6 is supported by a bottom 9t of the housing 9. The board 6 is made of a printed board, and is fixed to the bottom 9t of the housing 9 with screws or the like.

Note that the term “parallel” includes not only a case where the plate is completely parallel but also a case where the plate is substantially parallel (a state in which the plate surface is slightly inclined with respect to the front-rear direction). That is, the substrate 6 is disposed in the housing 9 so that both plate surfaces 6a and 6b are along the front-back direction (X1 and X2 directions) of the housing 9. The front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions) in this case is, as can be seen from FIG. 2, a direction in which the housing 9 and the driver 60 face each other, and is an example of the “first direction” in the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the up-down direction (Z1, Z2 direction) is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction (X1, X2 direction), and is the "second direction" in the present invention. This is an example. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 direction) is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction (X1, X2 direction) and the up-down direction (Z1, Z2 direction). This is an example of the “third direction” in the present invention. Also in this case, the above “vertical” includes not only the case of being completely vertical but also the case of being substantially vertical (a state slightly inclined from the vertical).

撮像 As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, etc., the imaging unit 1 includes an imaging element 1a,

optical systems

12, 13a, and a lens barrel 7a. The imaging element 1a is mounted on a plate surface 6a facing upward (Z1 direction) of the substrate 6. The image pickup surface (light receiving surface) 1b of the image pickup device 1a faces upward (Z1 direction) similarly to the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6. The

optical systems

12 and 13a include a lens 12 and an optical filter 13a.

The lens barrel 7 a is provided at the center of the holder 7. The holder 7 is fixed to the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6. The lens 12 and the optical filter 13a are held at one end (end opposite to the substrate 6) of the lens barrel 7a. The lens 12 is provided closer to the substrate 6 than the optical filter 13a. The image pickup device 1a is arranged inside the other end (end on the substrate 6 side) of the lens barrel 7a.

The optical axis of the lens 12, the center axis of the lens barrel 7a, and the center axis of the imaging device 1a coincide with the axis J1 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 6, and are perpendicular to the plate surfaces 6a, 6b of the substrate 6. It has become. The imaging unit 1 is provided in the housing 9 so as to face upward (Z1 direction) similarly to the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6.

照明 As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, etc., the illumination unit 2 includes a light emitting element 2a, a reflector unit 7b, and an optical filter 13b. The plurality of light emitting elements 2a are mounted on the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6 so as to be adjacent to both sides in the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 directions) of the imaging element 1a. The light-emitting surface 2b of the light-emitting element 2a faces upward (Z1 direction) similarly to the imaging surface 11a of the image-capturing element 1a.

A plurality of reflectors 7b are provided on both sides of the lens barrel 7a of the holder 7 in the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 directions) so as to correspond one-to-one with the light emitting elements 2a. The inner peripheral surface of the reflector portion 7b is formed in a truncated conical shape so as to expand as the distance from the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6 increases. An optical filter 13b is provided at one end (the end opposite to the substrate 6) of the reflector section 7b. The light-emitting element 2a is arranged inside the other end (the end on the substrate 6 side) of the reflector section 7b.

The optical axis of the light emitting element 2a and the central axis of the reflector section 7b corresponding to the light emitting element 2a coincide with the axis J2 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 8, and are perpendicular to the plate surfaces 6a and 6b of the substrate 6. It has become. The illumination unit 2 is provided in the housing 9 so as to face upward (Z1 direction) similarly to the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6 and the imaging unit 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, a light receiving / reflecting unit 8a is provided above the imaging unit 1 in the housing 9 (in the Z1 direction) and behind the light entrance window 9a (in the X2 direction). The light receiving / reflecting portion 8a is formed of a mirror that reflects light, and is fixed to the inclined portion 9v of the upper portion 9u of the housing 9 so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the imaging unit 1 and the light entrance window 9a. . In this example, the light receiving / reflecting portion 8a is set at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal direction (X1, X2 directions). The inclined portion 9v is formed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle similarly to the light receiving / reflecting portion 8a.

示す As shown in FIG. 8, a light projection / reflection section 8b is provided above the illumination section 2 in the housing 9 (in the Z1 direction) and behind the light exit window 9b (in the X2 direction). The light projecting / reflecting portion 8b is formed of a mirror that reflects light, and is fixed to the inclined portion 9v of the upper portion 9u of the housing 9 so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the illumination portion 2 and the light exit window 9b. . In the present example, the light projecting and reflecting portion 8b is set at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal direction (X1, X2 directions), similarly to the light receiving and reflecting portion 8a. As shown in FIG. 6, the light projecting / reflecting portion 8b is adjacent to both sides of the light receiving / reflecting portion 8a in the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 directions).

