IN-CABIN MONITORING METHOD AND RELATED POSE PATTERN CATEGORIZATION METHOD

1 . A computer implemented method for detecting an output pose of interest of a subject in real-time, the method comprising:

recording at least one image frame of the subject using an imaging device;

determining an output pose of interest by processing the image frame using a machine learning model that comprises a rule-based pose inference model and a data-driven pose inference model,

wherein with the data-driven pose inference model, determining a data-driven pose of interest by processing a single image frame of the subject, and

wherein with the rule-based pose inference model, determining a rule-based output pose of interest by processing the same single image frame; and

determining as the output pose of interest the rule-based output pose of interest, if the rule-based pose inference model is able to determine the rule-based output pose of interest, otherwise determining the data-driven pose of interest as the output pose of interest.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of human key points is extracted from the image frame, and the human key points are processed by the machine learning model.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data-driven pose of interest is determined by determining a probability score for each of at least one predetermined pose of interest and outputting as the data-driven pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that has the highest probability score.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rule-based pose of interest is determined by comparing pose descriptor data with at least one set of pose descriptors that uniquely define a predetermined pose of interest, and outputting as the rule-based pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that matches with the pose descriptor data or outputting that no match was found if the pose descriptor data does not match any of the pose descriptors of any predetermined pose of interest.

5 . The method according claim 4 , wherein the pose descriptor data is obtained by extracting a plurality of human key points from the image frame, and at least one of a Euclidean distance and an angle is determined from the human key points.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the output pose of interest is determined by a summation of weighted rule-based poses of interest with the data-driven pose of interest, wherein the weight of the rule-based pose of interest that was determined to be in the image frame is set to 1 and the weight of the data-driven pose of interest is set to 0.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein no output pose of interest is determined, if the certainty determined for the presence of a predetermined pose of interest in the image frame is below a predetermined threshold.

8 . The method according to claim 1 ,

further comprising generating a control signal with a control unit based on the output pose of interest, the control signal being adapted to control a vehicle.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the image frame is recorded from a subject inside a cabin of a vehicle and/or from a subject that is in a surrounding environment of a vehicle.

10 . An in-cabin monitoring method for monitoring a subject inside a vehicle cabin, the method comprising:

recording at least one image frame of the subject using an imaging device wherein the imaging device is arranged to image the subject inside the vehicle cabin;

determining an output pose of interest by processing the image frame using a machine learning model that comprises a rule-based pose inference model and a data-driven pose inference model,

wherein with the data-driven pose inference model, determining a data-driven pose of interest by processing a single image frame of the subject, wherein the data-driven pose of interest is determined by determining a probability score for each of at least one predetermined pose of interest and outputting as the data-driven pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that has the highest probability score, wherein the predetermined poses of interest are chosen to be indicative of abnormal driver behavior, and

wherein with the rule-based pose inference model, determining a rule-based output pose of interest by processing the same single image frame, wherein the rule-based pose of interest is determined by comparing pose descriptor data with at least one set of pose descriptors that uniquely define a predetermined pose of interest, and outputting as the rule-based pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that matches with the pose descriptor data or outputting that no match was found if the pose descriptor data does not match any of the pose descriptors of any predetermined pose of interest, wherein the predetermined poses of interest are chosen to be indicative of abnormal driver behavior; and

determining as the output pose of interest the rule-based output pose of interest, if the rule-based pose inference model is able to determine the rule-based output pose of interest, otherwise determining the data-driven pose of interest as the output pose of interest.

11 . A vehicle environment monitoring method for monitoring a subject that is present in a surrounding of the vehicle, the method comprising:

recording at least one image frame of the subject using an imaging device wherein the imaging device is arranged to image the subject in the surrounding environment of the vehicle;

determining an output pose of interest by processing the image frame using a machine learning model that comprises a rule-based pose inference model and a data-driven pose inference model,

wherein with the data-driven pose inference model, determining a data-driven pose of interest by processing a single image frame of the subject, wherein the data-driven pose of interest is determined by determining a probability score for each of at least one predetermined pose of interest and outputting as the data-driven pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that has the highest probability score, wherein the predetermined poses of interest are chosen to be indicative of pedestrian behavior, and

wherein with the rule-based pose inference model, determining a rule-based output pose of interest by processing the same single image frame, wherein the rule-based pose of interest is determined by comparing pose descriptor data with at least one set of pose descriptors that uniquely define a predetermined pose of interest, and outputting as the rule-based pose of interest that pose among the predetermined poses of interest that matches with the pose descriptor data or outputting that no match was found if the pose descriptor data does not match any of the pose descriptors of any predetermined pose of interest, wherein the predetermined poses of interest are chosen to be indicative of pedestrian behavior; and

determining as the output pose of interest the rule-based output pose of interest, if the rule-based pose inference model is able to determine the rule-based output pose of interest, otherwise determining the data-driven pose of interest as the output pose of interest.

12 . A pose categorization system, comprising:

an imaging device configured for recording an image frame of a subject; and

a pose characterization device configured for determining an output pose of interest from a single image frame, wherein the pose categorization device comprises a data-driven pose inference model that is configured for determining a data-driven pose of interest by processing a single image frame of the subject and a rule-based pose inference model configured for determining a rule-based output pose of interest by processing the same image frame, wherein the pose categorization device is configured for determining as the output pose of interest the rule-based output pose of interest, if the rule-based pose inference model is able to determine the rule-based output pose of interest, otherwise determining the data-driven pose of interest as the output pose of interest.

13 . The pose categorization system according to claim 12 , wherein the system is located in a vehicle.

14 . A computer program, or a computer readable storage medium, or a data signal comprising instructions, which upon execution by a data processing device cause the device to perform one, some, or all of the steps of a method, the method comprising:

recording at least one image frame of the subject using an imaging device;

determining an output pose of interest by processing the image frame using a machine learning model that comprises a rule-based pose inference model and a data-driven pose inference model, wherein with the data-driven pose inference model, determining a data-driven pose of interest by processing a single image frame of the subject, and wherein with the rule-based pose inference model, determining a rule-based output pose of interest by processing the same single image frame; and

determining as the output pose of interest the rule-based output pose of interest, if the rule-based pose inference model is able to determine the rule-based output pose of interest, otherwise determining the data-driven pose of interest as the output pose of interest.