System and Method for Responding to Driver Behavior

• US 20120212353A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fung, Kin, Dick, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/03 Brake assistants
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/12 Pre-actuation of braking systems without significant braking effect; Optimizing brake performance by reduction of play between brake pads and brake disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/02 Driver type; Driving style; Driver adaptive features
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 : Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 : Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 : Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 : Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 : Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/202 : Steering torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 : Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 : Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 : Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2900/00 : Indexing codes relating to the purpose of, or problem solved of road vehicle drive control systems not otherwise provided for in groups B60W30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 : Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 : Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 : Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 : Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 : Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 : where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 : adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 : Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 : Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Methods of assessing driver behavior include monitoring vehicle systems and driver monitoring systems to accommodate for a driver'"'"'s slow reaction time, attention lapse and/or alertness. When it is determined that a driver is drowsy, for example, the response system may modify the operation of one or more vehicle systems. The systems that may be modified include: visual devices, audio devices, tactile devices, antilock brake systems, automatic brake prefill systems, brake assist systems, auto cruise control systems, electronic stability control systems, collision warning systems, lane keep assist systems, blind spot indicator systems, electronic pretensioning systems and climate control systems.

Claims

1. A method of controlling one or more vehicle systems in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving monitoring information;

determining if a driver is drowsy; and

modifying the control of one or more vehicle systems when the driver is drowsy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an antilock brake system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes changing at least one operating parameter of the antilock brake system to decrease a stopping distance of the motor vehicle when the driver is drowsy.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an automatic brake prefill system.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes automatically prefilling at least one brake line of the motor vehicle when the driver is drowsy.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a brake assist system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes providing braking assistance to the driver by lowering the braking force required to depress a brake pedal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an auto cruise control system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes decreasing a headway distance when the driver is drowsy.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein modifying the one or more vehicle systems includes automatically decreasing a current cruising speed when the driver is drowsy.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an electronic stability control system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes reducing an allowable error between a measured yaw rate and a steering yaw rate when the driver is drowsy.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a collision warning system.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes warning the driver earlier of potential collisions when the driver is drowsy.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a lane keep assist system.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes alerting the driver when the motor vehicle crosses a lane marker boundary while the driver is fully alert and alerting the driver before the motor vehicle crosses the lane marker boundary while the driver is drowsy.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a blind spot indicator system.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes increasing a blind spot detection area.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an electronic pretensioning system for a seatbelt.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein modifying the operation of the one or more vehicle systems includes generating a warning pulse with the electronic pretensioning system when the driver is drowsy.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein modifying the operation of the one or more vehicle systems includes pretensioning the seatbelt when the driver is drowsy.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an electronic power steering system.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes decreasing power steering assistance when the driver is drowsy.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a climate control system.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes automatically adjusting a temperature in a cabin of the motor vehicle when the driver is drowsy.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes automatically lowering a temperature in a cabin of the motor vehicle when the driver is drowsy.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes automatically adjusting an airflow into a cabin of the motor vehicle when the driver is drowsy.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a visual device for providing visual stimuli to the driver when the driver is drowsy.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is an audio device for generating sound when the driver is drowsy.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a tactile device for providing tactile stimuli to the driver when the driver is drowsy.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is steering information.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is eye movement information.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is head movement information.

34. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is information about a state of the autonomic nervous system of the driver.

35. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is lane departure information.

36. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is received from a proximity sensor.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in a headrest of the motor vehicle.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect a distance between a head of the driver and the headrest.

39. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is received from a monitoring system.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is received from a vehicle system.

41. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring information is received from a vehicle system and a monitoring system.

42. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a collision mitigation braking system.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems is a navigation system.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes turning off the navigation system when the driver is drowsy.

45. A method of controlling a vehicle system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving monitoring information;

determining a level of drowsiness; and

modifying the control of the vehicle system when the driver is drowsy according to the level of drowsiness.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the level of drowsiness is a value on a numerical scale.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein the level of drowsiness is a continuous parameter.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein the level of drowsiness is a discrete parameter.

49. The method according to claim 45, wherein the level of drowsiness comprises three or more states that vary between not drowsy and extremely drowsy.

50. A method of controlling a vehicle system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving information from a sensor, the sensor being capable of detecting information about the autonomic nervous system of a driver;

determining if the driver is drowsy; and

modifying the control of the vehicle system when the driver is drowsy.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the information is heart information.

52. The method according to claim 50, wherein the information is respiratory rate information.

53. The method according to claim 50, wherein the information is perspiration information.

54. The method according to claim 50, wherein the information is pupil size information.

55. The method according to claim 50, wherein the sensor is associated with a seat of a motor vehicle.

56. The method according to claim 50, wherein the sensor is an optical sensing device.

57. The method according to claim 50, wherein the sensor is associated with an armrest of a motor vehicle.

58. The method according to claim 50, wherein the sensor is a portable sensor.

59. A method of controlling a vehicle system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving monitoring information;

determining a body state index for a driver, the body state index characterizing drowsiness;

determining a control parameter using the body state index; and

operating a vehicle system using the control parameter.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein the body state index includes at least 2 values.

61. The method according to claim 60, wherein the body state index includes at least 3 values.

62. The method according to claim 60, wherein the body state index includes at least 4 values.

63. The method according to claim 59, wherein the body state index comprises discrete values.

64. The method according to claim 59, wherein the body state index comprises continuous values.

65. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter comprises discrete values.

66. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter comprises continuous values.

67. The method according to claim 59, wherein the value of the control parameter varies with the body state index.

68. The method according to claim 67, wherein the value of the control parameter increases as the body state index increases.

69. The method according to claim 67, wherein the value of the control parameter decreases as the body state index increases.

70. The method according to claim 59, wherein a step of determining the body state index is followed by a step of determining a control coefficient.

71. The method according to claim 70, wherein the step of determining the control coefficient includes a step of retrieving a relationship between the body state index and the control coefficient.

72. The method according to claim 71, wherein the control coefficient is used to calculate the control parameter.

73. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is an activation threshold for an electronic stability assist system.

74. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is an activation threshold for a brake assist system.

75. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a zone threshold for a blind spot indicator monitoring system.

76. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a time to collision threshold for a forward collision warning system.

77. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a time to lane crossing threshold for a lane departure warning system.

78. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a status for a lane keep assist system.

79. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a status for a low speed follow system.

80. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is an electronic power steering status.

81. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control parameter is a cruise control status.