阅读说明：本技术 一种用于车辆的防眩目系统和方法 (Anti-dazzling system and method for vehicle ) 是由 M·怀特 于 2018-10-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种防眩目系统(100)包括摄像机、防眩目装置和处理电路。一种用于防眩目的方法包括：(S1)提供车辆乘员(10)的面部的图像视图(iv)；(S2)确定在车辆乘员(10)面部的多个部分处的光照水平；(S4)确定到造成车辆乘员(10)面部的多个部分处的光照水平的光源(30a,30b)的方向(v-light)；(S5)确定将要激活防眩目装置(40a、40b、40c、…、40n)的区域(20a、20b)；以及(S6)在所确定的区域(20a,20b)中激活防眩目装置(40a、40b、40c、…、40n),以保护车辆乘员免受光源(30a,30b)造成的眩目。(An anti-glare system (100) includes a camera, an anti-glare device, and a processing circuit. A method for anti-glare purposes comprising: (S1) providing an image view (iv) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10); (S2) determining light levels at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant (10); (S4) determining directions (v-light) to light sources (30a, 30b) causing light levels at a plurality of portions of a face of a vehicle occupant (10); (S5) determining a region (20a, 20b) where the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, …, 40n) is to be activated; and (S6) activating an anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, …, 40n) in the determined area (20a, 20b) to protect vehicle occupants from glare caused by the light source (30a, 30 b).)

1. An anti-glare system (100) for a vehicle, the anti-glare system (100) comprising:

a camera (200) arranged for providing an image view (iv) of a vehicle occupant (10);

-an anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n) arranged to be capable of at least attenuating light from a light source (30a, 30b) so as to reduce interference with the vehicle occupant (10); and

-a processing circuit (102) connected to the camera (200) and to the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n), the processing circuit (102) being configured to enable the anti-glare system (100) to:

-providing an image view (iv) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) by means of the camera (200);

-determining different light levels at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) based on the image view (iv);

-determining a direction (v-light) between the face and the light source (30a, 30b), wherein the light source (30a, 30b) causes different illumination levels at the plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant (10);

-determining an area (20a, 20b) where the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n) is to be activated; and

-activating the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n) in the determined area (20a, 20b) to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source (30a, 30 b).

2. The anti-glare system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit (102) is further configured to enable the anti-glare system (100) to:

-determining from the image view (iv) a direction (v-face) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) relative to the position of the camera (200).

3. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of determining a direction (v-light) between the face and the light source (30a, 30b) comprises: comparing the image view (iv) of the vehicle occupant's (10) face with at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)) when the light source (30a, 30b) generates the vehicle occupant's (10) face in the image view (iv), wherein the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)) is associated with a known direction (v-light-known (n), v-light-known (n +1), v-light-known (n +2), v-light-known (n +3), …, v-light-known (n + m)) to a known light source, the known light source causes relative light levels at a plurality of relative portions of the face in the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)); and assigning the same direction as the direction (v-light) to the light sources (30a, 30 b).

4. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n) is at least any one of the following:

-a smart window (400a, 400b) with a shading section (45a, 45b, 45c … 45 n);

-a movable curtain (46); or

-a movable covering element (47).

5. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the direction (v-face) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) is defined by a three-dimensional vector perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane connecting the eyes and the chin of the vehicle occupant (10).

6. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the direction (v-face) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) is determined with respect to the position of the camera (200) and/or of the at least one anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40 n).

7. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the light levels at different parts of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) are detected by light sensors in the camera (200).

8. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the direction (v-light) to the light source is related to the direction (v-face) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10).

9. The anti-glare system (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)) comprises a three-dimensional image of a face having an associated light level at the plurality of relevant portions of the face, as with the face of the vehicle occupant (10) in the image view (iv).

10. The anti-glare system (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)) comprises a three-dimensional image of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) having an associated light level at the plurality of relevant portions of the face, as the face of the vehicle occupant (10) in the image view (iv).

11. Anti-glare system (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the area (20) in which the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n) is to be provided to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source (30a, 30b) is determined by using a direction (v-light) to the light source (30a, 30b) and a direction (v-face) of the position of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) relative to the camera (200).

