METHOD, MEASURING DEVICE AND CONTROL UNIT FOR ADAPTATION OF VEHICLE CONVOY CONTROL

• US 20150243172A1
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Eskilson, Anders
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A method (400), control device (240) and measuring unit (230) for adapting a control algorithm having at least one driver-dependent parameter, which control algorithm governs the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle 220A with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle 220B with a second driver (210B) are included. The method includes measurement (401) of at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A), determination (402) of the stress level of the driver based on the performed measurement (401), and adaptation (403) of the control algorithm to the determined (402) stress level of the driver.

Claims

1. A method (400) for adapting a control algorithm comprising at least one driver-dependent parameter, which control algorithm governs the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle (220A) with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle (220B) with a second driver (210B) are included, characterized by:

measurement (401) of at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A);

determination (402) of the stress level of the first driver based on the performed measurement (401); and

adjustment (403) of the control algorithm to the determined (402) stress level of the first driver, and wherein the control algorithm for the vehicle convoy (200) comprises the action of sending an indication of a stress alarm to other drivers (210B) of vehicles (220A, 220B) in the vehicle convoy (200) when the determined (402) stress level of the first driver exceeds a limit value.

2. A method (400) according to claim 1, wherein the measured physical characteristic of the first driver (210A) comprises at least one of:

systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, cardiac minute volume, vascular resistance, respiratory volume, respiratory rate, body temperature, skin temperature, blood adrenalin level, blood cortisol level, blood noradrenalin level, transpiration volume, amount of hand sweat exuded, electrical conductivity of the skin, eye movement, dilated nostrils, muscular tension, body movement, speech volume, voice strength and/or pupil size.

3. A method (400) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the measured (401) physical characteristic of the first driver (210A) comprises a level change or a level change per unit of time in at least one measured physical characteristic of said driver (210A).

4. A method (400) according to claims 1-3, wherein the determination (402) of the stress level of the first driver based on the performed measured (401) comprises a comparison between the measured value and a limit value.

5. A method (400) according to claims 1-4, wherein the adaptation (403) of the control algorithm comprises a reduction of the driver-dependent parameter value that is in proportion to the determined (402) stress level of the first driver.

6. A method (400) according to claims 1-5, wherein the adaptation (403) of the control algorithm comprises mapping of the determined (402) stress level of the first driver against a corresponding reduced parameter value and the insertion of said reduced parameter value into the control algorithm.

7. A method (400) according to claims 1-6, wherein the adaptation (403) of the control algorithm comprises the insertion of a time filter, wherein the length of the time delay is proportion to the determined (402) stress level of the first driver.

8. A method (400) according to claims 1-7, in which measurement (401) of at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A) is performed by a measuring device (230A) that is connectable to a body part of said driver (210A).

9. A method (400) according to claims 1-8 comprising, when the first driver (210A) is the lead vehicle of the vehicle convoy and the determined (402) stress level of said driver exceeds a limit value:

a transfer (404) of control of the vehicle convoy to another driver (210B) in the vehicle convoy (200).

10. A method (400) according to claims 1-9, wherein the control algorithm for the vehicle convoy (200) triggers an emergency stop of the vehicle convoy (200) when the determined (402) stress level of the first driver exceeds a limit value.

11. A method (400) according to claims 1-10, wherein the control algorithm for the vehicle convoy (200) increases the distance between the vehicles (220A, 220B) that are included in the vehicle convoy (200) when the determined (402) stress level of the first driver exceeds a limit value.

12. A method (400) according to claims 1-11, comprising:

the sending (405) of information about measurement results for each individual driver (210A, 210B) of the vehicles (220A, 220B) in the vehicle convoy (200) to a control system (250) that governs the control of the vehicle convoy (200) and/or to an external data storage unit (260) in order to enable health analyses of the drivers (210A, 210B) in the vehicle convoy (200).

13. A method (400) according to claims 1-12, wherein the control algorithm comprises at least one of:

a driver-dependent parameter from among;

inclination of a gas pedal, inclination of a shift pedal, inclination of a brake pedal, change in inclination of the gas pedal, change in inclination of the shift pedal, change in inclination of the brake pedal, change in inclination of the gas pedal per unit of time, change in inclination of the shift pedal per unit of time, change in inclination of the brake pedal per unit of time, steering wheel deflection and/or rate of change of steering wheel deflection; and

/or

a driver-independent parameter from among;

vehicle type, inclination of the vehicle (220A, 220B), vehicle weight, comfort level, engine rpm.

