MONITORING A DRIVER OF A VEHICLE

• US 20150351681A1
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Jaehee, LEE, Kiho, LEE, Hyeoncheol
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A driver state monitoring (DSM) system includes a wearable device main body worn by a user, a display unit, and an information collection unit that collects information related to a body state of the user. The DSM system includes a controller that, based on the collected information, senses a situation associated with the user'"'"'s body state, and converts the collected information into a numerical value representing the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation. The controller further calculates a well-driving score for the user based on the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation; and controls at least one of the display unit or an image information output device to display the well-driving score and the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation.

Claims

1. A driver state monitoring (DSM) system configured to interact with a vehicle, the DSM system comprising:

a wearable device main body configured to be worn by a user;

a display unit;

an information collection unit configured to collect information related to a body state of the user; and

a controller configured to;

sense a situation associated with the user'"'"'s body state based on the collected information;

convert the collected information related to the body state of the user into a numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation, based on pre-stored information for the sensed situation;

calculate a well-driving score for the user based on the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation; and

control at least one of the display unit or an image information output device to display the well-driving score and the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation.

2. The DSM system of claim 1, wherein the pre-stored information for the sensed situation includes at least one of information obtained by measuring a user'"'"'s average sleep time, information obtained by measuring a user'"'"'s average meal size, or information obtained by measuring a user'"'"'s average exercise quantity, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine, based on the sensed situation corresponding to the user sleeping, the user having a meal, or the user exercising, whether the user'"'"'s sleep state, the user'"'"'s meal state, or the user'"'"'s exercise state is excessive or insufficient based on the pre-stored information for the sensed situation, and

convert into a numerical value the user'"'"'s body state for the respective situation based on determining whether the user'"'"'s sleep state, the user'"'"'s meal state, or the user'"'"'s exercise state is excessive or insufficient.

3. The DSM system of claim 2, wherein the pre-stored information for the sensed situation further includes information based on a driving behavior of the user corresponding to the body state of the user.

4. The DSM system of claim 2, wherein the pre-stored information for the sensed situation further includes at least one of previously collected information regarding an average sleep time, an average meal size, or an average exercise quantity of a person whose age or body information is determined to be relevant to the user, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine the existence of information obtained by measuring the user'"'"'s average sleep time, the user'"'"'s average meal size and the user'"'"'s average exercise quantity exist; and

based on determining the existence of information obtained by measuring the user'"'"'s average sleep time, the user'"'"'s average meal size and the user'"'"'s average exercise quantity exist, convert the user'"'"'s body state into a numerical value based the previously collected information or based on the measured information.

5. The DSM system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to convert the user'"'"'s body state into a numerical value for the sensed situation further based on a sleeping pattern previously measured for the user.

6. The DSM system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to, based on detecting the user'"'"'s drowsy state:

collect information regarding, for each of a plurality of situations, a time from when the situation has ended to when the user'"'"'s drowsy state is detected;

determine the user'"'"'s drowsiness characteristic for each situation by measuring an average duration time for each situation;

estimate, based on the user'"'"'s drowsiness characteristic and the time elapsed from when the end of a specific situation is sensed;

a time when the user'"'"'s drowsiness probability is high; and

perform at least one predetermined function for preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving at the estimated time,

wherein the plurality of situations includes at least one of a situation corresponding to the user having a meal, the user exercising, or the user sleeping.

7. The DSM system of claim 6, wherein the function of preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving includes at least one of controlling an audio output unit provided in the vehicle to reproduce a predetermined sound source, providing navigation information on a predetermined specific point through a display unit provided in the vehicle, or controlling a light source of the vehicle.

8. The DSM system of claim 6, wherein the function of preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving includes at least one of generating a predetermined vibration pattern, making a call to a predetermined telephone number under a user'"'"'s selection, or transmitting a message to another person.

9. The DSM system of claim 6, wherein the function of preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving includes changing an environmental state of the vehicle to a particular setting among a plurality of settings that are indicated in pre-collected setting information,

wherein the pre-collected setting information includes environmental setting information of the vehicle that was collected based on the controller determining that the user was driving the vehicle in an awakened state.

10. The DSM system of claim 9, wherein, the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the user'"'"'s body state is converted into the awakened state subsequent to the environmental state of the vehicle being changed to the particular setting; and

based on determining whether the user'"'"'s body state is converted into the awakened state subsequent to the environmental state of the vehicle being changed to the particular setting, change the environmental state of the vehicle to another setting or to indicate a weight of the particular setting in the pre-collected setting information.

11. The DSM system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to change the environmental state of the vehicle to another setting by selecting a setting from the pre-collected environmental setting information in order of highest weight.

12. The DSM system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display a graphical user interface that enables the user to select, on the display unit, a particular function to be performed for preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving; and

enable at least one of the functions for preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving to be performed based on the user'"'"'s selection.

13. The DSM system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the user is in a rest state based on a state of the vehicle; and

based on determining that the user is in the rest state, change the numerical value corresponding to the user'"'"'s rest state.

14. The DSM system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the user'"'"'s rest state is related to the user'"'"'s sleep time or the user'"'"'s exercise quantity, based on at least one of the user'"'"'s biological information or the user'"'"'s body posture change information when the driving of the vehicle is stopped; and

change at least one of the numerical values related to the user'"'"'s sleep time or the user'"'"'s exercise quantity, based on the determined rest state.

15. The DSM system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

estimate a user'"'"'s drowsy driving probability based on the well driving score; and

based on the user'"'"'s drowsy driving probability satisfying a predetermined level, perform at least one of the predetermined functions for preventing the user'"'"'s drowsy driving.

16. The DSM system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display, on the display unit and based on determining that the driving of the vehicle is ended, a result obtained by measuring a change in the user'"'"'s body state during driving of the vehicle, and

wherein the change in the user'"'"'s body state is measured based on sensing a biological signal of the user.

17. The DSM system of claim 1, wherein the information collection unit is further configured to collect information related to the user'"'"'s body state from a peripheral device that is external to the DSM system.

18. The DSM system of claim 1, where the information collection unit is further configured to collect environmental information regarding the vehicle.

19. A method for controlling a driver state monitoring (DSM) system capable of interacting with a vehicle, the method comprising:

sensing a situation of a user by collecting environmental information around a wearable device worn by the user;

determining a body state of the user based on the sensed situation and information collected related to the user'"'"'s body state;

converting the determined body state of the user into a numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation, based on pre-stored information for the sensed situation associated with the user'"'"'s body state;

calculating a well driving score for the user based on the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation; and

controlling at least one of a display unit or an image information output device to display the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation and the well driving score.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a driver state monitoring (DSM) system configured to perform operations that include;

sensing a situation of a user based on environmental information collected around the user;

collecting, by a wearable device worn by the user, information related to the user'"'"'s body state;

determining the body state of the user based on the sensed situation of the user and the information related to the user'"'"'s body state;

converting the determined body state of the user into a numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation, based on pre-stored information for the sensed situation; and

calculating a well driving score for the user based on the numerical value that represents the body state of the user in context of the sensed situation.