(4) The light receiving / reflecting portion 8a and the light projecting / reflecting portion 8b may be provided at the same angle as described above, or may be provided at different angles.

The direction in which the light projecting and reflecting unit 8b is adjacent to the light receiving and reflecting unit 8a (the Y1 and Y2 directions) is the same as the direction in which the illumination unit 2 is adjacent to the imaging unit 1 and the direction in which the light exit window 9b is adjacent to the light entrance window 9a. The direction perpendicularly intersects the front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions) of the body 9 and the upper part (Z1 direction) to which the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 face.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, a surface mount type connector 3a is provided on the right side (Y2 direction) of the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2. 7 and 8, the connector 3a is provided behind the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 (X2 direction) as viewed from the side, and is surface-mounted on the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6. . The connector 3a has a fitting portion 3b (FIG. 5) into which the external wiring 30 for electrically connecting to the control unit 20 is fitted. The fitting portion 3b of the connector 3a opens toward the rear surface 9e of the housing 9, as shown in FIG. The rear surface 9e of the housing 9 is provided with an opening 9k for exposing the fitting portion 3b of the connector 3a.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the external wiring 30 is fitted into the fitting portion 3b of the connector 3a through the opening 9k of the housing 9. Thereby, the external wiring 30 is pulled out rearward (X2 direction) from the housing 9, and the imaging unit 10 and the control unit 20 are electrically connected.

8, light (infrared light) emitted from the light emitting element 2a of the illumination unit 2 passes through the reflector unit 7b, passes through the optical filter 13b, and is reflected by the light projection / reflection surface. 8b. Then, the light reflected by the light-projecting / reflecting surface 8b passes through the light-emitting window 9b, passes through the transmission plate 15, and is projected toward the driver 60 as shown by a dashed line arrow in FIG. Is done. At this time, the reflector unit 7b diffuses the light from the light emitting element 2a toward the light emitting / reflecting surface 8b. The optical filter 13b optically adjusts the light diffused by the light projecting / reflecting surface 8b. The light projecting and reflecting surface 8b reflects the light from the optical filter 13b, passes through the light exit window 9b and the transmission plate 15, and guides the light to the driver 60. Thereby, the face of the driver 60 is illuminated with the infrared light.

As shown by the two-dot chain line arrow in FIG. 2, the light reflected by the face of the driver 60 and the like proceeds toward the imaging unit 10 and the light transmitted through the transmission plate 15 as shown by the two-dot chain line arrow in FIG. The light passes through the light entrance window 9a and is reflected by the light receiving / reflecting portion 8a. The light reflected by the light receiving / reflecting unit 8a passes through the optical filter 13a, the lens 12, and the lens barrel 7a of the imaging unit 1, and is received by the imaging element 1a. At this time, the light receiving / reflecting unit 8a reflects the light from the driver 60 that has passed through the transmission plate 15 and the light entrance window 9a, and guides the light to the optical filter 13a of the imaging unit 1. The optical filter 13a optically adjusts the light diffused by the light receiving / reflecting unit 8a. The lens 12 condenses the light transmitted through the optical filter 13a on the imaging surface 1b of the imaging device 1a (imaging the optical image of the driver 60). The image sensor 1a converts the light from the lens 12 into an electric signal and images the driver 60's face and the like.

As described above, the light emitting path from the illumination unit 2 to the light emitting window 9b via the light emitting and reflecting unit 8b, and the light receiving path from the light incoming window 9a to the imaging unit 1 via the light receiving and reflecting unit 8a. Are divided by a light shielding wall 14 (FIGS. 4 and 6) provided in the housing 9.

Next, the structure of the conventional imaging unit 70 will be described.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of a conventional imaging unit 70. In FIG. 10, for convenience, the same reference numerals are given to respective units corresponding to the imaging unit 10 shown in FIGS.

では In the conventional imaging unit 70, the board 6 is provided in the housing 79 in a vertical state so that the plate surfaces 6a and 6b face the front and rear directions (X1 and X2 directions) of the housing 79. A holder 7 that holds the imaging unit 1 and an illumination unit (not shown) is provided on a plate surface 6a of the substrate 6 facing the front (X1 direction) of the housing 79. The imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit face the window 79a provided on the front surface 79f of the housing 79. The window 79a faces the face of the driver 60 of the vehicle. Therefore, the light from the lighting unit passes through the window 79a and is projected on the face of the driver 60 or the like. The light from the driver 60 passes through the window 79a and enters the imaging unit 1.

挿入 An insertion mounting type connector 73 is mounted on the plate surface 6 b of the substrate 6 facing the rear (X2 direction) of the housing 79. The connector 73 is provided below the holder 7 (Z2 direction). A fitting portion (not shown) of the connector 73 opens toward the rear surface 79e of the housing 79. The external wiring 30 for electrically connecting to the control unit 20 is fitted into the fitting portion of the connector 73 through an opening 79k provided in the rear surface 79e of the housing 79.

The imaging unit 70 is installed in the interior 51 such that the upper part 79u of the housing 79 provided with the window 79a protrudes from the interior 51 of the vehicle 50 and the remaining lower part 79d is immersed in the interior 51.

In the imaging unit 1, the lens 12 and the optical filter 13a need to be installed at a predetermined distance from the imaging surface 1b of the imaging device 1a. In the illumination unit (not shown), the reflector unit (corresponding to 7b in FIG. 8) needs to have a certain length in order to diffuse light from the light emitting element, and an optical filter (corresponding to 13b in FIG. 8). Must be installed at a predetermined distance from the light emitting element.

Therefore, when the imaging unit 1 and the illuminating unit are arranged toward the window 79a facing the driver as in the conventional imaging unit 70, the upper part 79u of the housing 79 moves in the front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions) and the vertical direction. (Z1 and Z2 directions). Also, even if the substrate 6 is arranged vertically, the size of the housing 79 and the imaging unit 70 will be increased in the vertical direction. Also, providing the connector 73 on the side opposite to the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit with respect to the substrate 6 causes the housing 79 and the imaging unit 70 to be large in the front-rear direction. Further, in order to direct the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit toward the driver's face, the position of the window 79a of the housing 79 must be increased, so that the upper part 79u provided with the window 79a protrudes from the interior 51. And the driver's view is easily obstructed.

On the other hand, in the imaging unit 10 of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, a light incident window 9 a and a light exit window 9 b are provided on the front surface 9 f of the housing 9 facing the driver 60. The substrate 6 is provided so that one plate surface 6a extends in the front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions), and the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are directed upward (Z1 direction) on the plate surface 6a of the substrate 6. Provided. Further, a light receiving / reflecting portion 8a is provided in the housing 9 so as to be inclined with respect to the imaging section 1 and the light incident window 9a, and the light is reflected so as to be inclined with respect to the illumination section 2 and the light emitting window 9b. The light reflection part 8b is provided. For this reason, each

window

9a, 9b is turned to the face of the driver 60, etc., and the upper part 9u of the housing 9 provided with each

window

9a, 9b and each reflecting part 8a, 8b is moved from the interior 51 of the vehicle 50. By projecting the light, the light from the illumination unit 2 is reflected by the light emitting / reflecting unit 8b, passes through the light exit window 9b, is guided to the driver 60, and can illuminate the driver's 60 face and the like. Further, light from the driver 60 can be transmitted through the light entrance window 9a, reflected by the light receiving / reflecting unit 8a, guided to the imaging unit 1, and the imaging unit 1 can image the face of the driver 60 and the like. Compared with the conventional image pickup unit 70 shown in FIG. 10, in the image pickup unit 10 shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the upper part 9u of the housing 9 protruding from the interior 51 and the whole thereof are moved in the front-rear direction (X1, X2 directions). And in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 directions), and the visibility of the driver 60 is less likely to be obstructed. Further, by forming the inclined portion 9v of the upper portion 9u of the housing 9 so as to be inclined in the same manner as each of the reflecting portions 8a and 8b, the upper portion 9u of the housing 9 is made smaller and the imaging unit 10 is made smaller. can do.

In the imaging unit 10 of the present invention, the illumination unit 2 is brought close to the imaging unit 1, the light exit window 9b is brought close to the light entrance window 9a, and the light projection / reflection unit 8b is placed against the light reception / reflection unit 8a. When they are brought close to each other, their adjacent directions are the same. Needless to say, the adjacent direction is a left-right direction (Y1, Y2 direction) perpendicularly intersecting the front-rear direction (X1, X2 direction) and the up-down direction (Z1, Z2 direction) of the housing 9. Therefore, the size of the housing 9 can be reduced in the left-right direction (Y1 and Y2 directions), and the size of the imaging unit 10 can be reduced.

Furthermore, when installing the imaging unit 10 in the interior 51, the positions and directions of the

windows

9a and 9b with respect to the driver 60 may be adjusted, so that the installation work of the imaging unit 10 becomes easy.

Further, in the imaging unit 10 of the present invention, the light receiving path from the light entrance window 9a in the housing 9 to the imaging unit 1 via the light receiving / reflecting unit 8a and the illumination unit 2 via the light projecting / reflecting unit 8b. The light projecting path reaching the light exit window 9 b is separated by a light shielding wall 14. For this reason, the illumination light emitted from the illumination unit 2 and illuminating the driver 60 is reliably separated from the reflected light from the driver 60 so that no stray light is generated in the housing 9 and the driving by the imaging unit 1 is performed. It is possible to accurately image the face of the hand 60 and the like.

In the imaging unit 10 of the present invention, the substrate 6 is disposed in the housing 9 in a horizontal state, and the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are respectively directed upward (Z1 direction) on one plate surface 6a of the substrate 6. Provided. For this reason, the size of the housing 9 and the imaging unit 10 can be reduced in the front-back direction (X1, X2 directions) and the up-down direction (Z1, Z2 directions).

In the imaging unit 10 of the present invention, the axis J1 indicating the optical axis of the lens 12 of the imaging unit 1, the center axis of the lens barrel 7a, and the imaging center axis of the imaging element 1a is defined by the plate surfaces 6a and 6b of the substrate 6. Perpendicular to The axis J2 indicating the optical axis of the light emitting element 2a of the illumination unit 2 and the central axis of the reflector unit 7b is also perpendicular to the plate surfaces 6a and 6b of the substrate 6. For this reason, it is possible to further reduce the size of the imaging unit 10 in the front-rear direction (X1, X2 direction) and the left-right direction (Y1, Y2 direction).

In the imaging unit 10 of the present invention, since the connector 3a is surface-mounted on the one plate surface 6a of the substrate 6, the size of the housing 9 and the imaging unit 10 is reduced in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 directions). be able to. Further, since the fitting portion 3b of the connector 3a is exposed from the opening 9k provided on the rear surface 9e of the housing 9, the external wiring 30 for electrically connecting to the control unit 20 is connected to the connector 3a from behind. It can be fitted to the fitting portion 3b. Therefore, the size of the imaging unit 10 in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 direction) and the horizontal direction (Y1, Y2 direction) is larger than when the external wiring 30 is fitted from below or from the side of the housing 9. Can be suppressed. Also, the lower part 9 d of the housing 9 provided with the imaging unit 1, the lighting unit 2, the connector 3 a, and the board 6 and the external wiring 30 fitted to the connector 3 a are embedded in the interior 51 of the vehicle 50. In addition, the size of the projecting portions of the imaging unit 10 and the occupant monitoring device 100 from the interior 51 can be further reduced.

The present invention can employ various embodiments other than those described above. For example, in the above embodiment, the example in which the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are directed upward (Z1 direction) and the imaging unit 10 is installed in the interior 51 of the vehicle 50 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It does not do. In addition, the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are turned downward (Z2 direction), and the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are turned left and right (Y1 and Y2 directions), so that the imaging unit 10 It may be installed in the interior. Further, the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 may be directed in a direction that intersects at an arbitrary angle other than perpendicular to the front-rear direction (X1 and X2 directions). In these cases, one of the upper and lower portions of the housing 9 of the imaging unit 10 is protruded from the interior 51, and the other is immersed in the interior 51, or one of the left and right portions of the housing 9 is And the other may be immersed in the interior 51. That is, at least a portion of the housing 9 provided with the light entrance window 9a and the light exit window 9b may be protruded from the interior 51.

