Abstract: A system and method for detecting an occupant and head pose using stereo detectors is disclosed. In the training stage, pairs of images taken simultaneously from a pair of stereo cameras are received and components in each pair of images are identified. Features are associated with each component and a value is associated with each feature. Among them, a subset of features with best discriminative capabilities is selected and forms a strong classifier for a given component in a pair of images. In the detection stage, the strong classifiers are used in the incoming image pairs to detect components. Identified components are used to detect occupants and head pose of the occupants. Stereo detection is combined with stereo matching in a systematic way to improve occupant detection and localization.

Abstract: A monitoring unit for the exterior in the direction of travel of a motor vehicle includes at least one camera system with an image recording sensor. The sensor has color encoding in some regions and, otherwise, monochrome encoding. An assist system is also provided with such a monitoring unit, in particular a traffic sign and/or lane recognition assist system.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a passing vehicle is disclosed. A video sequence comprising a plurality of image frames is received. Image intensity is measured and image motion is estimated in each image frame. A hypothesis model describing background dynamics is formulated. The measured image intensity and motion estimation is used to determine if the background dynamics has been violated in a given image frame. If the background dynamics has been violated, motion coherency is used to determine whether the violation of the background dynamics is caused by a passing vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for determining whether the interior of a vehicle is occupied. The inventive device comprises image acquisition means (10) for acquiring images of an area of the vehicle interior, an image acquisition data generation unit (14) for generating image acquisition data in which every image point of a three-dimensional surface image is presented as a vector in an acquisition coordinate system of the image acquisition means, and a conversion unit (16) that converts the image acquisition data to vehicle image data. Said vehicle image data describe every image point as a vector in a coordinate system that is specific of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the current position (A, B, C, D) of a head (9) of an occupant (8) in the passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle (1), said head moving toward an automatic dynamic disabling zone (6) in front of an airbag module (5). To this end, the invention makes use of the idea that the best position for a measurement with regard thereto is the point in space where the ideal direction of movement (14) of the head (9) is perpendicular to an ideal line of sight (17) of the camera (160. The measurement is then preferably carried out when the geometric center (10) of the head (9) crosses this point. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of the actual movement vector of the head (9) is taken as a basis, said head being preferably perpendicular in a current line of sight (18) of the camera (16). The invention advantageously increases the potential for protecting an occupant (8) in a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle, wherein changes occurring in the occupancy of a seat, e.g. with a person P, a child seat K, an empty seat L, or an occupancy in another occupancy category, are effected in a computer unit by means of transitional probabilities which are externally specified to the monitoring system and which reflect the rapid speed at which a change in occupancy is taken into account by said monitoring system. As a result, an associated airbag or another safety device is activated or de-activated accordingly.

Abstract: A sensor arrangement for image recognition includes a plurality of optical sensor elements (R,G,B) of a first type, the sensor elements being arranged in a raster layout and responding to light in the visible wavelength range. The sensor arrangement also includes further sensor elements (IR) of a second type. The further sensor elements respond to light in the invisible wavelength range.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for on-road vehicle detection. A video sequence is received that is comprised of a plurality of image frames. A potential vehicle appearance is identified in an image frame. Known vehicle appearance information and scene geometry information are used to formulate initial hypotheses about vehicle appearance. The potential vehicle appearance is tracked over multiple successive image frames. Potential motion trajectories for the potential vehicle appearance are identified over the multiple image frames. Knowledge fusion of appearance, scene geometry and motion information models are applied to each image frame containing the trajectories. A confidence score is calculated for each trajectory. A trajectory with a high confidence score is determined to represent a vehicle appearance.

Abstract: A method of detecting a feature of a vehicle in an image of a vehicle includes providing a digitized image of a vehicle, providing a first filter mask over a first subdomain of the image, where the filter mask is placed to detect a feature in the image, calculating a function of a gradient of the image inside the first masked subdomain, and detecting the presence or absence of a vehicle feature within the first masked subdomain based on the value of the gradient function.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle. The device (1) is operated by means of an analytical unit (3), such that the device (1), for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a image recording unit (2) and an analytical unit (3) for the image data transmitted from the image recording unit (3), is operated in a first operating mode whilst an acceleration threshold value is not determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3) and in a second operation mode whilst the acceleration threshold value is determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3).

Abstract: A method for detecting and recognizing at least one traffic sign is disclosed. A video sequence having a plurality of image frames is received. One or more filters are used to measure features in at least one image frame indicative of an object of interest. The measured features are combined and aggregated into a score indicating possible presence of an object. The scores are fused over multiple image frames for a robust detection. If a score indicates possible presence of an object in an area of the image frame, the area is aligned with a model. A determination is then made as to whether the area indicates a traffic sign. If the area indicates a traffic sign, the area is classified into a particular type of traffic sign. The present invention is also directed to training a system to detect and recognize traffic signs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the current position (A, B, C, D) of a head (9) of an occupant (8) in the passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle (1), said head moving toward an automatic dynamic disabling zone (6) in front of an airbag module (5). To this end, the invention makes use of the idea that the best position for a measurement with regard thereto is the point in space where the ideal direction of movement (14) of the head (9) is perpendicular to an ideal line of sight (17) of the camera (160. The measurement is then preferably carried out when the geometric center (10) of the head (9) crosses this point. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of the actual movement vector of the head (9) is taken as a basis, said head being preferably perpendicular in a current line of sight (18) of the camera (16). The invention advantageously increases the potential for protecting an occupant (8) in a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: A method for training a system for detecting multi-class objects in an image or a video sequence is described. A common ensemble of weak classifiers for a set of object classes is identified. For each object class, a separate weighting scheme is adapted for the ensemble of weak classifiers. A method for detecting objects of multiple classes in an image or a video sequence is also disclosed. Each class is assigned a detector that is implemented by a weighted combination of weak classifiers such that all of the detectors are based on a common ensemble of weak classifiers. Then weights are individually set for each class.

Abstract: Methods for image processing for detecting and recognizing an image object include detecting an image object using pose-specific object detectors, and performing fusion of the outputs from the pose-specific object detectors. The image object is recognized using pose-specific object recognizers that use outputs from the pose-specific object detectors and the fused output of the pose-specific object detectors; and by performing fusion of the outputs of the pose-specific object recognizers to recognize the image object.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a passing vehicle is disclosed. A video sequence comprising a plurality of image frames is received. Image intensity is measured and image motion is estimated in each image frame. A hypothesis model describing background dynamics is formulated. The measured image intensity and motion estimation is used to determine if the background dynamics has been violated in a given image frame. If the background dynamics has been violated, motion coherency is used to determine whether the violation of the background dynamics is caused by a passing vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting the position of an object within the interior or a vehicle equipped with a door (4). The inventive method is characterized by recording a sequence of images by means of a camera (2) and calculating the actual position of the object by electronically evaluating the images of the sequence of images, and generating a differential image by comparing an actual recorded image with a previously stored image. The position of the object is calculated on the basis of the differential image. To achieve this, the camera (2) records images of the door (4). The images of the door (4) are evaluated and the open state of the door (4) is established on the basis of the differential image between the closed state and the opened state.

Abstract: Within a given area, the position of the head of the front seat passenger in a vehicle is determined by producing a differential image, in which only the contour of the moving object appears, from two frames that are recorded one after the other by a video camera. The contours of the differential images are used to calculate the position.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting and tracking an object is disclosed. A camera captures a video sequence comprised of a plurality of image frames. A processor receives the video sequence and analyzes each image frame to determine if an object is detected. The processor applies one or more classifiers to an object in each image frame and computes a confidence score based on the application of the one or more classifiers to the object. A database stores the one or more classifiers and vehicle training samples. A display displays the video sequence.

Abstract: A source image (S) That is distorted by camera optics is transformed into a corrected image (T) by using a tabular imaging rule. This transformation occurs directly during the reading out from the image sensor and in real-time. No, one or several target pixels in the target image (T) are assigned to each source pixel of the source image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle, wherein changes occurring in the occupancy of a seat, e.g. with a person P, a child seat K, an empty seat L, or an occupancy in another occupancy category, are effected in a computer unit by means of transitional probabilities which are externally specified to the monitoring system and which reflect the rapid speed at which a change in occupancy is taken into account by said monitoring system. As a result, an associated airbag or another safety device is activated or de-activated accordingly.