MITIGATING DRIVER FATIGUE

• US 20160167673A1
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sondhi, Neil, Gluck, Olympia, Goldberg, Itzhack, Zilberstein, Yelena
• Granted Patent: US 9,630,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A tool for mitigating driver fatigue. The tool registers a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community. The tool receives a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue. The tool gathers information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein information includes at least a proximity of the driver to one or more additional drivers in the social community. The tool determines, based, at least in part, on the registered profile and the gathered information, one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue; the one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least. The tool initiates a conversation between the driver and the one or more additional drivers.

Claims

1. A method for mitigating driver fatigue, the method comprising:

registering, by one or more computer processors, a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

receiving, by one or more computer processors, a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

gathering, by one or more computer processors, information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein information includes at least a proximity of the driver to one or more additional drivers in the social community;

determining, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the registered profile and the gathered information, one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue;

the one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least;

initiating, by one or more computer processors, a conversation between the driver and one or more additional drivers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein registering a profile for a driver, further comprises prompting the driver to provide preferences, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

a user name;

an IP address;

a mobile phone number;

a language preference;

one or more features related to initiating a conversation; and

one or more subjects to avoid in a conversation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to initiate a conversation, further comprises receiving one or more of:

a direct request to initiate a conversation, wherein the direct request to initiate the conversation originates with the driver; and

an indirect request to initiate a conversation, wherein the indirect request to initiate the conversation originates with a non-driver request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation includes one or more of the following:

information related to the driver;

a time of day;

a estimated duration of the driver'"'"'s commute;

a location of the driver; and

a traffic report.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprises determining a status of one or more additional drivers in the social community as available, wherein determining the status of the one or more additional drivers as available includes referencing one or more of:

the one or more additional drivers'"'"' profiles;

a GPS location for the one or more additional drivers; and

a time of day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, further comprises one or more of the following:

matching, by one or more computer processors, the driver with one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

scheduling, by one or more computer processors, a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

suggesting, by one or more computer processors, at least one conversation topic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprises one or more of the following:

connecting, by one or more computer processors, the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

prompting, by one or more computer processors, the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.

8. A computer program product for mitigating driver fatigue, the computer program product comprising:

or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to register a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

program instructions to receive a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

program instructions to gather information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein information includes at least a proximity of the driver to one or more additional drivers in the social community;

program instructions to determine, based, at least in part, on the registered profile and the gathered information, one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue;

the one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least;

program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more additional drivers.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to register a profile for a driver, further comprises program instructions to prompt the driver to provide preferences, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

a user name;

an IP address;

a mobile phone number;

a language preference;

one or more features related to initiating a conversation; and

one or more subjects to avoid in a conversation.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to receive a request to initiate a conversation, further comprises program instructions to receive one or more of:

a direct request to initiate a conversation, wherein the direct request to initiate the conversation originates with the driver; and

an indirect request to initiate a conversation, wherein the indirect request to initiate the conversation originates with a non-driver request.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation includes one or more of the following:

information related to the driver;

a time of day;

a estimated duration of the driver'"'"'s commute;

a location of the driver; and

a traffic report.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprises program instructions to determine a status of one or more additional drivers in the social community as available, wherein determining the status of the one or more additional drivers as available includes referencing one or more of:

the one or more additional drivers'"'"' profiles;

a GPS location for the one or more additional drivers; and

a time of day.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to determine one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, further comprises one or more of the following:

program instructions to match the driver with one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to schedule a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to suggest at least one conversation topic.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprises one or more of the following:

program instructions to connect the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

program instructions to prompt the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.

15. A computer system for mitigating driver fatigue, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to register a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

program instructions to receive a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

program instructions to gather information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein information includes at least a proximity of the driver to one or more additional drivers in the social community;

program instructions to determine, based, at least in part, on the registered profile and the gathered information, one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue;

the one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least;

program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more additional drivers.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein program instructions to receive a request to initiate a conversation, further comprises program instructions to receive one or more of:

a direct request to initiate a conversation, wherein the direct request to initiate the conversation originates with the driver; and

an indirect request to initiate a conversation, wherein the indirect request to initiate the conversation originates with a non-driver request.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation includes one or more of the following:

information related to the driver;

a time of day;

a estimated duration of the driver'"'"'s commute;

a location of the driver; and

a traffic report.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprises program instructions to determine a status of one or more additional drivers in the social community as available, wherein determining the status of the one or more additional drivers as available includes referencing one or more of:

the one or more additional drivers'"'"' profiles;

a GPS location for the one or more additional drivers; and

a time of day.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein program instructions to determine one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, further comprise one or more of the following:

program instructions to match the driver with the one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to schedule a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to suggest at least one conversation topic.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprise one or more of the following:

program instructions to connect the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

program instructions to prompt the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.