Vehicle driver assist arrangement
First Claim
1. A vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
- an output unit; and
a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement comprising a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit;
wherein the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit is configured to evaluate a host vehicle lane position and transmit a first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position to the processing unit, the steering wheel torque detection unit is configured to detect a torque exerted on the steering wheel of the host vehicle and to transmit a second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit, the pedal pressure detecting unit is configured to detect a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle and to transmit a third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the first, the second and the third signals, and the output unit is configured to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level; and
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle driver assist arrangement may include an output unit and a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement. The vehicle driver attentiveness arrangement may include a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit is arranged to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of a first, a second and a third signal transmitted to the processing unit by the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, the steering wheel torque detection unit, and the pedal pressure detecting unit. The output unit is arranged to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
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an output unit; and a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement comprising a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit; wherein the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit is configured to evaluate a host vehicle lane position and transmit a first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position to the processing unit, the steering wheel torque detection unit is configured to detect a torque exerted on the steering wheel of the host vehicle and to transmit a second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit, the pedal pressure detecting unit is configured to detect a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle and to transmit a third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the first, the second and the third signals, and the output unit is configured to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level; and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of assisting a vehicle driver using a vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the vehicle driver assist arrangement comprising an output unit and a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement comprising a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit, the method comprising:
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evaluating a host vehicle lane position using the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit; transmitting a first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position to the processing unit; detecting a torque exerted on the steering wheel of the host vehicle using the steering wheel torque detection unit; transmitting a second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit; detecting a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle using the pedal pressure detecting unit; transmitting a third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit; assessing a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the first, the second and the third signals using the processing unit; determining using the processing unit a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to a predetermined threshold attentiveness level; changing using the processing unit the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal; and issuing an alert, via the output unit, in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below the predetermined threshold attentiveness level.
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15. A vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
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an output unit; and a processing unit configured to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of a first signal received from a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit configured to evaluate a host vehicle lane position and transmit the first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position, a second signal received from a steering wheel torque detection unit configured to detect a torque exerted on a steering wheel of the host vehicle and to transmit the second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit, and a third signal received from a pedal pressure detecting unit configured to detect a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle and to transmit the third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit; wherein the output unit is configured to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal.
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Specification