12. A method for protecting a vehicle occupant (10) from glare caused by a light source (30a, 30b), the method comprising:

- (S1) providing an image view (iv) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) by means of the camera (200);

- (S2) determining light levels at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) based on the image view (iv 1);

- (S4) determining a direction (v-light) to a light source (30a, 30b) causing the light level at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant (10);

- (S5) determining a region (20a, 20b) where the anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, …, 40n) is to be activated; and

- (S6) activating an anti-glare device (40a, 40b, 40c, …, 40n) in the determined area (20a, 20b) to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source (30a, 30 b).

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising,

- (S3) determining a direction (v-face) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) relative to the position of the camera (200) based on the image view (iv);

14. the method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, when the light source (30a, 30b) generates the face of the vehicle occupant (10) in the image view (iv), the direction (v-light) to the light source (30) is determined by comparing the image view (iv) of the face of the vehicle occupant (10) with at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)), wherein the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)) is compared with a known direction (v-light-known (n), v-light-known (n +1), v-light-known (n +2) to the light source, v-light-not (n +3), …, v-light-not (n + m)) are associated, i.e. the light source causes a relevant illumination level at a plurality of relevant parts of the face in the at least one pre-stored image view (iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m)); and assigning the same direction (v-light-turn (n), v-light-turn (n +1), v-light-turn (n +2), v-light-turn (n +3), …, v-light-turn (n + m)) as the direction (v-light) to the light source (30a, 30 b).

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a data-processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method according to any of claims 12 through 14 when the computer program is run by the processing circuit (102).

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of light detection and systems and methods for preventing glare in the eyes of a vehicle driver.

Background

Today, vehicle occupants, particularly vehicle drivers, often have their eyes dazzled by light during driving. In particular the sun causes glare, for example at sunset and sunrise. Reflection of sunlight also causes glare. Glare may also be caused by different light sources, such as light from headlamps of other vehicles. Glare can produce a blinding effect on the driver. This can be painful and irritating, can be dangerous and risky, and also affects driving safety. If the driver is not visible due to glare, in the worst case, the driver may eventually lead to accidents causing casualties. One natural method of anti-glare is to raise one hand to cover the eyes. But requires two hands, such as holding the wheels and shifting gears, while driving. One common solution to avoid sun glare and to avoid driver's hands from getting shadows at the eyes is to use a foldable sun visor. These foldable visors are typically mechanical visors that the driver of the vehicle can pull or fold in front of the driver to create some shade to the eyes and thus some anti-glare protection for safer driving.

Disclosure of Invention

Today, there is a need for a better, more convenient and safer way to prevent glare. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method that seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination.

The present disclosure presents an anti-glare system for a vehicle that includes a camera arranged to provide an image view of a vehicle occupant and an anti-glare device arranged to at least attenuate light from a light source, thereby reducing interference with the vehicle occupant. The system also includes a processing circuit connected to the camera and the anti-glare device. The processing circuit is configured to enable the anti-glare system to provide an image view of a face of a vehicle occupant and determine different illumination levels at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant based on the image view. The processing circuit is configured to enable the anti-glare system to determine a direction between the face and a light source causing different light levels at multiple portions of the face of the vehicle occupant and determine an area where the anti-glare device is to be activated, and then activate the anti-glare device in the determined area to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source. The advantage of this system is that vehicle occupants, such as the operator or driver of a car, can be protected from glare, resulting in a very comfortable and safe driving experience.

According to one aspect, the processing circuitry is further configured to enable the anti-glare system to determine a direction of a face of a vehicle occupant relative to a position of the camera based on an image view. In determining the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated, the orientation of the vehicle occupant's face relative to the camera position is used.

According to one aspect, determining the direction between the face and the light comprises comparing an image view of the face of the vehicle occupant with at least one pre-stored image view, wherein the at least one pre-stored image view is associated with a known direction to one known light source that causes an associated illumination level at a plurality of associated portions of the face in the at least one pre-stored image view as if the light source caused the illumination level of the face of the vehicle occupant in the image view, and designating the same direction as the direction to the light source. In other words, the direction between the face and the light source may be determined by utilizing already existing direction data associated with a pre-stored image view having similar or relevant parts of the face with an associated light level, e.g. the same shadow effect, as the image view of the vehicle occupant. Information regarding the direction between the face and the light source is utilized in determining the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

According to one aspect, the anti-glare device is at least any one of a smart window, a movable shade, or a movable covering element having a shade section. The anti-glare device may be any object arranged to attenuate or block light. This means that the anti-glare device can be purely electric, electromechanical or mechanical, depending on the most appropriate design for the vehicle in question, and also on any existing device in the vehicle that can be used by the anti-glare system.

