Drinking level detecting system and drinking level detecting method

• US 8,267,215 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/675,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 180/272, 340/576, 701/45
• US Class Current: 180/272
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

There is provided a drinking level detecting system and a drinking level detecting method capable of improving the detection accuracy of the drinking level by allowing a third person to correct the drinking level of a driver. In a system or method which detects the drinking level of a driver of a vehicle, the drinking level of the driver is detected by an alcohol detector or the like, and the detection result is corrected by a third person other than the driver when there is an error in the detection result. Accordingly, even when the drinking level detected by the alcohol detector or the like is incorrect, the drinking level can be corrected after ensuring reliability by the determination by the third person.

Claims

1. A drinking level detecting system comprising:

drinking level acquisition means for acquiring a drinking level of a driver of a vehicle;

third person determination means for determining whether or not a person requesting correction of the drinking level is a third person other than the driver; and

drinking level correction means for allowing the third person determined by the third person determination means to correct the drinking level acquired by the drinking level acquisition means.

2. The drinking level detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the drinking level correction means allows the third person, who is responsible for drunk driving of the driver, to correct the drinking level.

3. The drinking level detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information recording means for recording third person information specifying the third person and information regarding corrections of the drinking level made by the third person in correspondence with each other.

4. The drinking level detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the third person is a fellow passenger of the vehicle that the driver drives or a staff member of a restaurant visited by the driver.

5. A drinking level detecting method comprising:

a drinking level acquisition step, performed by an alcohol detector, of acquiring a drinking level of a driver of a vehicle and storing the drinking level as drinking level information;

a third person determination step, performed by a drinking level correcting section, of determining whether or not a person requesting correction of the drinking level information is a third person other than the driver; and

a drinking level correction step, performed by the drinking level correcting section, of allowing the third person determined by the third person determination step to correct the drinking level information stored by the drinking level acquisition step.

6. The drinking level detecting method according to claim 5,

wherein in the drinking level correction step, the third person who is responsible for drunk driving of the driver is allowed to correct the drinking level information.

7. The drinking level detecting method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an information recording step of recording in memory third person information specifying the third person and information regarding corrections of the drinking level information made by the third person in correspondence with each other.

8. The drinking level detecting method according to claim 5,

wherein the third person is a fellow passenger of the vehicle that the driver drives or a staff member of a restaurant visited by the driver.