METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING ALERTNESS OF AN OPERATOR OF A MANUALLY-OPERATED SYSTEM

• US 20150269829A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Birnie, Andrew, Beattie, Derek, Moran, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining alertness of an driver of a motor vehicle periodically generates an audible alert signal to which the driver responds by pressing a button on the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel. The response time of the driver to the signal is monitored and if an increase is detected, the repetition rate of the alert signal is increased. The repetition rate may be further modified by taking into account vehicle driving conditions which may indicate a risk of boredom in the driver.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the method comprising;

periodically generating an alert signal for response thereto by the operator, monitoring a time interval between generation of an alert signal and receipt of a response from the operator, and adjusting a repetition rate of the alert signal depending on the monitored time interval.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein an alert signal is a visual signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein an alert signal is an audible signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein an alert signal is a haptic signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the repetition rate of the alert signal is further adjusted depending on an output state of an operator alertness monitor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the repetition rate of the alert signal is further adjusted depending on the output state of a system condition monitor.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the volume of the audible signal is increased if the monitored time interval exceeds a predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a system parameter is adjusted if the monitored time interval exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the third module is further arranged to receive an input from a system condition monitor and to determine an adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal dependent on said input from the system condition monitor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the third module is further arranged to generate control signal for connection to a system control module.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the apparatus is implemented in an integrated circuit

15. The tangible computer program product of claim 12 wherein the tangible computer program product comprises at least one from a group consisting of:

a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a Read Only Memory, a Programmable Read Only Memory, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, EPROM, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory and a Flash memo

9. An apparatus for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the apparatus comprising;

a first module arranged to periodically generate an alert signal for response thereto by the operator, a second module for connection to an operator-manipulated input and operably coupled to the first module and arranged to monitor a time interval between generation of an alert signal and receipt of a response from the driver, and a third module, operably coupled to the first and second modules and adapted to receive values of monitored time intervals from the second module, determine an adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal dependent on the values of the received monitored time intervals and convey said adjusted repetition rate to the first module.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third module is further arranged to receive an input from an operator alertness monitor and to determine an adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal dependent on said input from the operator alertness monitor.

14. A tangible computer program product having executable code stored therein for executing a process to perform a method for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the tangible computer program product comprising code for periodically generating an alert signal for response thereto by the operator, monitoring a time interval between generation of an alert signal and receipt of a response from the operator, and adjusting a repetition rate of the alert signal depending on the monitored time interval.

16. (canceled)