According to one aspect, the direction of the face of the vehicle occupant is defined by a three-dimensional vector perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane connecting the eyes and the chin of the vehicle occupant. An advantage of defining the direction of the face in this way is that the camera easily detects the eyes and chin of the person, and that most people have their lines of sight within a viewing angle around this vector.

According to one aspect, the orientation of the face of the vehicle occupant is determined based on the position of the camera and/or the at least one anti-glare device. An advantage of knowing the orientation of the face of the vehicle occupant relative to the camera and/or the at least one anti-glare device is that the camera and/or the at least one anti-glare device is mounted in the vehicle and is thus static.

According to one aspect, the light levels at different portions of the face of a vehicle occupant are detected by light sensors in the camera. The camera captures the light on the face of the vehicle occupant and converts it into an electrical signal, which can be processed by a processing circuit.

According to one aspect, the direction to the light source is relative to the direction of the face of the vehicle occupant. Knowing this relationship is useful information that can be processed by the processing circuitry when determining the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

According to one aspect, the at least one pre-stored image view comprises a digital three-dimensional image of a face having associated light levels at a plurality of associated portions of the face as the face of a vehicle occupant in the image view. An advantage of using a three-dimensional image of the face is that the image view data can be processed more efficiently by the processing circuitry.

According to one aspect, the at least one pre-stored image view comprises a three-dimensional image of the face of the vehicle occupant having associated light levels at a plurality of associated portions of the face as the face of the vehicle occupant is in the image view. This means that more accurate facial data for a particular vehicle occupant can be used to better determine the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

According to one aspect, the area in which the anti-glare device is provided to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source is determined by using the direction to the light source and the direction of the vehicle occupant's face relative to the camera position. The acquisition of these relationships can be used to better determine the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

The present disclosure also proposes a method for protecting a vehicle occupant from glare caused by a light source. The method comprises the following steps: image views of the face of the vehicle occupant are provided by a camera and the light level at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant is determined based on the image views. Subsequently, directions to light sources causing light levels on portions of the face of the vehicle occupant are determined, and an area where the anti-glare device is to be activated is determined, and then the anti-glare device is activated in the determined area to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light sources. The advantage of this system is that vehicle occupants, such as the operator or driver of the vehicle, can be protected from glare, resulting in a very comfortable and safe driving experience.

According to one aspect, the method further includes determining a direction of a face of the vehicle occupant relative to the camera position based on the image view. The orientation of the face of the vehicle occupant with respect to the position of the camera is used in determining the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

According to one aspect, the direction to the light source is determined by comparing an image view of the face of the vehicle occupant with at least one pre-stored image view, wherein the at least one pre-stored image view is associated with a known direction to a known light source that causes relevant illumination levels at portions of the face in the at least one pre-stored image view as caused by the light source to the face of the vehicle occupant in the image view and designates the same direction as the direction to the light source. In other words, the direction between the face and the light source may be determined by utilizing already existing direction data associated with a pre-stored image view having similar or relevant parts of the face with an associated light level, e.g. the same shadow effect, as the image view of the vehicle occupant. Information about the direction between the face and the light source is used when determining the area where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

The present disclosure also proposes a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a data-processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method when the computer program is run by a processing circuit. This means that the methods can be transferred or downloaded from computer readable media and used in a number of devices and/or systems.

Drawings

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example aspects as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating exemplary embodiments.

Fig. 1 shows glare generated by a light source affecting a driver according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 illustrates an anti-glare system for implementing the proposed method according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary image view of a smart window having a blackout section according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary image view with different illumination levels at various portions of a vehicle occupant's face according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5a-5d illustrate pre-stored image views according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

6a-6c illustrate determination of a direction between a face and a light source according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of method steps according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Various aspects of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Like numbers on the figures refer to like elements throughout.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects of the disclosure only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In some implementations, the functions or steps recited in the blocks may occur out of the order recited in the operational illustrations in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary aspects of the disclosure. However, many variations and modifications may be made to these aspects without substantially departing from the principles of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and not limited to the particular aspects discussed above. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The different aspects may be combined in any combination of two or more aspects.

It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed. It should also be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims, that the exemplary embodiments may be implemented at least partly in hardware and software, and that "means", "units" or "devices" may be represented by the same item of hardware.

