Personalized Driver Assistance

• US 20150307105A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: HUBER, Christian
• Application Number:
  US14/696,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20150307105A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A method and system are provided for personalized assistance for a driver of a motor vehicle. At least one first measurement value characterizing a physical and/or psychological state of the driver is detected by sensors in a driver state detection. The first measurement value, or a combination of a plurality of such first measurement values, is compared with an assigned predetermined target state or target state range. A driver intervention in which a predetermined signal is generated or altered takes place if, in the comparison, there is determined to be a deviation of the first measurement value or the combination of first measurement values from the assigned predetermined target state or target state range. In advance, a driver-dependent designation of at least one sensory channel of the driver to be addressed in the driver intervention has been made, and the signal is predetermined in accordance with the determined deviation. The signal is furthermore predetermined so as to be suitable for addressing the at least one designated sensory channel.

Claims

1. A method for personalized assistance for a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting a driver state via a sensor-based acquisition of at least one first measurement value characterizing a physical and/or psychological state of the driver;

comparing the acquired first measurement value, or a combination of a plurality of said first measurement values, with an assigned predetermined target state or target state range;

if the comparing act establishes that the first measurement value, or combination of first measurement values, deviates from the assigned predetermined target state of target state range, performing a driver intervention in which a predetermined signal is generated or altered, wherein

at least one sensory channel of the driver needing to be addressed in the driver intervention is designated in a driver-dependent manner, and

the predetermined signal is predetermined in accordance with the established deviation and so as to be suitable for addressing the at least one designated sensory channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the driver state is carried out while the driver is outside of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor-based acquisition of the at least one first measurement value takes place by one or more of the following measuring devices:

a) a seat occupancy sensor;

b) a smart textile comprising a sensor;

c) a smart watch;

d) a steering wheel sensor;

e) a camera;

f) smart glasses comprising an eye-tracking function; and

g) a communication terminal comprising a sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the driver state comprises a driver diagnosis in which a question of which sensory channel or sensory channels would most effectively intervene with the driver is determined from at least one first measurement value, and at least one of these determined sensory channels is designated as the sensory channel of the driver needing to be addressed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

the driver diagnosis comprises acquisition of a reaction of the driver to various sensory stimuli; and

the question of which sensory channel or sensory channels would most effectively intervene with the driver is determined with the aid of the measurement values and the acquired reaction of the driver.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the acquisition of the reaction of the driver to various sensory stimuli takes place with the aid of sensor-based acquisition of at least one of the following:

a) one or more measurement values characterizing a physical and/or psychological state of the driver;

b) at least one driver action for vehicle control; and

c) vehicle state data.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermination of the signal or the designation of the at least one sensory channel comprises a selection, via a user interface, of one or more signals or signal characteristics or of one or more sensory channels.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

user profile data that identifies the driver and the associated at least one designated sensory channel is stored, and

the designation of the at least one sensory channel for the driver takes place in a subsequent vehicle trip through reading out of the user profile data that has been stored for the driver.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined signal is a combination of different individual signals, which each address different sensory channels; and

wherein the individual signals either;

(a) are generated or altered at substantially the same time, or

(b) are prioritized relative to one another in accordance with the designation of the at least one sensory channel, and generated or altered in a staggered manner with respect to one another in a cascade according to the prioritization.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the driver is located in the vehicle, then the driver state detection takes place multiple times, and the driver intervention takes place dynamically in response to the series of first measurement values acquired therein.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one first measurement value is also used to adjust user-defined vehicle settings.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the driver state detection comprises reading out calendar data including appointments from an electronic calendar of the driver;

a question of whether the appointment can be reached in time is determined by determining the travel time from the current location of the vehicle to an appointment location set forth in the calendar data; and

if the appointment cannot be reached in time, then an electronic message is automatically sent to a predetermined circle of recipients.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined circle of recipients comprise appointment participants identified in the calendar data for the appointment.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the automatic sending of the electronic message is carried out only after a confirmation by the driver via a user interface.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein a variety of degrees of the driver intervention can be selected by the driver.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

17. A system for personalized assistance for a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one interface for receiving measurement values from at least one sensor for acquiring at least one first measurement value that characterizes a physical and/or psychological state of the driver;

a comparison unit for comparing a first measurement value that is receivable via the interface, or a combination of a plurality of such first measurement values, with a respectively assigned predetermined target state or target state range; and

a signal device for a driver intervention, which is configured in order to generate or alter a predetermined signal if the comparison determines that there is a deviation of the first measurement value or the combination of first measurement values from the assigned predetermined target state or target state range;

the system further comprising;

a designation unit, by which at least one sensory channel of the driver needing to be addressed in the driver intervention is designated; and

a signal determination unit which is configured in order to predetermine the signal so as to be in accordance with the determined deviation and so as to be suitable for addressing the at least one designated sensory channel.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

19. A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 17.