Trw Limited

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Trw Automotive U.S. LLC

Barry Dunbridge

George W McIver

John Joseph Berenz

Gregory A Shreve

Joseph W Niesen

Kiran Ramanlal Magiawala

Kenneth L Brown

Kelley D Chilcott

Robert R Rice

Jon Kelly Wallace

David Leonard Juzswik

Timothy Dezorzi

Farid Khairallah

L Dwight Gilger

Albert Michael Straub

Thomas A Zimmerman

Carlton B Ardery

Pramod Shankar

Robert Y Huang

Carol A Eberhard

George W Mciver

A tire and suspension monitoring and warning system consisting of a set of multi-function sensors that monitor and warn of a failure mode. The system monitors and warns for tire imbalance, tire tread wear, and shock absorbers for a tire attached to a vehicle. The monitoring and warning system includes one axial, radial, and lateral acceleration measurement of the wheel to provide acceleration signal sample power. For tire imbalance, signal sample power in the second harmonic of the tire rotational frequency is compared to that of the first harmonic. For tire tread wear, average signal sample power within a second frequency range is compared to a previously stored baseline value. For shock absorber performance, a sum of all frequency components in a second predetermined frequency range is compared to a baseline value.

Tire and suspension warning and monitoring system

A method and related apparatus for sensing selected emotions or physical conditions in a human subject. The technique employs a two-dimensional camera to generate a facial image of a human subject. Then, an image processing module scans the image to locate the face position and extent, and then scans for selected critical areas of the face. The size and activity of the selected critical areas are monitored by comparing sequential image frames of the subject's face, and the areas are tracked to compensate for possible movements of the subject. The sensed parameters of the selected critical areas are compared with those stored in a database that associates activities of the critical areas with various emotional and physical conditions of the subject, and a report or assessment of the subject is generated.

Robust and low cost optical system for sensing stress, emotion and deception in human subjects

A method for helping to control a vehicle occupant protection device () includes taking an image of the vehicle interior with a digital imager () having an array of pixels (). A contiguous portion of the image less than the entire image is selected. At least one image enhancement technique is applied to the selected image portion. The enhanced image portion is combined with the other portions of the image to make an enhanced image. The enhanced image is analyzed to detect at least one of features and characteristics of the enhanced image. Alternatively, a selected non-contiguous group of the pixels () of the imager () are read out, as representative of the entire image, to estimate the illumination levels across the entire array of pixels. In one aspect, the imager shutter () speed may be controlled to enhance the image.

Enhancement of vehicle interior digital images

An imaging system () for providing vehicle security and convenience features that employs face recognition software to identify and track a person. The system () employs infrared emitters () that emit an infrared signal along a predetermined field-of-view, and an infrared sensor (), such as a CMOS sensor used as a video signal array, that receives reflected infrared illumination from objects in the field-of-view. A processor () including the face recognition software, is employed to detect human faces to identify and track the person. Once a face is detected, it can be compared to a data base to identify the person. Various applications for the imaging system () to provide driver convenience and security include determining driver identification as the driver approaches the vehicle, determining if a potential thief is in the vehicle by face recognition, providing driver seat adjustment, rear and side mirror adjustment and steering wheel adjustment, providing vehicle speed control, automatically starting the vehicle, etc.

Application of human facial features recognition to automobile security and convenience

A vehicle occupant airbag deployment system () that detects, identifies and tracks a person () in the passenger seat () of a vehicle (), and provides a signal for no fire, soft fire or hard fire of the airbag () depending on the location of the person () in a crash event. The airbag deployment system () employs infrared emitters () that emit an infrared signal towards the passenger seat () of the vehicle () and an infrared detector () that receive reflected radiation from objects in the seat (). Processing circuitry (), including face recognition software, is employed to detect human face features to provide the necessary detection and tracking of the person (). In this manner, the system () prevents the airbag () from firing if the seat () is not occupied by a person (), prevents the airbag () from firing if a person () is detected, but is too close to the airbag (), and provides a soft fire if a person () is detected, but is within a soft fire range of the airbag ().

Human presence detection, identification and tracking using a facial feature image sensing system for airbag deployment

A human presence detection system ( ) that employs a frame differencing technique for subtracting out background interference from images generated by the system. The system ( ) includes an infrared source ( ) that generates a beam of infrared radiation, and an infrared detector ( ) that receives infrared radiation reflected from objects in the path of the beam. Face recognition software is employed to determine the presence of a person ( ) from the reflected radiation. The infrared source ( ) is pulsed on and off and the detector ( ) is synchronously shuttered to the pulses so that image frames are generated at different times, where one frame includes reflected radiation and background radiation and another frame includes only background radiation. The frames are subtracted to separate out the background radiation. In one embodiment, the detector ( ) includes a pixel array of photodiodes ( ) and first and second capacitor storage sites ( ) for storing the image frames on a single CMOS chip ( ). The storage sites ( ) are subtracted in a summation device ( ) that is also on the CMOS chip ( ). In an alternate embodiment, the frames are stored and subtracted at an off-chip site.

