Driver condition estimation apparatus, server, driver information collecting apparatus, and driver condition estimation system

• US 8,135,507 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okabe, Nobuyuki, Taki, Naoki, Nagae, Akira, Kusaka, Yasushi, Furuta, Shinya, Matsunaga, Takahiro, Seguchi, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/513,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/29, 701/35, 340/438, 340/439, 340/576, 180/272
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driver condition estimation apparatus 5 estimates condition of a driver. The driver condition estimation apparatus 5 includes a driver condition estimating unit 50a for estimating the condition of the driver before the driver starts driving; and a control variable changing unit 50b for changing control variables of in-vehicle devices based on the condition of the driver estimated by the driver condition estimating unit 50a.

Claims

1. A driver condition estimation apparatus for estimating condition of a driver, comprising:

an at-home driver information receiving unit configured to receive at-home driver information including at least one of things-forgot-to-bring information, forgot-to-lock information, and forgot-to-turn-off-fluorescent-lamp information obtained at a home of the driver;

a driver condition estimating unit configured to estimate the condition of the driver before the driver starts driving based on the at-home driver information; and

a control variable changing unit configured to change control variables of in-vehicle devices based on the condition of the driver estimated by the driver condition estimating unit.

2. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at-home driver information includes information regarding sleep of the driver;

and

the driver condition estimating unit is configured to estimate sleepiness of the driver based on the at-home driver information.

3. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a the driver condition estimating unit is configured to detect operations performed in a vehicle by the driver before starting an engine,

wherein the driver condition estimating unit is configured to estimate the condition of the driver based on the detection results.

4. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at-home driver information includes conversation information extracted from a conversation of the driver;

and

the driver condition estimating unit is configured to estimate the condition of the driver based on the conversation information.

5. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at-home driver information includes scheduled time information and scheduled event information extracted from a schedule of the driver;

and

the driver condition estimating unit is configured to estimate the condition of the driver based on the scheduled event information.

6. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at-home driver information includes email information extracted from an email message sent or received by the driver;

and

the driver condition estimating unit is configured to estimate the condition of the driver based on the email information.

7. The driver condition estimation apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the driver condition estimating unit is configured to detect throwing of baggage, a door opening/closing speed higher than or equal to a threshold, or a switch operation error.

8. A server, comprising:

an at-home driver information receiving unit configured to receive at-home driver information including at least one of things-forgot-to-bring information, forgot-to-lock information, and forgot-to-turn-off-fluorescent-lamp information obtained at a home of a driver;

a driver condition estimating unit configured to estimate condition of the driver based on the at-home driver information; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the condition of the driver estimated by the driver condition estimating unit to a vehicle.

9. A driver information collecting apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to obtain information on a driver at a home of the driver;

a driver information collecting unit configured to collect the information on the driver including at least one of things-forgot-to-bring information, forgot-to-lock information, and forgot-to-turn-off-fluorescent-lamp information obtained by the sensor; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the information on the driver collected by the driver information collecting unit to a vehicle.

10. A driver condition estimation system for estimating condition of a driver, comprising:

a home of the driver; and

a vehicle, wherein

the home includes

a sensor configured to obtain at-home driver information on the driver,

a driver information collecting unit configured to collect the at-home driver information including at least one of things-forgot-to-bring information, forgot-to-lock information, and forgot-to-turn-off-fluorescent-lamp information obtained by the sensor, and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the at-home driver information to the vehicle; and

the vehicle includes

a receiving unit configured to receive the at-home driver information, and

a driver condition estimating unit configured to estimate the condition of the driver before the driver starts driving based on the at-home driver information or operations of in-vehicle devices performed by the driver before starting an engine.