Today, vehicle occupants, particularly vehicle drivers, often have dazzling eyes during driving. In particular the sun causes glare, for example during sunset and sunrise, as indicated at 30b in fig. 1. Reflection of sunlight can also cause glare, for example, from wet road surfaces or windows of nearby buildings or other vehicles. As shown at 30a in fig. 1, glare may also be caused by different light sources, such as headlamps from other vehicles. Glare can produce blinding effects on the driver, preventing the driver from seeing important objects. Glare can be painful and irritating to humans and can also pose a danger and compromise driving safety. If the driver does not see things due to glare, the driver may, in the worst case, cause an casualty accident. One natural method of anti-glare is to raise one hand to cover the eyes.

The present inventors have recognized that there is a need for a better, more convenient and safer method to prevent glare. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method that seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination.

As shown in fig. 2, the present disclosure proposes an anti-glare system for a vehicle. For illustrative purposes, the vehicle is an automobile, but may also be a bus, truck, tractor, motorcycle, boat, airplane, helicopter, and the like.

The anti-glare system comprises a camera 200 arranged for providing an image view iv of the vehicle occupant 10. According to one aspect, the camera 200 is mounted in a vehicle and faces a vehicle occupant 10. According to one aspect, the camera 200 is a camera of a portable electronic device that may be placed in a position to provide an image view iv of a vehicle occupant. According to one aspect, the image view iv is represented by image data provided by the camera 200. The vehicle occupant 10 may be any person in the vehicle, such as a driver of the vehicle. The vehicle occupant 10 may also be a passenger.

The anti-glare system further comprises an anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n arranged to at least attenuate light from the light source 30a, 30b to reduce interference with the vehicle occupant 10. According to one aspect, the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is a smart window 400a, 400b having a shade section 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n, at least one of a movable shade 46 or a movable shade element 47. According to one aspect, all windows of the vehicle may be equipped with anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40 n. In the aspect shown in fig. 2, the windshield 14 and left side window 15a are equipped with anti-glare devices 40a, 40b in the form of smart windows 400a, 400 b. The right-hand window 15b in fig. 2 is equipped with two anti-glare devices 40c, 40d in the form of a movable curtain 46 and a movable covering element 47, wherein the movable covering element 47 is a window blind.

According to one aspect, the anti-glare device 40a, 40b is a smart window 400a, 400 b. The smart windows 400a, 400b are equipped with light blocking sections 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n that can be used to control the amount of light allowed to pass through the smart windows 400a, 400 b. Smart windows 400a, 400b are shown in fig. 3. In particular, a portion of the smart windows 400a, 400b is enlarged in fig. 3 to show the shaded sections 45a, 45b, 45c … 45 n. In fig. 3, the light blocking sections 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n are black or white, but according to one aspect, the light blocking sections 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n are dimmable so that they can gradually turn from fully transparent to fully light blocking. In the smart windows 400a, 400b, the shaded sections 45a, 45b, 45c, …, 45n may be controlled and dynamically activated. The light blocking sections 45a, 45b, 45c, …, 45n may remain active in areas that are part of the smart windows 400a, 400b with constant power applied, or the light blocking sections 45a, 45b, 45c, …, 45n may switch states by applying power and remain unchanged without applying constant power.

According to one aspect, the light blocking segments 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n may be of different sizes and activated one after the other, or the light blocking segments 45a, 45b, 45c … 45n may be activated in groups. The glass of the smart windows 400a, 400b may also be referred to as "smart glass," or "dimmable glass," or "electrochromic glass," which has the effect of attenuating, shielding, or blocking light.

The anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n may be any object arranged to attenuate or block light. This means that the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n may be purely electric, electromechanical, or mechanical, depending on the design that is most appropriate for the vehicle in question, and depending on any existing device in the vehicle that may be used by the anti-glare system 100. According to one aspect, the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d is a movable metal roof or a colored window, or an external shade already present on the vehicle.

The processing circuit 102 is connected to the camera 200 and the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n via local wired or wireless communication according to one aspect, the processing circuit 102 is connected to the camera and anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n via a communication network 50 according to one aspect, the processing circuit 102 is connected to the camera and anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n via a communication network 50 according to one aspect, the communication network 50 is a standardized wireless local area network such as a wireless local area network (W L AN), Bluetooth (R) L AN), Bluetooth (R) and the like^TMIn one example, the communication network 50 is a standardized wireless wide area network, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), extended GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long term evolution (L TE), narrow-band Internet of things 5G, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), or the like.

