System and method for identifying a vehicle driver by a pattern of movement

• US 10,214,221 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Bonnie Hu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Hsien Ming
• Application Number:
  US15/410,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20180208204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 706 12, 706905, 706913
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/047 Pattern matching networks; Rete networks

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for identifying a vehicle driver by a pattern of movement that includes receiving at least one sensor signal from at least one wearable device. The method and system additionally include determining the pattern of movement based on data extracted from the at least one sensor signal and determining if the pattern of movement is consistent with at least one driver movement pattern. The method and system further include identifying the vehicle driver based on the pattern of movement being consistent with the at least one driver movement pattern. The method and system also include controlling at least one vehicle system by executing vehicle settings associated with the identified vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying a vehicle driver by a pattern of movement, comprising:

receiving sensor signals from at least one wearable device;

determining the pattern of movement based on data extracted from the sensor signals, wherein the extracted data represents physical movement and biosignal biometric parameters that are fused into combined movement data, wherein the combined movement data is converted into a data package that is indicative of the pattern of movement with respect to at least one movement of the vehicle driver that pertains to the vehicle;

evaluating at least one data point that is extracted from the data package to determine if it is consistent with at least one data point programmed within and extracted from at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

identifying the vehicle driver based on the at least one data point being consistent with the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

executing a vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver; and

controlling at least one vehicle system of the vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle system is controlled based on the execution of the vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensor signals received from the at least one wearable device includes at least one physical movement sensor signal that includes data representative of at least one movement or gesture that occurs outside of the vehicle that is sensed during a period of time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining the pattern of movement includes processing data from data extracted from the at least one physical movement sensor signal.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes at least one of:

a default driver movement pattern and a learned driver movement pattern, wherein the default driver movement pattern includes preprogrammed data that represents at least one movement that may be performed by the vehicle driver outside of the vehicle, wherein the learned driver movement pattern is based on at least one movement or gesture that occurs outside of the vehicle and is created by at least one of;

a vehicle owner, and at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes evaluating and comparing the pattern of movement against the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern, wherein the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern include at least one of:

a movement, the sequence of actions, a gesture, and a sequence of gestures traditionally conducted by a driver prior to entering the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes extracting at least one movement point from the data package that includes data that is indicative of the pattern of movement and comparing the at least one movement point extracted from the data package to at least one movement point extracted from the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes determining that there is a match between the at least one movement point extracted from the data package that includes the data that is indicative of the pattern of movement and the movement point extracted from the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein identifying the vehicle driver includes determining if a device ID of the wearable device that provided at least one sensor signal associated with the pattern of movement that is consistent with the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern is stored within a profile that is associated with at least one of:

the vehicle owner, and the at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein controlling at least one vehicle system includes at least one of:

accessing and executing settings from a vehicle settings profile linked with the profile that is associated with the vehicle owner when the identified vehicle driver is determined to be the vehicle owner, and accessing and executing settings from a vehicle settings profile linked with the profile that is associated with the at least one approved driver of the vehicle when the identified vehicle driver is determined to be the at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

10. A system for identifying a vehicle driver by a pattern of movement, comprising:

a memory storing instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to;

receive sensor signals from at least one wearable device;

determine the pattern of movement based on data extracted from the sensor signals, wherein the extracted data represents physical movement and biosignal biometric parameters that are fused into combined movement data, wherein the combined movement data is converted into a data package that is indicative of the pattern of movement with respect to at least one movement of the vehicle driver that pertains to the vehicle;

evaluate at least one data point that is extracted from the data package to determine if it is consistent with at least one data point programmed within and extracted from at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

identify the vehicle driver based on the at least one data point being consistent with the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

execute a vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver; and

control at least one vehicle system of the vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle system is controlled based on the execution of the vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor signals received from the at least one wearable device includes at least one physical movement sensor signal that includes data representative of at least one movement or gesture that occurs outside of the vehicle that is sensed during a period of time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the pattern of movement includes processing data from at least one of:

data extracted from the at least one physical movement sensor signal.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes at least one of:

a default driver movement pattern and a learned driver movement pattern, wherein the default driver movement pattern includes preprogrammed data that represents at least one movement that may be performed by the vehicle driver outside of the vehicle, wherein the learned driver movement pattern is based on at least one movement or gesture that occurs outside of the vehicle and is created by at least one of;

a vehicle owner, and at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes evaluating and comparing the pattern of movement against the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern, wherein the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern include at least one of:

a movement, the sequence of actions, a gesture, and a sequence of gestures traditionally conducted by a driver prior to entering the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes extracting at least one movement point from the data package that includes data that is indicative of the pattern of movement and comparing the at least one movement point extracted from the data package to at least one movement point extracted from the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern.

16. The system of claim of claim 15, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one driver movement pattern includes determining that there is a match between the at least one movement point extracted from the data package that includes the data that is indicative of the pattern of movement and the movement point extracted from the default driver movement pattern and the learned driver movement pattern.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein identifying the vehicle driver includes determining if a device ID of the wearable device that provided at least one sensor signal associated with the pattern of movement that is consistent with the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern is stored within a profile that is associated with at least one of:

the vehicle owner, and the at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein controlling at least one vehicle system includes at least one of:

accessing and executing settings from a vehicle settings profile linked with the profile that is associated with the vehicle owner when the identified vehicle driver is determined to be the vehicle owner, and accessing and executing settings from a vehicle settings profile linked with the profile that is associated with the at least one approved driver of the vehicle when the identified vehicle driver is determined to be the at least one approved driver of the vehicle.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer, which includes a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving sensor signals from at least one wearable device;

determining a pattern of movement based on data extracted from the sensor signals, wherein the extracted data represents physical movement and biosignal biometric parameters that are fused into combined movement data, wherein the combined movement data is converted into a data package that is indicative of the pattern of movement with respect to at least one movement of the vehicle driver that pertains to the vehicle;

evaluating at least one data point that is extracted from the data package to determine if it is consistent with at least one data point programmed within and extracted from at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

identifying the vehicle driver based on the at least one data point being consistent with the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern;

executing a vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver; and

controlling at least one vehicle system of the vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle system is controlled based on the execution of the vehicle settings profile associated with the identified vehicle driver.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the evaluating step to determine if it is consistent with at least one predetermined driver movement pattern includes extracting at least one movement point from a data package that includes data that is indicative of the pattern of movement and evaluating the at least one movement point associated with the pattern of movement and comparing the at least one movement point extracted from the data package to at least one movement point extracted from the at least one predetermined driver movement pattern.