IP Library Granted Patent US 12,459,456
Granted Patent B2
US 12,459,456 · App. 18/411,530 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Multi-sensor body measurement detection and restraint control

Inventors: Caroline Chung (Royal Oak, MI); Matthew Parker (Nashua, NH); Varun Garg (Winchester, MA); Riley Paxton (Pontiac, MI)
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS, LLC
B60R21/01538B60N2/0025B60R21/01552G01S13/865G01S13/867
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,459,456
App. No.
18/411,530
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A camera measurement module is configured to determine first measurements of an occupant of a seat based on an image captured using a camera within the passenger cabin of the vehicle. A radar measurement module is configured to determine second measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on radar signals from a radar sensor, A measurement module is configured to determine third measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin based on at least one of: the first measurements of the occupant of the seat; and the second measurements of the occupant of the seat. An actuator control module is configured to selectively actuate an actuator of a restraint associated with the seat based on the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat.

Claims (42)

1 . An occupant classification system of a vehicle, comprising:

a camera measurement module configured to determine one or more first measurements of an occupant of a seat within a passenger cabin of the vehicle based on an image captured using a camera within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

a radar measurement module configured to determine one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on radar signals from a radar sensor within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

a measurement module configured to determine one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin based on at least one of:

the one or more first measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

the one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

an actuator control module configured to selectively actuate an actuator of a restraint associated with the seat based on the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat,

wherein the measurement module is configured to determine the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat based on both of the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements.

2 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the measurement module is configured to determine the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat based on one or more averages of the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements, respectively.

3 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the measurement module is configured to determine the one or more third measurements of the occupant further based on first and second confidence values of the camera and radar measurement modules, respectively.

4 . The occupant classification system of claim 3 wherein the measurement module is configured to set the one or more third measurements to the one or more first measurements when the first confidence value is greater than the second confidence value.

5 . The occupant classification system of claim 4 wherein the measurement module is configured to set the one or more third measurements to the one or more second measurements when the second confidence value is greater than the first confidence value.

6 . The occupant classification system of claim 3 wherein the measurement module is configured to determine the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat based on one or more weighted averages of the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements, respectively.

7 . The occupant classification system of claim 6 wherein the measurement module is configured to set one or more first weight values for the one or more first measurements based on the first confidence value and to set one or more second weight values for the one or more second measurements based on the second confidence value.

8 . The occupant classification system of claim 7 wherein the measurement module is configured to increase the one or more first weight values as the first confidence value increases.

9 . The occupant classification system of claim 8 wherein the measurement module is configured to decrease the one or more first weight values as the first confidence value decreases.

10 . An occupant classification system of a vehicle, comprising:

a camera measurement module configured to determine one or more first measurements of an occupant of a seat within a passenger cabin of the vehicle based on an image captured using a camera within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

a radar measurement module configured to determine one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on radar signals from a radar sensor within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

a measurement module configured to determine one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin based on at least one of:

the one or more first measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

the one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

an actuator control module configured to selectively actuate an actuator of a restraint associated with the seat based on the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat,

wherein the first, second, and third measurements include a weight of the occupant.

11 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third measurements include a height of the occupant.

12 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the camera is a time of flight camera.

13 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the restraint is an air bag.

14 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 further comprising a keypoint module configured to determine keypoints of the occupant based on the image captured using the camera,

wherein the camera measurement module is configured to determine the one or more first measurements of an occupant of a seat within a passenger cabin of the vehicle based on at least two of the keypoints of the occupant.

15 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the radar measurement module is configured to determine the one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on an average of a sum of energies of the radar signals from the radar sensor.

16 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 further comprising a learning module configured to selectively adjust one or more parameters of the camera measurement module based on one or more differences between the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements.

17 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 further comprising a learning module configured to selectively adjust one or more parameters of the radar measurement module based on one or more differences between the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements.

18 . The occupant classification system of claim 1 wherein the actuator control module is configured to actuate the actuator of the restraint associated with the seat based on the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat when a collision condition of the vehicle with an object is detected.

19 . An occupant classification method comprising:

determining one or more first measurements of an occupant of a seat within a passenger cabin of a vehicle based on an image captured using a camera within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

determining one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on radar signals from a radar sensor within the passenger cabin of the vehicle;

determining one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat within the passenger cabin based on at least one of:

the one or more first measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

the one or more second measurements of the occupant of the seat; and

selectively actuating an actuator of a restraint associated with the seat based on the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat,

wherein the first, second, and third measurements include a height of the occupant.

20 . The occupant classification method of claim 19 , wherein determining the one or more third measurements includes determining the one or more third measurements of the occupant of the seat based on both of the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: VEONEER US, LLC
To: MAGNA ELECTRONICS, LLC
Reel/Frame 066660/0953 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2024
From: CHUNG, CAROLINE; PARKER, MATTHEW; GARG, VARUN; PAXTON, RILEY
To: VEONEER US LLC
Reel/Frame 066113/0712 →