Engine starting controller

• US 8,469,134 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Osaki, Rie, Komura, Takashi, Nishii, Katsuyoshi, Tatsumoto, Hirohiko, Osaki, Shouji
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/461,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 180/272, 180/273, 180/287, 340/576, 340/5.54, 340/5.83, 340/5.85, 382/124, 701/1, 701/36, 701/45, 701/113
• US Class Current: 180/272
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/14 operated upon collapse of driver deadman's devices for electrically propelled vehicles B60L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol

Abstract

When a driver of a vehicle brings his/her detection part close to a case, a sensor detects a pulse of the driver at the detection part with an optical method, and takes an image of the detection part. An individual certification means determines whether the driver of the vehicle is an authorized person or not based on the image of the detection part taken by the sensor. An alcohol concentration determiner calculates an index value of a blood alcohol concentration of the driver based on the pulse detected at the detection part by the sensor, and determines whether the index value exceeds a criterial value of a drinking assessment. When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is an authorized person and the index value does not exceed the criterial value of the drinking assessment, a permission means permits the driver to start an engine of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An engine starting controller mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor for detecting a pulse of a driver of the vehicle at a detection part of a body of the driver with an optical method, and taking an image of the detection part;

a case in which the sensor is installed;

an individual certification means for determining whether the driver of the vehicle is an authorized person or not based on the image of the detection part taken by the sensor;

an alcohol concentration determiner for calculating an index value of a blood alcohol concentration of the driver based on the pulse detected at the detection part by the sensor, and determining whether the index value exceeds a criterial value of a drinking assessment or not; and

a permission means for permitting the driver to start an engine of the vehicle when it is determined by the individual certification means that the driver of the vehicle is the authorized person and it is determined by the alcohol concentration determiner that the index value does not exceed the criterial value of the drinking assessment,

wherein the sensor is configured to detect the pulse of the driver at the detection part and to take the image of the detection part when the driver brings the detection part close to the case;

the detection part is a finger of the driver of the vehicle;

the case has a depressed portion configured to support the finger of the driver;

the sensor includes a light emitting element for emitting a light, a camera for taking the image of a vein pattern of the detection part with the light that is emitted from the light emitting element and has passed through the detection part, and a light receiving element for taking an intensity of the light that is emitted from the light emitting element and has passed through the detection part; and

the light receiving element is configured to be located closer to a distal end of the finger placed in the depressed portion than the camera.

2. The engine starting controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the individual certification means determines whether the detection part is a living human'"'"'s body part based on the pulse detected at the detection part by the sensor; and

the individual certification means determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the authorized person or not on a condition that the detection part is determined to be the living human'"'"'s body part.

3. The engine starting controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the individual certification means determines whether a password inputted by the driver of the vehicle is a proper password or not when the driver of the vehicle is determined not to be the authorized person based on the image of the detection part taken by the sensor; and

the permission means permits the driver to start the engine of the vehicle when it is determined by the individual certification means that the password is the proper password and it is determined by the alcohol concentration determiner that the index value does not exceed the criterial value of the drinking assessment.

4. The engine starting controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

an autonomic nerve activity calculator for calculating an amount of an autonomic nerve activity of the driver based on the pulse detected at the detection part by the sensor; and

an autonomic nerve activity notification means for notifying an information based on the amount of the autonomic nerve activity calculated by the autonomic nerve activity calculator.