Patent ID: 7098812
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: G01C,G06K

Abstract:
1. An operator identifying device for a vehicle with an operating section located between a driver's seat and a non-driver's seat to be operated from the driver's seat and the non-driver's seat, comprising: a photographing section configured and arranged to obtain image data of a prescribed region encompassing at least the operating section and at least one of a hand of a driver and a hand of a non-driver when the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver is extended toward the operating section; and an image processing section configured to extract a hand image that represents the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver from the image data by applying binary processing to the image data, to find a center of gravity of the hand image, and to determine an operator of the operating section based on whether the center of gravity is on a driver's seat side or a non-driver's seat side of a reference line that divides the image data into the driver's seat side and the non-driver's seat side when the at least one of the hand of the driver and the hand of the non-driver has been extended into the prescribed region, the image processing section being further configured to output an identification result to control an operation of a vehicle apparatus based on the identification result.