Lighting control device and lighting control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a lighting control device for controlling a plurality of lights provided inside a vehicle cabin, the lighting control device comprising: an image acquisition unit (11) that acquires a captured image from a camera (1) that images the vehicle cabin interior; an identification unit (12) that uses the captured image as a basis for identifying the behavior of at least one occupant from among a plurality of occupants and an attribute of another occupant and / or a state of another occupant different from the one occupant among the plurality of occupants; a state information acquisition unit (13) that acquires vehicle state information indicating a vehicle state of a vehicle; and a lighting control unit (14) that uses an identification result from the identification unit (12) and the vehicle state as a basis for selecting a target light to be turned on, and turns on the selected target light.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control device and a lighting control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an in-vehicle light control device that controls the lighting of an in-vehicle light provided in a vehicle has been known (for example, Patent Document 1). The in-vehicle light control device described in Patent Document 1 receives an input of a captured image including at least a part of the vehicle interior, detects a passenger in the vehicle interior from the received captured image, determines whether the passenger is performing a specific operation, and if it is determined that the passenger is performing a specific operation, turns on the in-vehicle light.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When it is determined that a certain passenger but is performing a specific operation, the in-vehicle light is turned on regardless of the actions and attributes of other passengers other than the passenger who performed the specific action. Therefore, there is a problem that the comfort of other passengers is impaired by the lighting of the in-vehicle light.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a lighting control device and a lighting control method that control lighting while maintaining the comfort of passengers in the vehicle interior.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by acquiring captured images from a camera, identifying the actions of at least one of several occupants and the attributes and / or status of other occupants based on the captured images, acquiring vehicle status information, selecting target lights to be illuminated based on the identification results and vehicle status, and illuminating the selected target lights. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, lighting can be controlled while maintaining the comfort of the occupants inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of a lighting control system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2A] This table shows the correlation between the target occupant, other occupants (first row, second row), vehicle condition, and the target lighting. [Figure 2B] This table shows the correlation between the target occupant, other occupants (first row, second row), vehicle condition, and the target lighting. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing the controller control process. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the subflow of step S40. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the subflow of step S90. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] ≪First Embodiment≫ Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a lighting control system according to this embodiment. The lighting control system according to this embodiment is a system installed in a vehicle and, based on images captured by an on-board camera, identifies the actions of at least one of a plurality of occupants, and the attributes and / or status of other occupants different from the occupant whose actions were identified. Based on the identification results and the vehicle status, the lighting control system selects target lighting to be illuminated and illuminates the selected target lighting.

[0010] In this embodiment, illumination Each component included in the control system will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a block diagram of each component of the lighting control system. The lighting control system includes a camera 1, an in-vehicle device 2, footwell lights 4, reading lights 5, cup holder lights 6, map lights 7, room lights 8, and a lighting control device 9.

[0011] Camera 1 is a camera installed in the vehicle that captures images of the interior of the vehicle. Camera 1 is activated in conjunction with the vehicle's power switch or accessory power being turned on, and continuously captures images of the interior of the vehicle, outputting the captured images to the lighting control device 9. Here, accessory power refers to the power supply that operates when the power switch is off. Onboard devices 2 include equipment that allows the occupant to control the vehicle state by operating it, such as a shift position, power switch, or accessory power switch, and detection devices that indicate the current state of the vehicle, such as a vehicle speed sensor and torque sensor.

[0012] Footwell lights 4, reading lights 5, cup holder lights 6, map lights 7, and room lights 8 are lights installed inside the vehicle. Footwell lights 4, reading lights 5, and cup holder lights 6 are installed in the driver's seat area, passenger seat area, rear left area, rear center area, and rear right area, respectively. Footwell lights 4 are lights that illuminate the area around the occupants' feet and are installed under the seats. The reading lights allow occupants to read books or mobile devices (such as smartphones or tablets). toThis is a light that illuminates the area around the user while they are holding an electronic device or other object in their hand. The reading light is installed on the headrest of the seat. The cup holder light 6 is a light that illuminates the cup holder installed in the passenger compartment. The cup holder has a hollow section with an opening to hold a cylindrical container, and the cup holder light 6 is composed of annular LEDs along the edge of the opening. The map lamp 7 is installed in the center of the ceiling above the front seats, and the room lamp 8 is installed in the center of the ceiling between the front and rear seats.