The processing circuit 102 is configured to enable the anti-glare system 100 to provide an image view iv of the face of the vehicle occupant 10. According to one aspect, the image view iv is represented by image data that may be processed by the processing circuitry 102.

The processing circuit 102 is further configured to enable the anti-glare system 100 to determine different illumination levels at multiple portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 based on the image view iv. According to one aspect, the image data of the image view is processed by the processing circuitry 102 for identifying different illumination levels at multiple portions of the face. Fig. 4 shows an example of a face of a vehicle occupant. The square pattern in fig. 4 represents portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10. According to one aspect, the light levels at different parts of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 are detected by light sensors in the camera 200. The camera 200 captures light on the face of the vehicle occupant 10 and converts it to an electrical signal, and this information may be processed by the processing circuit 102. Each section has a certain light level. In the illustration of fig. 4, the regions to the right of the right cheek and nose of the vehicle occupant 10 are darker than the other parts of the face.

The processing circuitry 102 is further configured to enable the anti-glare system 100 to determine a direction v-light between the face and the light sources 30a, 30b, the light sources 30a, 30b causing different light levels at portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10. In the example shown in fig. 2, the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30a, for example the headlight of an oncoming vehicle, is shown by the arrow "v-light".

The processing circuit 102 is further configured to enable the anti-glare system 100 to determine the regions 20a, 20b where the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are to be activated, and then activate the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n in the determined regions 20a, 20b to protect the vehicle occupants from glare caused by the light sources 30a, 30 b. According to one aspect, the area 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device is to be activated has a center along the axis of a vector defined by the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30a, 30 b. According to one aspect, the size of the regions 20a, 20b is determined by the different light levels at portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 where the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are formed upon activation. In particular, if the eyes of the vehicle occupant 10 are shaded after activation of the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d …, 40n, the size of the regions 20a, 20b is sufficient. According to one aspect, the size of the regions 20a, 20b is dynamically varied to protect vehicle occupants from glare caused by the light sources 30a, 30 b. According to one aspect, the size of the areas 20a, 20b has a predefined shape, such as a square, an oval or a circle. The areas 20a, 20b where the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b are to be activated are shown in fig. 2. According to one aspect, the size of the anti-glare device 40a, 40b is larger than the area 20a, 20b to minimize the risk of blinding from glare caused by the light source 30a, 30 b. In the illustration of fig. 2, the size of the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b is larger than the areas 20a, 20 b.

In fig. 2, the anti-glare devices 40a and 40b take the form of smart windows 400a, 400 b. The shapes of the anti-glare devices 40a and 40b may thus have different shapes. According to one aspect, the anti-glare devices 40a and 40b are oval, circular, or rectangular. According to one aspect, the anti-glare device 40a of the windshield 14 takes the form of a smart window 400a and the protector 40a takes the shape of a conventional anti-glare panel. According to one aspect, the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n move from top to bottom when activated until the vehicle occupant 10 is protected from glare caused by the light sources 30a, 30 b.

The advantage of this system is that vehicle occupants, such as car operators or drivers, can be protected from glare, resulting in a very comfortable and safe driving experience.

According to one aspect, the processing circuitry 102 is further configured to enable the anti-glare system 100 to determine a direction v-face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the position of the camera 200 based on the image view iv. Information regarding the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the position of the camera 200 is used in determining the area 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated. According to one aspect, the position of the camera 200 is static relative to the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n, thus using the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the position of the camera 200 when determining the area 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device is to be activated.

According to one aspect, determining the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30a, 30b comprises comparing the image view iv of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 with at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), wherein the at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) is associated with a known direction v-light-known (n), v-light-known (n +1), v-light-known (n +2), v-light-known (n +3), …, v-light-known (n + m) to a known light source at the at least one pre-stored image view (iv) (n +1), v-light-known (n +2), v-light-known (n +3), …, v-light-known (n + m), The relevant illumination levels at the relevant parts of the face are caused in iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) as are caused by the light sources 30a, 30b to the face of the vehicle occupant 10 in the image view iv, and the same direction is designated as direction v-light to the light sources 30a, 30 b. According to one aspect, the directions v-light-turn (n), v-light-turn (n +1), v-light-turn (n +2), v-light-turn (n +3), …, v-light-turn (n + m) are known to be expressed by directional data that can be processed by the processing circuitry 102. According to one aspect, the correlation may be preset or adjusted to allow a certain correlation or a certain probability of correlating a certain pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) with the image view iv.

