Vehicle Cabin Monitoring With Adaptive Single-Camera Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current in-cabin sensor systems for vehicles typically focus on either the driver or passengers, requiring multiple specialized and costly sensors to monitor the full cabin scene, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A single camera is used to capture images of the entire vehicle cabin, with an efficient method to apply different monitoring algorithms based on the state of occupants, reducing costs and compute time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple specialized sensors are used to monitor the full cabin scene, then monitoring coverage is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a single camera to perform multiple monitoring functions that traditionally required multiple specialized sensors. The camera captures full cabin scenes including driver and passenger areas, enabling comprehensive monitoring coverage while reducing system cost and complexity by replacing multiple sensors with one universal imaging device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of multiple specialized sensors into a single camera system. By combining driver monitoring, passenger monitoring, and full cabin scene capture into one device, the system achieves comprehensive coverage while reducing the number of components, installation complexity, and overall system cost.
2Measurement precision
If multiple specialized sensors are used to monitor the full cabin scene, then monitoring coverage is improved, but computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring task into different processing stages: initial frame capture, state determination, and selective algorithm application. By dividing the computational workload and applying different monitoring algorithms to different sets of images based on detected states, the system reduces overall computational resource requirements while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies monitoring algorithms selectively rather than continuously to all images. Based on the determined state from initial image analysis, the system chooses whether to apply full monitoring algorithms or reduced algorithms to subsequent images, optimizing computational resource usage by avoiding redundant processing when full monitoring is not required.
Data Source
AI summary
Monitoring of a full cabin of a vehicle (e.g., including driver and passengers) is provided using a single 2D camera and adaptively applying monitoring algorithms based on different signals, based on a person's state as determined from images of the cabin and/or based on a signal from a non-image sensor. Together with logic to decide which algorithms to run based on available compute resources, embodiments of the invention provide efficient monitoring of the vehicle.