[0013] The lighting control device 9 identifies the actions of the occupants from the images captured by the camera and outputs control commands to the lights, such as the footwell lights 4, to switch between turning the lights on and off based on the identification result and the vehicle status. The lighting control device 9 has a controller 10. The controller 10 has at least the function of acquiring captured images, the function of identifying the actions of the occupants, the function of acquiring information on the vehicle status, and the function of controlling the lights, and each function is comprised of an image acquisition unit 11, an identification unit 12, a status information acquisition unit 13, and a lighting control unit 14 as functional blocks. The controller 10 has a processor and a memory that stores a program. The processor processes the program, and each function is executed. Note that the controller 10 may have functions other than the image acquisition unit 11, etc.

[0014] The image acquisition unit 11 acquires captured images of the interior of the vehicle from the camera 1. The identification unit 12 identifies the actions of at least one of the multiple occupants based on the captured images. The actions of the occupants identified by the identification unit 12 are identified by the position and movement of body and hand parts such as the occupant's hands, eyes, mouth, etc., facial expressions, the occupant's skeletal structure, etc. The identification unit 12 performs image processing on the captured images to extract the position and / or movement of body and hand parts. An example of an action identified by the identification unit 12 is: for example, the occupant searching for something at their feet (under the seat), such as a book or a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet). toActions such as holding and using items such as electronic devices, and actions such as drinking a beverage (actions of moving a beverage container to a cup holder, actions when taking out a beverage container from a cup holder, actions of drinking a beverage from a beverage container).

[0015] Further, the identification unit 12 may identify the items (objects) used by the occupant from the captured image. For example, when the occupant is drinking a beverage from a beverage container, the identification unit 12 identifies the beverage container as an item used by the occupant. For example, when reading a book or looking at a portable terminal, the identification unit 12 identifies the book or the portable terminal.

[0016] The identification unit 12 identifies the attributes and / or the states of other occupants different from the occupant whose actions have been identified. For example, when the occupant in the passenger seat performs an action of searching for something at their feet, the identification unit 12 identifies the action of the occupant in the passenger seat, and as other occupants other than the passenger seat, identifies the attributes and states of the occupants in the driver's seat and the rear seat. The attributes of the occupant are the distinction between adults and children, age, gender, etc. The state of the occupant is a state where the occupant is sleeping, a state where the occupant is talking, etc. Note that the identification unit 12 only needs to identify at least one of the attributes and states of other occupants. When there are a plurality of other occupants, the attributes and states may be identified for each occupant.

[0017] The state information acquisition unit 13 acquires vehicle state information indicating the vehicle state of the vehicle. The vehicle state is a parking state, a stationary state, a driving state, a starting state of the vehicle, etc. The starting state indicates a state where the vehicle switches from a parking state or a stationary state to driving. The state information acquisition unit 13 may acquire the vehicle state information from the in-vehicle device 2 such as a shift position, a vehicle speed sensor, a power switch, or a switch for accessory power.

[0018] The lighting control unit 14 selects target lighting to be lit based on the identification result by the identification unit 12 and the vehicle state acquired by the state information acquisition unit 13, and lights the selected target lighting. The lighting control unit 14 selects the target lighting according to the boarding position of the passenger whose action has been identified by the identification unit 12 and the identified action. For example, when the identification unit 12 identifies the action of "searching for something at the feet" as the action of the driver's seat passenger, the lighting control unit 14 selects the foot lamp 4 in the driver's seat area and the map lamp 7 in the central area as the target lighting from the lighting included in the driver's seat area and the plurality of lighting included in the central area. When it is the action of "searching for something at the feet", the lighting control unit 14 uses at least the foot lamp 4 that can intensively illuminate the lower part of the driver's seat as the target lighting. In addition, the lighting control unit 14 may select the foot lamp 4 in the vicinity area of the passenger whose part of the body is out of the viewing angle of the camera 1 as the target lighting from among the plurality of lighting.

[0019] Also, when it is the action of "searching for something at the feet", the lighting control unit 14 may use the map lamp 7 as the lighting target to make the lower part of the driver's seat brighter. The map lamp 7 illuminates not only the driver's seat but also the passenger seat. For example, when the passenger in the passenger seat is sleeping, the lighting of the map lamp 7 may cause the passenger to wake up. As another example, when it is the action of "searching for something at the feet", the room lamp 8 may be used as the lighting target to make the lower part of the driver's seat brighter. The room lamp 8 illuminates not only the driver's seat but also the rear seats. For example, when a child (especially an infant) is riding in the rear seat, the lighting of the room lamp 8 may startle the child, and the child may cry or make a noise. The lighting control unit 14 selects the target lighting based on the attributes of other passengers different from the passenger whose action has been identified and / or the state of other passengers.

[0020] For example, if the identification unit 12 identifies the driver's behavior as "searching for something at their feet," and identifies the passenger's attribute as "adult" and state as "sleeping," the lighting control unit 14 will exclude the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 from the target lighting, or will not select the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 as target lighting. On the other hand, if the identification unit 12 identifies the passenger's attribute as "adult" and state as "not sleeping," the lighting control unit 14 will select the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 as target lighting. Another example is if the identification unit 12 identifies the driver's behavior as "searching for something at their feet," and identifies the rear seat occupant's attribute as "child," the lighting control unit 14 will exclude the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 from the target lighting, or will not select the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 as target lighting. knowledge The separate unit 12 identifies the driver's action as "searching for something at their feet," and if there are no other occupants besides the driver, the lighting control unit 14 selects the map lamp 7 or room lamp 8 as the target light. This allows the footwell light 4 to be turned on, for example, if the passenger in the front seat is "sleeping" or if the passenger in the rear seat is a "child," while maintaining the comfort of the passenger in the front seat and the passenger in the rear seat, making it easier for the driver to search at their feet.

[0021] The lighting control unit 14 selects the target lighting according to the vehicle status. The lighting control unit 14 identifies the vehicle status indicated by the vehicle status information. For example, if the vehicle is in motion, the lighting control unit 14 does not select the map lamp 7 or the room lamp 8 as target lighting, regardless of the actions of the identified occupants. For example, if the vehicle is in motion and the passenger in the front seat is "looking for something at their feet," and there are no occupants other than the driver and front passenger, the lighting control unit 14 selects the footwell light 4 in the passenger seat area as target lighting, and does not select the map lamp 7 or the room lamp 8 as target lighting. On the other hand, if the vehicle is stopped or parked and the passenger in the front seat is "looking for something at their feet," and there are no occupants other than the driver and front passenger, the lighting control unit 14 selects the map lamp 7 and the room lamp 8 as target lighting in addition to the footwell light 4 in the passenger seat area. In other words, since the illumination of the map lamp 7 and room lamp 8 is not suitable while driving, the lighting control unit 14 excludes them from the target lighting.

[0022] In the above explanation, the method of selecting target lighting by the lighting control unit 14 was described in relation to the actions of the occupants, the attributes / states of other occupants, and the vehicle state. However, the lighting control unit 14 may also select target lighting by combining all of the following elements: the actions of the occupants, the attributes / states of other occupants, and the vehicle state. Furthermore, the lighting control unit 14 may select target lighting based on the actions of other occupants different from those of the occupant whose actions were identified. For example, if the driver's seat occupant and the passenger seat occupant are both "looking for something at their feet" while the vehicle is stopped or parked, it is highly likely that the occupants are searching for something not only under a specific seat but also over a wide area of ​​the vehicle floor. In such a case, the lighting control unit 14 will select at least the footwell lights 4 in the driver's seat area and the passenger seat area as target lighting, and will also select the map lamp 7 and the room lamp 8 as target lighting. The lighting control unit 14 will also select the footwell lights 4 in the rear seat area as target lighting.

[0023] The lighting control unit 14 selects the target lighting based on the occupant's actions, the attributes / states of other occupants, and the vehicle status, by referring to tables such as those shown in Figures 2A and 2B. Figures 2A and 2B are tables showing the correlation between the target occupant, other occupants (first row, second row), vehicle status, and the target lighting. For example, if the identification unit 12 identifies "reading" as the action of the passenger seat occupant, identifies "sleeping" as the state of the driver seat occupant, and the vehicle status is "stopped", the lighting control unit 14 extracts the operation number "19" from the table shown in Figure 2A and selects the target lighting by identifying the target lighting "passenger seat reading light 5 (passenger seat reading light)" which corresponds to the identification result and vehicle status. In Figures 2A and 2B, "target occupant" refers to the occupant whose actions have been identified by the identification unit 12, and "no conditions" indicates that the occupant's attributes and status are irrelevant.

