Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle navigation system which can navigate a vehicle through an environment based on driving commands received from a remote control system based on manual operator interaction with an interface of the remote control system. Remote driving control can be engaged based on determination, via processing vehicle sensor data, of a health emergency associated with one or more occupants of the vehicle, and the remote control system can generate remote driving commands which cause the vehicle to be navigated to a particular location without requiring the occupant associated with the health emergency to manually navigate the vehicle. The remote control system can monitor the occupant via communicated vehicle sensor data and can control remote control devices included in the vehicle to provide external indication that the vehicle is being navigated according to remote driving control.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle navigation system which can navigate a vehicle through an environment based on driving commands received from a remote control system based on manual operator interaction with an interface of the remote control system. Remote driving control can be engaged based on determination, via processing vehicle sensor data, of a health emergency associated with one or more occupants of the vehicle, and the remote control system can generate remote driving commands which cause the vehicle to be navigated to a particular location without requiring the occupant associated with the health emergency to manually navigate the vehicle. The remote control system can monitor the occupant via communicated vehicle sensor data and can control remote control devices included in the vehicle to provide external indication that the vehicle is being navigated according to remote driving control.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle navigation system which can navigate a vehicle through an environment based on driving commands received from a remote control system based on manual operator interaction with an interface of the remote control system. Remote driving control can be engaged based on determination, via processing vehicle sensor data, of a health emergency associated with one or more occupants of the vehicle, and the remote control system can generate remote driving commands which cause the vehicle to be navigated to a particular location without requiring the occupant associated with the health emergency to manually navigate the vehicle. The remote control system can monitor the occupant via communicated vehicle sensor data and can control remote control devices included in the vehicle to provide external indication that the vehicle is being navigated according to remote driving control.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method of performing dynamic calibration of a stereo vision system using a specific stereo disparity algorithm adapted to provide for the determination of disparity in two dimensions, X and Y. In one embodiment of the present invention, an X/Y disparity map may be calculated using this algorithm without having to perform pre-warping or first finding the epipolar directions. Thus information related to camera misalignment and/or distortion can be preserved in the resulting X/Y disparity map and later extracted.

Abstract: Method for controlling output of a classification algorithm which classifies an occupant of a seat in a vehicle in which a bladder or other type of weight sensor is arranged in a bottom cushion of the seat, data relating to the pressure exerted by the occupant on the bottom cushion is obtained from the weight sensor, the occupant is initially classified, a current classification is output using data from the weight sensor, the occupant is periodically re-classified using data from the weight sensor, and a classification change is allowed only upon obtaining evidence of a new classification which is greater than evidence of the current classification. The classification change may be enabled by determining a substantially consecutive period of time when the re-classification is unchanged and different from the current classification, and enabling the classification change upon when the consecutive period of time is greater than a threshold.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method of performing dynamic calibration of a stereo vision system using a specific stereo disparity algorithm adapted to provide for the determination of disparity in two dimensions, X and Y. In one embodiment of the present invention, an X/Y disparity map may be calculated using this algorithm without having to perform pre-warping or first finding the epipolar directions. Thus information related to camera misalignment and/or distortion can be preserved in the resulting X/Y disparity map and later extracted.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for obtaining information about objects in an environment in or around a vehicle includes one or more optical imagers for obtaining images of the environment and a processor coupled to the imager(s) for obtaining information about an object in one or more images obtained by the imager(s). The processor is arranged to process the obtained images to determine edges of objects in the images and input data about the edges into a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained to provide information about the object as output. The pattern recognition algorithm may include a neural network or variation thereof. The information about the object may be used to control a vehicular component such as an airbag or light filter.

Abstract: Vehicle including a compartment receivable of an object and a system for tracking the object includes at least one imaging device each arranged to receive an image of a portion of the compartment containing the object and a control unit coupled to each imaging device and which controls the imaging device to obtain a first set of images without the object and at least one second image including the object. The control unit analyzes the second image(s) in consideration of the first set of images to derive information about the object. This information may be the type, size and/or position of the object or a part thereof. The information may be used to control vehicular components which have a variable use based on the type, size or position of the object or part thereof.

