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:
Nov. 21, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 12, 2002
Akira Takagi, Nagoya, JP;
Masayuki Imanishi, Okazaki, JP;
Tomoyuki Goto, Anjo, JP;
Hironori Sato, Nishio, JP;
Akira Takagi, Nagoya, JP;
Masayuki Imanishi, Okazaki, JP;
Tomoyuki Goto, Anjo, JP;
Hironori Sato, Nishio, JP;
Denso Corporation, Kariya, JP;
Nippon Soken, Inc., Nishio, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for protecting an occupant in a vehicle includes a pair of image sensors for taking images of an area on a seat in the vehicle. Transverse-direction shifts between corresponding portions of the images are calculated. Longitudinal-direction positions of objects whose images are in the portions of the images taken by the image sensors are measured in response to the calculated transverse-direction shifts. A longitudinal-direction position of an occupant on the seat is decided in response to the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects. Occupant protecting operation at a time of occurrence of a collision of the vehicle is changed in response to the decided longitudinal-direction position of the occupant. From the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects, one corresponding to a highest position with respect to the vehicle and being in front of the seat is selected as a longitudinal-direction position of a head of the occupant.