[0024] After selecting a target light, the lighting control unit 14 sets the brightness of the target light according to the brightness inside the vehicle. The lighting control unit 14 determines the brightness from the image captured by camera 1. Alternatively, the lighting control unit 14 may determine the brightness inside the vehicle from the detection value of an illuminance sensor set inside the vehicle. The lighting control unit 14 then sets the brightness of the target light so that the illuminance of the target light increases as the brightness inside the vehicle decreases. While the vehicle is in motion, the lighting control unit 14 sets the illuminance of the target light to a brightness that does not affect the driver's driving. The lighting control unit 14 then outputs a control command to the target light to turn it on at the set illuminance.

[0025] The lighting control unit 14 determines, after the target light is turned on, whether the conditions for turning off the light are met based on the identification result of the identification unit 12 and / or the vehicle status. The conditions for turning off the light are the conditions for turning off the target light. The conditions for turning off the light include the completion of the identified action, the start of the vehicle, and a predetermined time elapsed since the light was turned on. Progress It includes at least one of the conditions that was met.

[0026] The identification unit 12 identifies the actions of the occupants while the target light is illuminated. The lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the light are met when the action identified when selecting the target light is completed, and turns off the target light. In addition, if the lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the light are met when it identifies the vehicle's starting state from the vehicle state while the target light is illuminated, it turns off the target light. For example, if the footwell light 4 in the driver's seat area is illuminated and the shift position changes from parking to drive, or if the vehicle state changes from stopped to driving based on the vehicle speed, the lighting control unit 14 turns off the footwell light 4 in the driver's seat area to avoid adverse effects on the driver's driving.

[0027] For example, consider a scenario where the driver in the driver's seat performs the action of "looking at a mobile device" while the vehicle is stopped and no other occupants are present. In such a scenario, the lighting control unit 14 illuminates the reading light 5 in the driver's seat area and the map lamp 7 in the central area based on the vehicle status and the driver's seat occupant's actions (see "Operation Number (11)" in Figure 2A). Suppose the driver has then finished the action of "looking at the mobile device". In environments unsuitable for camera 1 shooting, such as when the interior of the vehicle is dark, the identification unit 12 may not be able to identify from the captured image that the "looking at the mobile device" action has been completed, or it may take time to identify it. In other words, if the lighting control unit 14 determines that the off-light condition "the identified action has been completed" has been met and performs a process to turn off the map lamp 7, it will take time to turn off the map lamp 7. In this embodiment, by including the vehicle starting up as an off-light condition, even in situations where it takes time for the identification unit 12 to identify the occupant's actions, the target lights such as the map lamp 7 can be turned off due to the vehicle starting up. Furthermore, if the target lights are to be turned off due to the vehicle starting up, the lighting control unit 14 only needs to turn off the lights among the target lights that affect the driver's operation.

[0028] The lighting control unit 14 turns on the target lighting. Ta The system measures the elapsed time from a given point in time, and if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time, it turns off the target light. The predetermined time is the so-called time-out period and is set in advance.

[0029] Next, the control flow of the controller 10 will be explained using Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the control process of the controller 10. Figure 4 is a subflowchart of step S40 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a subflowchart of step S90 shown in Figure 3. Note that the control flows shown in Figures 3 to 5 are executed while the vehicle is stopped or parked.

[0030] In step S10, the controller 10 determines whether or not photography is permitted. For example, if photography by camera 1 is not permitted for privacy reasons, the controller 10 terminates this control flow ("N" in step S10). On the other hand, if photography is permitted, in step S20, the image acquisition unit 11 acquires the captured image from camera 1. In step S30, the status information acquisition unit 13 acquires vehicle status information indicating the vehicle status of the vehicle.

[0031] In step S40, the identification unit 12 performs image processing on the captured image and executes the action identification process. The control flow of the action identification process is shown in the subflow in Figure 4. In step S41, the identification unit 12 identifies the occupants. Occupant identification is based on the occupant's position in the vehicle, etc. In step S42, the identification unit 12 identifies the occupant's actions. In step S43, the identification unit 12 identifies the attributes and / or status of other occupants different from the occupant whose actions were identified. After completing the processing of the subflows in steps S41 to S43, the controller 10 executes the control flow in step S50.

