VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEM

• US 20070294012A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Ga-Lane
• Application Number:
  US11/559,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294012A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle safety system (10) includes a camera device (100) configured for capturing video information of eyes of a driver, and a processing system (200). The processing system includes a monitor unit (210) configured for monitoring eye-closure duration of the driver based on the video information of the eyes of the driver, and an alarm unit (220) configured for alerting the driver if the eye-closure duration exceeds a predetermined time limit. The vehicle safety system uses the alarm unit to prevent the driver from closing his/her eyes for too long, thereby decreasing the likelihood of a traffic accident.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system for mounting on a vehicle, comprising:

a camera device configured for capturing video information of eyes of a driver; and

a processing system comprising

a monitor unit configured for monitoring eye-closure duration of the driver based on the video information of the eyes of the driver, and

an alarm unit configured for alerting the driver if the eye-closure duration of the driver exceeds a predetermined time limit.

2. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera device is a zoomable auto-focus camera arranged in front of the driver.

3. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the camera device includes an optical module, an image pickup module and a driving module.

4. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the optical module includes a plurality of aspheric lenses.

5. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the image pickup module is selected from a group consisting of charge coupled device and complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

6. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the image pickup module has a resolving power in an approximate range from 1.3 million pixels to 6 million pixels.

7. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the driving module comprises an actuator and a telescopic barrel.

8. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the actuator is selected from a group consisting of step motor, voice coil motor and microelectromechanical motor.

9. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing system is a computer system.

10. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is about 0.15 seconds.

11. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a light source arranged in front of the driver, the light source being configured for illuminating the eyes of the driver.

12. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the light source is selected from a group consisting of visible light source and infrared light source.

13. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light source is an infrared light emitting diode emitting light with a wavelength in an approximate range from 700 nanometers to 1500 nanometers.

14. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing system further comprises a storage device configured for storing the video information of the eyes of the driver.

15. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the storage device is selected from a group consisting of hard disks, compact discs and mobile storage devices.

16. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing system further comprises a display device configured for displaying the video information of the eyes of the driver.

17. The vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the display device is selected from a group consisting of liquid crystal display and cathode ray tube display.