US 12,444,210 B2
Driver monitoring systems and methods with coaxial camera and light source
Bernard de Mersseman, Andover, MA (US)
Filed by VEONEER US LLC, Southfield, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/961,127.
Prior Publication US 2024/0127608 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G06V 20/59 (2022.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)
CPC G06V 20/597 (2022.01) [G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10048 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30268 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A driver monitoring system of a vehicle, comprising:
a first infrared (IR) camera configured to capture a first image of a driver on a driver's seat within a passenger cabin of the vehicle;
an IR light source that is disposed between the first IR camera and the driver, that is optically coaxial with the first IR camera, and that is configured to output IR light to the driver;
a gaze module configured to determine a gaze of the driver based on the first image from the first IR camera; and
a monitor module configured to determine whether a location where the gaze of the driver intersects a vertical plane in front of the driver is within an area on the vertical plane,
wherein the gaze module is configured to determine the gaze of the driver based on (a) a distance between the driver and the first IR camera, (b) a location of a glint on a cornea of an eye of the driver in the first image, (c) a dimension of pixels of the first image, (d) a radius of the cornea of the driver, and (e) a focal length of the first IR camera, and
wherein the gaze module is configured to determine the gaze using the equation

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where a is the gaze of the driver, Z is the distance between the driver and the first IR camera, n is the location of the glint from the IR light source on the cornea in the first image, px is the dimension of pixels, r is the radius of the cornea, and F is the focal length of the first IR camera.