Dual function optic sleep preventing device for vehicle drivers

• US 6,147,612 A
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jing Qing Tang, Ying Chao Ruan
• Original Assignee: Jing Qing Tang, Ying Chao Ruan
• Inventors: Tang, Jing Qing, Ruan, Ying Chao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tong, Nina
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/437,922
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/576, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 364/419.2, 364/550, 364/569, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.52
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A dual function sleep preventing system comprises a micro optic eyelid monitor, a micro optic tilting monitor, a signal combination circuits and an alarming unit. The eyelid monitor is placed in the vicinity of an eye by an appropriate mounting device when in use, using an emitter to transmit modulated appropriate light signals towards the eye, and using optic sensors to sense the influenced light by the eyelid, to detect the movement of eyelid. The tilting monitor comprises an optic tilt switch set on the side head of a user, using a micro optic monitor to detect a small ball'"'"'s rolling in a closed tube system inside the switch when tilting. Both the monitors are connected to a signal combination circuits, which has an input signal filtering device, a switch part and a counter. The filtering device sets an appropriate time delay range to pick up dangerous long symptoms, base on signal length and the difference between a monitor signal'"'"'s appearing time and another monitor'"'"'s. The counter circuits records the times of those signals'"'"' occurrence. When finding such a symptom, the combination circuits will stimulate a pre-alarming immediately to detect the sleepy state of a user. A fully alarming will follow if the user has no response after a limited waiting time, or if the times of repeating pre-alarming reaches a criteria value set in the counter.

Claims

1. An optic dual function sleep preventing system, working on an electric energy source and carried by a mounting device to set on a user'"'"'s head when in use, comprising:

a dual monitoring system, including;

an optic eyelid monitor properly set in the vicinity of an eye of said user by said mounting device to monitor the movement of the eyelid of said eye when in use, comprising;

an emitter for transmitting appropriate, modulated electromagnetic waves towards said eye; and

a predetermined number of optic sensors for sensing the influence on the intensities of received portion of said waves by said movement of said eyelid, such that when said movement occurs to change said intensities, it is detected by said monitor and a corresponding output is created by said monitor;

a head tilting monitor set on the side of the head of said user carried by said mounting device when in use for detecting a head'"'"'s tilting, comprising an optic tilt switch using a micro optic monitor to detect a small ball'"'"'s rolling in a closed tube system inside said switch due to said tilting;

when said tilting causes said ball'"'"'s rolling to different positions inside said tube system, the intensity of said waves in the regions of said positions, also changes so as to be detected and a corresponding output is created by said tilt switch.

2. An optic dual function sleep preventing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a combination processing circuit, including;

an input filtering device, having two input terminals for receiving said eyelid monitor and said head'"'"'s tilting switch, respectively and one output terminal for sounding warning signals, comprising a R-C network creating a predetermined range of time delay for input signals with the value of said time delay properly varied as the difference between the appearing moment of a first signal from said eyelid monitor and a second from said head titling monitor during an event varies, such that either one of said first and second signals or both said first and second signals are longer than the corresponding time delay are able to pass said filtering device and establish an output signal of said filtering device.

3. An optic dual function sleep preventing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarming system including;

an alarming unit;

an pre-alarming circuit, including;

a stimulating switch unit for turning on said alarming unit on said energy source under a predetermined condition of limiting the stimulating power supply, when receiving an input signal from said filtering device

a formal alarming circuit configuration, including;

a second stimulating switch unit for turning on said alarming unit under releasing said predetermined condition of said power supply when receiving an input signal from said pre-alarming circuit;

a timer having a predetermined time delay, connected between said second stimulating switch unit and said filtering device for appropriately delay signals from said filtering unit to send to said second switch unit;

a counter circuits connected between said second stimulating switch unit and said filtering device for counting the times of sending output signals by said filtering device, such that when said recorded times reaches a predetermined number, said counter circuits produces a signal to send to said second switch unit.