US 12,145,616 B2
Vehicular driver monitoring system
Justin E. Sobecki, Rockford, MI (US); and Austen C. Peterson, Hudsonville, MI (US)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/390,052.
Application 18/390,052 is a continuation of application No. 17/649,723, filed on Feb. 2, 2022, granted, now 11,851,080.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/199,918, filed on Feb. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0124014 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60W 50/16 (2020.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); B60W 40/08 (2012.01); G06V 20/59 (2022.01); B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 50/16 (2013.01) [B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 11/04 (2013.01); B60W 40/08 (2013.01); G06V 20/597 (2022.01); B60R 2001/1215 (2013.01); B60R 2011/0033 (2013.01); B60W 2050/143 (2013.01); B60W 2050/146 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2540/223 (2020.02)] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly within an interior cabin of a vehicle, wherein the camera views a driver operating the vehicle;
wherein the camera is operable to capture image data;
a light emitter disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly, wherein the light emitter, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light to illuminate at least a portion of the driver that is viewed by the camera;
an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the vehicle, wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera;
wherein image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at the ECU;
wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle;
wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on a comparison between the determined posture of the driver and a proper posture stored in memory, determines improper posture of the driver; and
wherein the proper posture stored in memory is determined based at least in part on a determined head position of the driver relative to the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.