Vehicle Occupant Sensing With Vibration-Compensated Camera Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interior sensing systems, such as driver monitoring cameras, face challenges in commercial vehicles due to environmental and vibration-related issues, leading to image instability caused by the independent suspension of the driver's seat relative to the camera, which affects accurate monitoring of occupant behavior.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a camera with an accelerometer to capture image data and correlate displacement data, allowing for the compensation of raw feature points data to generate processed results indicative of occupant behavior, thereby mitigating the effects of vibrations and improving the accuracy of occupant monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a camera is fixed on the independently suspended cabin to monitor the driver, then the camera can capture driver movements, but the independent suspension of the driver's seat causes significant head movement relative to the camera, leading to image instability
Solution Approach 1:
An accelerometer is introduced as an intermediary device to measure the vibration and displacement of the camera mounting structure. The accelerometer data serves as a mediator between the unstable camera platform and the image processing system, enabling compensation for the relative movement between camera and driver through coordinate system transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the coordinate system parameters based on real-time accelerometer measurements. By transforming the image coordinates using displacement data from the accelerometer, the system adapts to the varying vibration conditions and maintains accurate driver monitoring despite seat suspension movements.
2Ease of operation
If the driver's seat has independent suspension for comfort, then driver comfort is improved, but this introduces significant head movement relative to the fixed camera, causing vibration-based noise in measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful vibration and displacement caused by seat suspension into useful information by using an accelerometer to measure these movements. The previously harmful relative motion between camera and driver is now quantified and used to compensate for image instability, transforming a reliability problem into a solvable measurement problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The accelerometer continuously provides feedback about the camera's vibration and displacement relative to the driver's seat. This feedback loop enables real-time compensation of image coordinates, allowing the system to maintain measurement accuracy despite the ongoing relative motion caused by independent seat suspension.
3Ease of manufacture
If common interior sensors are used in commercial vehicles, then implementation is straightforward, but they are not suited for commercial vehicles due to environmental requirements, vibration profile, and signal processing demands
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerometer serves multiple functions: it measures both the vibration and displacement of the camera mounting structure, providing comprehensive data for image stabilization. This multi-functional approach allows a single common sensor to address multiple challenges (environmental requirements, vibration profile, signal processing) that would otherwise require specialized equipment.
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
The system effectively filters out unwanted vibration-induced offsets, providing more accurate readings of driver behavior, enabling timely alerts and enhancing the accuracy of augmented reality displays, thus improving safety and user experience in vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The displacement data is a signal input obtained from at least one sensor, such as an accelerometer
Data Source
AI summary
A system for interior sensing in a vehicle includes a camera. The camera is configured to capture image data relating to an occupant within a vehicle. The camera is subject to a first coordinate system of the vehicle. The system includes at least one processor configured to identify feature points of the occupant from captured image data and generate raw feature points data. The at least one processor is configured to compensate the raw feature points data with displacement data correlated with a second coordinate system, and generate processed result data. The at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the processed result data, a set of occupant characteristics indicative of behavior of the occupant.