The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2002
Jon K. Wallace, Redford, MI (US);
Nicholas M. Zayan, Fenton, MI (US);
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
Farid Khairallah, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus ( ) for determining the location of a vehicle occupant ( ) in a vehicle interior includes a light source ( ) for projecting at least one structured light beam ( ) onto an area of interest ( ) to form a light pattern on the area of interest. A beam divergence control device ( ) alters the apparent location of the light source ( ) with respect to the area of interest ( ). An imager ( ) detects the light reflected from the area of interest ( ). A characteristic of the reflected light is measured, and the distance between the imager ( ) and the area of interest ( ) is measured, based on the measured characteristic of the reflected light.