[0032] In step S50, the lighting control unit 14 determines whether the identified action matches a specific action defined in the table shown in Figures 2A and 2B. The specific action is associated with the lighting to be controlled, and the actions shown in the "Target Occupant - Action" column in Figures 2A and 2B correspond to the specific action. If the identified action does not match a specific action, the controller 10 returns the control flow to step S20 and executes the control flow from step S20 onward. If the identified action matches a specific action, in step S60, the lighting control unit 14 selects the target lighting to be illuminated based on the identification result by the identification unit 12 and the vehicle status. Specifically, the lighting control unit 14 refers to the table shown in Figures 2A and 2B and selects the specific action that matches the identified action, the attributes of other occupants, and / or other occupants. state The system selects the target lighting by identifying the target lighting corresponding to the vehicle information.

[0033] In step S70, the lighting control unit 14 sets the brightness of the target light according to the brightness inside the vehicle. In step S80, the lighting control unit 14 turns on the selected target light at the set brightness. In step S90, while the target light is lit, the lighting control unit 14 determines whether the conditions for turning off the light are met based on the identification result of the identification unit 12 and / or the vehicle status.

[0034] The control flow for determining whether the conditions for turning off the lights are met is shown in the subflow in Figure 5. In step S91, the image acquisition unit 11 acquires an image, and the identification unit 12 identifies the occupant's actions based on the image. In step S92, the status information acquisition unit 13 acquires vehicle status information. In step S93, the lighting control unit 14 determines whether a specific action has been completed based on the action identified in the control process in step S91. The specific action is the specific action in the determination process in step S50, and corresponds to the action identified when selecting the target lighting. If it is determined that the specific action has been completed, the lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the lights are met (step S97).

[0035] If it is determined that the specific action has not been completed, in step S94 the lighting control unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle will start based on the vehicle status indicated by the vehicle status information acquired in the control process in step S92. If the vehicle will start, the lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the lights are met (step S97).

[0036] If it is determined that the vehicle will not start, in step S95 the lighting control unit 14 turns on the target light. Ta The system determines whether the elapsed time from that point in time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. If it determines that the elapsed time is less than the predetermined time ("N" in step S95), the lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the lights are not met (step S96). If it determines that the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time, the lighting control unit 14 determines that the conditions for turning off the lights are met (step S97).

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, step S90 and step S If the control flow from steps 91 to S97 determines that the conditions for turning off the lights are not met, the controller 10 repeatedly executes the control flow in step S90. If the conditions for turning off the lights are met, the lighting control unit 14 turns off the target lights in step S100. Then, the controller 10 terminates the control flow.

[0038] As described above, the lighting control device and lighting control method according to this embodiment acquire captured images from camera 1, identify the actions of at least one of the multiple occupants and the attributes and / or states of other occupants who are different from the one occupant based on the captured images, acquire vehicle state information indicating the vehicle state of the vehicle, select target lighting to be illuminated based on the identification results and vehicle state, and illuminate the selected target lighting. This makes it possible to control the lighting while maintaining the comfort of other occupants in addition to the occupant who performed the specific action.

[0039] In this embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 sets the brightness of the target lighting according to the brightness inside the vehicle. This allows the brightness of the target lighting to be adjusted to an appropriate illuminance according to the brightness inside the vehicle.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 determines whether the conditions for turning off the lights are met based on the identification result of the identification unit 12 and / or the vehicle status, and turns off the target lights if the conditions for turning off the lights are met. This allows the target lights to be turned off at an appropriate time.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 turns off the target light if the vehicle is started while the target light is on. This prevents adverse effects on the driver's operation caused by the target light being on.

[0042] In this embodiment, the image acquisition unit 11 acquires captured images only when imaging inside the vehicle interior is permitted. This helps to protect privacy.

[0043] In this embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 turns off the target light if the elapsed time since the target light was turned on exceeds a predetermined time. This allows the target light to be turned off due to a timeout.

