Patent ID: 8284252
Filing Date: 2012-10-09
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An action estimating apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit configured to repeatedly obtain a photographic image of an occupant of a movable object; a feature point detection unit configured to obtain feature point data indicating a position of a feature point of the occupant in the photographic image in response to obtaining of the photographic image by the image acquisition unit, the feature point being at least one predetermined point of a person's body; a model storage unit configured to store action estimation models of all specific actions in each of at least two predetermined person's-physical-feature classifications specified according to a person's physical feature, each of the action estimation models defining a position or a locus of the feature point in each of the specific actions, which an occupant may perform; a definite action detecting unit configured to detect that a definite action is being performed by the occupant using a method different from comparison between the feature point data and the action estimation models, the definite action being at least one of the specific actions specified beforehand; a weight determining unit configured to compare an in-action feature point with each of the action estimation models of the definite action and determine a classification conformity weight indicating a possibility that the occupant belongs to one of the person's-physical-feature classifications, which include the action estimation models, such that the classification conformity weight increases as a degree of coincidence increases, the in-action feature point being the feature point data obtained by the feature point detection unit while the definite action detecting unit detects the definite action; and an action estimating unit configured to: the at least two predetermined person's-physical-feature classifications include a first person's-physical-feature classification and a second person's-physical-feature classification different from each other according to a person's physical feature, the model storage unit is further configured to store a first action estimation model, which corresponds to the first person's-physical-feature classification, and a second action estimation model, which corresponds to the second person's-physical-feature classification, the weight determining unit is further configured to: