Methods and systems for detecting driver attention to objects

• US 9,189,692 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Konigsberg, Amir, Tron, Eviatar, Golan, Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/181,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/902, 348/78, 348/222.1, 348/370, 382/103, 382/104, 382/16, 356/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for detecting an attention of an occupant of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes calculating, by a processor, a first gaze vector in a three-dimensional space based on a first vehicle location, a first vehicle orientation, and a first gaze direction; calculating, by the processor, a second gaze vector in the three-dimensional space based on a second vehicle location, a second vehicle orientation, and a second gaze direction; and determining the attention of the occupant based on the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an attention of an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:

calculating, by a processor, a first gaze vector in a three-dimensional space based on a first vehicle location, a first vehicle orientation, and a first gaze direction;

calculating, by the processor, a second gaze vector in the three-dimensional space based on a second vehicle location, a second vehicle orientation, and a second gaze direction; and

determining the attention of the occupant based on the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional space is outside of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a point of interest based on the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector, and

wherein the determining the attention of the occupant is based on the point of interest.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an intersection point of the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector, and

wherein the determining the point of interest is based on the intersection point.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving object data from a datastore based on the point of interest;

defining an object of interest based on the object data; and

wherein the determining the attention of the occupant is based on the object of interest.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the point of interest to a location of a desired object; and

generating notification data to direct the occupant'"'"'s attention to the desired object when the point of interest is not the same as the location of the desired object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the desired object is received from a vehicle system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle system is a navigation system.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the desired object is based on a map of desired objects that is communicated to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification data activates at least one of an audio device, a display screen, a haptic device, a heads-up display, a light, and a phone.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating information about the attention of the occupant to a global attention processing system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information comprises, at least one of a vehicle identifier and an occupant identifier.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the information comprises contextual data associated with the attention of the driver.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the information comprises at least one of a point of interest and an object of interest.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle location and the first vehicle orientation are according to an absolute coordinate system,

wherein the first gaze direction is according to a vehicle coordinate system,

wherein the calculating is based on a coordinate transformation method that transforms from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system,

wherein the second vehicle location and the second vehicle orientation are according to the absolute coordinate system,

wherein the second gaze direction is according to the vehicle coordinate system, and

wherein the calculating is based on the coordinate transformation method that transforms from the vehicle coordinate system to the absolute coordinate system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an intersection point of the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector, and

wherein the determining the point of interest is based on the intersection point.

17. A system for detecting an attention of an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:

a first module that calculates a first gaze vector in a three-dimensional space based on a first vehicle location, a first vehicle orientation, and a first gaze direction, and that calculates a second gaze vector in the three-dimensional space based on a second vehicle location, a second vehicle orientation, and a second gaze direction; and

a second module that determines the attention of the occupant based on the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second module determines the attention of the occupant based on an intersection point of the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a third module that retrieves object data from a datastore based on the point of interest, and that defines an object of interest based on the object data, and

wherein the second module determines the attention of the occupant based on the object of interest.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a fourth module that compares the point of interest to a location of a desired object, and that generates notification data to direct the occupant'"'"'s attention to the desired object when the point of interest is not the same as the location of the desired object.