OCCUPANT TYPE AND POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM

摘要

A method and system (10) for detecting vehicle occupant type and position utilizes a single camera unit (12) positioned, for example at the driver or passenger side A-pillar, to generate image data of the front seating area of the vehicle. The present invention distinguishes between objects, forwardly or rearwardly facing child seats, and occupants, by periodically mapping the image taken of the interior of the vehicle into an image profile (104), and utilizing image profile matching with stored profile data (110) to determine the occupant or object type. The system and method of the present invention track occupant type and position in both parallel and perpendicular directions relative to a fixed structure such as the vehicle instrument panel to optimize both the efficiency and safety in controlling deployment of a occupant safety device, such as an air bag (28).