Method for Supporting A Driver Using Fragrance Emissions

• US 20100129263A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Miyuki Kobayashi, Noriyoshi Matsuo, Toshiya Arakawa
• Original Assignee: Miyuki Kobayashi, Noriyoshi Matsuo, Toshiya Arakawa
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Miyuki, Matsuo, Noriyoshi, Arakawa, Toshiya
• Application Number:
  US12/694,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20100129263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0083 especially for waking up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0035 characterised by the control methods for adding the substance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/40 using smoke, fire or coloured gases

Abstract

When it is determined that a driver is extremely-concentrating, a fragrance emitted by a relaxing air freshener is intermittently released by emitting. To quickly reduce the tension of the driver, a long fragrance emit period is set, while a short fragrance emit stopped period is set. When it is determined that the driver is randomly scanning, the amount of the relaxing air freshener discharged is smaller than that when the driver is extremely-concentrating, and a shorter fragrance emit period is set, while a longer fragrance emit stopped period is set. As a result, an aroma that is so faint that the driver may not notice is used to maintain the random scanning state, and further, a fragrance emitted by an awakening air freshener is emitted, as needed, near the nose of the driver.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method for using a fragrance-emitting system for a driving support system, wherein the fragrance-emitting system includes a first fragrance generator to emit a relaxing fragrance comprising:

determining whether a driver'"'"'s state is in an extremely concentrating state indicating that the driver is fixedly concentrating on an object in front of a vehicle, or a random scan state indicating that the driver is fully attentive to conditions in a vicinity of the vehicle; and

permitting the first fragrance generator to shorten an emitting period for the relaxing fragrance so as to maintain the driver'"'"'s random scanning, state, when the driver'"'"'s state is in the random scanning state.

6. The method for using the fragrance-emitting system according to claim 5, further comprising:

permitting a second fragrance generator to emit an awakening fragrance, when the driver'"'"'s state is in the random scanning state.

7. The method for using the fragrance-emitting system according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the driver is drowsy, when the driver'"'"'s state is in the random scanning state, and

permitting the second fragrance generator to emit the awakening fragrance to a nose of the driver.