Vehicular cabin monitoring system with rear window monitoring
AssigneeMagna Electronics Inc.
InventorsBharat Gnanasekaran, Francis Judge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes a camera that is disposed at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle and that views within the interior cabin of the vehicle. The camera views at least a portion of a rear window of the vehicle. Via processing of image data captured by the camera, the system monitors a driver of the vehicle and/or detects an occupant of the vehicle, and the system determines presence of an occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle. Responsive to determining presence of the occlusion, the system controls operation of a system of the vehicle to remove the occlusion from the rear window.
Claims20
A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:a camera disposed at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle, wherein the camera views within the interior cabin of the vehicle;wherein the camera views at least a portion of a rear window of the vehicle;an electronic control unit (ECU);wherein image data captured by the camera is transferred to the ECU;wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data transferred to the ECU;wherein, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) monitors a driver of the vehicle and (ii) detects an occupant of the vehicle;wherein, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system determines presence of an occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle;
- andwherein, responsive to determining presence of the occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle, the vehicular cabin monitoring system controls operation of a system of the vehicle to remove the occlusion from the rear window of the vehicle.
A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:an interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror head adjustable about a mounting structure, wherein the mounting structure is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle;wherein the mirror head accommodates a mirror reflective element;wherein a camera is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the camera views within the interior cabin of the vehicle;wherein the camera and the mirror reflective element move together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide a rearward view for a driver of the vehicle;wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and with the mirror head adjusted such that the mirror reflective element provides the rearward view for a driver of the vehicle, the camera views at least a portion of a rear window of the vehicle;
- wherein the rear window is disposed at a liftgate of the vehicle, and wherein a wiper is disposed at the rear window;
- an electronic control unit (ECU);
- wherein image data captured by the camera is transferred to the ECU;
- wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data transferred to the ECU;
- wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) monitors a driver of the vehicle and (ii) detects an occupant of the vehicle;
- wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system determines presence of an occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle;
- and
- wherein, responsive to determining presence of the occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle, the vehicular cabin monitoring system controls operation of a washer fluid nozzle to spray washer fluid onto the rear window and the vehicular cabin monitoring system controls operation of the wiper at the rear window of the vehicle to remove the occlusion from the rear window of the vehicle.
A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror head adjustable about a mounting structure, wherein the mounting structure is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle;
- wherein the mirror head accommodates a mirror reflective element;
- wherein a camera is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the camera views within the interior cabin of the vehicle;
- wherein the camera and the mirror reflective element move together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide a rearward view for a driver of the vehicle;
- wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and with the mirror head adjusted such that the mirror reflective element provides the rearward view for a driver of the vehicle, the camera views at least a portion of a rear window of the vehicle;
- an electronic control unit (ECU);
- wherein image data captured by the camera is transferred to the ECU;
- wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data transferred to the ECU;
- wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) monitors a driver of the vehicle and (ii) detects an occupant of the vehicle;
- wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, and via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular cabin monitoring system determines presence of an occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle;
- wherein, responsive to determining presence of the occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the occlusion comprises rain or moisture, the vehicular cabin monitoring system controls operation of a wiper at the rear window to remove the rain or moisture from the rear window of the vehicle;
- and
- wherein, responsive to determining presence of the occlusion at the rear window of the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the occlusion comprises snow or ice, the vehicular cabin monitoring system controls operation of a heater grid at the rear window to remove the snow or ice from the rear window of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.