According to one aspect, each of the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) is associated with a known direction v-light-brown (n), v-light-brown (n +1), v-light-brown (n +2), v-light-brown (n +3), …, v-light-brown (n + m) and is stored in a memory 104a, 104b accessible by the processing circuitry 102. According to one aspect, the memory 104a is a local memory in the vehicle. According to one aspect, the memory is a remote memory 104b accessible over the communication network 50. In other words, the processing of the image data and the orientation data may be performed at a remote location.

Thus, the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30 may be determined by using already existing direction data associated with the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), which have similar or related parts of the face with related illumination levels (e.g. the same shadow effect) as the image views of the vehicle occupant 10.

According to one aspect, each pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) is associated with a different illumination level at multiple portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10. Fig. 5a-5d show different pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), each having a different illumination level at portions of the face. Different illumination levels at parts of the face are caused by light from a certain direction. The position of the light source defines a direction v-light between the face and the light source. Knowing a certain known face shadow effect caused by the light source at a certain known position, the direction v-light between the face and the light source can be linked to the image view of the face. Thus, at least one of the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) is associated with a known direction v-light-not (n), v-light-not (n +1), v-light-not (n +2), v-light-not (n +3), …, v-light-not (n + m) to a known light source that causes the relevant illumination levels at the relevant parts of the face in at least one of the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) to be the same as the illumination levels caused by the light sources 30a, 30b in the image view iv to the face of the vehicle 10, the at least one of the pre-stored image views iv (n), (iv) and iv (n +3), iv (n + m) to be the face of the vehicle 10, iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) are used to determine the direction v-light to the light sources 30a, 30 b.

Fig. 5a-5d show different pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), each having a different illumination level at parts of the face, and each associated with a known direction to a known light source, v-light-known (n), v-light-known (n +1), v-light-known (n +2), v-light-known (n +3), …, v-light-known (n + m). In fig. 5a-5d, the arrows show the known direction of each image view.

According to one aspect, the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) are computer-generated digital three-dimensional images. According to one aspect, there are an infinite number of image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), each image view being generated by a computer program. According to one aspect, the at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) contains a three-dimensional image of a face having an associated illumination level at a plurality of associated portions of the face, as with the face of the vehicle occupant 10 in the image view iv. An advantage of using a three-dimensional image of the face is that the processing of the image view by the processing circuitry 102 may be more efficient.

According to one aspect, the at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) comprises a three-dimensional image of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 having an associated illumination level at a plurality of associated portions of the face, as in the image view iv of the face of the vehicle occupant 10. This means that more accurate facial data for a particular vehicle occupant 10 can be used to better determine the area 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated. According to one aspect, the pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) comprise three-dimensional images of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 generated by the camera 200 in the setup phase and stored in the memories 104a, 104b accessible by the processing circuit 102.

In one example, a particular vehicle occupant 10 may have a personal digital profile or account with pre-stored image views iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) of the vehicle occupant 10, which may be accessed by the processing circuitry 102.

When it is determined that the area 20a, 20b of the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated here, information about the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30a, 30b is used.

According to one aspect, the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant is defined by a three-dimensional vector perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane connecting the eyes and the chin of the vehicle occupant. An advantage of defining the direction v-face of the face in this way is that the camera easily detects the eyes and the chin of the person, and that the line of sight of most people is within the range of viewing angles around this vector.

According to one aspect, the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant's face is determined relative to the position of the camera 200 and/or the at least one anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d … 40 n. An advantage of knowing the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant's face relative to the camera 200 and/or the at least one anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is that the camera 200 and/or the at least one anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is mounted in the vehicle and thus is static.

According to one aspect, the direction v-light to the light source is related to the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant. The obtaining of this relationship is useful information that can be processed by the processing circuit 102 when it is determined that the regions 20a, 20b of the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are to be activated.

According to one aspect, the area 20a, 20b in which the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be provided to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source 30a, 30b is determined by utilizing the direction v-light of the light source 30a, 30b and the direction v-face of the position of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the camera 200. The derivation of these relationships may be used to better determine the regions 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated.

