Impaired operator detection and warning system employing eyeblink analysis
First Claim
1. A method of detecting an impaired operator, comprising the steps of:
- (a) employing an imaging apparatus which produces consecutive digital images including the face and eyes of an operator, each digital image comprising an array of pixel representing the intensity of light reflected from the face of the subject;
(b) determining the location of a first one of the operator'"'"'s eyes within each digital image;
(c) generating correlation coefficients, each of which quantifies the degree of correspondence between pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in an immediately preceding image in comparison to pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in a current image;
(d) averaging the first N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to generate a first average correlation coefficient, wherein N corresponds to at least the number of images required to image a blink of the operator'"'"'s eye;
(e) after the production of the next image by the imaging apparatus, averaging the previous N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to create a next average correlation coefficient;
(f) repeating step (e) for each image frame produced by the imaging apparatus;
(g) analyzing said average correlation coefficients to extract at least one parameter attributable to an eyeblink of said operator'"'"'s eye;
(h) comparing each extracted parameter to an alert operator threshold associated with that parameter, said threshold being indicative of an alert operator; and
(i) indicating that the operator may be impaired if any extracted parameter deviates from the associated threshold in a prescribed way.
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Abstract
A system and method for detecting and warning of an impaired operator, such as a drowsy vehicle/machine operator or air traffic controller. The system and method employ an imaging apparatus which produces consecutive digital images including the face and eyes of an operator. There is an eye finding unit which determines the location of the operator'"'"'s eyes within each digital image, and generates correlation coefficients corresponding to each eye which quantify the degree of correspondence between pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in an immediately preceding image in comparison to pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in a current image. An impaired operator detection unit is used to average the first N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to generate a first average correlation coefficient. After the production of each subsequent image by the imaging apparatus, the impaired operator detection unit averages the previous N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to create a next average correlation coefficient. Next, the impaired operator detection unit analyzes the average correlation coefficients associated with each eye to extract at least one parameter attributable to an eyeblink of the operator'"'"'s eyes. These extracted parameters are compared to an alert operator threshold associated with that parameter. An impaired operator warning unit is used to indicate that the operator may be impaired if any extracted parameters deviate from the associated threshold in a prescribed way.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of detecting an impaired operator, comprising the steps of:
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(a) employing an imaging apparatus which produces consecutive digital images including the face and eyes of an operator, each digital image comprising an array of pixel representing the intensity of light reflected from the face of the subject; (b) determining the location of a first one of the operator'"'"'s eyes within each digital image; (c) generating correlation coefficients, each of which quantifies the degree of correspondence between pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in an immediately preceding image in comparison to pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in a current image; (d) averaging the first N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to generate a first average correlation coefficient, wherein N corresponds to at least the number of images required to image a blink of the operator'"'"'s eye; (e) after the production of the next image by the imaging apparatus, averaging the previous N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to create a next average correlation coefficient; (f) repeating step (e) for each image frame produced by the imaging apparatus; (g) analyzing said average correlation coefficients to extract at least one parameter attributable to an eyeblink of said operator'"'"'s eye; (h) comparing each extracted parameter to an alert operator threshold associated with that parameter, said threshold being indicative of an alert operator; and (i) indicating that the operator may be impaired if any extracted parameter deviates from the associated threshold in a prescribed way. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An impaired operator detection and warning system, comprising:
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an imaging apparatus which produces consecutive digital images including the face and eyes of an operator, each digital image comprising an array of pixel representing the intensity of light reflected from the face of the subject; an eye finding unit comprising an eye finding processor, said eye finding processor comprising; a first processor portion capable of determining the location of a first one of the operator'"'"'s eyes within each digital image, a second processor portion capable of generating correlation coefficients each of which quantifies the degree of correspondence between pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in an immediately preceding image in comparison to pixels associated with the location of the operator'"'"'s eye in a current image; an impaired operator detection unit comprising an impaired operator detection processor, said impaired operator detection processor comprising; a first processor portion capable of averaging the first N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to generate a first average correlation coefficient, wherein N corresponds to at least the number of images required to image a blink of the operator'"'"'s eye, a second processor portion capable of, after the production of the next image by the imaging apparatus, averaging the previous N consecutive correlation coefficients generated to create a next average correlation coefficient, and repeating the averaging for each image frame produced by the imaging apparatus, a third processor portion capable of analyzing said average correlation coefficients to extract at least one parameter attributable to an eyeblink of said operator'"'"'s eye, a fourth processor portion capable of comparing each extracted parameter to an alert operator threshold associated with that parameter, said threshold being indicative of an alert operator; and an impaired operator warning unit comprising an impaired operator warning processor, said impaired operator warning processor capable of indicating that the operator may be impaired if any extracted parameter deviates from the associated threshold in a prescribed way. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification