US6961443B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Occupant sensor
Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition LLC
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Filing: 2001-06-15
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Granted: 2005-11-01
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Expires: 2021-06-15
Abstract
Abstract An occupant sensor incorporates a 3-D imaging system that acquires a 3-D image of an object. The image is segmented to remove unwanted portions and to identify a region-of-interest, and the content thereof is classified responsive to a plurality of 3-D features. In one embodiment, the 3-D image is transformed to a second 3-D image from a second viewing perspective. A two-dimensional projection of the second 3-D image is classified, and a presence, size and position of occupant can be identified from features thereof. A safety restraint system is controlled responsive to the detected scenario, including the presence, position and size of an occupant.
Inventors
- 👤 Naveed Mahbub
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 17:57
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/01; B60R21/015; B60R21/01512; B60R21/0153; B60R21/01538; G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/02; G01S17/04; G01S17/88; G01S17/89; G01S7/00; G01S7/48; G01S7/4802; G06; G06T; G06T7/00; G06T7/70; G06V; G06V40/00; G06V40/10; G06V40/103
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle, comprising: a. providing for acquiring a first three-dimensional image of a scene from a first viewing perspective; b. providing for segmenting said first three-dimensional image so as to identify a region-of-interest in said first three-dimensional image; c. providing for forming a second three-dimensional image by removing a portion of said first three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest; and d. providing for classifying a scenario responsive to an image content of said second three-dimensional image, wherein said image content is represented by a plurality of three-dimensional features selected from a volumetric central moment, a centroid, a volume, a volumetric roundness, a ratio of radii, a volume of a bounding cube, a ratio of volumes and a percentage of volume occupied.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle, comprising: a. providing for acquiring a first three-dimensional image of a scene from a first viewing perspective; b. providing for segmenting said first three-dimensional image so as to identify a region-of-interest in said first three-dimensional image; c. providing for forming a second three-dimensional image by removing a portion of said first three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest; and d. providing for classifying a scenario responsive to an image content of said second three-dimensional image, wherein said image content is represented by a plurality of three-dimensional features selected from a volumetric central moment, a centroid, a volume, a volumetric roundness, a ratio of radii, a volume of a bounding cube, a ratio of volumes and a percentage of volume occupied.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said portion of said first three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest comprises a portion of an image of an object selected from a dashboard of the vehicle, an interior of a side door of a vehicle, a scene outside a window of the vehicle, a floor of the vehicle, and a structural pillar in the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said operation of classifying comprises detecting the presence of an occupant from a plurality of said features of said second three-dimensional image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 3 , further comprising providing for tracking said occupant from one image frame to another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 3 , further comprising providing for detecting whether said occupant is located in an at-risk zone proximate to a safety restraint system.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 3 , further comprising providing for determining a size of said occupant from at least one feature of said second three-dimensional image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 1 , further comprising providing for controlling a safety restraint system responsive to said operation of classifying a scenario.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle, comprising: a. providing for acquiring a first three-dimensional image of a scene from a first viewing perspective; b. providing for transforming said first three-dimensional image to a second three-dimensional image from a second viewing perspective; c. providing for segmenting either said first three-dimensional image prior to said transforming operation, or said second three-dimensional image, so as to identify a region-of-interest in said first or said second three-dimensional image; d. providing for forming a third three-dimensional image by removing a portion of said first or said second three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest; and e. providing for classifying a scenario responsive to an image content of said third three-dimensional image, wherein said image content comprises a two-dimensional representation of said third three-dimensional image.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle, comprising: a. providing for acquiring a first three-dimensional image of a scene from a first viewing perspective; b. providing for transforming said first three-dimensional image to a second three-dimensional image from a second viewing perspective; c. providing for segmenting either said first three-dimensional image prior to said transforming operation, or said second three-dimensional image, so as to identify a region-of-interest in said first or said second three-dimensional image; d. providing for forming a third three-dimensional image by removing a portion of said first or said second three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest; and e. providing for classifying a scenario responsive to an image content of said third three-dimensional image, wherein said image content comprises a two-dimensional representation of said third three-dimensional image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 8 , wherein said portion of said first or said second three-dimensional image that is outside of said region-of-interest comprises a portion of an image of an object selected from a dashboard of the vehicle, an interior of a side door of a vehicle, a scene outside a window of the vehicle, a floor of the vehicle, and a structural pillar in the vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 8 , wherein said image content is represented by at least one two-dimensional feature selected from a central moment, a normalized central moment, an invariant moment, a perimeter, and area, a roundness, a bending energy, an orientation, an area of a bounding rectangle, a best fit ellipses, and eccentricity of a region of interest, a ratio of areas, and a central axis line.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 10 , wherein said operation of classifying comprises detecting the presence of an occupant from a plurality of said features of said third three-dimensional image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising providing for tracking said occupant from one image frame to another.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising providing for detecting whether said occupant is located in an at-risk zone proximate to a safety restraint system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising providing for determining a size of said occupant from at least one feature of said third three-dimensional image.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of sensing an occupant in a vehicle as recited in claim 8 , further comprising providing for controlling a safety restraint system responsive to said operation of classifying a scenario.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-10-31 | 2009-05-02 | 2009-11-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-10-31 | 2013-05-02 | 2013-11-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-10-31 | 2017-05-02 | 2017-11-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |