METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY WARNING DRIVER TO TAKE A BREAK

• US 20140358423A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thiele, David George, DeMerchant, Marvin, Friedlander, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/904,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358423A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/423
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A driver caution threshold that varies by time of day and/or by driver activity load factor is compared a vehicle driver'"'"'s activity. Responsive to a determination that vehicle driver'"'"'s activity violates the driver caution threshold, a prompt to take a break and/or directions to a nearby restaurant are presented.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium that is not a carrier wave and that is accessible to a client processor and bearing instructions which when executed by the client processor configure the client processor to execute logic to execute a method comprising;

establishing communication with a vehicle processor;

determining a driver activity parameter of a driver of a vehicle associated with the vehicle processor;

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a prompt for a driver of the vehicle to stop for a break, and/or presenting on a display in the vehicle a recommendation of a restaurant along with directions to the restaurant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a prompt for a driver of the vehicle to stop for a break.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a recommendation of a restaurant along with directions to the restaurant.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the threshold at least in part based on time of day such that a first threshold is used at a first time of day and a second threshold is used at a second time of day.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the threshold at least in part based on driver activity load factor such that a first threshold is used for a first driver activity load factor and a second threshold is used for a second driver activity load factor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the driver activity load factor includes one or more of vehicle turns, vehicle brake applications, vehicle speed, vehicle gear shifts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a number of vehicle turns, the threshold being a threshold number of vehicle turns.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a number brake applications by the driver, the threshold being a threshold number of brake applications.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a speed of the vehicle, the threshold being a threshold average or top speed for a threshold period.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a number of gear shifts of the vehicle by the driver the threshold being a threshold number of gear shifts.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a distance traveled, and the threshold is a threshold distance.

12. Apparatus comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium that is not a carrier wave and that is accessible to a processor and bearing instructions which when executed by the client processor configure the processor to execute logic to execute a method comprising;

determining a driver activity parameter of a driver of a vehicle associated with the vehicle processor;

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a prompt for a driver of the vehicle to stop for a break, and/or presenting on a display in the vehicle a recommendation of a restaurant along with directions to the restaurant.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a prompt for a driver of the vehicle to stop for a break.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

responsive to a determination that the driver activity parameter satisfies a threshold, presenting on a display in the vehicle a recommendation of a restaurant along with directions to the restaurant.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the threshold at least in part based on time of day such that a first threshold is used at a first time of day and a second threshold is used at a second time of day.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the threshold at least in part based on driver activity load factor such that a first threshold is used for a first driver activity load factor and a second threshold is used for a second driver activity load factor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the driver activity load factor includes one or more of vehicle turns, vehicle brake applications, vehicle speed, vehicle gear shifts.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the client processor cause the client processor to:

establish the driver activity parameter based on a driver activity load factor.

19. Method comprising:

establishing a driver caution threshold that varies by time of day and/or by driver activity load factor;

comparing a vehicle driver'"'"'s activity to the driver caution threshold;

responsive to a determination that vehicle driver'"'"'s activity violates the driver caution threshold, presenting a prompt to take a break and/or presenting directions to a nearby restaurant; and

responsive to a determination that vehicle driver'"'"'s activity does not violate the driver caution threshold, not presenting a prompt to take a break and/or not presenting directions to a nearby restaurant.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

responsive to a determination that vehicle driver'"'"'s activity violates the driver caution threshold, presenting directions to a nearby restaurant.