Abstract: An image pickup device includes a first emission unit that emits a near infrared light toward a face of a driver from a front lower side of the driver, and a second emission unit that emits a near infrared light from an upper side of the driver. When a sunvisor is present at a storage position in which sunlight is not shielded, the second emission unit is disposed at a position to be covered with the sunvisor. A portion where the sunvisor present at a storage position covers the second emission unit is made of a material that shields a visible light contained in the sunlight and transmits the near infrared light.

Abstract: In a face image capturing device, a focal point of a fixed-focus in-vehicle camera is set to a position where a circle of confusion with respect to a foremost face position is larger than the circle of confusion with respect to a rearmost face position. The rearmost face position is where the driver's face is positioned when a driver's seat is moved to the rearmost limit. The foremost face position is where the driver's face is positioned when the driver's seat is moved to the foremost limit. When the focal point of the in-vehicle camera is set to the above position, the focal point can be moved rearward to reduce the blurring of a face image at the rearmost face position. Even if the blurring of the face image at the rearmost face position is increased, a driver condition can be accurately determined at all times.

Abstract: A driver state determination apparatus includes a far-infrared camera and a state determination section. The far-infrared camera takes facial images of a driver of a vehicle; the facial images are far-infrared images indicating a temperature distribution on a facial surface of the driver. The state determination section determines an abnormal state of the driver based on the far-infrared images sequentially taken by the far-infrared camera during a predetermined period.

Abstract: A driver monitoring system recognizes a state of a driver and determines a recognition stability. When the recognition stability is less than a predetermined reference value, the driver monitoring system makes a request to the driver to perform a different action that is different from an action requested when the recognition stability is not less than the reference value and detects an action of the driver that responds to the request.

Abstract: A viewing area estimation device, which estimates a viewing area visually confirmed by a monitored subject, includes a captured image acquisition portion acquiring a plurality of chronologically captured images of a face of a monitored subject, a face direction detection portion detecting, based on the plurality of captured images, a face direction of the monitored subject and a stationary period representing a duration in which a face direction change of the monitored subject is in a stop state or in an almost stop state, and a direction estimation portion estimating the viewing area based on parameters including the face direction of the monitored subject and the stationary period of the face direction change.

Abstract: A driving assist device includes a driver state detection unit for detecting an inattentive state as a driver state, an alerting unit for altering the driver upon detection of the inattentive state of the driver, a driving operation unit for being operated by the driver for driving operations; and a driving state switching unit that switches at least one of the driving operations in an automated driving state to a manual driving state when the driver's operation of the driving operation unit is detected during the automated driving state of the vehicle. When at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects whether the state of the driver is an excited state. When the excited state of the driver is detected, the alerting unit alerts the driver.

Abstract: A viewing area estimation device, which estimates a viewing area visually confirmed by a monitored subject, includes a captured image acquisition portion acquiring a plurality of chronologically captured images of a face of a monitored subject, a face direction detection portion detecting, based on the plurality of captured images, a face direction of the monitored subject and a stationary period representing a duration in which a face direction change of the monitored subject is in a stop state or in an almost stop state, and a direction estimation portion estimating the viewing area based on parameters including the face direction of the monitored subject and the stationary period of the face direction change.

Abstract: In an image pickup system, illumination light emitted by a light emission part is collected and reflected by an optical member and is distributed to a predetermined area. This light distribution to the predetermined area permits a constituent point farther away from the light emission part to receive illumination light having a greater intensity of light being equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. The image pickup system thus distributing the illumination light enables the intensity of light incident on each pixel constituting an image pickup predetermined area to be equal to or greater than an intensity reference value while enabling the distribution of the intensity of light incident on each pixel constituting the image pickup predetermined area to be within a first reference range.

Abstract: Apparatus detecting driving incapability state of a driver includes: a head detection portion that successively detects a head portion, which is higher than a neck of the driver, based on an image of a driver's seat captured by an imaging device mounted in a vehicle; and an out-of-frame state detection portion that detects that the driver is incapable of driving, when the head portion detected by the head detection portion is out of a predetermined scope in the image during travelling of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus detecting driving incapability state of a driver includes: an inclination detection portion that detects inclination of a head of a driver with respect to a trunk of the driver lower than a neck, based on an image of a driver seat captured by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle; and a posture collapse detection portion that detects the driver is incapable of driving when the inclination of the head detected by the inclination detection portion is greater than a relative inclination threshold during travel of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus detecting driving incapability state of a driver includes: a head detection portion that detects a head of the driver based on an image of a driver's seat captured by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle; and a shake detection portion that detects the driver is incapable of driving when an amplitude of a shake of the head detected by the head detection portion is smaller than a first amplitude or larger than a second amplitude, which is larger than the first amplitude, before a shake determination time elapses after external force has been applied to the vehicle during travel of the vehicle.

Abstract: A driving assist device (10) is provided. A driving assist device includes a driver state detection unit (120) for detecting an inattentive state as a driver state, an alerting unit (140) for altering the driver upon detection of the inattentive state of the driver, a driving operation unit (500) for being operated by the driver for driving operations; and a driving state switching unit (130) that switches at least one of the driving operations in an automated driving state to a manual driving state when the driver's operation of the driving operation unit is detected during the automated driving state of the vehicle. When at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects whether the state of the driver is an excited state. When the excited state of the driver is detected, the alerting unit alerts the driver.

Abstract: In a face image capturing device, a focal point of a fixed-focus in-vehicle camera is set to a position where a circle of confusion with respect to a foremost face position is larger than the circle of confusion with respect to a rearmost face position. The rearmost face position is where the driver's face is positioned when a driver's seat is moved to the rearmost limit. The foremost face position is where the driver's face is positioned when the driver's seat is moved to the foremost limit. When the focal point of the in-vehicle camera is set to the above position, the focal point can be moved rearward to reduce the blurring of a face image at the rearmost face position. Even if the blurring of the face image at the rearmost face position is increased, a driver condition can be accurately determined at all times.

Abstract: A driver monitoring system (1) recognizes a state of a driver (S210) and determines a recognition stability (S215). When the recognition stability is less than a predetermined reference value, the driver monitoring system makes a request to the driver for a different action that is different from an action requested when the recognition stability is not less than the reference value (S230, S235, S240, S260, S310) and detects an action of the driver that responds to the request (S270, S315). This configuration can keep the wakefulness of the driver, even when the driver state such as wakefulness cannot be correctly recognized.

Abstract: A state monitoring apparatus in a vehicle monitors the state of a driver using a face image of the driver. The state monitoring apparatus emits light from a light projecting part toward a predetermined area and receives, via an imaging unit, light reflected by the face that is assumed to be positioned in the predetermined area. A control circuit in the state monitoring apparatus adjusts a gradation value of the face image by changing length of an exposure period in which an imaging element of the imaging unit is set to an exposure state. Further, the control circuit controls light emission of the projecting part so that light emission brightness at the time of start of the exposure period becomes higher as the exposure period of the imaging element is shortened.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes a first emission unit that emits a near infrared light toward a face of a driver from a front lower side of the driver, and a second emission unit that emits a near infrared light from an upper side of the driver. When a sunvisor is present at a storage position in which sunlight is not shielded, the second emission unit is disposed at a position to be covered with the sunvisor. A portion where the sunvisor present at a storage position covers the second emission unit is made of a material that shields a visible light contained in the sunlight and transmits the near infrared light.

Abstract: A state monitoring apparatus in a vehicle monitors the state of a driver using a face image of the driver. The state monitoring apparatus emits light from a light projecting part toward a predetermined area and receives, via an imaging unit, light reflected by the face that is assumed to be positioned in the predetermined area. A control circuit in the state monitoring apparatus adjusts a gradation value of the face image by changing length of an exposure period in which an imaging element of the imaging unit is set to an exposure state. Further, the control circuit controls light emission of the projecting part so that light emission brightness at the time of start of the exposure period becomes higher as the exposure period of the imaging element is shortened.

Abstract: In an image pickup system, illumination light emitted by a light emission part is collected and reflected by an optical member and is distributed to a predetermined area. This light distribution to the predetermined area permits a constituent point farther away from the light emission part to receive illumination light having a greater intensity of light being equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. The image pickup system thus distributing the illumination light enables the intensity of light incident on each pixel constituting an image pickup predetermined area to be equal to or greater than an intensity reference value while enabling the distribution of the intensity of light incident on each pixel constituting the image pickup predetermined area to be within a first reference range.

Abstract: A wakefulness level estimation apparatus includes: an estimation portion that estimates a level of wakefulness of a subject person based on one of a wakefulness level estimation function, of which a variable is a wakefulness level correlation value of the subject person, and a difference between the wakefulness level correlation value of the subject person and a reference value of the wakefulness level correlation value; a stimulation detection portion that detects whether an awakening stimulation is externally applied to the subject person; and a correction portion that, when the stimulation detection portion detects that the awakening stimulation is applied to the subject person, performs a correction of one of the reference value of the wakefulness level correlation value and the wakefulness level estimation function, which is used for estimating the level of wakefulness of the subject person.

Abstract: An in-vehicle face image detection apparatus operates as follows. A projector projects light. A capture controller settles a capturing condition to capture a predetermined region including a face of an occupant. A capturing portion captures the predetermined region based on the capturing condition. An environment light detection portion detects environment light radiated to the vehicle or occupant. An operation mode determination portion determines a first mode where intensity of the environment light is greater than a threshold or a second mode where the intensity is not greater than the threshold. A light emission pattern setup portion settles a light emission pattern for a light source of the projector based on the operation mode. A projector controller controls the projector to activate the light source based on the light emission pattern.