Vehicle Occupant Behavior Determination via Multi-Resolution Image Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing occupant behavior determination systems in vehicles are limited in their ability to accurately determine various activities of occupants beyond facial recognition, as they primarily rely on image capture and analysis, which restricts the range of behaviors that can be identified.
Innovation Solution
An occupant behavior determining apparatus and method that incorporates a camera, face recognizing section, posture recognizing section, and behavior determining section, utilizing multi-resolution image analysis to capture and analyze images for facial, posture, and nearby object recognition, enabling comprehensive behavior determination within a vehicle cabin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If only facial recognition is used to determine occupant behavior, then the system complexity is low, but the range of detectable behaviors is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the behavior determination process into multiple independent recognition modules: face recognition section, posture recognition section, and nearby object recognition section. Each module processes specific aspects of occupant behavior independently, then the behavior determination section integrates these segmented results to comprehensively determine occupant activities, thereby expanding the detectable behavior range while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a multi-functional image processing system where a single camera captures images that are simultaneously processed for face recognition, posture recognition, and nearby object recognition. The behavior determination section serves as a universal decision-making component that handles multiple types of behavior determination based on integrated recognition results, making the system versatile in detecting various occupant activities including eating, drinking, smoking, and talking
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution images are captured continuously for behavior analysis, then behavior determination accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality processing by using low-resolution images for initial detection and only activating high-resolution image capture when specific conditions are met (such as when face or posture changes are detected). The image sensor operates in low-power mode for routine monitoring and switches to normal mode only when detailed analysis is required, thereby maintaining behavior determination accuracy while significantly reducing overall energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic behavior determination at different resolution levels: low-resolution periodic monitoring for general behavior detection, and high-resolution periodic analysis only when needed. This periodic action at varying quality levels ensures behavior determination accuracy is maintained when necessary while avoiding continuous high-resolution capture that would waste energy
Data Source
AI summary
An occupant behavior determining apparatus includes a surveillance camera that captures an image of an occupant of a vehicle to acquire an image; a face recognizing section that recognizes a face of the occupant based on the image; a posture recognizing section that recognizes a posture of the occupant based on the image; and a behavior determining section that determines a behavior of the occupant in a vehicle cabin based on a recognition result of the face recognizing section and a recognition result of the posture recognizing section.