Patent ID: 8195356

Claim:
A method for testing an image based occupant classification system comprising an image sensor, the method comprising: constructing a fault tree that includes: a plurality of first physical events that cause the image based occupant classification system to malfunction when the image sensor obtains a valid image; and a plurality of second physical events that cause the image sensor to obtain an invalid image; identifying a plurality of test occupants for a vehicle; randomly selecting at least one of the first physical events from the fault tree; randomly selecting at least one of the second physical events from the fault tree; randomly selecting a test occupant from the plurality of test occupants; physically introducing said randomly selected first physical event, said randomly selected second physical event, and said randomly selected test occupant to the image sensor at different times; operating the image sensor to facilitate determination of an occupant characteristic by the image based occupant classification system for each of said randomly selected first physical event, said randomly selected second physical event, and said randomly selected test occupant; determining whether the image based occupant classification system properly identified a characteristic of the test occupant for each of said randomly selected first physical event, said randomly selected second physical event, and said randomly selected test occupant; calculating a failure rate of the image based occupant classification system; and reconfiguring an algorithm of the image based occupant classification system when the failure rate is above a predetermined level.