# US 11,443,532 B2 · Capturing neutral face expression apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,532 B2 - Document ID: US11443532B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/724,357 - Filed: 2019-12-22 - Published: 2020-07-02 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-28 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yoshikazu Matsuo; Hisumi Esaki; Takashi Okada; Hiromi Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443532B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour - B62D 15/021: {Determination of steering angle} - G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches} - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G06V 40/175: {Static expression} - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An information processing apparatus comprising a situation acquiring unit configured to acquire a situation of one movable object, and a storing execution unit configured to store a face image of an occupant on the one movable object, captured by an image-capturing unit mounted on the one movable object when the one movable object is in a predetermined situation, as a face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression is provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a situation acquiring unit configured to acquire a situation of one movable object using the at least one processor; and a storing execution unit configured to store a face image of an occupant of the one movable object captured by an image-capturing unit mounted on the one movable object in response to when the one movable object is in a predetermined situation, as a face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression using the at least one processor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an emotion estimating unit configured to estimate emotion of the occupant of the one movable object, by comparing the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit and the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression stored by the storing execution unit using the at least one processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the one movable object is an automobile, the situation acquiring unit acquires an operation situation of a steering wheel of the one movable object, and the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant, captured by the image-capturing unit while the operation situation of the steering wheel of the one movable object is a predetermined situation, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while a rotation angle of a steering wheel of the one movable object falls in a predetermined range from a reference position, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the situation acquiring unit acquires a situation of a path through which the one movable object moves, and the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit in response to when the situation of the path through which the one movable object moves is a predetermined situation, as a face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one movable object is an automobile and the situation acquiring unit acquires the situation of a road on which the one movable object travels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the storing execution unit stores, in response to when the road at a predetermined distance from a position of the one movable object in the moving direction of the one movable object is a straight road, the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while the one movable object travels along the straight road, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while the one movable object travels along the straight road, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression, under a condition that another vehicle is not present on the straight road. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while the one movable object travels along the straight road, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression, under a condition that a traffic light does not exist on the straight road. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing execution unit stores the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while the one movable object travels along the straight road, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression, under a condition that an intersection does not exist on the straight road. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the storing execution unit stores, in response to when the road along which the one movable object travels from a position of the one movable object for a predetermined period is a straight road, the face image of the occupant captured by the image-capturing unit while the one movable object travels along the straight road, as the face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression. ### Claim 12 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program for causing a computer to function as: a situation acquiring unit configured to acquire a situation of a one movable object; and a storing execution unit configured to store a face image of an occupant of the one movable object, captured by an image-capturing unit mounted on the one movable object in response to when the one movable object is in a predetermined situation, as a face image of the occupant with neutral facial expression.