Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for determining vehicle occupant characteristic utilizing imaging with provided light

US6947575B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
16References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 24, 2001
Grant dateSep 20, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 16, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T7/254
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus (30) and associated method determine a vehicle occupant characteristic. An imager (32) collects a first image of an occupant location while the occupant location is subject to a first lighting condition. A light source (38) provides light onto the occupant location. The imager (32) collects a second image of the occupant location while the occupant location is subject to the first lighting condition and the provided light. A subtractor device (50) generates a third image of the occupant location indicative of the difference between the first and second images. An image processing device (52) processes the third image to determine the vehicle occupant characteristic.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.