Infrared Occupancy Detection for Transportation Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing occupant detection systems in transportation vehicles do not accurately account for persons entering the vehicle, leading to uncertainty about available seats, which can result in overfilling.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle occupant detection system utilizing an infrared camera to sense persons within the vehicle and an electronic controller to process thermal images, compare the number of persons with the vehicle's capacity, and display the number of available seats, ensuring accurate representation of seating availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are located above the seats to detect open seats, then seat occupancy can be monitored, but the system cannot detect persons not yet seated, leading to inaccurate availability information
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared camera serves multiple functions: it detects both seated occupants (by analyzing the seat area) and standing persons (by analyzing the overall vehicle interior). This single device replaces what would otherwise require separate sensing systems for different occupancy states, achieving universal monitoring capability while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared camera acts as an intermediary sensing device that captures thermal radiation from all persons in the vehicle regardless of their position. By using thermal imaging as the intermediary detection method, the system can infer both seated and standing occupancy from a single comprehensive view, resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and system complexity.
2Reliability
If the system displays open seats based on seat sensors only, then seat occupancy is shown, but persons entering the vehicle cannot be immediately accounted for, causing overfilling
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared camera continuously monitors the vehicle interior before persons actually enter or sit down. By having the detection system already active and scanning the space, the system can immediately detect and account for persons as they enter, eliminating the time delay that would otherwise exist between entry and detection, thus preventing overfilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared camera provides continuous monitoring of the vehicle interior, maintaining constant detection capability rather than only triggering when seats are occupied. This continuous useful action ensures that persons are detected immediately upon entry, maintaining reliable occupancy information without time loss throughout the entire operation cycle.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional sensors are used above seats, then installation is simple, but the system cannot provide real-time accurate information on total persons in the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical contact sensors above seats with an infrared optical detection system. The infrared camera captures thermal radiation patterns to detect persons, substituting the mechanical sensing approach with an optical-thermal field-based approach. This substitution maintains ease of installation (mounting a camera is straightforward) while dramatically improving measurement precision for total occupancy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents overfilling by providing real-time accurate information on available seats, ensuring passengers are aware of the correct number of available spaces, thereby optimizing seating utilization.
Implementation Method 1
at least one infrared camera mounted in the transportation vehicle for sensing persons located within the transportation vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle occupant detection system for a transportation vehicle includes an infrared camera mounted in the vehicle for sensing persons therein. The infrared camera provides a camera signal to an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to process the camera signal to determine a number of persons disposed in the transportation vehicle, compare the number of persons to a number stored in memory and provide a number signal to a display for displaying the number of available seats in the transportation vehicle. The infrared camera can be a passive infrared camera that senses thermal images.