Detector for state of person

• US 8,199,018 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigetou, Kazuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/089,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/544, 340/575, 340/576, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a human condition detecting apparatus for highly accurately detecting a human condition, without any burden. A human condition detecting apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a first stimulus applying device 10 for applying a stimulus for acquisition of reference information to a subject; a second stimulus applying device 10 for applying a stimulus for acquisition of condition information to the subject; a stimulus reaction detecting device 20 for detecting reactions of the subject to the stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying device 10 and to the stimulus applied by the second stimulus applying device 10, by an ecological index of the subject; and a condition determining device 41 for determining a condition of the subject, based on a comparison between the reaction of the subject to the stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying device 10 and the reaction of the subject to the stimulus applied by the second stimulus applying device 10.

Claims

1. A human condition detecting apparatus comprising:

first stimulus applying means for applying a first stimulus for acquisition of reference information to a driver;

second stimulus applying means for applying a second stimulus for acquisition of condition information to the driver;

stimulus reaction detecting means for detecting reactions of the driver to the first stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying means as a reference information by an electro dermal activity of the driver and for detecting reactions of the driver to the second stimulus applied by the second stimulus applying means as a condition information by the electro dermal activity of the driver;

an event determining means for determining whether a traffic-related event will occur within a predetermined time, the first stimulus applying means applying the first stimulus for acquisition of the reference information to the driver immediately prior to the traffic-related event, and the second stimulus applying means applying the second stimulus for acquisition of the condition information to the driver during the traffic-related event; and

condition determining means for determining a condition of the driver, based on a comparison between the reference information and the condition information, wherein

the first stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying means is applied multiple times at a predetermined interval and one reference information is obtained from the reactions of the driver to the first stimulus applied multiple times, and

the first stimulus applying means applies the first stimulus prior to the traffic-related event every time the event determining means determines that the traffic-related event will occur.

2. The human condition detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference information is periodically obtained at every lapse of a predetermined period.

3. The human condition detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying means is applied before the second stimulus applying means applies the second stimulus.

4. The human condition detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stimulus reaction detection means is mounted on a steering wheel.

5. The human condition detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second stimulus applied by the second stimulus applying means is applied for a longer time period than the first stimulus applied by the first stimulus applying means.

6. A human condition detecting method comprising:

applying a first stimulus for acquisition of reference information to a driver;

applying a second stimulus for acquisition of condition information to the driver;

detecting reactions of the driver to the first stimulus applied for acquisition of reference information as a reference information by an electro dermal activity of the driver and for detecting reactions of the driver to the second stimulus applied for acquisition of condition information as a condition information by the electro dermal activity of the driver;

determining whether a traffic-related event will occur within a predetermined time, and applying the first stimulus for acquisition of the reference information to the driver immediately prior to the traffic-related event and applying the second stimulus for acquisition of the condition information to the driver being applied during the traffic-related event;

determining a condition of the driver based on a comparison between the reference information and the condition information, wherein

the first stimulus for acquisition of the reference information is applied multiple times at a predetermined interval and one reference information is obtained from the reactions of the driver to the first stimulus applied multiple times, and

the first stimulus for acquisition of the reference information to a driver is applied immediately prior to the traffic-related event every time the step of determining whether the traffic-related event will occur determines that the traffic-related event will occur.

7. The human condition detecting method according to claim 6, wherein the reference information is periodically obtained at every lapse of a predetermined period.

8. The human condition detecting method according to claim 6, wherein the first stimulus applied for acquisition of reference information is applied before applying the second stimulus for acquisition of condition information.