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:
Oct. 26, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 01, 2001
Farid Khairallah, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
Nicholas M. Zayan, Fenton, MI (US);
Jon K. Wallace, Redford, MI (US);
Chek-Peng Foo, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An occupant sensing system ( ) and an associated method provide for the sensing of an occupant ( ). An illuminating element ( ) of the system ( )selectively illuminates the interior of a vehicle ( ). An image sensor ( ) acquires a first image of the interior of the vehicle ( ) when the interior of the vehicle is illuminated by ambient sources only and acquires a second image of the interior of the vehicle when the interior of the vehicle is illuminated by ambient sources and the illuminating element ( ). A controller ( ) removes the effect of ambient sources by comparing the first and second images to produce a third image of the interior of the vehicle ( ) as illuminated by the illuminating element ( ) only. The controller ( ) determines the presence of an occupant ( ) by comparing the third image to a produced map of the interior of the vehicle ( ).