US 12,065,081 B2
Vehicular cabin monitoring system with camera and near IR light emitter at interior rearview mirror assembly
Justin E. Sobecki, Rockford, MI (US); Austen C. Peterson, Hudsonville, MI (US); Gregory A. Huizen, Hudsonville, MI (US); James A. Ruse, Allegan, MI (US); Yuesheng Lu, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Martin Solar, Erlenbach (DE)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US); and Magna Electronics Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/464,477.
Application 18/464,477 is a continuation of application No. 17/905,119, granted, now 11,780,372, previously published as PCT/US2022/072238, filed on May 11, 2022.
Application 17/905,119 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/905,109, granted, now 11,639,134, issued on May 2, 2023, previously published as PCT/US2022/070882, filed on Mar. 1, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/363,598, filed on Apr. 26, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/267,316, filed on Jan. 31, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,642, filed on Oct. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/260,359, filed on Aug. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/201,757, filed on May 12, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/201,371, filed on Apr. 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,451, filed on Mar. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,315, filed on Mar. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0025344 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60R 1/30 (2022.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01); B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 1/29 (2022.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); G06V 20/59 (2022.01); G06V 40/20 (2022.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 1/30 (2022.01) [B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 1/12 (2013.01); B60R 1/29 (2022.01); B60R 11/04 (2013.01); G06V 20/597 (2022.01); G06V 40/20 (2022.01); B60R 2001/1253 (2013.01); B60R 2011/0022 (2013.01); B60R 2011/0033 (2013.01)] 113 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:
a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an interior rearview mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base, the mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular cabin monitoring system;
wherein the interior rearview mirror head accommodates an interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the interior rearview mirror head accommodates electronic circuitry;
a driver monitoring camera accommodated by the interior rearview mirror head, wherein the interior rearview mirror reflective element and the driver monitoring camera move in tandem with the interior rearview mirror head when, with the mounting base of the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the interior rearview mirror head is adjusted by a driver of the equipped vehicle relative to the mounting base to set a rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver;
wherein the equipped vehicle is one selected from the group consisting of (i) a left hand drive vehicle and (ii) a right hand drive vehicle;
a first near infrared light emitter and a second near infrared light emitter accommodated by the interior rearview mirror head, wherein the first and second near infrared light emitters move in tandem with the interior rearview mirror head when, with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the interior rearview mirror head is adjusted by the driver of the equipped vehicle relative to the mounting base to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a left hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle, a beam of near infrared light emitted by the first near infrared light emitter, when electrically activated to emit near infrared light, is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the equipped left hand drive vehicle when the interior rearview mirror head of the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is adjusted by the driver of the equipped left hand drive vehicle to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver of the equipped left hand drive vehicle;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a right hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped right hand drive vehicle, a beam of near infrared light emitted by the second near infrared light emitter, when electrically activated to emit near infrared light, is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the equipped right hand drive vehicle when the interior rearview mirror head of the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is adjusted by the driver of the equipped right hand drive vehicle to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver of the equipped right hand drive vehicle;
a processor operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera;
wherein the processor is operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera at least for a driver monitoring function;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a left hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle, the first near infrared light emitter, when electrically activated to emit near infrared light, emits near infrared light for the driver monitoring function;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a left hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle, the second near infrared light emitter is pulsed on and off at a pulse rate that is less than a pulse rate of the first near infrared light emitter;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a right hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped right hand drive vehicle, the second near infrared light emitter, when electrically activated to emit near infrared light, emits near infrared light for the driver monitoring function;
wherein, when the equipped vehicle comprises a right hand drive vehicle and with the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the equipped right hand drive vehicle, the first near infrared light emitter is pulsed on and off at a pulse rate that is less than a pulse rate of the second near infrared light emitter; and
wherein, with the mounting base of the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and via the processor processing image data captured by the driver monitoring camera for the driver monitoring function, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver attentiveness is monitored, (ii) driver drowsiness is monitored and (iii) driver gaze direction is monitored.