System for mitigating drive distraction and/or drowsiness

• US 20060290520A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhang, Harry, Scharenbroch, Gregory K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,528,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness for a vehicle having a steering wheel and windshield comprises an arm that is adapted for attachment to the vehicle so that the arm is juxtaposed an exterior surface of the windshield and so that it sweeps a portion of the exterior surface of the windshield in front of the steering wheel to provide a motion signal. The system includes a driver distraction and/or drowsiness monitor and a control device responsive to the driver monitor, for operating the arm. The arm preferably is part of a windshield wiper assembly and preferably includes a visual signal and/or an auditory signal. A method for refocusing the attention of a distracted driver uses elements of the system.

Claims

1. A system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness for a vehicle having a steering wheel and a windshield, the system comprising:

an arm adapted for attachment to the vehicle so that the arm is juxtaposed an exterior surface of the windshield;

means for attaching the arm to the vehicle so that the arm sweeps a portion of the exterior surface of the windshield in front of the steering wheel to produce a motion signal;

a driver distraction and/or drowsiness monitor, and

a control device responsive to the driver monitor, for operating the arm.

2. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness as defined in claim 1 further including visual signal on the arm that is visible from behind the steering wheel when the arm is attached to the vehicle to provide a visual signal to supplement the motion signal.

3. A system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness for a vehicle having steering wheel and a windshield, the system comprising:

a wiper arm adapted for attachment to the vehicle so that the wiper arm is juxtaposed an exterior surface of the windshield;

means for attaching the wiper arm to the vehicle so that the wiper arm sweeps a portion of the exterior surface of the windshield in front of the steering wheel to provide a motion signal visible from behind the steering wheel when the wiper arm is attached to the vehicle;

lights on the wiper arm for providing an intermittent visual signal, the visual signal being visible from behind the steering wheel when the wiper arm is attached to the vehicle,

a driver distraction and/or drowsiness monitor, and

a control device responsive to the driver monitor, for operating the wiper arm and the lights.

4. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness of claim 3 wherein the wiper arm contacts the windshield so as to produce an auditory signal to supplement the motion signal of the arm and the visual signal of the lights.

5. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness of claim 4 wherein the wiper arm is part of a windshield wiper assembly.

6. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness of claim 5 wherein the lights are LEDs.

7. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness of claim 6 wherein the LEDs are attached near a free end of the arm of the windshield wiper assembly.

8. The system for mitigating driver distraction and/or drowsiness of claim 6 wherein the LEDs are attached to a wiper blade sub-assembly of the windshield wiper assembly.

9. A method of refocusing the attention of a distracted driver to the road ahead and the driving task comprising:

attaching a windshield wiper assembly having a plurality of lights to a vehicle in front of a steering wheel,

providing a monitor for monitoring the distraction and/or drowsiness of the driver, and

controlling operation of the windshield wiper assembly and the light responsive to the monitor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of lights are operated intermittently.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein wherein the plurality of lights is a plurality of LEDs.