COMPUTING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY DETECTING FATIGUE STATUS OF USER

• US 20140292638A1
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: LEE, Yu-Ting
• Application Number:
  US13/958,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a computing system and method for automatically detecting the fatigue status of a user. The computing system includes a display unit, a storage unit, an image-capturing unit and a processing unit. The storage unit is configured to store an operating system and an application. The image-capturing unit is configured to capture a facial image of the user. The processing unit is configured to execute the application in the operating system. The application is configured to analyze the change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye in the facial image so as to determine whether the user is in a fatigue state. When it is determined that the user is in the fatigue state, the application prompts the display unit to present a warning window.

Claims

1. A computer system for automatically detecting the fatigue status of a user, the computer system comprising:

a display unit;

a storage unit, configured to store an operating system and an application;

an image-capturing unit, configured to capture a facial image of the user; and

a processing unit, configured to execute the application in the operating system, wherein the application analyzes a change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye in the facial image, and determines whether the user is in a fatigue state based on the analysis result; and

when it is determined that the user is in the fatigue state, the application prompts the display unit to present a warning window.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the warning window includes an inquiry message inquiring whether or not to enter a standby mode, and the computer system further comprises:

an input device, configured such that when it receives an acceptance-information inputted by the user in response to the inquiry message, the application notifies the operating system to enter the standby mode, so that the computer system enters the standby mode.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the application calculates a duration of the standby mode, such that when the duration does not exceed a predetermined rest time and the input device is configured to wake up the computer system, the application prompts the display unit to present a password-inquiring window.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a basic input/output system (BIOS), wherein the non-volatile random access memory thereof is configured to store a BIOS password, such that when the input device receives an inputted password inputted by the user in response to the password-inquiring window, the application compares whether the inputted password matches the BIOS password, so that when the inputted password matches the BIOS password, restores the standby mode to a working mode.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the warning window comprises an inquiry message inquiring or not to enter a standby mode, and the computer system further comprises:

an input device, configured such that whenever it receives a rejection-information inputted by the user in response to the inquiry message, the application re-determines whether the user is in the fatigue state after a preset time.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein the application calculates an accumulated number of times of the rejection-information continuously received by the input device, such that when the accumulated number of times exceeds a predetermined number of times, the application notifies the operating system to enter the standby mode, so that the computer system enters the standby mode.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein when the input device is configured to wake up the computer system, the application prompts the display unit to present a password-inquiring window.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, further includes:

a BIOS, wherein the non-volatile random access memory thereof is configured to store a BIOS password, such that when the input device receives an inputted password inputted by the user in response to the password-inquiring window, the application compares whether the inputted password matches the BIOS password, so that when the inputted password matches the BIOS password, restores the standby mode to a working mode.

9. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the application detects the change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye due to the change of the human eye from an eye-ball image to an eye-lid image;

sets a critical frequency based on a frequency of the change of the color during an initial period; and

when the frequency of the change of the color exceeds the critical frequency after the initial period, determines that the user is in the fatigue state.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the application analyzes a ratio of the image of the redness of the eye to the image of the eye white, and when the ratio exceeds a preset value, determines that the user is in the fatigue state

11. A method for automatically detecting the fatigue status of a user, wherein the method is suitable for use in a computer system and comprises:

capturing a facial image of the user; and

analyzing a change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye in the facial image, determining whether the user is in a fatigue state based on the analysis result, and when it is determined that the user is in the fatigue state, prompting the display unit to present a warning window

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the warning window includes an inquiry message inquiring whether or not to enter a standby mode, and the method further comprises:

making the computer system enter the standby mode, when an input device receives an acceptance-information inputted by the user in response to the inquiry message.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

calculating a duration of the standby mode, such that when the duration does not exceed a predetermined rest time and the input device is configured to wake up the computer system, prompting the display unit to present a password-inquiring window.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

comparing whether the inputted password matches a BIOS password, when the input device receives an inputted password inputted by the user in response to the password-inquiring window; and

restoring the computer system from the standby mode to a working mode, when the inputted password matches the BIOS password.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the warning window comprises an inquiry message inquiring or not to enter a standby mode, and the method further comprises:

re-determining whether the user is in the fatigue state after a preset time, whenever an input device receives a rejection-information inputted by the user in response to the inquiry message.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

calculating an accumulated number of times of the rejection-information continuously received by the input device, such that when the accumulated number of times exceeds a predetermined number of times, making the computer system enter the standby mode.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

prompting the display unit to present a password-inquiring window when the input device is configured to wake up the computer system.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

comparing whether the inputted password matches the BIOS password when the input device receives an inputted password inputted by the user in response to the password-inquiring window, so that when the inputted password matches the BIOS password, restoring the standby mode to a working mode.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of analyzing the change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye in the facial image, and determining whether the whether the user is in a fatigue state based on the analysis result comprise:

detecting the change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye due to the change of the human eye from an eye-ball image to an eye-lid image;

setting a critical frequency based on a frequency of the change of the color during an initial period; and

after the initial period, determining that the user is in the fatigue state when the frequency of the change of the color exceeds the critical frequency.

20. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of analyzing the change of the color of the user'"'"'s eye in the facial image, and determining whether the whether the user is in a fatigue state based on the analysis result comprise:

analyzing a ratio of the image of the redness of the eye to the image of the eye white; and

determining that the user is in the fatigue state when the ratio exceeds a preset value.