US 12,263,791 B2
Vehicular driver monitoring system with camera having micro lens array
Joern Ihlenburg, Berlin (DE); and Goerg Pflug, Weil der Stadt (DE)
Assigned to MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/303,793.
Application 17/303,793 is a continuation of application No. 14/098,817, filed on Dec. 6, 2013, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/770,048, filed on Feb. 27, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/734,457, filed on Dec. 7, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2021/0291751 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B60R 11/04 (2006.01); H04N 23/45 (2023.01); H04N 23/60 (2023.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 11/04 (2013.01) [H04N 23/45 (2023.01); H04N 23/60 (2023.01); B60R 2011/004 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
a camera disposed in a cabin of a vehicle and having a field of view that includes at least a driver's head region within the cabin of the vehicle, wherein the camera is operable to capture image data;
wherein the camera comprises an imager having an array of photosensing elements;
wherein the array of photosensing elements comprises a two-dimensional array of photosensing elements having at least one million photosensing elements arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
wherein the camera comprises a lens array disposed at the array of photosensing elements of the imager;
wherein the lens array of the camera comprises a two-dimensional array of lens elements arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
wherein the plurality of rows of the two-dimensional array of lens elements comprises (i) at least two rows of lens elements and (ii) at least two columns of lens elements;
wherein each lens element of the lens array is disposed over a respective sub-array of rows and columns of photosensing elements of the array of photosensing elements of the imager for imaging light onto the respective sub-array of rows and columns of photosensing elements of the array of photosensing elements of the imager;
an illumination source disposed in the cabin of the vehicle and operable to illuminate at least the driver's head region within the vehicle;
wherein the imager is sensitive to near infrared light, and wherein the illumination source, when operated, emits near infrared light;
an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera; and
wherein, with the illumination source operated to emit near infrared light, and responsive at least in part to image processing of image data captured by the sub-arrays of rows and columns of photosensing elements associated with the respective lens elements of the lens array of the camera, the vehicular driver monitoring system determines the head of a driver of the vehicle and determines the driver's facing direction.