DEVICE OF DROWSINESS DETECTION AND ALARM AND METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20170071525A1
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: LIN, Chin-Teng, YU, Yi-Hsin, KO, Li-Wei
• Application Number:
  US15/267,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20170071525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• 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 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A device of drowsiness detection and alarm includes a headrest, at least one brainwave sensor, a computing unit, a controlling unit and an accessory unit. The brainwave sensor is disposed on the headrest and configured to contact with a user'"'"'s head and detect a brainwave signal. The computing unit receives the brainwave signal from the brainwave sensor and calculates according to the brainwave signal to obtain a fatigue index. The controlling unit controls the accessory unit to activate according to the fatigue index. Therefore, when the user is drowsy and gradually loses consciousness, the accessory unit can immediately alarm the user and allow the user stay awake to avoid the occurrence of accidents. A method of drowsiness detection and alarm is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device of drowsiness detection and alarm, comprising:

a headrest;

at least a brainwave sensor disposed on the headrest and configured to contact with a user'"'"'s head for detecting a brainwave signal;

a computing unit receiving the brainwave signal from the brainwave sensor and calculating according to the brainwave signal to obtain a fatigue index;

a controlling unit connecting with the computing unit; and

at least an accessory unit connecting with the controlling unit, wherein the controlling unit controls the accessory unit to activate according to the fatigue index.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the computing unit comprises:

a database for storing human brainwave information; and

a judgement unit comparing the brainwave signal detected by the brainwave sensor with the human brainwave information stored in the database to obtain the fatigue index.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit is a speaker, a lighting device, an electric shock device, a vibration device, a watering device, a massage device, or a portable device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the headrest is a seat headrest of a vehicle.

5. A method of drowsiness detection and alarm, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a headrest and detecting a brainwave signal of a user, wherein the user'"'"'s head lays on the headrest and contacts with a brainwave sensor disposed on the headrest;

(b) receiving the brainwave signal from the brainwave sensor by a computing unit and calculating according to the brainwave signal to obtain a fatigue index;

(c) when the fatigue index reaches a preset value, outputting a message to a controlling unit; and

(d) controlling an accessory unit to activate according to the fatigue index by the controlling unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step (b) obtains the fatigue index by comparing the brainwave signal with human brainwave information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a judgement unit determines whether the fatigue index reaches the preset value, and the accessory unit is activated according to the comparing result.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessory unit is a speaker, a lighting device, an electric shock device, a vibration device, a watering device, a massage device, or a portable device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the headrest is a seat headrest of a vehicle.