Method and device for diagnosing in a motor vehicle a driver's fitness drive

• US 20030146841A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Koenig, Winfried
• Granted Patent: US 6,946,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/00 Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for diagnosing the driving capability of a driver of a motor vehicle (5), in which changes in driver condition are ascertained from physiological measured values derived from the driver while driving in the vehicle and evaluated, and if the changes are serious, a warning is issued or remedial actions are initiated, wherein the physiological measured values ascertained while driving in the vehicle are combined by means of a corresponding expert system (10) with health-relevant data for the driver ascertained in stationary fashion, and with data indicating driver stress that are estimated in particular from the instantaneous traffic situation and instantaneous operating state of the vehicle (5), and changes in the driver'"'"'s condition are weighted with the estimated driver stress and interpreted; and an apparatus (1) for carrying out the method, which is characterized in that the expert system (10) is implemented in an onboard computer of the vehicle (3) which is connected via a bus (3) internal to the vehicle to a mobile driver condition sensor suite (4) that supplies the physiological measured values; to a memory/transfer medium (15, 18) that delivers the biographical data and/or the health-relevant data ascertained in stationary fashion; and to an ACC system and driving direction system (11) internal to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing the driving capability of a driver of a motor vehicle, in which changes in driver condition are ascertained from physiological measured values derived from the driver while driving in the vehicle and evaluated, and if the changes are serious, a warning is issued or remedial actions are initiated,

wherein the physiological measured values acquired while driving in the vehicle are combined by an expert system with health-relevant data, ascertained in stationary fashion or estimated, for the driver;

and changes in driver condition are weighted and interpreted by the expert system with a variable indicating driver stress that is estimated from data present or derived in the vehicle, in particular concerning the instantaneous traffic situation and instantaneous vehicle operating state, in order to detect whether or not the driver is capable of driving.

2. The method as defined in claim 1,

wherein circulatory measured values, in particular the pulse rate and blood pressure of the driver in the vehicle, are sensed as physiological measured values.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 or 2,

wherein the impedance of the driver'"'"'s skin is sensed in the vehicle as a physiological measured value.

4. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein an electrocardiogram of the driver is measured in the vehicle as a physiological measured value.

5. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein the eyelid blink frequency of the driver is sensed in the vehicle as a physiological measured value.

6. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein physiological data measured in stationary fashion in the driver'"'"'s home context, for example ergometric data measured on ergometric devices, and biographical data such as age, weight and gender, are used as health-relevant data.

7. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein blood analysis values, e.g. the blood sugar level, of the driver obtained in the home context are used as health-relevant stationary data.

8. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein if no stationary health-relevant physiological measured values concerning the driver are measurable or are present, standard values are assumed and are refined using inputted biographical data such as gender, age, and weight.

9. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein the instantaneous traffic situation is estimated from the number, speed, and heading of other vehicles and from relevant driving direction information for the vehicle, and combined with instantaneous operating state data for the relevant motor vehicle, in particular its own heading and speed, and the driver stress is calculated therefrom.

10. The method as defined in one of the foregoing claims,

wherein a learning system is used as the expert system;

and initially, before a valid diagnosis of driving capability is issued, a learning phase with at least one test drive by the driver is performed in that vehicle, comprising a variety of stress levels and traffic situations.

11. An apparatus for carrying out the method as defined in one of claims 1 through 10,

wherein the expert system (10) is implemented in an onboard computer of the motor vehicle (5) which is connected via a vehicle bus (3) to a vehicle-based driver condition sensor suite (4) supplying the physiological measured values;

to a memory/transfer means (15, 18) that delivers the biographical data and/or the health-relevant data estimated or ascertained in stationary fashion;

to means (11) for ascertaining and transferring to the onboard computer the instantaneous traffic situation (20) and the instantaneous operating state data of the motor vehicle (5); and

to transmission means (13) for transferring to the environment a signal indicating an overload or a driver stress that is not appropriate for the situation.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11,

wherein the mobile vehicle status sensor suite (4) in the vehicle (5) includes at least a pulse and blood-pressure meter.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 or 12,

wherein the mobile vehicle status sensor suite (4) in the vehicle (5) includes at least a skin impedance sensor.

14. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 13,

wherein the mobile vehicle status sensor suite (4) in the vehicle (5) includes at least an electrocardiograph.

15. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 14,

wherein the mobile vehicle status sensor suite (4) in the vehicle (5) includes a video camera with downstream image evaluation system, in particular for sensing and evaluating the driver'"'"'s eyelid blink frequency.

16. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 15,

wherein the memory/transfer means (15, 18) include a memory medium (15) such as a chip card, and an input/read apparatus (18) which reads the latter and is connected to the onboard computer.

17. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 16,

wherein an ACC system and vehicle navigation system (11) connected to corresponding sensors (2a, 2c) is provided as the means for ascertaining and transferring the instantaneous traffic situation (20).

18. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 17,

wherein a radio transmission system, in particular a GSM mobile data radio system, is provided as the transmission means (13).

19. The apparatus as defined in one of claims 11 through 18,

wherein the onboard computer containing the expert system (10) is connected to an access control unit of the vehicle which performs an identification of the driver.