Patent Document ID: 20070055427
Application ID: 11218671
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of vehicle occupant classification for controlling airbag deployment in a vehicle restraint system comprising the steps of: receiving a first image from a first sensor of a predetermined region of interest occupied by a vehicle occupant by an occupant-classification controller; simultaneously receiving a second image from a second sensor of the predetermined region of interest occupied by the vehicle passenger by the occupant-classification controller; dividing the first and second images into an array of equal sized disparity areas; computing a first texture matrix and a second texture matrix for the respective first and second images; calculating a single disparity-map-estimate from the first texture matrix and the second texture matrix; performing an iterative neighborhood update to achieve a disparity map; applying a pre-determined average disparity threshold map to the disparity map to achieve a binary map; extracting a refined disparity map from the binary map; inputting the refined disparity map into a neural network classifier of the occupant-classification controller; and outputting a control signal for controlling airbag deployment in the vehicle restraint system.