Patent · US Expired

Vehicular restraint system control system and method using multiple optical imagers

US7164117B2 · kind B2 · utility

399Cited by
17References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 2004
Grant dateJan 16, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/89
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

System and method for obtaining information about occupancy of a compartment in a movable object in which at least first and second optical imagers obtain images of a common area of the compartment and spaced apart from one another. Processing circuitry derives information from the images obtained by the imagers. A light source may illuminate the common area of the compartment and be interposed between the imagers. The processing circuitry can include a microprocessor with at least one pattern recognition algorithm and be arranged to determine the distance between the imagers and an object in the common area by locating a specific feature in the common area by first locating the feature in only the image obtained by one imager, then determining the location of the same feature in the image obtained by another imager, and determining the distance of the feature from the imagers by triangulation.

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