VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING WARNING MESSAGE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150158427A1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation (Kyungpook National University)
• Original Assignee: Kyungpook National University
• Inventors: Lee, Minho, Kim, Jihun
• Granted Patent: US 9,566,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids

Abstract

A vehicle control system mounted on a vehicle is provided. The vehicle control system includes a first sensor configured to sense a driver'"'"'s pupil size and gaze, a second sensor configured to sense an external object which exists in a peripheral region of the vehicle, a controller configured to sense lane change intention according to a change of the pupil size and the gaze, and in response to the lane change intention being sensed, control the second sensor to sense whether the external object exists in a direction of a lane to be changed, and an output unit configured to, in response to the external object existing in the direction of the lane to be changed, output a warning message.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a first sensor configured to sense a driver'"'"'s pupil size and gaze;

a second sensor configured to sense an external object which exists in a peripheral region of the vehicle;

a controller configured to sense lane change intention according to a change of the pupil size and the gaze, and in response to the lane change intention being sensed, control the second sensor to sense whether the external object exists in a direction of a lane to be changed; and

an output unit configured to, in response to the external object existing in the direction of the lane to be changed, output a warning message.

2. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the pupil size increasing more than a predetermined threshold ratio and the gaze moving in a right direction or a left direction of the vehicle, the controller determines that the driver has the lane change intention and settles a direction of the lane to be changed.

3. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first sensor comprises:

a first camera configured to be mounted on a first side of eyeglasses that the driver wears to photograph the driver'"'"'s eyes and transmit a first photograph image to the controller; and

a second camera configured to be mounted on a second side of the eyeglasses to photograph a direction in which the driver'"'"'s face looks and transmit a second photograph image to the controller,

wherein the controller determines a change of the driver'"'"'s pupil size based on the first photograph image and determines the driver'"'"'s gaze by comparing the first photograph image and the second photograph image.

4. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises:

a camera configured to be mounted on a dashboard or a room mirror of the vehicle to photograph the driver'"'"'s eyes.

5. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises:

an Infrared Rays (IR) light source configured to provide IR lighting; and

at least one IR camera.

6. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises at least one camera configured to photograph the peripheral region or at least one proximity sensor configured to sense an access status of the external object.

7. A method of controlling a vehicle of a vehicle control system mounted on a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining lane change intention by sensing a driver'"'"'s pupil size and gaze;

in response to the lane change intention being sensed, sensing an external object which exists in a direction of a lane to be changed; and

in response to the external object existing in the direction of the lane to be changed, outputting a warning message.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein in response to the driver'"'"'s pupil size increasing more than a predetermined threshold ratio and the gaze moving in a right direction or a left direction of the vehicle, the determining the lane change intention comprises determining that the driver has the lane change intention and settling the direction of the lane to be changed according to a moving direction of the driver'"'"'s gaze.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the determining the lane change intention comprises:

obtaining a first photograph image obtained by photographing the driver'"'"'s eyes by using a first camera mounted on a first side of eyeglasses that the driver wears; and

obtaining a second photograph image obtained by photographing a direction in which the driver'"'"'s face looks by using a second camera mounted on a second side of the eyeglasses.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the determining the lane change intention further comprises:

determining a change of the driver'"'"'s pupil size based on the first photograph image; and

determining the driver'"'"'s gaze by comparing the first photograph image and the second photograph image.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the determining the lane change intention comprises:

photographing the driver'"'"'s eyes by using a camera mounted on a dashboard or a room mirror of the vehicle;

determining the driver'"'"'s pupil size and the gaze by analyzing a photograph image; and

determining the lane change intention according to a change of the driver'"'"'s pupil size and the gaze.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the determining the lane change intention comprises:

photographing the driver'"'"'s eyes by using an Infrared Rays (IR) light source configured to provide IR lighting and at least one IR camera;

determining the driver'"'"'s pupil size and the gaze by analyzing a photograph image; and

determining the lane change intention according to a change of the driver'"'"'s pupil size and the gaze.

13. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensing the external object comprises sensing the external object by using at least one camera configured to photograph the peripheral region or at least one proximity sensor configured to sense an access status of the external object.