# US 11,308,721 B2 · System for detecting the face of a driver and method associated thereto > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,721 B2 - Document ID: US11308721B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/591,710 - Filed: 2019-10-03 - Published: 2020-04-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-08 - Assignees: Aptiv Technologies AG - Applicants: Aptiv Technologies Limited - Inventors: Artur Boron; Lukasz Bohdan; Rafal Mucha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308721B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - B60K 35/22: Display screens - B60K 35/60: Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) - B60K 37/20: Dashboard panels - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - B60K 2360/20: Optical features of instruments - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system for detecting the face of a vehicle driver comprises an instrument cluster for the driver including a carrier and an dashboard directed towards the driver and covered by a glass, said dashboard being embedded in the carrier; an image capture device comprising a camera configured to capture sequential images of the driver's gaze; and a controller configured to analyze the driver's gaze; at least one intrinsic element of the instrument cluster defines a reflecting surface configured to directly reflect the sequential images of the driver's gaze such as a glossy plastic, a chrome-plated element, a display screen or the dashboard glass; the camera comprises a field of view oriented towards the reflecting surface so as to indirectly capture the images of the driver's gaze. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting a face of a driver of a vehicle comprising: an instrument cluster for a vehicle driver including a carrier and a dashboard oriented towards the driver and covered by a glass, said dashboard being embedded in the carrier; an image capture device comprising a camera configured to capture sequential images of a driver's gaze; and a controller in communication with the image capture device, the controller configured to analyze the driver's gaze; wherein: the glass covering the instrument cluster defines a reflecting surface configured to directly reflect the sequential images of the driver's gaze, the reflecting surface extending along a vertical direction in a concave manner focusing a reflected field of view of the camera towards an optical focus located in an opening of a steering wheel of the vehicle; the sequential images capture the driver's gaze through the opening of the steering wheel of the vehicle; and the camera comprises a field of view oriented towards the reflecting surface so as to indirectly capture images of the driver's gaze. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface includes at least one of a glossy plastic, a chrome-plated element, a display screen, and a dashboard glass. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is arranged in the carrier of the dashboard. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system according claim 3, wherein the camera is arranged below the instrument cluster. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4 wherein the reflecting surface is a dashboard glass surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to analyze the driver's gaze according to vertically inverted images of the driver's gaze. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a device for directly illuminating the face of the driver comprising a light source configured to illuminate the driver's face. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system according to claim 7, wherein the system comprises a translucent element arranged between the light source and the face of the driver so as to conceal the light source from the driver's gaze. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system according to claim 7, wherein the light source comprises an infrared source. ### Claim 10 A method for detecting a face of a driver of a vehicle, comprising: positioning a camera comprising a field of view directed towards a glass covering an instrument cluster for the driver, the glass defining a reflecting surface configured to directly reflect sequential images of a driver's gaze, the reflecting surface extending along a vertical direction in a concave manner focusing the field of view of the camera towards an optical focus located in an opening of a steering wheel of the vehicle, the sequential images capturing the driver's gaze through the opening of the steering wheel of the vehicle; capturing, with the camera, reflected sequential images of the driver's gaze from the reflecting surface; and analyzing, with a controller in communication with the camera, the reflected sequential images to determine a behavior of the driver's gaze. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of positioning the camera comprises a step of positioning the camera in a vehicle dashboard carrier so that the field of view of the camera is oriented towards a dashboard glass; wherein the step of capturing the reflected sequential images includes a step of capturing, with the camera, the sequential images reflected by the dashboard glass. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the camera is arranged below the instrument cluster. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a detection system, comprising: capturing an image of a face of a driver of a vehicle, with an image capture device; the image capture device comprising a camera configured to capture sequential images of a driver's gaze, the camera positioned in a carrier of an instrument cluster, the instrument cluster including a dashboard oriented towards the driver and covered by a glass, the dashboard being embedded in the carrier; and analyzing the driver's gaze, with a controller in communication with the image capture device; wherein: the glass covering the instrument cluster defines a reflecting surface configured to directly reflect the sequential images of the driver's gaze, the reflecting surface extending along a vertical direction in a concave manner focusing a reflected field of view of the camera towards an optical focus located in an opening of a steering wheel of the vehicle; the sequential images capture the driver's gaze through the opening of the steering wheel of the vehicle; and the camera comprises a field of view oriented towards the reflecting surface so as to indirectly capture the sequential images of the driver's gaze. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the reflecting surface includes at least one of a glossy plastic, a chrome-plated element, a display screen, and a dashboard glass. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the camera is arranged in the carrier of the dashboard. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the camera is arranged below the instrument cluster. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16 wherein the reflecting surface is a dashboard glass surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to analyze the driver's gaze according to vertically inverted images of the driver's gaze. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the detection system comprises a device for directly illuminating the face of the driver comprising a light source configured to illuminate the driver's face. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the detection system comprises a translucent element arranged between the light source and the face of the driver so as to conceal the light source from the driver's gaze. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the light source comprises an infrared source.