Systems and methods for scheduling driver interface tasks based on driver workload

• US 8,849,512 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Tseng, Finn, Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Lu, Jianbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US13/795,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A vehicle'"'"'s dynamic handling state, driver inputs to the vehicle, etc. may be examined to determine one or more measures of driver workload. Driver interface tasks may then be delayed and/or prevented from executing based on the driver workload so as to not increase the driver workload. Alternatively, driver interface tasks may be schedule for execution based on the driver workload and caused to execute according to the schedule, for example, to minimize the impact the executing driver interface tasks have on driver workload.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a driver control interface; and

at least one processor configured to (i) monitor over time a driver control action input associated with the driver control interface, (ii) determine a variability of the driver control action input relative to a mean value of the driver control action input for a particular driver, (iii) receive a plurality of driver interface tasks to be executed, (iii) schedule the plurality of driver interface tasks for execution based on the variability, and (iv) cause the scheduled driver interface tasks to be executed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver control action input includes accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position or steering wheel angle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of driver interface tasks includes a priority type and wherein the at least one processor is configured to schedule the plurality of driver interface tasks for execution further based on the priority type.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recursively calculate a determinant of the covariance of the driver control action input to determine the variability of the driver control action input.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to scale the determinant to determine an index representing a driver workload.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of driver interface tasks includes at least one of generating an audio output, generating a visual output, and generating a tactile output.

7. A driver interface system for a vehicle comprising:

a driver control interface; and

at least one processor configured to (i) monitor over time a driver control action input associated with the driver control interface, (ii) determine a variability of the driver control action input relative to a mean value of the driver control action input for a particular driver, (iii) determine a driver workload based on the variability, (iv) receive a plurality of driver interface tasks to be executed, and (v) selectively delay or prevent at least some of the plurality of driver interface tasks from being executed based on the driver workload.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recursively calculate a determinant of the covariance of the driver control action input to determine the variability of the driver control action input.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the driver control action input includes accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position or steering wheel angle.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of driver interface tasks includes a priority type and wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively delay or prevent at least some of the plurality of driver interface tasks from being executed further based on the priority type.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of driver interface tasks includes at least one of generating an audio output, generating a visual output, and generating a tactile output.

12. A method for managing driver interface tasks comprising:

monitoring over time a driver control action input;

determining a variability of the driver control action input relative to a mean value of the driver control action input for a particular driver;

receiving a plurality of driver interface tasks to be executed; and

selectively delaying or preventing at least some of the plurality of driver interface tasks from being executed based on the variability.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the variability of the driver control action input includes recursively calculating a determinant of the covariance of the driver control action input.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the driver control action input includes accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position or steering wheel angle.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of driver interface tasks includes a priority type and wherein at least some of the plurality of driver interface tasks are selectively delayed or prevented from being executed further based on the priority type.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of driver interface tasks includes generating a notification regarding an in-coming call and wherein selectively delaying or preventing at least some of the plurality of driver interface tasks from being executed based on the variability includes forwarding the in-coming call to a voice mail system.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of driver interface tasks includes at least one of generating an audio output, generating a visual output, and generating a tactile output.