Sleeping driver detector and alarm system
First Claim
1. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
- a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being, communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount; and
wherein the pair of contacts are integrally coupled to a steering wheel of a vehicle.
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Abstract
A sleeping driver detector and alarm system for awaking a sleeping driver. The sleeping driver detector and alarm system includes contacts for measuring skin resistance, a microcontroller for determining a baseline resistance and an alarm that sounds when resistance varies from the baseline. Alternate embodiments provide for the positioning of the contacts integral to the steering wheel of the vehicle or within a glove worn on the hand of a driver. The microcontroller performs a reiterative process to update the baseline resistance and continuously compare the baseline resistance to a current resistance. It is also preferred to include an analog to digital converter for converting analog signals sent from the contacts into a digital signal received by the microcontroller.
43 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
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a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being, communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount; and
wherein the pair of contacts are integrally coupled to a steering wheel of a vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
wherein a second one of the pair of contacts is positioned around the circumference of the steering wheel in spaced relationship to said first one of said pair of contacts; and
wherein said pair of contacts are positioned on an outer surface of said steering wheel to facilitate skin contact by the driver between the two contacts.
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3. The sleeping driver detector and alarm system of claim 2 further comprising:
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a housing containing said microcontroller and said alarm, said housing having a speaker for transmitting said alarm sound; and
wires extending from said pair of contacts to said microcontroller within said housing, said wires extending from said pair of contacts through a spoke of said steering wheel into a steering column of said steering wheel and into said housing.
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4. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
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a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount; and
wherein the pair of contacts are integrally coupled to a glove worn by the driver while driving. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
a second one of said pair of contacts being positioned at an end of a second finger receiving portion of said glove; and
wherein said pair of contacts are positioned on an interior surface of said glove to facilitate skin contact by the driver between the two contacts when the glove is worn.
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6. The sleeping driver detector and alarm system of claim 5 wherein the first finger receiving portion is adjacently positioned with respect to the second finger receiving portion.
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7. The sleeping driver detector and alarm system of claim 5 further comprising:
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a housing having a clip for attaching said housing to said driver, said housing containing said microcontroller and said alarm; and
said housing further having a speaker for transmitting said alarm sound.
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8. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
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a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount;
an analog to digital converter operably connected between said pair of contacts and said microcontroller for converting analog signals sent from said pair of contacts to digital signals for processing by said microcontroller; and
wherein said microcontroller is programmed to perform the following steps;
determining if a skin resistance from said digital signal from said converter is received, if a signal is not received from said converter then said microcontroller continues to determine if a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
delaying a predetermined time period when a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a baseline value of said skin resistance;
calculating and storing a baseline value for said skin resistance;
receiving a new digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a current value of skin resistance;
calculating a current value for said skin resistance;
comparing said current value to said baseline value;
sounding an alarm when said current value varies from said baseline value by an amount greater than a pre-determined acceptable variance; and
replacing said baseline value with said current value when a variance between said current value and said baseline value is less than said pre-determined acceptable variance and returning to said step of receiving a new digital signal from said converter.
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9. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
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a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount;
wherein the pair of contacts are integrally coupled to a steering wheel of a vehicle;
wherein a first one of the pair of contacts is positioned around a circumference of the steering wheel;
wherein a second one of the pair of contacts is positioned around the circumference of the steering wheel in spaced relationship to said first one of said pair of contacts; and
wherein said pair of contacts are positioned on an outer surface of said steering wheel to facilitate skin contact by the driver between the two contacts;
an analog to digital converter operably connected between said pair of contacts and said microcontroller for converting analog signals sent from said pair of contacts to digital signals for processing by said microcontroller;
a housing containing said microcontroller and said alarm, said housing having a speaker for transmitting said alarm sound;
wires extending from said pair of contacts to said microcontroller within said housing, said wires extending from said pair of contacts through a spoke of said steering wheel into a steering column of said steering wheel and into said housing; and
wherein said microcontroller is programmed to perform the following steps;
determining if a skin resistance from said digital signal from said converter is received, if a signal is not received from said converter then said microcontroller continues to determine if a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
delaying a predetermined time period when a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a baseline value of said skin resistance;
calculating and storing a baseline value for said skin resistance;
receiving a new digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a current value of skin resistance;
calculating a current value for said skin resistance;
comparing said current value to said baseline value;
sounding an alarm when said current value varies from said baseline value by an amount greater than a predetermined acceptable variance; and
replacing said baseline value with said current value when a variance between said current value and said baseline value is less than said pre-determined acceptable variance and returning to said step of receiving a new digital signal from said converter.
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10. A sleeping driver detector and alarm system comprising:
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a pair of contacts for measuring skin resistance of a driver;
said contacts being communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, said microcontroller being for determining a baseline skin resistance between the pair of contacts while the driver is awake;
an alarm operably coupled to the microcontroller;
wherein the microcontroller activates the alarm when a current measurement of the driver'"'"'s skin resistance varies from the baseline skin resistance by more than a pre-determined amount;
wherein the pair of contacts are integrally coupled to a glove worn by the driver while driving;
wherein a first one of said pair of contacts is positioned at an end of one finger receiving portion of said glove;
a second one of said pair of contacts being positioned at an end of a second finger receiving portion of said glove; and
wherein said pair of contacts are positioned on an interior surface of said glove to facilitate skin contact by the driver between the two contacts when the glove is worn;
an analog to digital converter operably connected between said pair of contacts and said microcontroller for converting analog signals sent from said pair of contacts to digital signals for processing by said microcontroller;
a housing having a clip for attaching said housing to said driver, said housing containing said microcontroller and said alarm;
said housing further having a speaker for transmitting said alarm sound; and
wherein said microcontroller is programmed to perform the following steps;
determining if a skin resistance from said digital signal from said converter is received, if a signal is not received from said converter then said microcontroller continues to determine if a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
delaying a predetermined time period when a skin resistance is received from said digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a baseline value of said skin resistance;
calculating and storing a baseline value for said skin resistance;
receiving a new digital signal from said converter;
acquiring data for a current value of skin resistance;
calculating a current value for said skin resistance;
comparing said current value to said baseline value;
sounding an alarm when said current value varies from said baseline value by an amount greater than a pre-determined acceptable variance; and
replacing said baseline value with said current value when a variance between said current value and said baseline value is less than said pre-determined acceptable variance and returning to said step of receiving a new digital signal from said converter.
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Specification