DETECTION SYSTEM IN A VEHICLE FOR RECORDING THE SPEAKING ACTIVITY OF A VEHICLE OCCUPANT

• US 20150125126A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Dreuw, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US14/532,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20150125126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/226
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

A detection system in a vehicle for detecting the speaking activity of a vehicle occupant includes: a video recording system for recording the posture of the head and/or of the motions of the lips; an evaluation device; and a signal generating device.

Claims

1. A detection system in a vehicle for detecting a reduced alertness of a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

a video recording device for recording at least one of a posture of a head and motions of lips;

an evaluation device; and

a signal generating device for generating a signal if the at least one of the posture of the head and the motions of the lips indicate a reduced alertness of the driver.

2. The detection system as recited in claim 1, wherein a reduced alertness of the driver is present in the event of a speaking activity of a vehicle occupant exceeding a predefined boundary value.

3. The detection system as recited in claim 2, wherein the vehicle occupant is the driver.

4. The detection system as recited in claim 2, wherein the vehicle occupant is a passenger in the vehicle.

5. The detection system as recited in claim 2, wherein a reduced alertness of the driver is present if, in the case of at least one vehicle occupant, both of the following are present:

(i) a specified lip motion pattern and (ii) at least one of a specified posture of the head and a specified head motion.

6. The detection system as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

an audio recording device for at least one of recording the speaking activity and detecting speech.

7. The detection system as recited in claim 6, wherein from the signals of the audio detection device a conclusion is drawn as to at least one of (i) whether the driver is speaking and (ii) whether the driver is being spoken about.

8. The detection system as recited in claim 6, wherein multiple vehicle occupants are recorded simultaneously via the recording devices.

9. The detection system as recited in claim 8, wherein the signal representing the reduced alertness of the driver is output as a warning signal in the vehicle.

10. The detection system as recited in claim 9, wherein a driver assistance system in the vehicle is affected by the signal representing the reduced alertness of the driver.

11. A method for operating the detection system for detecting a reduced alertness of a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

recording, by a video recording device, at least one of a posture of a head and motions of a lip; and

generating, by a signal generating device, a signal representing a reduced alertness of the driver if the at least one of the posture of the head and the motion of the lip indicates a reduced alertness of the driver.