Device and method for seat supervision in motor vehicles

US6678598B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Matthias Hillebrand · Duisburg, DE
• Bedrich Hosticka · Rübhausen, DE
• Jose Conde, Jr. · Great Neck, US
• Nenad Stevanovic · Bochum, DE
• Andreas Teuner · Essen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 3, 2002
• Grant date: Jan 13, 2004
• Expiry date: May 3, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06V20/593
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device for seat supervision in motor vehicles has a pulsed monochromatic light source for the short-time illumination of a supervised space. An image sensor array (ISA) is also provided for recording an image of the supervised space. The ISA is provided with a global electronic shutter unit which permits the illumination time of the ISA to be adjusted independently of a readout clock of the ISA. A synchronization unit for synchronizing the operation of the pulsed laser source and the ISA is provided. Also provided is a control unit for controlling the light source and the ISA so as to create a first image of the supervised space during illumination of the same at a first time and to create a second image of the supervised space without illumination of the same at a second time. Finally, a unit for creating a difference image from the first and second images is also provided.