| 摘要 |
<p><P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fellow passenger sitting posture detecting/determining apparatus and method for automatically monitoring the sitting posture of a fellow passenger. <P>SOLUTION: A camera 25 picks up a face image of the fellow passenger. A detection unit 26 comprises a face image detecting section 34, a sitting position detecting means 44, a mounting determining means 49, a posture change detecting means 46 and determination means 45, 47. The face image detection section 34 captures image data picked up by the camera 25 at predetermined time intervals and extracts a face image region on the basis of the captured image data. The mounting determining means 49 determines whether the fellow passenger mounts a seat belt thereon on the basis of a signal obtained from a seat belt mounting sensor group 48 and the face image region. The sitting position detecting means 44 and the determination means 45 compare the face image region with a predetermined face image region allowable range, and determine whether the sitting position is normal or not. The posture change detecting means 46 and determination means 47 monitor that the face image region rapidly moves during traveling and determine, when the move exceeds a predetermined move allowable range, that the move is risky. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT</p> |
