Method and apparatus for generating an indication of a level of vigilance of an individual

• US 20060055546A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biocognisafe Technologies
• Original Assignee: Biocognisafe Technologies
• Inventors: Farbos, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for generating an indication of a level of vigilance of an individual using a gaze acquisition unit providing a gaze data stream of at least one eye of the individual, a processing unit receiving the gaze data stream and determining a level of vigilance.

Claims

1. A method for generating an indication of a level of vigilance of an individual, said method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of gaze directions of said individual;

analyzing the acquired plurality of gaze directions of said individual to determine a gaze pattern; and

generating an indication of said level of vigilance using said gaze pattern.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acquiring of said plurality of gaze directions of said individual comprises acquiring a plurality of images with a corresponding indication of a temporal location, detecting in each acquired image a position of an eye of said individual and providing, for each acquired image, said detected position of said eye with said corresponding indication of a temporal location.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said analyzing of the acquired plurality of gaze directions comprises determining an eye fixation position of said eye using said detected position and further determining a moving frequency between at least two consecutive eye positions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said generating of said indication of said level of vigilance comprises comparing said gaze pattern to a plurality of existing gaze patterns to provide said indication of said level of vigilance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating of said indication of said level of vigilance comprises comparing said gaze pattern to a plurality of existing gaze patterns to provide said indication of said level of vigilance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating of said indication of said level of vigilance comprises using a given formulae over time for calculating said level of vigilance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating of said indication of said level of vigilance further comprises comparing said generated indication of said level of vigilance to a given criteria.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing an information signal if said indication of said level of vigilance is lower than a given threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said information signal comprises an alarm signal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two consecutive levels of vigilance are generated, further comprising providing an indication of a variation between said at least two levels of vigilance.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising providing an information signal if said variation exceeds a given threshold.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information signal comprises an alarm signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing said indication of said level of vigilance with said gaze pattern.

14. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a corresponding black image and a corresponding white image are generated for each of said plurality of images and further wherein said detecting in each acquired image of said position of said eye is performed by subtracting said corresponding white image to said corresponding black image.

15. An apparatus for generating an indication of a level of vigilance of an individual, said apparatus comprising:

a gaze acquisition unit providing a gaze data stream of at least one eye of said individual;

a processing unit receiving said gaze data stream and using said gaze data stream to determine said indication of said level of vigilance; and

a data providing unit receiving and providing said indication of said level of vigilance.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing unit receives said gaze data stream over time and provides an indication of said level of vigilance using a formulae.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a memory unit comprising a plurality of existing gaze patterns, each existing gaze pattern comprising an eye fixation position and a moving frequency between at least two eye positions and a corresponding level of vigilance;

further wherein said processing unit compares said determined gaze pattern with at least one of said plurality of existing patterns to determine said level of vigilance.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said gaze acquisition unit comprises an image acquisition unit.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 0.18, wherein said image acquisition unit comprises digital camera providing a black and white image data stream and an Infra-Red sensor.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a user interface receiving said indication of said level of vigilance and providing a signal to said individual in accordance with said indication of said level of vigilance.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said provided signal comprises a sensorial signal.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said sensorial signal is selected from a group consisting of visual signals, acoustic signals, stimulation signals and a motion signal.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said data providing unit is adapted to provide said indication of said level of vigilance to a remote location using at least one of a body area network (BAN) a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

24. A method for predicting drowsiness of an individual, said method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of gaze directions of said individual;

analyzing the acquired plurality of gaze directions of said individual to determine a gaze pattern;

generating an indication of said level of vigilance using said gaze pattern; and

providing an indication of drowsiness of said individual using said indication of said level of vigilance.