METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING AN OCCUPANT AND PROVIDING THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION FOR A SAFETY DEVICE IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for classifying an occupant and providing the occupant classification for a safety device in a motor vehicle. The method includes reading in a first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; reading in a second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; classifying the occupant, taking the indirect and direct information into account; and providing the occupant classification to an interface to the safety device for the vehicle. A corresponding device is also described.

Claims

1. A method for classifying an occupant and providing the occupant classification for a safety device in a motor vehicle, the method comprising: reading in a first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; reading in a second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; classifying the occupant, taking the indirect and direct information into account; and providing the occupant classification to an interface to the safety device for the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of: a rough classification of the occupant takes place based on the ascertained first piece of information; and a fine classification of the occupant takes place based on the ascertained second piece of information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first piece of information includes data concerning at least one of: (i) a vehicle seat, (ii) a steering wheel, (iii) a side mirror, and (iv) a rearview mirror.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first piece of information is ascertained with the aid of a sensor on at least one of: (i) a vehicle seat, (ii) a steering wheel, (iii) a side mirror, and (iv) a rearview mirror.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first piece of information includes data concerning at least one of: a setting of a vehicle seat; a position of a vehicle seat; a displacement of a vehicle seat; an orientation of a vehicle seat; a rotatory adjustment of a vehicle seat; a setting of a steering wheel; a setting of a side mirror; a setting of a rearview mirror; a position of a steering wheel; a displacement of a steering wheel; an orientation of a side mirror; an orientation of a rearview mirror; a rotatory adjustment of a side mirror; and a rotatory adjustment of a rearview mirror.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second piece of information describes data concerning a body part of the occupant.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second piece of information is ascertained with the aid of at least one of: (i) a camera sensor, (ii) an ultrasonic sensor, (iii) a laser sensor, and (iv) a radar sensor.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first piece of information and the second piece of information are read into a control unit or a sensor, and are fused.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one of: ascertaining the first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; ascertaining the second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; and adapting the safety device based on the provided classification.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the ascertainment of the first piece of information takes place chronologically prior to the ascertainment of the second piece of information.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein one of: the ascertained first piece of information is taken into account during the ascertainment of the second piece of information, or the ascertainment of the first piece of information and the ascertainment of the second piece of information take place independently of one another.

12. A device for classifying an occupant in a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, using an interior sensor system for monitoring the passenger compartment, the device configured to: read in a first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; read in a second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; classify the occupant, taking the indirect and direct information into account; and provide the occupant classification to an interface to the safety device for the vehicle.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium on which the is stored a computer program for classifying an occupant and providing the occupant classification for a safety device in a motor vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform: reading in a first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; reading in a second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; classifying the occupant, taking the indirect and direct information into account; and providing the occupant classification to an interface to the safety device for the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] It is to be noted that the features stated individually in the description may be combined with one another in any technically meaningful manner, and represent further embodiments of the present invention. Further features and advantages of the present invention result from the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a process diagram of the method according to a first possible embodiment.

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a process diagram of the method according to a second possible embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0077] FIG. 1 shows a process diagram of method 1 according to one possible embodiment. Method 1 begins in a first step S1. The start of the method may be coupled, for example, to the ignition of a vehicle, so that the method is automatically carried out every time the vehicle is started. However, it is also possible for step S1 to be repeated during travel if the system determines that the positions of the occupants have fundamentally changed, for example, the occupants have changed seats.

[0078] The ascertainment of the first piece of information takes place in a second step S2. The first piece of information indirectly describes the occupant. These indirect pieces of information are ascertained in particular by sensors on devices with which the occupant is in contact, for example the driver's seat. However, the steering wheel, side mirror, or rearview mirror may also be possible for this purpose. In particular the driver, but also any other person, may be analyzed as the occupant. For this purpose, for example a device may be analyzed which is adjusted to the occupant or which the occupant has adjusted to him/herself. Based on the ascertained settings, pieces of information concerning the driver are indirectly deduced. For example, it is ascertainable whether an occupant is even present at the location to be checked. In addition, for example precise locating of the occupant may be carried out, or the occupant's sitting position may also be ascertained (external information). Furthermore, information such as size or weight (internal information) concerning the occupant may be ascertained. These first pieces of information are read in in a further step S3 so that they may be evaluated in a continuation of the method, for example with the aid of a control unit.

[0079] The ascertainment of the second piece of information takes place in a further step S4. The second piece of information directly describes the occupant. These direct pieces of information are ascertained in particular by sensors which focus directly on the occupant. For example, an image sensor (camera) is possible which records the occupant. Of course, three-dimensional recordings are also possible. Ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, and radar sensors are mentioned as alternatives. The occupant, or at least a body part of the occupant, is thus directly detected with the aid of the sensor. The direct pieces of information thus detected are read in in a step S5 so that they may be evaluated in a continuation of the method, for example with the aid of a control unit. The ascertainment of the second piece of information takes place independently of the ascertainment of the first piece of information. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ascertainment of the second piece of information may, for example, take place subsequent to the ascertainment of the first piece of information, or the ascertainment of the two pieces of information may also take place in parallel or concurrently.

[0080] Occupant recognition and occupant classification take place in a next step S6, taking into account the read-in first and second pieces of information. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the first and second pieces of information are combined for the first time and evaluated together. This is also referred to as data fusion. The evaluation takes place in a shared control unit, for example an airbag control unit. Of course, other pieces of information may also be taken into account. An occupant recognition and occupant classification are present as the result. These data are provided in a next step S7 for further processing or use, for example at an interface to a safety device. An airbag or some other restraint system, for example, may be regarded as a safety device. Automated driving functions also represent safety devices. In a step S8, the safety device in question is adapted to the data that are ascertained and provided from step S7. The method is terminated in a step S9, for example when the vehicle is switched off. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible to carry out steps S1 through S9 while the vehicle is still in a switched-off state.

[0081] FIG. 2 shows a process diagram of method 1 according to one alternative embodiment. In contrast to the embodiment in FIG. 1, step S4 (ascertaining the second piece of information) and step S5 (reading in the second piece of information) are carried out not in parallel, but, rather, subsequent to the ascertainment of the first piece of information. In this way, the first piece of information ascertained in S2 may already be taken into account during the ascertainment of the second piece of information in S4. For this purpose, for example the first piece of information in step S3 is read into the control unit for occupant recognition or the sensor for ascertaining the second piece of information. This information may thus already be taken into account during the ascertainment of the further pieces of information. For the further steps, reference is made to the above discussion.