Method for operating an activatable locking device for a door and/or a window, securing device for a vehicle, vehicle

Abstract

A method is provided for operating an activatable locking device for a door and/or a window of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, the method including the following steps: detecting a person located in the vehicle and the person's position with respect to the door and/or the displaceable window in the vehicle, ascertaining at least one biometric feature of the person indicative of the age, checking, on the basis of the at least one ascertained biometric feature, whether the person falls below a specifiable limit age, and activating the locking device if the person falls below the specifiable limit age and the position of the person is at the door and/or the displaceable window.

Claims

1. A method for operating an activatable locking device for at least one of a door and a displaceable window of a vehicle, comprising: detecting a person located in the vehicle and a position of the person with respect to the at least one of the door and the displaceable window in the vehicle; ascertaining at least one biometric feature of the person that indicates an age; checking, on the basis of the at least one ascertained biometric feature, whether the person falls below a specifiable limit age; and activating the locking device if the person falls below the specifiable limit age and the position of the person is at the at least one of the door and the displaceable window.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one biometric feature is selected from one of a head circumference, a number of facial wrinkles, a ratio of a distance between eyes of the person and a distance between one of the eyes and a nose, and a ratio of the distance between the one of the eyes and the nose and a distance between the one of the eyes and a mouth.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a seating height of the person is selected as the at least one biometric feature.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein, besides the seating height of the person, at least one additional biometric feature indicating the age is ascertained.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, the checking includes comparing the at least one ascertained biometric feature to at least one reference value stored in a non-volatile memory.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the locking device in an activated state one of prevents the door from being opened from inside and prevents the displaceable window from being opened.

8. A securing device for a vehicle having at least one of at least one door and at least one displaceable window, comprising: at least one activatable locking device associated with the at least one of the at least one window and the at least one door; a control unit; and a detection device for: detecting a person located in a vehicle and a position of the person with respect to the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window, and ascertaining at least one biometric age-indicating feature of the person, the control unit carrying out a method including: detecting the person located in the vehicle and the position of the person with respect to the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window in the vehicle, ascertaining the at least one biometric feature of the person that indicates an age, checking, on the basis of the at least one ascertained biometric feature, whether the person falls below a specifiable limit age, and activating the locking device if the person falls below the specifiable limit age and the position of the person is at the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window.

9. The securing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising: at least one of at least one door and at least one displaceable window; and a securing device for a vehicle, the securing device including: at least one activatable locking device associated with the at least one of the at least one window and the at least one door, a control unit, and a detection device for: detecting a person located in a vehicle and a position of the person with respect to the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window, and ascertaining at least one biometric age-indicating feature of the person, the control unit carrying out a method including: detecting the person located in the vehicle and the position of the person with respect to the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window in the vehicle, ascertaining the at least one biometric feature of the person that indicates an age, checking, on the basis of the at least one ascertained biometric feature, whether the person falls below a specifiable limit age, and activating the locking device if the person falls below the specifiable limit age and the position of the person is at the at least one of the at least one door and the at least one displaceable window.

11. The vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

12. The securing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one biometric feature is selected from one of a head circumference, a number of facial wrinkles, a ratio of a distance between eyes of the person and a distance between one of the eyes and a nose, and a ratio of the distance between the one of the eyes and the nose and a distance between the one of the eyes and a mouth.

13. The securing device as recited in claim 8, wherein a seating height of the person is selected as the at least one biometric feature.

14. The securing device as recited in claim 13, wherein, besides the seating height of the person, at least one additional biometric feature indicating the age is ascertained.

15. The securing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the checking includes comparing the at least one ascertained biometric feature to at least one reference value stored in a non-volatile memory.

16. The securing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the locking device in an activated state one of prevents the door from being opened from inside and prevents the displaceable window from being opened.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle in a top view.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a face.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 having a driver seat 2 and a front passenger seat 3 as well as a rear-seat bench 4. Two cameras 5 and 6 are likewise situated in the vehicle, which are able to detect one or more or all persons situated in the vehicle and their position with respect to one or more or all doors and/or one or more or all windows. Camera 5 is used to detect persons sitting in the driver seat 2 and the front passenger seat 3, and camera 6 is used to detect persons sitting on the rear-seat bench. In addition, using cameras 5, 6 situated in vehicle 1, it is possible to ascertain one or multiple biometric features that indicate the age of a person. Accordingly, software for ascertaining at least one biometric age-indicating feature of the person is integrated in cameras 5 and 6 or is operatively connected to these. The software for ascertaining the biometric feature of the person may also be integrated in a control unit 7 situated in or on the vehicle. Control unit 7 is used in particular to check whether one or multiple persons in vehicle 1 fall below a specifiable limit age. If control unit 7 detects that a person situated at rear right door 10 and window 11 of vehicle 1 falls below a certain specifiable limit age, then a locking device 8 situated in vehicle 1 for the door 10 and a locking device 9 for window 11 are activated. Corresponding locking devices 8, 9 preferably also exist on or in the other doors and/or windows (not shown here).

(4) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a face 20 including a left eye 21, a right eye 22, a nose 23 and a mouth 24. Nose 23 has a nose tip 25 and the upper lip of mouth 24 has a Cupid's bow 26. Eyes 21 and 22 respectively have a pupil 27 and 28. FIG. 2 shows the distances between pupils 27 and 28 (corresponding to distance A), the distance between right pupil 27 and the tip of the nose 25 (corresponding to distance B) and the distance between left pupil 28 and the lowest point of Cupid's bow 26 of the upper lip. These distances A, B and C are preferably ascertained by a detection device shown in FIG. 1 in order to be able to check in another method step whether a person falls below a specifiable limit age. Alternatively or additionally, the detection device ascertains the circumference of the head, the number of facial wrinkles and/or the seated height of a person situated in the vehicle. Preferably, at least two different biometric features are ascertained in order to check whether a person falls below a specifiable limit age. To detect the at least one biometric feature, it is possible to use a method known from the related art, in particular a 3D face detection.