Abstract: Method for controlling output of a classification algorithm which classifies an occupant of a seat in a vehicle in which a bladder or other type of weight sensor is arranged in a bottom cushion of the seat, data relating to the pressure exerted by the occupant on the bottom cushion is obtained from the weight sensor, the occupant is initially classified, a current classification is output using data from the weight sensor, the occupant is periodically re-classified using data from the weight sensor, and a classification change is allowed only upon obtaining evidence of a new classification which is greater than evidence of the current classification. The classification change may be enabled by determining a substantially consecutive period of time when the re-classification is unchanged and different from the current classification, and enabling the classification change upon when the consecutive period of time is greater than a threshold.

Abstract: Optical classification method for classifying an occupant in a vehicle by acquiring images of the occupant from a single camera and analyzing the images acquired from the single camera to determine a classification of the occupant. The single camera may be a digital CMOS camera, a high-power near-infrared LED, and the LED control circuit. It is possible to detect brightness of the images and control illumination of an LED in conjunction with the acquisition of images by the single camera. The illumination of the LED may be periodic to enable a comparison of resulting images with the LED on and the LED off so as to determine whether a daytime condition or a nighttime condition is present. The position of the occupant can be monitored when the occupant is classified as a child, an adult or a forward-facing child restraint.

Abstract: Vehicle including a compartment receivable of an object and a system for tracking the object includes at least one imaging device each arranged to receive an image of a portion of the compartment containing the object and a control unit coupled to each imaging device and which controls the imaging device to obtain a first set of images without the object and at least one second image including the object. The control unit analyzes the second image(s) in consideration of the first set of images to derive information about the object. This information may be the type, size and/or position of the object or a part thereof. The information may be used to control vehicular components which have a variable use based on the type, size or position of the object or part thereof.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for obtaining information about objects in an environment in or around a vehicle includes one or more optical imagers for obtaining images of the environment and a processor coupled to the imager(s) for obtaining information about an object in one or more images obtained by the imager(s). The processor is arranged to process the obtained images to determine edges of objects in the images and input data about the edges into a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained to provide information about the object as output. The pattern recognition algorithm may include a neural network or variation thereof. The information about the object may be used to control a vehicular component such as an airbag or light filter.

Abstract: Method for controlling output of a classification algorithm which classifies an occupant of a seat including initially classifying the occupant and outputting the classification, subsequently periodically classifying the occupant and enabling a change in the classification of the occupant only upon obtaining evidence of a new classification which is greater than evidence of the current classification. The initial classification of the occupant may be conducted based on satisfaction of a condition such as the detection of closure of a door by, e.g., a sensor such as a door closure sensor, the detection of an empty seat by, e.g., an occupant presence sensor, weight sensor, electric field sensor, wave sensor, camera and the like, the detection of the switching on of the vehicle ignition by an appropriate sensor, motion or the absence of motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: Method for controlling an occupant protection device in a vehicle in which data is acquired from at least one sensor relating to an occupant in a seat to be protected by the occupant protection device, the type of occupant is classified based on the acquired data and when the occupant is classified as an empty seat or a rear-facing child seat, deployment of the occupant protection device is disabled or adjusted. Otherwise, the size of the occupant is classified based on the acquired data, the position of the occupant is determined by one of a plurality of algorithms selected based on the classified size of the occupant using the acquired data, each algorithm being applicable for a specific size of occupant. Deployment of the occupant protection device is disabled or adjusted when the determined position of the occupant is more likely to result in injury to the occupant if the occupant protection device were to deploy. The algorithms may be pattern recognition algorithms such as neural networks.

Abstract: Method for controlling output of a classification algorithm which classifies an occupant of a seat including initially classifying the occupant and outputting the classification, subsequently periodically classifying the occupant and enabling a change in the classification of the occupant only upon obtaining evidence of a new classification which is greater than evidence of the current classification. The initial classification of the occupant may be conducted based on satisfaction of a condition such as the detection of closure of a door by, e.g., a sensor such as a door closure sensor, the detection of an empty seat by, e.g., an occupant presence sensor, weight sensor, electric field sensor, wave sensor, camera and the like, the detection of the switching on of the vehicle ignition by an appropriate sensor, motion or the absence of motion of the vehicle.