Mitigating driver fatigue

• US 9,296,396 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zilberstein, Yelena, Sondhi, Neil, Goldberg, Itzhack, Gluck, Olympia
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/304,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20150360695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/418, 340/575
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A tool for mitigating driver fatigue. The tool registers, by one or more computer processors, a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community. The tool receives, by one or more computer processors, a request to initiate a conversation, the request indicating the driver is suffering from driver fatigue. The tool determines, by one or more computer processors, one or more available additional drivers. The tool determines, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the registered profile, one or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue.

Claims

1. A method for mitigating driver fatigue, the method comprising:

registering, by one or more computer processors, a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

receiving, by one or more computer processors, a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more available additional drivers;

determining, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the registered profile, two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, the two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least two of;

matching, by one or more computer processors, the driver with the one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

scheduling, by one or more computer processors, a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

suggesting, by one or more computer processors, at least one conversation topic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the two or more strategies, to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers; and

initiating, by one or more computer processors, the conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein initiating a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprises one or more of the following:

connecting, by one or more computer processors, the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

prompting, by one or more computer processors, the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein registering a profile for a driver, further comprises prompting the driver to provide preferences, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

a user name;

an IP address;

a mobile phone number;

a language preference;

one or more features related to initiating a conversation; and

one or more subjects to avoid in a conversation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to initiate a conversation, further comprises receiving one or more of:

a direct request to initiate a conversation, wherein the direct request to initiate the conversation originates with the driver; and

an indirect request to initiate a conversation, wherein the indirect request to initiate the conversation originates with a non-driver request.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises gathering information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein the information includes one or more of the following:

information related to the driver;

a time of day;

a estimated duration of the driver'"'"'s commute;

a location of the driver;

a traffic report; and

a proximity of the driver to the one or more available additional drivers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more available additional drivers, further comprises determining a status of one or more additional drivers in the social community as available, wherein determining the status of the one or more additional drivers as available includes referencing one or more of:

the one or more additional drivers'"'"' profiles;

a GPS location for the one or more additional drivers; and

a time of day.

8. A computer program product for mitigating driver fatigue, the computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to register, by one or more computer processors, a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

program instructions to receive, by one or more computer processors, a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the registered profile, two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, the two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least two of;

program instructions to match, by one or more non-transitory computer processors, the driver with the one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to schedule, by one or more computer processors, a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to suggest, by one or more computer processors, at least one conversation topic.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the two or more strategies, to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to initiate, by one or more computer processors, the conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprise one or more of the following:

program instructions to connect, by one or more computer processors, the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

program instructions to prompt, by one or more computer processors, the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to register a profile for a driver, further comprise prompting the driver to provide preferences, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

a user name;

an IP address;

a mobile phone number;

a language preference;

one or more features related to initiating a conversation; and

one or more subjects to avoid in a conversation.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to receive a request to initiate a conversation, further comprise receiving one or more of:

a direct request to initiate a conversation, wherein the direct request to initiate the conversation originates with the driver; and

an indirect request to initiate a conversation, wherein the indirect request to initiate the conversation originates with a non-driver request.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprises program instructions to gather information to fulfill the request to initiate a conversation, wherein the information includes one or more of the following:

information related to the driver;

a time of day;

a estimated duration of the driver'"'"'s commute;

a location of the driver;

a traffic report; and

a proximity of the driver to the one or more available additional drivers.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein program instructions to determine one or more available additional drivers, further comprise program instructions to determine a status of one or more additional drivers in the social community as available, wherein determining the status of the one or more additional drivers as available includes referencing one or more of:

the one or more additional drivers'"'"' profiles;

a GPS location for the one or more additional drivers; and

a time of day.

15. A computer system for mitigating driver fatigue, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to register, by one or more computer processors, a profile for a driver, wherein registering the profile includes the driver in a social community;

program instructions to receive, by one or more computer processors, a request to initiate a conversation, wherein the request indicates the driver is suffering from driver fatigue;

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the registered profile, two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue, the two or more strategies for mitigating driver fatigue including at least two of;

program instructions to match, by one or more computer processors, the driver with the one or more available additional drivers, based, at least in part, on a plurality of aspects of the driver'"'"'s profile and profiles registered by the one or more available additional drivers;

program instructions to schedule, by one or more computer processors, a call list of the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to suggest, by one or more computer processors, at least one conversation topic.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, based, at least in part, on the two or more strategies, to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers; and

program instructions to initiate, by one or more computer processors, the conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein program instructions to initiate a conversation between the driver and the one or more available additional drivers, further comprise one or more of the following:

program instructions to connect, by one or more computer processors, the driver to the one or more available additional drivers automatically; and

program instructions to prompt, by one or more computer processors, the one or more available additional drivers to agree to join a conversation.