DRIVER MONITORING APPARATUS

• US 20160262682A1
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Omi, Takuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• 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 5/7455 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: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A driver monitoring system (1) recognizes a state of a driver (S210) and determines a recognition stability (S215). When the recognition stability is less than a predetermined reference value, the driver monitoring system makes a request to the driver for a different action that is different from an action requested when the recognition stability is not less than the reference value (S230, S235, S240, S260, S310) and detects an action of the driver that responds to the request (S270, S315). This configuration can keep the wakefulness of the driver, even when the driver state such as wakefulness cannot be correctly recognized.

Claims

1. A driver monitoring apparatus that monitors a driver of a vehicle, the driver monitoring apparatus including a control circuit that controls a driver monitoring,

the control circuit comprising:

a state recognition device that recognizes a state of the driver;

a recognition stability determination device that determines a recognition stability recognized by the state recognition section;

an action request device that makes a request to the driver, the action request device making the request to the driver for a first action at a first timing when the recognition stability is not less than a reference value,

wherein, when the recognition stability is less than the predetermined reference value, the action request device makes the request to the driver for either

a second action that is different from the first action requested when the recognition stability is not less than the reference value, or

the first action at a second timing that is different from the first timing at which the first action is requested when the recognition stability is not less than the reference value; and

an action detection device that detects an action of the driver that responds to the request.

2. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit includes

a captured image acquisition device that acquires a captured image that captures a face of the driver, and

a face recognition device that recognizes a component of the face of the driver from the captured image; and

when the recognition stability is less than the reference value and, simultaneously, a predetermined part that is predetermined within the component of the face of the driver is not recognized,

the action request device makes the request to the driver for a non-image action enabling to detect an action of the driver without using image processing.

3. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

when the predetermined part is recognized, the action request device makes the request to the driver for an action at intervals of a reference period; and

when the predetermined part is not recognized, the action request device makes the request to the driver for an action at intervals of a period shorter than the reference period.

4. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

when the predetermined part is recognized, the action request device makes the request to the driver for an action to give a change to the predetermined part; and

when the predetermined part is not recognized, the action request device makes the request to the driver for an action that is detected by a detector that detects a manipulation of the driver.

5. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuit includes an attention calling device that calls an attention of the driver either

when the action detection device fails to detect an action of the driver responding to the request, or

when a state of the driver recognized by the state recognition device that is likely to pose a difficulty for driving.

6. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the control circuit includes an attention prohibition device that prohibits the attention calling device from calling an attention within a predetermined attention calling interval time after having called the attention.

7. The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the control circuit includes an interval time changing device that

shortens the attention calling interval time when the action detection device detects an action of the driver, and

lengthens the attention calling interval time when the attention calling device calls the attention of the driver.