Vehicle safety warning and action system

• US 6,184,791 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerald R. Baugh
• Original Assignee: Gerald R. Baugh
• Inventors: Baugh, Gerald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/492,424
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576, 340/575, 340/573.1, 340/439, 128/782, 128/272, 128/644, 128/733, 128/774
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A multi-stage vehicle safety warning and action system which monitors a driver'"'"'s head position as an indication about whether that driver is nominally in proper control of the vehicle. The system features a laser-beam source which is worn on a driver'"'"'s head and which is generally aimed toward a system light-sensitive structure. The point of impingement of the beam from the source relative to the light-sensitive structure determines the need of the system to give a warning or to take some other form of safety action. Timing is used by the system to differentiate normal driver head movement from abnormal movement.

Claims

1. A multistage emergency response and action system usable in a motor vehicle to warn a driver, and if need be outside parties, of an impending driver emergency, and further, to take independent, vehicle-control safety action where necessary, said system comprising

light-beam sensing structure installable in a vehicle in a region adjacent the driver seat, defining distributed and differentiated emergency and non-emergency zones generally toward one side of a driver occupying that seat,

a driver-wearable head garment including light-beam-active structure having a light-beam source which is directable toward said sensing structure to create a light-beam impingement in relation to the sensing structure, either within said emergency zone or within said non-emergency zone, depending upon the orientation and position of a using driver'"'"'s head, and

response structure operatively interposable (a) at least one of said light-beam-active structure and said sensing structure, and (b) selected, conventional vehicle structure(s), operable, when so interposed, and where a driver is using the system, and is wearing said garment, to initiate a staged and timed series of emergency response actions in relation to selected occurrences of light-beam impingements within said emergency zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said response structure includes timing structure which is responsible for time-staged actions produced by the system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said timing structure permits user adjustability of time intervals that are associated with staged system performance.

4. The system of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said sensing structure is designed to be borne by the windshield in a vehicle.

5. The system of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said non-emergency zone is defined as an enclosed area wherein light-beam impingement is expected normally to occur with the driver'"'"'s head located and oriented in a manner generally indicative of normal, alert, driver behavior.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said non-emergency zone is photosensitive, and is capable of producing an electrical output signal in relation to impingement of light from said light-beam source within said zone.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said non-emergency zone is non-photosensitive.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein there is a boundary extant between said emergency and non-emergency zones, and said boundary is defined by a pair of photosensitive films/conductors.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said light-beam-active structure takes the form of photo-optical transceiver apparatus including said light-beam source, and said sensing structure includes optical retro-reflector material.

10. A multistage emergency response and action system usable in a motor vehicle to warn a driver, and if need be outside parties, of an impending driver emergency, and further, to take independent, vehicle-control safety action where necessary, said system comprising

optical, driver-condition monitoring structure placeable in a vehicle, and effective, when so placed, to define non-emergency and emergency zones in the vehicle and which are relatable to a driver'"'"'s driving-control capability and noncapability, respectively, said monitoring structure including optical interaction structure for following the apparent, effective orientation and position of a driver'"'"'s head, with such following taking place on the basis of monitoring a selected category of optical interaction that takes place effectively between a predetermined characteristic of the driver'"'"'s head and certain optical componentry which forms at least a part of said structure, said interaction structure being disposed external to the driver in the vehicle, and

response structure operatively connected to said interaction structure, operatively interposable said interaction structure and selected, conventional vehicle structure(s), and operable, when so interposed, and where a driver is operating the associated vehicle, to initiate a staged and timed series of emergency response actions in relation to selected occurrences of the mentioned selected category of optical interaction between the mentioned predetermined characteristic of the driver'"'"'s head and said certain optical componentry.