Visually-distracted-driving detection device

• US 9,248,796 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akio, Ueda, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US14/349,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/36, 701/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A visually-distracted-driving detection device that can detect visually distracted driving with high accuracy. The visually-distracted-driving detection device includes a visually-distracted-driving determination unit that determines that a driver is visually distracted if the direction in which the driver is looking is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle with respect to the front of the driver; and a prohibition unit that, if it is specified that the present position of the vehicle as specified by a present-position specifying unit is within a first predetermined distance from an intersection, prohibits a process that is performed in cases where it is determined that the driver is visually distracted.

Claims

1. A visual distraction detecting apparatus comprising:

a present position identifying unit for identifying a present position of a vehicle;

a gazing direction detecting unit for detecting a gazing direction of an occupant of the vehicle based on a viewing direction or a facial direction of the occupant;

a visual distraction judging unit for judging that the occupant is visually distracted if the gazing direction of the occupant is angularly spaced from a front direction of the occupant by a predetermined angle or greater;

an inhibiting unit for inhibiting a visual distraction warning process, which would be performed to issue a warning to the occupant if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within a first predetermined distance from an intersection; and

a route guiding unit for guiding the vehicle along a route set by the occupant,

wherein the intersection is an intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn.

2. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the inhibiting unit inhibits the visual distraction warning process, which would be performed to issue a warning to the occupant if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, until the present position identifying unit judges that the vehicle has completed a change in path.

3. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an informing unit for informing the occupant of the intersection when the vehicle reaches a position within a second predetermined distance from the intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn,

wherein the first predetermined distance is shorter than the second predetermined distance.

4. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the inhibiting unit inhibits the visual distraction warning process, which would be performed to issue a warning to the occupant if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within the first predetermined distance from the intersection and the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route;

and

the visual distraction warning process is allowed to be performed at any distance from the intersection on a condition that the occupant is judged as being visually distracted, unless the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route.

5. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the inhibiting unit inhibits the visual distraction warning process, which would be performed to issue a warning to the occupant if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within the first predetermined distance from the intersection and the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route;

and

the visual distraction warning process is allowed to be performed at any distance from the intersection on a condition that the occupant is judged as being visually distracted, unless the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route.

6. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the inhibiting unit inhibits the visual distraction warning process, which would be performed to issue a warning to the occupant if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within the first predetermined distance from the intersection and the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route;

and

the visual distraction warning process is allowed to be performed at any distance from the intersection on a condition that the occupant is judged as being visually distracted, unless the route guiding unit is guiding the vehicle along the route.

7. A visual distraction detecting apparatus comprising:

a present position identifying unit for identifying a present position of a vehicle;

a gazing direction detecting unit for detecting a gazing direction of an occupant of the vehicle based on a viewing direction or a facial direction of the occupant;

a visual distraction judging unit for judging that the occupant is visually distracted if the gazing direction of the occupant is angularly spaced from a front direction of the occupant by a predetermined angle or greater;

an inhibiting unit for inhibiting a process, which would be performed if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within a first predetermined distance from an intersection;

a route guiding unit for guiding the vehicle along a route set by the occupant; and

a steering angle detecting unit for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

wherein the intersection is an intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn, and

the inhibiting unit inhibits the process, which would be performed if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, until the steering angle detecting unit detects that the steering angle has changed from a value that is greater than a predetermined steering angle threshold value to a value that is less than the predetermined steering angle threshold value.

8. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an informing unit for informing the occupant of the intersection when the vehicle reaches a position within a second predetermined distance from the intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn,

wherein the first predetermined distance is shorter than the second predetermined distance.

9. A visual distraction detecting apparatus comprising:

a present position identifying unit for identifying a present position of a vehicle;

a gazing direction detecting unit for detecting a gazing direction of an occupant of the vehicle based on a viewing direction or a facial direction of the occupant;

a visual distraction judging unit for judging that the occupant is visually distracted if the gazing direction of the occupant is angularly spaced from a front direction of the occupant by a predetermined angle or greater;

an inhibiting unit for inhibiting a process, which would be performed if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, when the present position identified by the present position identifying unit is located within a first predetermined distance from an intersection;

a route guiding unit for guiding the vehicle along a route set by the occupant; and

a resetting unit for automatically resetting a route when the vehicle has traveled along a route that differs from the route along which the route guiding unit has guided the vehicle

wherein the intersection is an intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn, and

the inhibiting unit inhibits the process, which would be performed if the occupant were judged as being visually distracted, until the resetting unit automatically resets a route.

10. The visual distraction detecting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an informing unit for informing the occupant of the intersection when the vehicle reaches a position within a second predetermined distance from the intersection at which the route guiding unit guides the occupant to make a turn,

wherein the first predetermined distance is shorter than the second predetermined distance.