Patent ID: 6116640
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: B60R,G06K,G06T

Abstract:
An apparatus for determining an occupant's posture, comprising:a sensor having at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays each comprising a plurality of photosensor elements, said sensor forming an image of an occupant;a distance measurement processor that derives a distance distribution in each of at least one linear field of view that is monitored by said at least one pair of linear photosensor arrays, from the image of the occupant formed by said sensor; andan occupant discrimination processor that compares a pattern of the distance distribution with a plurality of model patterns of distance distributions that are preliminarily stored in the occupant discrimination processor, so as to determine the presence and posture of the occupant;wherein said at least one linear field of view is set to extend in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the occupant, said occupant discrimination processor checking if the pattern of the distance distribution in each of said at least one linear field of view has symmetry in a lateral direction, and then determining the posture of the occupant by comparing the pattern of the distance distribution with a group of the model patterns of distance distributions that is preliminarily selected depending upon whether the pattern of the distance distribution has symmetry or not.