Method for recognizing vehicle driver and determining whether driver can start vehicle

• US 10,173,687 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wellen Sham
• Original Assignee: Wellen Sham
• Inventors: Sham, Wellen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US15/063,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 2, 701 36, 701 39, 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0836 due to alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 : Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for increasing vehicle safety by determining whether a driver can operate a vehicle based on whether the physical status of the driver and the identity of the driver are acceptable. A first set of sensors may determine the physical status of the driver. The first set of sensors may include an electrocardiogram detection component, an alcohol detection component, a body temperature detection component, and a photography component, among others. A second set of sensors may determine the identity of the driver. The second set of sensors may a fingerprint detection component, an electrocardiogram detection component, and a photography component, among others. When it is determined that the physical status of the driver is unacceptable, the method may include activating an automatic driving system.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a driver is permitted to start a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, at a processor within the vehicle, determining whether a physical status of the driver is acceptable using a first set of sensors, wherein determining whether the physical status of the driver is acceptable comprises;

determining whether a cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold by automatically sampling a cardiac activity of the driver with an in-vehicle electrocardiogram detection component;

in response to determining the cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold, determining whether an alcohol level in a breathing gas of the driver is below a certain alcohol threshold by automatically sampling the breathing gas of the driver using an alcohol detection component;

in response to determining the alcohol level of the driver is below the certain alcohol threshold, determining whether a body temperature of the driver is within a range of predetermined normal body temperatures by automatically sampling the body temperature of the driver using a body temperature detection component;

in response to determining the body temperature of the driver is within the range of the predetermined normal body temperature, determining whether an eye expression of the driver indicates a risk of the driver is below a certain drowsiness threshold by sampling the eye expression of the driver using a photography component; and

in response to determining the risk of the driver exceeds the certain drowsiness threshold, determining the physical status of the driver is not acceptable;

determining, at the processor within the vehicle, whether the identity of the driver is acceptable using a second set of sensors, wherein the identity of the driver is acceptable when the second set of sensors indicate that the driver is an authorized driver, and wherein the second set of sensors include at least one of the following;

a fingerprint detection component configured to detect a fingerprint of the driver;

the electrocardiogram detection component configured to detect the cardiac activity of the driver; and

the photography component configured to detect an image of the driver; and

in response to the determination that the identity of the driver is acceptable and the determination that the physical status of the driver is not acceptable, activating, at the processor within the vehicle, an automatic driving system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the electrocardiogram detection component detects that the cardiac activity of the driver indicates that the likelihood of cardiac arrest of the driver exceeds a certain threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an electrocardiogram signal is extracted from the cardiac activity of the driver, and wherein the P wave, Q wave, R wave, S wave, and T wave are extracted from the electrocardiogram signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the alcohol detection component detects that the breathing gas of the driver indicates that the blood alcohol content of the driver exceeds a certain threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical status of the driver is determined to be unacceptable when the body temperature detection component detects that the body temperature of the driver is above or below certain thresholds.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the photography component detects that the eye expression of the driver indicates that the likelihood of drowsiness exceeds a certain threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the driver is determined to be acceptable when the fingerprint detection component detects that the fingerprint of the driver matches a fingerprint stored in a server of acceptable driver fingerprints.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the driver is determined to be acceptable when the electrocardiogram detection component detects that the cardiac activity of the driver matches a cardiac activity stored in a server of acceptable driver cardiac activities.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, at the processor within the vehicle, an alarm system when it is determined that the identity of the driver is unacceptable.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, at the processor within the vehicle, an automatic driving system when it is determined that the physical status of the driver is unacceptable.

11. A system configured to determine whether a driver is permitted to start a vehicle, the system comprising a processor configured to perform:

determining, at a processor within the vehicle, whether a physical status of the driver is acceptable using a first set of sensors, wherein the determining whether the physical status of the driver is acceptable comprises;

determining whether a cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold by automatically sampling a cardiac activity of the driver with an in-vehicle electrocardiogram detection component;

in response to determining the cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold, determining whether an alcohol level in a breathing gas of the driver is below a certain alcohol threshold by automatically sampling the breathing gas of the driver using an alcohol detection component;

in response to determining the alcohol level of the driver is below the certain alcohol threshold, determining whether a body temperature of the driver is within a range of predetermined normal body temperatures by automatically sampling the body temperature of the driver using a body temperature detection component;

in response to determining the body temperature of the driver is within the range of the predetermined normal body temperature, determining whether an eye expression of the driver indicates a risk of the driver is below a certain drowsiness threshold by sampling the eye expression of the driver using a photography component; and

in response to determining the risk of the driver exceeds the certain drowsiness threshold, determining the physical status of the driver is not acceptable;

determining, at the processor within the vehicle, whether the identity of the driver is acceptable using a second set of sensors, wherein the identity of the driver is acceptable when the second set of sensors indicate that the driver is an authorized driver, and wherein the second set of sensors include at least one of the following;

a fingerprint detection component configured to detect a fingerprint of the driver;

the electrocardiogram detection component configured to detect the cardiac activity of the driver; and

the photography component configured to detect an image of the driver; and

in response to determination that the identity of the driver is acceptable and the determination that the physical status of the driver is not acceptable, activating, at the processor within the vehicle, an automatic driving system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein processor is further configured to perform determining the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the electrocardiogram detection component detects that the cardiac activity of the driver indicates that the likelihood of cardiac arrest of the driver exceeds a certain threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein an electrocardiogram signal is extracted from the cardiac activity of the driver, and wherein the P wave, Q wave, R wave, S wave, and T wave are extracted from the electrocardiogram signal.

14. The system of claim 11, processor is further configured to perform determining the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the alcohol detection component detects that the breathing gas of the driver indicates that the blood alcohol content of the driver exceeds a certain threshold.

15. The system of claim 11, processor is further configured to perform the physical status of the driver is unacceptable when the body temperature detection component detects that the body temperature of the driver is above or below certain thresholds.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the physical status of the driver is determined to be unacceptable when the photography component detects that the eye expression of the driver indicates that the likelihood of drowsiness exceeds a certain threshold.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the identity of the driver is determined to be acceptable when the fingerprint detection component detects that the fingerprint of the driver matches a fingerprint stored in a server of acceptable driver fingerprints.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the identity of the driver is determined to be acceptable when the electrocardiogram detection component detects that the cardiac activity of the driver matches a cardiac activity stored in a server of acceptable driver cardiac activities.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

activating an alarm system when it is determined that the identity of the driver is unacceptable.

20. A method for determining whether a driver is permitted to start a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, at a processor within the vehicle, a driver in the vehicle is authorized;

in response to the determination that the driver in the vehicle is authorized, determining, at the processor within the vehicle, determining whether a physical status of the driver is acceptable using a first set of sensors, wherein the determining whether the physical status of the driver is acceptable comprises;

determining whether a cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold by automatically sampling a cardiac activity of the driver with an in-vehicle electrocardiogram detection component;

in response to determining the cardiac arrest risk of the driver is within a certain cardiac threshold, determining whether an alcohol level in a breathing gas of the driver is below a certain alcohol threshold by automatically sampling the breathing gas of the driver using an alcohol detection component;

in response to determining the alcohol level of the driver is below the certain alcohol threshold, determining that a body temperature of the driver is within a range of predetermined normal body temperatures by automatically sampling the body temperature of the driver using a body temperature detection component;

in response to determining the body temperature of the driver is within the range of the predetermined normal body temperature, determining that an eye expression of the driver indicates a risk of the driver is below a certain drowsiness threshold by sampling the eye expression of the driver using a photography component; and

in response to determining the risk of the driver exceeds the certain drowsiness threshold, determining the physical status of the driver is not acceptable;

in response to the determination that the driver in the vehicle is authorized and the determination that the physical status of the driver is acceptable, starting the vehicle;

in response to determination that the identity of the driver is acceptable and the determination that the identity of the driver is not acceptable, disallowing, at the processor within the vehicle, the vehicle from being started.