Systems and Methods For Scheduling Driver Interface Tasks Based On Driver Workload

• US 20150224998A1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Yang, Hsin-hsiang, Strumolo, Gary Steven, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Tseng, Finn, Lu, Jianbo
• Application Number:
  US14/693,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A driver interface system includes a processor programmed to receive driver interface tasks to be executed and to selectively delay or prevent at least some of the driver interface tasks from being executed based on a driver workload. The driver workload is derived from a variability of an activity level of a driver relative to a mean value of the activity level as represented by a recursively computed determinant of a covariance of the activity level.

Claims

1. A driver interface system comprising:

a processor programmed to

receive driver interface tasks to be executed, and

selectively delay or prevent at least some of the driver interface tasks from being executed based on a driver workload that is derived from a variability of an activity level of a driver relative to a mean value of the activity level as represented by a recursively computed determinant of a covariance of the activity level.

2. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to monitor the activity level.

3. The driver interface system of claim 2, wherein the activity level is based on data from a wearable sensor.

4. The driver interface system of claim 3, wherein output of the wearable sensor includes physiological data, accelerometer data, or geographic location data.

5. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to wirelessly receive signals indicative of the activity level.

6. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to recursively compute the determinant.

7. The driver interface system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to apply a bandpass filter to signals indicative of the activity level prior to recursively computing the determinant.

8. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the determinant is recursively computed by a wearable sensor.

9. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the determinant is recursively computed by a mobile phone.

10. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed within a mobile phone.

11. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed within a wearable sensor.

12. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to apply a bandpass filter to signals indicative of the activity level.

13. The driver interface system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to generate output indicative of an audio, visual, or tactile alert in response to the selective delaying or preventing.

14. A method for operating a driver interface system, the method comprising:

selectively delaying or preventing driver interface tasks from being executed based on a driver workload that is derived from a variability of an activity level of a driver relative to a mean value of the activity level as represented by a recursively computed variance of the activity level.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising wirelessly receiving signals indicative of the activity level.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising recursively computing the variance.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating output indicative of an audio, visual, or tactile alert in response to the selective delaying or preventing.

18. A driver interface system comprising:

a processor programmed to selectively delay driver interface tasks from being executed based on a variability of an activity level of a driver relative to a mean value of the activity level as represented by a recursively computed determinant of a covariance of the activity level.

19. They driver interface system of claim 18, wherein the activity level is based on data from a wearable sensor.

20. The driver interface system of claim 18, wherein the processor is disposed within a wearable sensor.