DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING DRIVER'S CONDITION USING INFRARED RAY SENSOR

• US 20130057668A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Sam Yong
• Application Number:
  US13/313,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/10 using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders

Abstract

A device for detecting driver'"'"'s condition is provided. More specifically, an infrared ray (IR) sensor which includes a light-emitting unit that emits a light signal, and a light-receiving unit that receives the light signal, measures a distance to an obstacle in front of the IR sensor using a phase difference between a light signal emitted from the light-emitting unit and a light signal received by the light-receiving unit. Additionally, a camera photographs a driver'"'"'s face and detects the driver'"'"'s face from the photographed image. An electronic controller then determines whether a recognition error has occurred using data measured by the IR sensor and the camera, and analyzes a generated recognition error when a recognition error occurs.

Claims

1. A device for detecting driver'"'"'s condition, the device comprising:

a infrared ray (IR) sensor that includes a light-emitting unit, which is configured to emit a light signal, and a light-receiving unit, which is configured to receive the light signal, and measures a distance to an obstacle in front of the IR sensor using a phase difference between the light signal emitted from the light-emitting unit and the light signal received by the light-receiving unit;

a camera configured to photograph a driver'"'"'s face and detect the driver'"'"'s face from the photographed image; and

an electronic controller configured to determine that a recognition error has occurred using data measured via both the IR sensor and the camera, and analyze any generated recognition error when a recognition error occurs.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display at least one of a group consisting of a recognition error message, a recognition error analysis message, and an information message when the recognition error occurs.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the obstacle in front of the IR sensor is at least one of the driver'"'"'s face, driver'"'"'s upper body and driver'"'"'s seat.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to identify the obstacle in front of the IR sensor or driver'"'"'s position based on the distance measured by the IR sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the IR sensor is configured to measure the distance to the obstacle in front of the IR sensor using a delay time which occurs between the light signal being sent and the light-receiving unit receiving the light signal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine whether the driver'"'"'s condition is in a normal driving condition or in an impaired driving condition using data measured by the IR sensor and the camera when a recognition error has not occurred.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

an alarm unit that is configured to output a warning alarm when the driver'"'"'s condition is in an impaired driving condition as a result of the determination by the electronic controller.

8. A method for detecting driver'"'"'s condition, the method comprising:

Measuring, by an Infrared (IR) sensor) a distance to an obstacle in front the IR sensor using a phase difference between a light signal emitted from a light-emitting unit and a light signal received by a light-receiving unit (step

     1);

photographing, by a camera, a driver'"'"'s face and detecting, by the camera, the driver'"'"'s face from the photographed image (step

     2);

determining, by a controller, whether a recognition error has occurred using data measured at step 1 and step 2, and analyzing, by the controller the generated recognition error if the recognition error has occurred (step

     3).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, by a display unit, at least one of a recognition error message, a recognition error analysis message and an information message when a recognition error occurs (step

     4).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the obstacle in front of the IR sensor is one of a driver'"'"'s face, driver'"'"'s upper body and driver'"'"'s seat.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying, by the controller, the obstacle in front of the IR sensor or driver'"'"'s position based on the distance measured at step 1.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step 1 measures the distance to the obstacle in front of the IR display using the time delay between the light-receiving unit receiving the light signal and the light-emitting unit emitting the light signal.