US 12,134,387 B2
Vehicle occupant monitoring apparatus
Ryota Nakamura, Tokyo (JP); Junpei Tokizaki, Tokyo (JP); and Masayuki Marubashi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jan. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/155,219.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-033492 (JP), filed on Feb. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0271910 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2022.01); B60W 40/08 (2012.01); G06V 10/25 (2022.01); G06V 20/59 (2022.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G06V 40/20 (2022.01)
CPC B60W 40/08 (2013.01) [G06V 10/25 (2022.01); G06V 20/597 (2022.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G06V 40/28 (2022.01); B60W 2540/01 (2020.02); B60W 2540/223 (2020.02)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle occupant monitoring apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions causing the one or more processors to:
set an initial operation detection area serving as an imaging range of an imaging device configured to capture an image of an occupant in a vehicle;
process a captured image obtained by the imaging device, to determine a form of a non-contact operation intentionally provided by a hand of the occupant, wherein the form of the non-contact operation being a first sign or a second sign, wherein the first sign indicative of a state where the hand of the occupant is open and the second sign indicative of a state where the hand of the occupant is closed, wherein the non-contact operation is associated beforehand with a control of a device in the vehicle;
in response to the non-contact operation is determined to be the first sign, set a first operation detection area to determine a first non-contact operation, wherein the first operation detection area is a rectangular area having corners;
in response to the non-contact operation is determined to be the second sign, set a second operation detection area to determine a second non-contact operation, wherein the second operation detection area is different from the first operation detection area, wherein a shape of the second operation detection area is identical to a shape of a remaining area of the rectangular area excluding a rectangular part having only a lower corner of the corners from the rectangular area, the remaining area including other corners than the lower corner of the corners, and wherein the lower corner is closer to a first seat for another occupant of the vehicle adjacent to a second seat for the occupant of the vehicle than another lower corner of the corners;
determine the non-contact operation is one of (i) the first non-contact operation intentionally provided by the hand of the occupant within the set first operation detection area or (ii) the second non-contact operation intentionally provided by the hand of the occupant within the second operation detection area; and
output a control signal associated beforehand with the non-contact operation intentionally provided by the hand of the occupant to perform the control of the device in the vehicle.