Abstract: An object detecting system, which is installed in a vehicle, uses a camera comprising an optical lens, a distance measuring image chip, and an illumination device to detect information about an object occupying a vehicle seat. The illumination device is sectioned into a plurality of illuminants, such as a first illuminant and a second illuminant, so that the light emitting modes of the illuminants are controlled to be changed individually.

Abstract: An occupant detection apparatus is provided for a vehicle. In one form, the detection apparatus includes a photographing means for detecting a three-dimensional surface profile of a vehicle occupant relating to a single view point, a digitizing means for digitizing the three-dimensional surface profile thus detected, a seat cushion height detector, a seat back inclination detector, a seat slide position detector, a plane setting unit, a volume calculating unit, and a body size determination unit. The plane setting unit sets reference planes which define the profile of the far side, i.e. a side invisible from the single view point, based on the information about the seat condition of the vehicle seat. The volume calculating unit and the body size determination unit derive the information about the vehicle occupant from corrected digitized coordinates.