Method for carrying out a seat occupancy detection function of a vehicle, computer-readable medium, system, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for carrying out a seat occupancy detection function of a vehicle, the method having the steps of: detecting an occupant in a central seat of a second row of seats of the vehicle by means of the interior camera of the vehicle; receiving a confidence value for the detected occupant in the central seat of the second row of seats of the vehicle from the interior camera of the vehicle; if the confidence value for the detected occupant in the central seat of the second row of seats of the vehicle falls below a specified confidence threshold: detecting a belt status for a right outer seat and / or a left outer seat of the second row of seats of the vehicle; and if the belt status indicates that the detected occupant is buckled in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row of seats: assigning the detected occupant to the right outer seat or to the left outer seat on the basis of the belt status.

Description

[0001] Method for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle, computer-readable medium, system, and vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a method for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle. The invention further relates to a computer-readable medium for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle, a system for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle, and a vehicle comprising a system for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle.

[0003] Methods for detecting whether a seat in a vehicle is occupied are known from the prior art. An interior camera can be used to detect which seats are occupied. For example, an interior camera can be positioned centrally in the front, upper area of ​​the vehicle's interior to capture as many seats as possible. However, this camera placement can result in the camera not fully capturing passengers in the second row of seats. This can lead to an incorrect detection of the occupancy of the seats in the second row.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the invention to operate a vehicle's seat occupancy detection system more efficiently. In particular, an object of the invention is to detect the occupancy of a second row of seats in a vehicle more efficiently.

[0005] This problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

[0006] According to a first aspect, the invention is characterized by a method for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle. The method can be a computer-implemented method and / or a control unit-implemented method. The vehicle can be a motor vehicle. The method comprises detecting an occupant in a middle seat of a second row of seats in the vehicle using the vehicle's interior camera, and receiving a confidence value of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of seats from the vehicle's interior camera.If the confidence level of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle falls below a predetermined confidence threshold, the procedure includes detecting a seatbelt status for a right outer seat and / or a left outer seat of the second row of the vehicle, and assigning the detected occupant to the right outer seat or the left outer seat depending on the seatbelt status, if the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row is buckled up.

[0007] Advantageously, the system can efficiently detect and correctly assign occupancy to the middle seat in the second row of the vehicle. If an occupant in one of the two outer seats of the second row leans their upper body towards the middle seat and is detected by the interior camera in that seat, the system can efficiently prevent the occupant from being incorrectly assigned to the middle seat. This allows the seat occupancy system to determine the occupancy of the second row, and especially the middle seat, with increased confidence.

[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment, the method can further suppress the issuance of a seatbelt warning for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row if the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is buckled up in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row. This efficiently prevents an erroneous seatbelt warning from being issued for the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle.

[0009] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can also assign the detected occupant to the middle seat and / or issue a warning to fasten the seatbelt for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row if the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is not buckled up in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row. This allows for the efficient determination of the correct seat occupancy and the issuance of the correct seatbelt warning for the middle seat of the second row. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the occupant in the middle seat of the second row can be detected by the vehicle's interior camera while the vehicle is in motion. This allows for the efficient detection of any changes in seat occupancy while the vehicle is in motion.

[0010] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can also determine the total number of occupants in the second row of the vehicle based on historically detected occupants in the second row of the vehicle during a current journey using the interior camera and the seatbelt status of the left outer seat, the middle seat, and the right outer seat. Furthermore, it can assign the detected occupant to the right outer seat or the left outer seat based on the seatbelt status of all seats in the second row and the determined total number of occupants in the second row. This allows for a more precise determination of the occupancy of the second row of the vehicle, and in particular of the middle seat.

[0011] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a computer-readable medium for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer and / or a control unit, perform the method described above.

[0012] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a system for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle, wherein the system is designed to carry out the method described above.

[0013] According to another aspect, the invention is characterized by a vehicle comprising the system described above for operating a seat occupancy detection system for a vehicle.

[0014] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. All features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those subsequently mentioned in the description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone, are usable not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually.

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further details, preferred configurations, and further developments of the invention will be derived from these drawings. Specifically, the drawings schematically illustrate...

[0016] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary method for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle, and

[0017] Fig. 2 shows an example of the seating arrangement of a vehicle.

[0018] Figure 1 shows in detail an exemplary method 100 for operating a seat occupancy detection system in a vehicle. An interior camera can be used to detect which seats in a vehicle are occupied by vehicle occupants. The interior camera is preferably integrated centrally in the front, upper area of ​​the vehicle's interior, for example, in an interior rearview mirror or in the vehicle's headliner. By integrating the interior camera in the front, upper area of ​​the vehicle's interior, it can at least partially detect all seats in the vehicle. Seat occupancy detection in the vehicle may be necessary for one or more of the vehicle's functions.For example, seat occupancy detection may be necessary for a seatbelt reminder function that should only issue a reminder or warning when a vehicle seat is occupied by a vehicle occupant.

[0019] The interior camera's seat occupancy detection system can only partially identify occupants in the second row of seats if they are not sitting upright. For example, an occupant in a left or right outer seat in the second row might lean their upper body towards a middle seat. The more the occupant's upper body is leaning towards the center of the second row, the more difficult it becomes for the interior camera to correctly assign the occupant to a seat in the second row.In other words, the interior camera may assign an occupant to a second-row seat with less confidence. Because the second-row seats may be obscured by front seats, such as the driver's and / or front passenger's seats, an occupant leaning towards the middle seat of the second row might be incorrectly assigned to that seat by the interior camera's seat occupancy detection system. The seatbelt reminder function would then incorrectly issue a reminder or warning regarding the seatbelt for the middle seat of the second row.

[0020] Method 100 can detect an occupant in a middle seat of a second row of seats in the vehicle using the vehicle's interior camera 102. The detected occupant may be an occupant sitting in a right-hand outer seat or a left-hand outer seat of the second row of seats in the vehicle and leaning their upper body towards the middle seat. The occupant's leaning upper body can be recognized by the interior camera as an occupant in the middle seat of the second row of seats in the vehicle. At the same time, the interior camera cannot detect an occupant in the seat in which the detected occupant is sitting and in which the detected occupant is leaning their upper body towards the middle seat.

[0021] The procedure further includes receiving a confidence value of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle from the vehicle's interior camera. The confidence value can indicate the probability that the interior camera detects an occupant in the middle seat. The confidence value of the detected occupant can depend on the degree of inclination of the occupant's upper body as detected by the interior camera in the middle seat of the vehicle. If the confidence value of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle falls below a predetermined confidence threshold, the procedure can record a seatbelt status for a right outer seat and / or a left outer seat in the second row of the vehicle.If the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is buckled up in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row, procedure 100 can assign the detected occupant to the right outer seat or the left outer seat depending on the seatbelt status. Procedure 108 can suppress the issuance of a seatbelt warning for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row. In other words, procedure 100 does not issue a seatbelt warning for the detected occupant. The detected occupant is assigned to a seat and buckled up with the seatbelt of that assigned seat.

[0022] If the confidence level of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predefined confidence threshold, the procedure can assign the detected occupant to the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle. Determining the seatbelt status is not necessary to assign the detected occupant to a seat in the second row, in particular the middle seat.

[0023] If the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row is not wearing a seatbelt, procedure 100 can assign the detected occupant to the middle seat of the second row. 112 The detected occupant can be identified as not wearing a seatbelt by the procedure. Procedure 100 can issue a seatbelt warning for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row.

[0024] Figure 2 shows an example of a seat occupancy 200 in a vehicle 202. An interior camera 204 can detect all seats 206, 208, 210, 212, and 214 of the vehicle 202. An occupant 216 is sitting in seat 214 and leans forward toward seat 212. The interior camera 204 detects the occupant 216 in seat 212. Furthermore, the occupant 216 is secured with a seatbelt from seat 214. By querying the seatbelt status of seat 214, the interior camera 204's seat occupancy detection system can correctly assign the occupant 216 to seat 214. Incorrect assignment of the occupant 216 to seat 212 can be effectively prevented.

[0025] Advantageously, this method can more efficiently detect seat occupancy in a vehicle. If image processing software for the interior camera can only determine with a confidence level below a predefined threshold whether an occupant is seated in the middle seat of the second row or in one of the two outer seats of the second row, the method can detect the seatbelt status of the second row and use this information to assign the occupant to a seat in the second row. This efficiently increases the confidence level when assigning an occupant to a seat in the second row. Furthermore, it efficiently avoids issuing erroneous seatbelt warnings for a middle seat in the second row.

[0026] Reference symbol list

[0027] 100 procedures

[0028] 102 Identifying an occupant

[0029] 104 Receiving a confidence score

[0030] 106 Recording a seatbelt status

[0031] 108 Assignment of the identified occupant

[0032] 200 seat capacity

[0033] 202 vehicles

[0034] 204 Interior camera

[0035] 206 seats

[0036] 208 seats

[0037] 210 seats

[0038] 212 seats

[0039] 214 seats

[0040] 216 inmates

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for operating a seat occupancy detection system for a vehicle, the method comprising: Detection of an occupant in a middle seat of a second row of seats in the vehicle by the vehicle's interior camera; Receiving a confidence value of the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle from the vehicle's interior camera; If the confidence level of the identified occupant in the middle seat of the second row of the vehicle falls below a predetermined confidence threshold: Recording a seatbelt status for a right outer seat and / or a left outer seat of the second row of the vehicle; If the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is buckled up in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row: Assigning the identified occupant to the right outer seat or the left outer seat depending on the seatbelt status.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is buckled up in the right outer seat or the left outer seat of the second row: Suppressing the issuance of a seatbelt warning for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row.

3. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: If the seatbelt status indicates that the detected occupant is not in the right outer seat seat or the left outer seat of the second row is buckled up: Assigning the detected occupant to the middle seat; and / or issuing a warning to fasten the seatbelt for the detected occupant in the middle seat of the second row.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the occupant in the middle seat of the second row of seats of the vehicle is detected by the interior camera of the vehicle while driving. io 5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: Determining the total number of occupants in the second row of the vehicle based on historically detected second-row occupants of the vehicle during a current trip using the interior camera and the seatbelt status of the left outer seat, the middle seat, and the right outer seat; and Assigning the identified occupant to the right outer seat or the left outer seat depending on the seatbelt status of all seats in the second row and the determined total number of occupants in the second row.

6. Computer-readable medium for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer and / or a control unit, execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. System for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle, wherein the system is designed to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. Vehicle comprising the system for operating a seat occupancy detection system of a vehicle according to claim 7.

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