[0044] As a modification of this embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 of the controller 10 turns on the target lights when the vehicle is being controlled by autonomous driving control while the vehicle is in motion, and prohibits the turning on of the target lights when the vehicle is being controlled by manual driving control. In particular, if the lights in the driver's seat area are included in the target lights, the lighting control unit 14 may control the turning on and off of the target lights as in the modification. This enhances the comfort of the driver's seat occupant during autonomous driving and avoids adverse effects on the driver's driving due to the turning on of the target lights during manual driving.

[0045] Although the control flows shown in Figures 3 to 5 describe examples executed while the vehicle is stopped or parked, when the vehicle is in motion, the controller 10 can simply execute the control flows shown in Figures 3 to 5, omitting the control flow in step S94.

[0046] In this embodiment, it is not necessary to execute all of the control flows shown in Figures 3 to 5; some flows may be omitted, and the order of the flows may be changed.

[0047] ≪Second Embodiment≫ Next, the second embodiment illumination The control system will now be described. The interior parts control system according to the second embodiment has an identification unit 12 and a lighting control unit 1 compared to the interior parts control system according to the first embodiment described above. 14 Some control functions are added. Except for the additional functions of the identification unit 12 and the lighting control unit 14, the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so the previously described explanation will be used for the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

[0048] Camera 1 is positioned so that its field of view includes the seat. Therefore, when an occupant is seated, Camera 1 is positioned so that its field of view includes part of the occupant's body. For example, when an occupant is seated, the field of view of Camera 1 includes at least the occupant's upper body but does not include the occupant's feet. To image occupants in the rear seats, Camera 1 can be installed on the roof (ceiling of the vehicle interior). Alternatively, Camera 1 may be a wide-angle camera to capture the rear seat cushions.

[0049] The identification unit 12 identifies the trajectory of a occupant's body when a part of their body moves out of the camera 1's field of view. For example, consider a scene where an occupant, while sitting in their seat, bends down to pick up an object from the floor (hereinafter also referred to as the "object-picking scene"). In this scene, when the occupant bends down from a seated position, their upper body moves downward relative to the seat. The identification unit 12 acquires captured images in a time series and identifies the trajectory of the occupant's upper body by extracting the movement of the occupant's body parts (upper body) from multiple captured images. For example, if the center of the camera 1's field of view is the center of the occupant's upper body, then in the object-picking scene, the trajectory of the upper body will be a line that extends downward from the center point of the field of view. In this way, the identification unit 12 identifies the occupant's actions when a part of their body moves out of the camera 1's field of view.

[0050] The lighting control unit 14 outputs a control command to the footlight 4 according to the body trajectory identified by the identification unit 12. First, the lighting control unit 14 identifies the direction in which the body trajectory deviates from the field of view (hereinafter also referred to as the "out-of-field direction"). Then, the lighting control unit 14 outputs a control command to turn on the light to the footlight 4 located in the out-of-field direction. The destination of the control command is Footlight 4 It is located outside the field of view of camera 1 and is installed in the area outside the field of view. The lighting control unit 14, in the case of a scene where an object is picked up, seat The area below the seat is identified as being outside the field of view. The lighting control unit 14 outputs a control command to the footlights installed at the feet of the crouching occupant to turn on the footlights. In other words, the lighting control unit 14 identifies the footlights 4, which are outside the field of view of camera 1 and installed in the area outside the field of view, as the device to which the control command should be sent, based on the trajectory of the body. As a result, when the occupant bends down to pick something up, their feet are illuminated.

[0051] As an example other than picking up an object, suppose the driver reaches out to retrieve an item from the roof pocket while the vehicle is stopped. The driver's hand moves from the steering wheel towards the roof pocket. The identification unit 12 identifies the hand's trajectory by extracting the hand's movement. The lighting control unit 14 identifies the direction from the steering wheel towards the roof pocket as the out-of-view direction. The out-of-view direction is the direction in which the hand's trajectory moves outside the field of view. The lighting control unit 14 outputs a control command to turn on the light (room lamp 8) installed in the direction of the field of view. As a result, when the driver tries to retrieve an item from the roof pocket, the light installed near the roof pocket turns on before the driver's hand touches the roof pocket.

[0052] Furthermore, the identification unit 12 identifies when a part of the occupant's body moves out of the camera 1's field of view and then returns to the field of view. For example, after a scene where an occupant picks up an object, the occupant returns their upper body to its original position, and the occupant's posture becomes that of a seated occupant. At this time, the upper body moves out of the field of view to pick up the object, and then returns to the field of view. The identification unit 12 identifies that the upper body has returned to the field of view. In other words, the identification unit 12 identifies from a series of upper body movements that the upper body moves out of the field of view and then returns to the field of view.

