JP7626232B2 - Passenger imaging device - Google Patents

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2021-134842, filed on August 20, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to an occupant imaging device.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which rear seat occupants are imaged by a rear seat camera and the captured camera image is displayed on a front seat display so that front seat occupants can check the situation of rear seat occupants while driving the vehicle.

JP 2003-25911 A

A camera is placed inside the vehicle cabin to capture an image of the occupant, and a lighting unit is placed to shine light on the occupant's face. That is, the area around the occupant's face is captured by the camera while light emitted from the lighting unit is irradiated around the occupant's face, and the facial image of the occupant contained in the captured camera image is analyzed to monitor the occupant's condition. However, a state in which light is emitted from the lighting unit, i.e., a configuration in which the light-emitting state of the lighting unit is directly visible to the occupant, causes stress to the occupant who is concerned about the light-emitting state. A configuration in which a cover or the like is placed to hide the light-emitting part of the lighting unit is assumed, but such a configuration increases the number of parts such as the cover and also has the problem of deteriorating the design.

The present disclosure aims to appropriately illuminate and capture images of occupants being imaged without increasing the number of parts and compromising design.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a camera that captures an image of the periphery of the face of an occupant seated in a seat in a vehicle interior, and an in-vehicle light-emitting device that emits light including an illumination component required when the camera captures an image of the occupant as an image capture target, with the illumination range being a range including the occupant as an image capture target. The camera performs an image capture operation at a timing when light is emitted from the in-vehicle light-emitting device. The in-vehicle light-emitting device includes at least one of an interior light, an ambient light, a decorative illumination unit of an air conditioner outlet, a decorative illumination unit of a speaker, and an indicator , and emits light across a row of a plurality of seats. Since the light including the illumination component required when the camera captures an image of the occupant as an image capture target is emitted from the in-vehicle light-emitting device, a conventional illumination unit can be eliminated. By eliminating the need for the illumination unit, the occupant will not be able to directly see the light-emitting state of the illumination unit, and it is possible to prevent stress from being caused to the occupant who is concerned about the light-emitting state. In this case, there is no need to place a cover or the like that conceals the light-emitting part of the illumination unit, and the number of parts does not increase. This makes it possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts and to appropriately illuminate and capture an image of the occupant being imaged without compromising the design.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle cabin as viewed from the rear of the vehicle; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an ambient light; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a decorative lighting unit of an air conditioner outlet; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a decorative lighting unit of a speaker; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an indicator; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the camera is disposed on an overhead console; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a camera is disposed on a rearview mirror; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the camera is disposed on the instrument panel.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The left-right direction means the width direction of the vehicle, the front-rear direction means the length direction of the vehicle, and the up-down direction means the height direction of the vehicle. In addition, the description will be given for a vehicle in which the driver's seat is located on the right side facing the front of the vehicle, but when the vehicle is targeted for a vehicle in which the driver's seat is located on the left side facing the front of the vehicle, only the positional relationship between the driver's seat and the passenger seat is switched, and the rest can be applied in the same way.

As shown in Figure 1, a driver's seat 2 and a passenger seat 3 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction inside the vehicle interior 1. Behind the driver's seat 2 and the passenger seat 3, a right-side rear seat 4 and a left-side rear seat 5 are arranged as rear seats. A windshield 6 is arranged in front of the driver's seat 2 and the passenger seat 3.

As also shown in FIG. 2, in the vehicle interior 1, a right-side B-pillar 8 is located near the right side of the headrest 2a of the driver's seat 2. The right-side B-pillar 8 is molded in a shape that curves from bottom to top to match the shape of the vehicle body. A right-side C-pillar 9 is located near the right side of the headrest 4a of the right-side rear seat 4. The right-side C-pillar 9 is also molded in a shape that curves from bottom to top to match the shape of the vehicle body. The right-side end of the ceiling 7, which is connected to the upper end of the right-side B-pillar 8, the upper end of the right-side rear door 10, and the upper end of the right-side C-pillar 9, is inclined, and this inclined portion is formed as a right-side inclined surface portion 11. The normal direction of the right-side inclined surface portion 11 is diagonally downward.

Similarly, a left B-pillar 12 is disposed near the left side of the headrest 3a of the passenger seat 3. The left B-pillar 12 is molded in a shape that curves from bottom to top to match the shape of the vehicle body. A left C-pillar 13 is disposed near the left side of the headrest 5a of the left rear seat 5. The left C-pillar 13 is also molded in a shape that curves from bottom to top to match the shape of the vehicle body. The left end of the ceiling 7, which is connected to the upper end of the left B-pillar 12, the upper end of the left rear door 14, and the upper end of the left C-pillar 13, is inclined, and this inclined portion is formed as a left inclined surface portion 15. The normal direction of the left inclined surface portion 15 is diagonally downward.

The right inclined surface portion 11 is provided with the right interior light 16, the right air conditioner outlet 17, and the right speaker 18. The left inclined surface portion 15 is provided with the left interior light 19, the left air conditioner outlet 20, and the left speaker 21. The ceiling 7 is provided with an ambient light 22. The ambient light 22 is composed of multiple linear segments 22a to 22h connected together and arranged to circle the end of the ceiling 7. For example, the ambient light 22 is always lit when the ignition is on. The multiple linear segments 22a to 22h are individually controlled to be turned on, blink, or turned off. The right interior light 16, the left interior light 19, and the ambient light 22 correspond to in-vehicle light-emitting devices. A camera 23 is provided as an image sensor near the right interior light 16. The camera 23 has a camera lens and an image sensor that converts the incident light imaged by the camera lens into an electrical signal. The image sensor is, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).

The range of light emitted from the right interior light 16 includes the front and rear seats, and the light emitted from the right interior light 16 includes the lighting components required when the camera 23 captures the image of the occupant. That is, the right interior light 16 includes a function as a lighting unit such as an LED that illuminates the occupant to be captured. When the right interior light 16 is turned on at the timing when the camera 23 captures the image of the occupant to be captured, the lighting components required for capturing the image are irradiated from the right interior light 16. When the camera 23 is a near-infrared camera, the near-infrared light lighting components required for the near-infrared camera to capture the image are included in the light irradiated from the right interior light 16, thereby suppressing the red appearance of the near-infrared light illumination, and making it possible to capture the occupant in a state where the near-infrared light is irradiated to the occupant. The left interior light 19 may also include a function as a lighting unit that illuminates the occupant to be captured.

The lighting components required for the camera 23 to capture an image of an occupant of the subject of imaging are not limited to the light emitted from the right interior light 16, but may be included in the light emitted from other vehicle-mounted light-emitting devices. To be more specific, they may be included in the light emitted from the ambient light 22 arranged on the ceiling. That is, the function of the lighting unit that illuminates the occupant of the subject of imaging may be included in the ambient light 22. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, when the ambient light 25 is arranged on the door trim 24 of the right rear door 10, the lighting components may be included in the light emitted from the ambient light 25. That is, the function of the lighting unit that illuminates the occupant of the subject of imaging may be included in the ambient light 25. The ambient light 25 also corresponds to a vehicle-mounted light-emitting device. When the camera 23 is a near-infrared camera, the red appearance of the near-infrared illumination is suppressed by including a near-infrared illumination component required for the near-infrared camera to capture an image in the light irradiated from the ambient lamps 22, 25, and the occupant can be imaged in a state where the occupant is irradiated with near-infrared light. When the camera 23 is an RGB camera, the visible light illumination component required for the RGB camera to capture an image is included in the light irradiated from the ambient lamps 22, 25, and the visible light illumination is suppressed, and the occupant can be imaged in a state where the occupant is irradiated with visible light. This can also be applied to the camera 23 being an RGBIR camera.

As shown in FIG. 4, for example, in a configuration in which the decorative lighting unit 26 is arranged around the left air conditioner outlet 20, the light emitted from the decorative lighting unit 26 may be included. In other words, the decorative lighting unit 26 may include the function of a lighting unit that illuminates the occupant to be imaged. The decorative lighting unit 26 also corresponds to an in-vehicle light-emitting device. The decorative lighting unit 26 emits blue light when blowing cool air, red light when blowing warm air, and white light when not blowing. When the camera 23 is a near-infrared camera, the near-infrared light illumination component required for the near-infrared camera to capture an image is included in the light emitted from the decorative lighting unit 26, thereby suppressing the red appearance of the near-infrared light illumination, and making it possible to image the occupant while the near-infrared light is irradiated on the occupant. When the camera 23 is an RGB camera, the visible light illumination components required for the RGB camera to capture an image are included in the light irradiated from the decorative illumination unit 26, so that the visibility of the visible light illumination is suppressed, and the occupant can be imaged in a state where the occupant is irradiated with visible light. The camera 23 can also be applied to an RGBIR camera. The function of the illumination unit that illuminates the occupant to be imaged may be included in the decorative illumination unit (not shown) of the right air conditioner outlet 17.

As shown in FIG. 5, in a configuration in which the decorative lighting unit 27 is disposed around the left speaker 21, the decorative lighting unit 27 may be included in the light emitted from the decorative lighting unit 27. That is, the decorative lighting unit 27 may include a function as a lighting unit that illuminates the occupant to be imaged. The decorative lighting unit 27 also corresponds to an in-vehicle light-emitting device. When the camera 23 is a near-infrared camera, the near-infrared light illumination component required for the near-infrared camera to image is included in the light irradiated from the decorative lighting unit 27, thereby suppressing the red appearance of the near-infrared light illumination, and the occupant can be imaged in a state in which the near-infrared light is irradiated on the occupant. When the camera 23 is an RGB camera, the visible light illumination component required for the RGB camera to image is included in the light irradiated from the decorative lighting unit 27, thereby suppressing the appearance of the visible light illumination, and the occupant can be imaged in a state in which the visible light is irradiated on the occupant. The camera 23 can also be applied to an RGBIR camera. The function of the lighting unit that illuminates the occupant being imaged may be included in a decorative lighting unit (not shown) of the right speaker 18.