Further, in the above embodiment, the example in which the imaging unit 1 is provided with the lens 12 and the optical filter 13a as the optical system, and the illumination unit 2 is provided with the reflector unit 7b and the optical filter 13b as the optical system, The optical system provided in the illumination unit 2 is not limited to these, and other optical components may be provided, or the optical system may be partially or entirely omitted.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the imaging unit 1 and the illumination unit 2 are provided in the housing 9 of the imaging unit 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lighting unit 2 may be omitted.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which the imaging device 1a including an infrared image sensor is provided in the imaging unit 1 and the light emitting device 2a including an infrared LED is provided in the illumination unit 2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Instead, other imaging elements or imaging components may be provided in the imaging unit 1, or other light emitting elements or light emitting components may be provided in the illumination unit 2. Further, the number of illuminating units 2 may be appropriately selected.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the occupant monitoring device 100 that monitors the driver 60 by imaging the face and the like of the driver 60 of the vehicle 50. The present invention can also be applied to an occupant monitoring device that monitors the face of a person or a part other than the face.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the imaging unit 10 and the occupant monitoring device 100 for a vehicle including a four-wheeled vehicle has been described, but the imaging unit and the occupant monitoring device mounted on other vehicles are described. The present invention can also be applied to

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image pick-up part 1a Image pick-up element 2 Illumination part 2a Light-emitting element 3a Connector 3b Fitting part 6 Substrate 6a, 6b Plate surface 7a Barrel part 7b Reflector part 8a Light receiving / reflecting part 8b Light emitting / reflecting part 9 Housing 9a Light entrance window 9b Light emission Window 9e rear side (other side)
9f Front (one side)
9k aperture 10 imaging unit 12 lens (optical system)
13a Optical filter (optical system)
14 light shielding wall 20 control unit 30 external wiring 50 vehicle 60 driver (occupant)
100 Occupant monitoring device J1, J2 Axis X1, X2 Front-back direction (first direction)
Y1, Y2 left and right direction (third direction)
Z1, Z2 Vertical direction (second direction)

Claims

An imaging unit for imaging an occupant of the vehicle;
An illumination unit that emits light to illuminate the occupant;
A substrate on which the imaging unit and the illumination unit are mounted,
An imaging unit including the imaging unit, the illumination unit, and a housing that houses the substrate,
The substrate is provided in the housing such that one plate surface is along a first direction that is a facing direction of the housing and the occupant,
The imaging unit and the illumination unit are provided on the one plate surface of the substrate so as to face a second direction crossing the first direction,
A light incident window provided on one side of the housing facing the occupant;
A light exit window provided on the one side surface of the housing so as to be adjacent to the light entrance window,
A light receiving / reflecting unit is provided in the housing so as to be inclined with respect to the imaging unit and the light entrance window, and reflects light from the occupant passing through the light entrance window to guide the light to the imaging unit,
The occupant is provided in the housing so as to be adjacent to the light receiving / reflecting portion and inclined with respect to the lighting portion and the light exit window, reflect light from the lighting portion and pass through the light exit window. A light-emitting reflector that leads to
For a light receiving path from the light incident window in the housing via the light receiving / reflecting unit to the imaging unit, a light emitting path from the lighting unit via the light emitting / reflecting unit to the light emitting window. An imaging unit, further comprising: a light-shielding wall for dividing the image.
The imaging unit according to claim 1,
The direction in which the illumination unit is adjacent to the imaging unit, the direction in which the light exit window is adjacent to the light entrance window, and the direction in which the light projection reflection unit is adjacent to the light reception reflection unit are the same direction and the first direction. An imaging unit, which is a third direction intersecting with the second direction.
In the imaging unit according to claim 1 or 2,
The imaging unit,
An optical system for optically adjusting light from the occupant;
An imaging element mounted on one plate surface of the substrate and converting light from the optical system into an electric signal,
A lens barrel fixed to one plate surface of the substrate, holding the optical system at one end, and the imaging element disposed inside the other end;
An imaging unit, wherein an optical axis of the optical system, a central axis of the lens barrel, and an imaging central axis of the imaging element are perpendicular to a plate surface of the substrate.
In the imaging unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The lighting unit,
A light-emitting element mounted on one surface of the substrate,
A reflector portion fixed to one plate surface of the substrate and diffusing light emitted by the light emitting element toward the light projecting / reflecting surface,
An imaging unit, wherein an optical axis of the light emitting element and a central axis of the reflector section are perpendicular to a plate surface of the substrate.
The imaging unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Further comprising a connector into which external wiring drawn out of the housing is fitted,
The image pickup unit, wherein the connector is provided on one plate surface of the substrate.
The imaging unit according to claim 5,
The connector has a fitting portion that opens toward the other side of the housing facing the occupant,
An imaging unit, wherein an opening for exposing the fitting portion is provided on the other side surface of the housing.
An imaging unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A control unit electrically connected to the imaging unit, for monitoring an occupant of the vehicle based on an image captured by an imaging unit of the imaging unit, and controlling an operation of the imaging unit. And occupant monitoring device.