OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM

摘要

A camera ( 32 ) captures successive images of light stripes ( 22 ) projected onto an object by a light curtain ( 18 ) positioned by a light source positioner ( 28 ). A background image is subtracted ( 616 ) therefrom, and the resulting image is boosted by binning ( 618 ), binarized with a thresholding algorithm ( 620 ), skeletonized ( 622 ), interpolated ( 624 ) and stored ( 626 ). Interpolated images are acquired for a plurality of light stripes ( 22 ). A processor ( 30 ) generates ( 1604 ) a 3-D surface model from Cartesian coordinates computed for non-zero camera pixels. A volumetric representation is determined ( 1610 ) from the offset of the object surface model relative to a model of a proximate surface, e.g. a seating surface ( 24 ). The object is classified ( 1614 ), e.g. by a trainable pattern recognitions system, responsive to 3-D shape descriptors ( 1606 ) of the 3-D surface model and to the volumetric representation ( 1610 ) or portions ( 1612 ) thereof. The detection of an occupant ( 14 ) in a vehicle ( 12 ) may be used to control a safety restraint system ( 36 ).