Referring to fig. 7, the present disclosure also proposes a method for protecting a vehicle occupant 10 from glare caused by light sources 30a, 30 b. The anti-glare system 100 is adapted to perform the method. Various aspects of the above-described anti-glare system 100 may be implemented by the methods described below.

The present disclosure proposes a method for protecting a vehicle occupant 10 from glare caused by light sources 30a, 30 b. The method comprises the following steps: s1 provides an image view iv of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 through the camera 200, and S2 determines the light level at a plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 based on the image view iv. Next, the direction v-light to the light sources 30a, 30b causing the light level at the plurality of portions of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 is determined at step S4, and the regions 20a, 20b where the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are to be activated are determined at S5, and then the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are activated within the determined regions 20a, 20b at step S6 to protect the vehicle occupant 10 from glare caused by the light sources 30a, 30 b. The advantage of this system is that vehicle occupants, such as car operators or drivers, can be protected from glare, resulting in a very comfortable and safe driving experience.

According to one aspect, the above method further comprises a step S3 of determining a direction v-face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the position of the camera 200 based on the image view iv. Information regarding the direction v-face of the vehicle occupant 10 relative to the position of the camera 200 is used in determining the region 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated. According to one aspect, the determination of the areas 20a, 20b is continued due to movement of the vehicle, movement of the vehicle occupant 10 and movement of the light sources 30a, 30 b. According to one aspect, the anti-glare system 100 is dynamic in continuous operation to protect the vehicle occupant 10 from glare caused by the light sources 30a, 30 b. Thus, according to one aspect, the regions 20a, 20b where the anti-glare devices 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n are to be activated are constantly changing.

According to one aspect, determining the direction v-light to the light source 30a, 30b is achieved by comparing the image view iv of the face of the vehicle occupant 10 with at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m), wherein the at least one pre-stored image view iv (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) is associated with a known direction v-light-known (n), v-light-known (n +1), v-light-known (n +2), v-light-known (n +3), …, v-light-known (n + m) to a light source associated with the at least one pre-stored image view (n), iv (n +1), iv (n +3), iv (n +1 + m) to a light source, The relevant illumination levels at the parts of the face resulting from iv (n +2), iv (n +3), iv (n + m) are the same as the result of the light sources 30a, 30b on the face of the vehicle occupant 10 in the image view iv, and the same direction is designated as direction v-light to the light sources 30a, 30 b. In other words, the direction v-light between the face and the light source 30 may be determined by utilizing already existing direction data associated with a pre-stored image having similar or relevant parts of the face containing relevant illumination levels (e.g. the same shadow effect) as the image view of the vehicle occupant 10. Information about the direction v-light between the face and the light sources 30a, 30b is used when determining the area 20a, 20b where the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated.

In fig. 6a-c is shown how the direction v-light between the face and the light sources 30a, 30b is determined according to one aspect.

Fig. 6a shows an image view iv1 of the face of a vehicle occupant with an unknown direction v-light1 between the face and the light sources 30a, 30 b. The face in fig. 6a has different illumination levels at various parts of the face, particularly at the shaded areas a and B.

Fig. 6b shows a pre-stored image view iv (n) associated with a known direction v-light-know (n). As shown in fig. 6B, the face in the pre-stored image view iv (n) has associated light levels at portions a ', B' of the face as the light levels caused by the light sources 30a, 30B to the face A, B of the vehicle occupant 10 in the image view iv1 as shown in fig. 6 a.

By obtaining the known direction v-light-turn (n) and the correlation between the pre-stored image view iv (n) and the image view iv1 of the vehicle occupant's face, the direction v-light1 is specified to be the same as the direction for the pre-stored image view iv (n), i.e., v-light (n) v-light 1. Now, knowing the v-light1, the anti-glare system 100 can determine that the area 20a, 20b of the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n is to be activated and then activate the anti-glare device 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, …, 40n to protect the vehicle occupant from glare caused by the light source 30a, 30 b.

The present disclosure also proposes a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a data-processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method when the computer program is run by the processing circuit 102. This means that the method can be transferred or downloaded from a computer readable medium and used in a plurality of devices and/or systems.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the method is performed by instructions in a software program downloaded and run in the anti-glare system 100. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments. However, many variations and modifications may be made to these embodiments. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the embodiments being defined by the following claims.