Vehicle Having a Device for Influencing the Attentiveness of the Driver and for Determining the Viewing Direction of the Driver

• US 20140214313A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: LORENZ, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 9,099,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, has a device for influencing the attention of the driver. The vehicle includes a display unit for displaying information content. The vehicle includes a central operating panel associated with the display unit. The vehicle includes a system for detecting a danger in traffic. The vehicle includes a system for issuing a warning regarding a detected danger, and the vehicle further includes a computing unit. The computing unit ascertains a viewing probability of the driver looking in the direction of the display unit during an operating sequence and at a viewing point in time. The computing unit takes the interaction of the driver with the vehicle into consideration for ascertaining the viewing probability. The warning is issued as a function of the ascertained viewing probability.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a display unit for displaying information content;

a central operating panel associated with the display unit;

a system for detecting a danger in traffic;

a system for issuing a warning regarding a detected danger;

a computing unit comprising a processor and associated memory, in which memory program code is stored that;

ascertains a viewing probability of a driver of the motor vehicle looking in a direction of the display unit during an operating sequence and at a viewing point-in-time,

in ascertaining the viewing probability, takes into consideration an interaction of the driver with the vehicle, and

controls the system for issuing the warning to issue the warning as a function of the ascertained viewing probability.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the program code further:

carries out a pattern detecting algorithm for ascertaining the viewing probability, wherein

in carrying out the pattern detection algorithm, takes a value of at least one input parameter into consideration,

issues a value of the viewing probability as an output parameter, the viewing probability value indicating a probability with which the drivers eyes are directed at the display unit at the viewing point-in-time, and

transmits the viewing probability value to the system for issuing a warning.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

a probability table, which correlates the value of the input parameter with a viewing probability value, is stored in the computing unit for the input parameter;

and

the computing unit takes the probability table of the input parameter into consideration when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device for measuring an accelerator pedal position and transmitting the measured pedal position to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit calculates a pedal gradient describing a change of the pedal position over time, and

the computing unit takes the pedal gradient into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device for measuring a brake pedal position and transmitting the measured position to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit calculates a brake pedal gradient describing a change of the brake pedal position over time, and

the computing unit taking the brake pedal gradient into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device for measuring a steering angle and transmitting the measured steering angle to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit computes a steering angle number describing a number of steering angle inflection points in a predefined time period, and

the computing unit takes the steering angle number into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a rotation input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device for measuring a rotation pause duration of the rotation input mechanism, the rotation pause duration describing a time period between a most recent rotary operation input of the rotation input mechanism and the viewing point-in-time, and transmitting the rotation pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the rotation pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a push input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device for measuring a push pause duration of the push input mechanism, the push pause duration describing a time period between a most recent push operating input of the push input mechanism and the viewing point-in-time, and transmitting the push pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the push pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

9. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a touch input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device for measuring a touch pause duration of the touch input mechanism, the touch pause duration describing a time period between a most recent touch operating input and the viewing point-in-time, and transmitting the touch pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the touch pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.