Patent ID: 11093768

Abstract:
An occupant monitoring device includes processing circuitry to detect an eye of an occupant on a vehicle and to determine an eye opening degree of the eye using an image captured by an image capturing device having an automatic exposure adjusting function for adjusting an exposure time; to determine that the eye is closed when the eye opening degree of the eye is less than a predetermined eye opening degree threshold value; to deactivate the automatic exposure adjusting function when the automatic exposure adjusting function is active and the eye is determined to be closed; to detect brightness in a vicinity of the eye using an image which is captured by the image capturing device after the automatic exposure adjusting function is deactivated; and when the eye is determined to be closed, to determine that the occupant is in a drowsy state when the brightness in the vicinity of the eye is less than a predetermined brightness threshold value, and to determine that the occupant is in an awake state when the brightness is equal to or greater than the predetermined brightness threshold value.