Physical condition monitoring system

• US 20050012625A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masaki, Iwasaki, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,187,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A system that directly monitors a physical condition of a driver. The system includes a portable device carried by the driver. The portable device includes a perspiration sensor, for detecting biological information serving as an index representing the physical condition of the driver, and a transmitter circuit, for generating a transmission signal including the biological information detected by the perspiration sensor. The monitoring device, which is installed in the vehicle, includes a receiver circuit for receiving the transmission signal from the portable device. A microcomputer and a display inform the driver of his or her physical condition based on the transmission signal received by the receiver circuit.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a physical condition of a driver for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a portable device carried by the driver, the portable device including a detection unit, for detecting biological information serving as an index representing the physical condition of the driver, and a transmitter unit, for transmitting a transmission signal including the biological information detected by the detection unit; and

a monitoring device installed in the vehicle, the monitoring device including a receiver unit, for receiving the transmission signal from the portable device, and a notification unit, for notifying the driver of his or her physical condition based on the biological information included in the transmission signal received by the receiver unit.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of his or her physical condition when a numerical value related to the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has and engine and a vehicle ID code, the transmission signal includes a portable device ID code, and the vehicle enables starting of the engine when the portable device ID code corresponds to the vehicle ID code.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biological information is at least one of perspiration amount, heartbeat, blood pressure, and body temperature.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle includes an operation unit operated by the driver and connected to the monitoring device; and

the portable device is configured so as to transmit the transmission signal including the biological information to the monitoring device via the body of the driver when the driver operates the operation unit.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the operation unit is operated by the driver when driving the Vehicle.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the operation unit is operated by the driver before driving the vehicle.

8. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the portable device includes a first electrode that contacts the driver and is connected to the transmitter unit, and the operation unit includes a second electrode that contacts the driver and is connected to the receiver unit.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the portable device has a wristwatch form, and the first electrode is arranged on a rear surface of the portable device so as to closely contact the driver.

10. A system for monitoring a physical condition of a driver for a vehicle that includes a controlled subject, the system comprising:

a portable device carried by the driver, the portable device including a detection unit, for detecting biological information serving as an index representing the physical condition of the driver, and a transmitter unit, for transmitting a transmission signal including the biological information detected by the detection unit; and

a monitoring device installed in the vehicle, the monitoring device including a receiver unit, for receiving the transmission signal from the portable device, and a control unit, for selectively enabling the operation of the controlled subject of the vehicle in accordance with the physical condition of the driver based on the biological information included in the transmission signal received by the receiver unit.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit determines whether to enable the operation of the controlled subject based on whether or not a numerical value relating to the biological information exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

12. A system for monitoring a physical condition of a driver for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a portable device carried by the driver, the portable device including a detection unit, for detecting biological information serving as an index representing the physical condition of the driver when contacting the driver, a first electrode that contacts the driver, and a transmitter unit connected to the first electrode for transmitting a transmission signal including the biological information detected by the detection unit via the first electrode; and

a monitoring device installed in the vehicle, the monitoring device including an operation unit, operated by the driver and having a second electrode that contacts the driver, a receiver unit, connected to the second electrode, for receiving the transmission signal from the portable device via the second electrode, a control unit for receiving the transmission signal from the receiver unit and determining the physical condition of the driver based on the biological information included in the transmission signal, and a notification unit for providing notification of the physical condition determined by the control unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vehicle includes a controlled subject, and the control unit selectively enables the operation of the controlled subject in accordance with the biological information.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit includes a recording medium for storing a predetermined threshold value and determines the physical condition of the driver based on whether or not a numerical value relating to the biological information exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

15. A portable device carried by a driver for a vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a detection unit for detecting biological information serving as an index representing a physical condition of the driver; and

a transmitter unit for transmitting a transmission signal including the biological information detected by the detection unit to the vehicle.

16. A method for monitoring a physical condition of a driver for a vehicle, wherein the driver carries a portable device including a detection unit for acquiring biological information of the driver, and the vehicle includes a monitoring device;

the method comprising;

acquiring the biological information of the driver with the detection unit of the portable device;

transmitting a transmission signal including the biological information of the driver from the portable device to the monitoring device; and

notifying the driver of his or her physical condition with the monitoring device based on the biological information included in the transmission signal.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether or not a numerical value relating to the biological information of the driver exceeds a predetermined threshold value, said notifying the driver of his or her physical condition includes notifying the driver of his or her physical condition based on the determination result of the numerical value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the vehicle includes an engine, the method further comprising:

determining the physical condition of the driver based on the biological information of the driver included in the transmission signal; and

disabling starting of the vehicle engine when the physical condition of the driver is unsatisfactory.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable device includes a first electrode that contacts the driver, and the monitoring device includes a second electrode that contacts the driver, and said transmitting a transmission signal including biological information of the driver includes transmitting the transmission signal including the biological information of the driver via the first electrode, the driver, and the second electrode.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the vehicle has an engine and a vehicle ID code, and said transmitting a transmission signal including biological information of the driver includes transmitting the transmission signal including the biological information of the driver and a portable device ID code, the method further comprising:

enabling starting of the vehicle engine when the portable device ID code corresponds to the vehicle ID code and the physical condition of the driver is satisfactory.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said acquiring the biological information of the driver includes acquiring at least one of perspiration amount, heartbeat, blood pressure, and body temperature.