Patent Document ID: 7898402
Application ID: 11866654
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A vehicle occupant detection apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device to obtain imaging information and subsequent imaging information of a vehicle occupant within a vehicle compartment; a vehicle occupant determination means for making a determination about the vehicle occupant based on the imaging information and the subsequent imaging information; a light emitting element for emitting auxiliary light into the vehicle compartment that includes an imaging area of the image pickup device; a storage means for storing the imaging information provided by the image pickup device; a comparison means for comparing the imaging information and the subsequent imaging information provided by the image pickup device, to provide an imaging information difference between the imaging information and the subsequent imaging information; and an imaging abnormality determination means to determine if the image pickup device is operating properly based on the imaging information difference provided by the comparison means, wherein any further operation of the vehicle occupant detection apparatus is prevented if the imaging abnormality determination means determines that the image pick-up device is not operating properly.