Optimized human presence detection through elimination of background interference

A tire monitoring method and apparatus is provided to predict tire tread separation for a tire on a wheel of a vehicle. This may involve monitoring a parameter of a tire of a vehicle over time and comparing information regarding the monitored parameter (over time) with a reference threshold value of the parameter (over time). The method may also include providing information to a driver based on the comparison. The parameter may be acceleration (axial, radial or longitudinal) along an axis of the tire. The parameter may also be tire imbalance, temperature inside the tire, speed of the tire, load and/or pressure, for example. Information regarding the comparison may be transmitted to a driver if the monitored parameter exceeds the reference threshold value for a predetermined amount of time.

Tire tread integrity monitoring system and method

An imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features that employs face recognition software to identify and track a person. The system ( ) employs infrared emitters ( ) that emit an infrared signal along a predetermined field-of-view, and an infrared sensor ( ), such as a CMOS sensor used as a video signal array, that receives reflected infrared illumination from objects in the field-of-view. A processor ( ) including the face recognition software, is employed to detect human faces to identify and track the person. Once a face is detected, it can be compared to a data base to identify the person. Various applications for the imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features include identifying the driver or passenger for personalizing the vehicle's airbags, providing pre-crash collision avoidance, providing blind spot detection, providing vehicle crash recording, and providing a warning signal if the driver appears drowsy.

Application of human facial features recognition to automobile safety

A system for providing recognition of an approaching object located in a distant no-light environment includes an illumination source for transmitting light to the distant object and an imaging device for detecting the light radiation reflected from the distant object to generate an image of the distant object corresponding thereto. The system also includes an independent digital signal processor for calculating a desired optical magnification of a lens of the imaging device as a function of a distance between the imaging device and the distant object and generates a voltage corresponding thereto. The digital signal processor applies the voltage to the digital zoom circuitry of the imaging device to adjust the magnification of the lens so that the image of the distant object is held in a fixed dimension.

Method and system for improving camera infrared sensitivity using digital zoom

A system and method for monitoring tread wear, shock absorber performance, balance condition of a vehicle tire, and/or rotation speed of a vehicle wheel, use a sensor to provide acceleration signals. To monitor tread wear, acceleration signals from the sensor determine at least one resonance frequency of at least one of the radial and lateral acceleration of the tire and compares it to at least one stored resonance frequency To monitor shock absorber performance, the amplitude of the Fourier component of the radial acceleration is compared to a stored amplitude value. To monitor a balance condition of a vehicle tire, the sensor provides acceleration signals measured over a specified time duration to determine an amplitude of the Fourier component of the radial acceleration that is compared to a stored amplitude specification balance condition of the tire.

System and method for monitoring vehicle conditions affecting tires

Apparatus for sensing the weight of an object and providing a digital representation of a weight range within which the sensed weight falls, and apparatus for controlling the deployment of a vehicular air bag in accordance with the weight of a passenger seated in a vehicle seat adjacent the air bag. A number of two-position switches,normally assume a first position and are responsive to a force of at least a predetermined amount to assume a second position. The first position represents a first weight range, and the second position represents a second weight range. A support surface,overlies the switches to support an object to be weighed. A decoding circuit,monitors the positions of each of the two-position switches and provides a digital representation of the weight range within which the weight of the object falls. In the vehicular air bag system, a number of groups of the two-position switches,are mounted in a passenger seat,adjacent the air bag. Each group includes switches which assume their second position in response to a force of at least a predetermined amount that is associated with such group. The decoding circuit,provides a digital representation of the weight range within which the weight of a passenger seated in the passenger seat falls. A controller is responsive to the decoding circuit to control the air bag deployment system to control deployment of the air bag,in accordance with the represented weight range.

Apparatus for providing a digital representation of the weight of an object

A cellular communication system is provided for transmitting a large number of highly directive personalized communication beams throughout an original geographic cell of the cellular communication system. The system advantageously utilizes a phased array antenna positioned at a center location of the cell in conjunction with a spread spectrum communications method which includes code division multiple access techniques for increasing user capacity. Each of the communication beams represents user signals assigned to specific users located within the original geographic cell and are adjustable in the user's directions. The total number of the communication beams may equal the number of users within the cell. An omnidirectional antenna is positioned in close proximity to the center location of the cell for transmitting and receiving an omnidirectional communication beam for communication with users located within approximately one half of a mile of the center location. A plurality of digital beam forming networks are employed for feeding the phased array antenna with the user signals forming the personalized communication beams.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

Barry Dunbridge