The adoption of facial recognition in automobiles is still at the initial stage and the industry is still exploring and testing related technologies and usage scenarios. While vendors are excited about developing new products, applying facial recognition to automobiles needs to consider security issues and thus requires more validation and consideration. As a result, the number of use cases has remained low. This report provides insights into the development of facial recognition-related granted patents for automotive applications and offers a snapshot of facial recognition-based technology and application trends in the automotive industry.

Table of Contents
1.Development of Facial Recognition Technology for Automobiles
1.1 Widespread Use of Biometric Technologies in Automotive Applications
1.2 Smart Cars Bringing New Opportunities for Facial Recognition
2. Development of Facial Recognition Patent Applications
2.1 Patent Search
2.2 Trends in Patent Applications
2.2.1 US and Japan Jointly Hold Over 80% of USPTO Patent Grants
2.2.2 Majority of Assignees are Automobile Vendors
3.Development Trends of Facial Recognition Technology and Application Areas
3.1 Applications Focus Mainly on Facial Detection
3.2 Majority of Patent Grants are for Security Purposes
3.2.1 60% of Patent Grants Are on Driving Safety Enhancement
3.2.2 Driver’s Attention Level is Enhanced
3.2.3 Potential Causes of Distracted Driving is Reduced
3.2.4 System Operation Enhancement as Another Key Development Focus
3.3 Other Applications
3.3.1 Entertainment
3.3.2 Employee Performance or Insurance Fee Assessment for Private Companies
4.Conclusion
Appendix
Glossary of Terms
List of Companies
List of Tables
Table 1 Biometric Recognition Technologies Adopted in Automotive Industry
Table 2 Patent Search Settings and Results
List of Figures
Figure 1 Distribution of Facial Recognition Patent Grants by Country of Origin
Figure 2 Distribution of Patent Grants by Assignee
Figure 3 Major Purposes of Facial Recognition for Automotive Applications
Figure 4 Steps in the Facial Recognition Process
Figure 5 Facial Recognition Patents for Automotive Applications by Technology Type
Figure 6 Facial Recognition Patents for Automotive Applications by Application (Excluding Law Enforcement Applications in Public Sectors or Business Applications in Private Sectors)
Figure 7 Patent Title: Sensing and Managing Vehicle Behavior Based on Occupant Awareness
Figure 8 Patent Title: Adjusting Speakers Using Facial Recognition Technology

List of topics:

Overview of major brands' biometric modalities adopted in the automotive industry, including fingerprint, iris, voice recognition, and mostly facial recognition.
Development of facial recognition patents related to automotive applications and includes patent grants by country of origin and by technology type, and by application.
The top-10 assignees' global share in the facial recognition patent grants, including Denso, IBM, Toyota, Conduent, GM, Lytx, ARTC, Hyundai, Panasonic, and Honda.
Development trends of facial recognition technology and application areas, touching on four steps involved and three major purposes.
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