14. A computer program for adapting a control algorithm comprising at least one driver-dependent parameter, which control algorithm governs the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle (220A) with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle (220B) with a second driver (210B) are included, characterized in that said computer program performs the method (400) according to any of claims 1-13 when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit (520) in a control unit (240A).

15. A control unit (240A, 240B) for governing the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle (220A) with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle (220B) with a second driver (210B) are included, by means of an adaptable control algorithm, which control unit (240A, 240B) is characterized by:

a communication module (510) for receiving a measurement result from a measurement of at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A); and

a processor circuit (520) arranged so as to determine the stress level of the first driver based on the performed measurement, and also arranged so as to adapt the control algorithm to the determined stress level of the first driver.

16. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to claim 15, in which the measured physical characteristic of the first driver (210A) comprises at least one of:

systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, cardiac minute volume, vascular resistance, respiratory volume, respiratory rate, body temperature, skin temperature, blood adrenalin level, blood cortisol level, blood noradrenalin level, transpiration volume, amount of hand sweat exuded, electrical conductivity of the skin, eye movement, dilated nostrils, muscular tension, body movement, speech volume, voice strength and/or pupil size.

17. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claim or claim 16, in which the measured physical characteristic of the first driver (210A) comprises a level change, or a level change per unit of time in at least one measured physical characteristic of said first driver (210A).

18. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claims 15-17, in which the processor circuit (520) is arranged so as to determine the stress level of the first driver based on a comparison between the measured value and a limit value.

19. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claims 15-18, in which the processor circuit (520) is arranged so as to reduce the driver-dependent parameter value in proportion to the determined stress level of the first driver.

20. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claims 15-19, in which the processor circuit (520) is arranged so as to map the determined stress level of the first driver against a corresponding reduced parameter value and insert said reduced parameter value into the control algorithm.

21. A control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claims 15-20, in which the processor circuit (520) is arranged so as to insert a time filter, wherein the length of the time delay is in proportion to the determined stress level of the first driver.

26. A system for adapting a control algorithm comprising at least one driver-dependent parameter, which control algorithm governs the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle (220A) with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle (220B) with a second driver (210B) are included, characterized by:

a measuring device (230A, 230B) according to any of claims 22-25, adapted so as to measure at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A);

a control unit (240A, 240B) according to any of claims 15-21, adapted so as to determine the stress level of the first driver based on the performed measurement, and to adapt the control algorithm to the determined stress level of the first driver.

27. A vehicle (220A, 220B) characterized in that it comprises a system according to claim 26.

28. A vehicle convoy (200) characterized in that it comprises at least two vehicles (220A, 220B) according to claim 27.

22. A measuring device (230A, 230B) for governing the control of a vehicle convoy (200) in which at least a first vehicle (220A) with a first driver (210A) and a second vehicle (220B) with a second driver are included, by means of an adaptable control algorithm, which measuring device (230A, 230B) is characterized by:

a detector (610) for measuring at least one physical characteristic of the first driver (210A); and

a communication module (630) arranged so as to communicate the measured value to a control unit (240A, 240B).

23. A measuring device (230A, 230B) according to claim 22, in which the detector (610) is arranged so as to measure at least one of the following physical characteristics of the first driver (210A):

systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, cardiac minute volume, vascular resistance, respiratory volume, respiratory rate, body temperature, skin temperature, blood adrenalin level, blood cortisol level, blood noradrenalin level, transpiration volume, amount of hand sweat exuded, electrical conductivity of the skin, eye movement, dilated nostrils, muscular tension, body movement, speech volume, voice strength and/or pupil size.

24. A measuring device (230A, 230B) according to any of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the measuring device (230A, 230B) is connectable to a body part of the driver (210A) and arranged so as to communicate the measured value wirelessly or via cable to the control unit (240A, 240B) and/or to an external storage unit (260).

25. A measuring device (230A, 230B) according to any of claims 22-24, adapted so as to detect a level change or level change per unit of time in at least one measured physical characteristic of the first driver (210A).