[0053] When the lighting control unit 14 detects that part of the occupant's body has returned to the field of view, it outputs an off command to the footwell light 4 to turn off the light. When the occupant picks up an object at their feet and returns to their original seated position, the lighting control unit 14 detects that the upper body has returned to the field of view and outputs an off command to turn off the footwell light 4. The lighting control unit 14 may also output an off command to the footwell light 4 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the moment it detects that the upper body has returned to the field of view. This allows the lighting of the footwell light 4 to be switched on and off according to the occupant's actions.

[0054] Furthermore, the lighting control unit 14 issues an off command after a predetermined time has elapsed since it identified that a part of the crew member's body has moved out of the camera 1's field of view. Footlight 4 The output may also be provided. This allows the footwell lights 4 to be turned off even if it is not possible to identify from the captured image that a part of the occupant's body has returned to the field of view.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment illumination control device or illumination The control method identifies the trajectory of the occupant's body when a part of it moves out of the camera's field of view, and outputs a control command to the footwell light 4 and / or room lamp 8 according to the identified trajectory. Footwell lights 4 and interior lights 8 Even if it is installed outside the field of view of camera 1, the crew's actions Footwell lights 4 and interior lights 8It can be identified that this is a specific action directed towards [the object]. In the above embodiment, the lighting control unit 14 output control commands to the footwell lights 4 and the room lamp 8, but it may also output control commands to switch the lights on and off to the reading lights 5, cup holder lights 6, and map lamps 7, not just the footwell lights 4 and the room lamp 8. That is, the lighting control unit 14 can identify [the object] by the identification unit 12. re Depending on the body's trajectory, a control command for lighting may be output to at least one of the following devices: the reading lamp 5, the cup holder light 6, and the map lamp 7. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1 Camera 2 Onboard equipment 4. Footlights 5 Reading lamp 6 Cup Holder Lighting 7. Map lamp 8. Room lamp 9. Lighting control device 10 Controllers 11 Image acquisition unit 12 Identification unit 13 Status Information Acquisition Unit 14 Lighting Control Unit

Claims

1. In a lighting control device that controls the lighting installed inside a vehicle, An image acquisition unit that acquires images from a camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle, An identification unit that identifies the actions of at least one crew member and the attributes of the other crew members based on the captured images, A status information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle status information indicating the vehicle's condition, A lighting control device comprising: a lighting control unit that selects a target light to be illuminated based on the actions of the occupant identified by the identification unit, the attributes of other occupants different from the occupant whose actions were identified, and the vehicle status, and illuminates the selected target light.

2. The lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control unit sets the brightness of the target lighting according to the brightness of the interior of the vehicle.

3. The aforementioned lighting control unit, Based on the identification result by the identification unit and / or the vehicle status, it is determined whether the conditions for turning off the lights are met. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, which turns off the target lighting when the above-mentioned conditions for turning off the lights are met.

4. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting control unit turns off the target lighting if the vehicle is started while the target lighting is illuminated.

5. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image acquisition unit acquires the captured image when imaging of the interior of the vehicle is permitted.

6. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting control unit turns off the target lighting if the elapsed time since the target lighting was turned on is longer than a predetermined time.

7. The aforementioned lighting control unit, If the vehicle is controlled by autonomous driving control, the target light will be turned on. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is controlled by manual driving control, the illumination of the target lighting is prohibited.

8. In a lighting control method that controls the lighting installed inside a vehicle and is executed by a controller, The aforementioned controller, Images are acquired from the camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle. Based on the aforementioned captured images, the actions of at least one crew member and the attributes of the other crew members are identified. Obtain vehicle status information that indicates the vehicle's condition, A lighting control method that selects a target light to be illuminated based on the identified occupant's actions, the attributes of other occupants different from the occupant who identified the actions, and the vehicle status, and illuminates the selected target light.

9. The aforementioned lighting control unit, It is determined whether the identified behavior matches a specific behavior associated with the lighting subject to illumination control. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the identified behavior matches a specific behavior, some of the lights are not selected as the target lights, depending on the attributes and / or state of the other occupants.

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