6, for example, in a configuration in which the indicator 28 is disposed near the camera 23, the indicator 28 may be included in the light emitted from the indicator 28. That is, the indicator 28 may include a function as a lighting unit that illuminates the occupant to be imaged. The indicator 28 also corresponds to an in-vehicle light-emitting device. The indicator 28 indicates whether the recognition operation of the camera 23 is valid or not, and is embodied by a pilot lamp, an icon, or the like. The indicator 28 is lit when the recognition operation of the camera 23 is valid, and is turned off when the recognition operation of the camera 23 is invalid. When the camera 23 is a near-infrared camera, the illumination component of near-infrared light required for the near-infrared camera to capture an image is included in the light emitted from the indicator 28, thereby suppressing the red appearance of the near-infrared light illumination, and making it possible to image the occupant in a state in which the near-infrared light is irradiated on the occupant. When the camera 23 is an RGB camera, the visible light illumination component required for the RGB camera to capture an image is included in the light emitted from the indicator 28, so that the visibility of the visible light illumination is suppressed, and it is possible to capture an image of the occupant in a state where the occupant is being irradiated with visible light. This can also be applied to the camera 23 being an RGBIR camera.

For example, in a vehicle with three rows of seats, if the ambient lamp 22 or the like is configured to irradiate light across the second and third row seats, the position of the camera 23 may be movable depending on the seating position of the occupant to be imaged. That is, if the occupant to be imaged is seated in the second row, the camera 23 may be positioned at a position where the occupant sitting in the second row can be imaged, and if the occupant to be imaged is seated in the third row, the camera 23 may be positioned at a position where the occupant sitting in the third row can be imaged.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
Light including illumination components required for the camera 23 to capture an image of an occupant is emitted from the interior lights 16, 19, the ambient lights 22, 25, the decorative illumination unit 26 of the air conditioner outlets 17, 20, the decorative illumination unit 27 of the speakers 18, 21, the indicator 28, etc., making it possible to eliminate the need for conventional illumination units such as LEDs. By eliminating the need for illumination units, the light emission state of the illumination units is no longer directly visible to the occupants, and it is possible to prevent the occupants who are concerned about the light emission state from being stressed. In this case, it is no longer necessary to place a cover or the like that hides the light-emitting part of the illumination unit, and the number of parts is no longer increased. As a result, it is possible to appropriately illuminate and capture an image of an occupant to be captured without increasing the number of parts and deteriorating the design.

The camera 23 may be arranged not only in a position close to the right interior light 16, but also in an overhead console, rear-view mirror, instrument panel, etc., so as to simultaneously capture images of a front seat occupant or multiple occupants including a front seat occupant and a rear seat occupant. As shown in FIG. 7, when an overhead console 29 is arranged on the ceiling 7, the camera 23 may be arranged on the overhead console 29. As shown in FIG. 8, when the camera 23 is arranged on the rear-view mirror 30, the camera 23 may be arranged on a support 31 supporting the rear-view mirror 30, the camera 23 may be embedded inside the rear-view mirror 30, or the camera 23 may be arranged on a frame 32 surrounding the rear-view mirror 30. As shown in FIG. 9, when the camera 23 is arranged on the instrument panel 33, the camera 23 may be arranged on the dashboard 34, the camera 23 may be embedded inside the center display 35, or the camera 23 may be arranged between the center display 35 and the air conditioner outlet 36. Furthermore, if the vehicle has three rows of seats, the camera 23 may be positioned on the rear seat ceiling, on the rear seat entertainment monitor, etc. so as to simultaneously capture images of multiple occupants, including those in the second and third rows.

For example, an ambient lamp 22 or the like can emit light across the second and third row seats, and the position of the camera 23 can be moved depending on the position of the occupant to be imaged. This makes it possible to appropriately illuminate and image the occupant to be imaged, regardless of whether they are sitting in a second or third row seat.

By utilizing the interior lights 16, 19, the ambient lights 22, 25, the decorative lighting section 26 of the air conditioner outlets 17, 20, the decorative lighting section 27 of the speakers 18, 21 and the indicators 28, and utilizing the existing installed equipment, this can be achieved without the need to install any new installed equipment separately.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to an embodiment, it is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

Claims (4)

A camera (23) for capturing an image of the face of an occupant seated in a seat inside the vehicle;
an in-vehicle light-emitting device (16, 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28) that emits light including an illumination component required when the camera captures an image of an occupant who is an image capture target, with the illumination range being a range including the occupant who is an image capture target;
The camera performs an image capturing operation at a timing when light is emitted from the vehicle-mounted light emitting device,
The in-vehicle light-emitting device includes at least one of an interior light, an ambient light, an air conditioner outlet decorative lighting unit, a speaker decorative lighting unit, and an indicator, and is an occupant imaging device that irradiates light across multiple seat rows . 2. The passenger image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted light emitting device irradiates light at least toward a rear seat row . The passenger image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-mounted light emitting device irradiates light at least toward a front row of seats. The passenger image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is movably disposed .

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