DRIVER IDENTIFICATION BASED ON FACE DATA

• US 20140324281A1
• Filed: 04/23/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Nemat-Nasser, Syrus C., Smith, Andrew Tombras
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/18 Safety devices; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness

Abstract

A system for identifying a driver comprises an image capturing device, a processor, and a memory. The image is captured during vehicle operation and of an expected driver location. The processor is configured to detect a face of a driver in the image, determine a set of face data from the image, and identify the driver based at least in part on the set of face data. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a driver, comprising:

an image capturing device for capturing an image during vehicle operation and of an expected driver location;

a processor configured to;

detect a face of a driver in the image;

determine a set of face data from the image;

identify the driver based at least in part on the set of face data; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the driver comprises comparing the set of face data with a set or sets of known driver face data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the driver comprises inputting the set of face data into a face model.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more onboard vehicle sensors for detecting a driving data, wherein the driving data is associated with a time period of vehicle operation; and

wherein the processor is further configured to associate the driver with the driving data.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the image capturing device captures another image during another time period of vehicle operation;

wherein the processor is further configured to;

locate another face of another driver within the other image;

determine another set of face data from the other image; and

calculate a similarity score between the set of face data and the other set of face data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in the event that the similarity score meets a similarity criteria, indicate that the driver in the time period and the other driver in the other time period are the same driver.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the driving data comprise a driving event.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the driving data comprise operation state data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation state data comprise one or more of the following:

vehicle speed data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle deceleration data, and vehicle rotational dynamics data.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the driving data comprise geo-location data.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface for transmitting the set of face data to a remoter server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein transmitting uses wireless communications link.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a confidence index for the set of face data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein in the event that the confidence index meets a confidence threshold, transmitting the set of face data to a remote server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein in the event that the confidence index meets a confidence threshold, identifying the driver based on the set of face data.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of face data is based at least in part on one or more of the following facial features:

eye, eyebrow, nose, and mouth identified in the image.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the set of face data comprises determining one or more geometric relationships among the one or more facial features.

18. A method for identifying a driver, comprising:

capturing an image during vehicle operation of an expected driver location;

detecting a face of a driver in the image;

determining a set of face data from the image; and

identifying the driver based at least in part on the set of face data.

19. A computer program product for identifying driver, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

capturing an image during vehicle operation of an expected driver location;

detecting a face of a driver in the image;

determining a set of face data from the image; and

identifying the driver based at least in part on the set of face data.