Drunk driving prevention system and method with eye symptom detector

• US 9,475,387 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roger Li-Chung Wu
• Original Assignee: Roger Li-Chung Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Roger Li-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US14/215,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 954 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2302/01 Preventing starting of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2302/03 Actuating a signal or alarm device
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification

Abstract

A drunk driving prevention system for a vehicle includes an eye symptom detector adapted for supporting in the vehicle at a position to detect eye symptoms of a driver, a control module operatively linked to the eye symptom detector for determining and analyzing whether the eye symptoms of the driver match with alcohol influenced eye symptoms, and a signal module operatively linked control module for generating a drunk driving signal in response to the alcohol influenced eye symptoms that suspect an alcohol concentration of the driver is above a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A drunk driving prevention system for a vehicle, comprising:

an eye symptom detector adapted for supporting in said vehicle at a position to detect different eye symptoms, including at least one of eyeball movements, ocular conjunctival blood vessel, and pupil sizes, of a driver;

a control module operatively linked to said eye symptom detector for determining and analyzing whether said eye symptoms of said driver match with alcohol influenced eye symptoms, wherein said control module comprises a test guidance operatively linked to said eye symptom detector for guiding said driver to perform a test when said eye symptom detector detects eye movements of said driver, wherein said test guidance comprises a target object projector provided at said eye symptom detector for generating a light spot thereon and for controlling a movement of said light spot, wherein said eye symptom detector is arranged for detecting the eyeball movements of the driver following the movement of said light spot; and

a signal module operatively linked to said control module for generating a drunk driving signal in response to said eye symptoms of said driver that suspects an alcohol concentration of said driver is above a predetermined threshold.

2. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said control module comprises a memory unit storing data of normal eye symptoms, and a comparison unit comparing detected eye symptoms by said eye symptom detector to said normal eye symptoms to determine whether said eye symptoms of said driver are alcohol influenced eye symptoms.

3. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said eye symptom detector is activated in response to a start of said vehicle and is deactivated in response to said vehicle being turned off.

4. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said eye symptom detector is activated in response to a start of said vehicle and is deactivated in response to said vehicle being turned off.

5. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said test guidance is a sobriety test guidance, wherein said test guidance further comprises a voice generator operatively linked to said target object projector for generating a voice signal to guide the driver to focus and follow the movement of said light spot.

6. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 3, wherein said test guidance is a sobriety test guidance, wherein said test guidance further comprises a voice generator operatively linked to said target object projector for generating a voice signal to guide the driver to focus and follow the movement of said light spot.

7. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said test guidance is a sobriety test guidance, wherein said test guidance further comprises a voice generator operatively linked to said target object projector for generating a voice signal to guide the driver to focus and follow the movement of said light spot.

8. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said eye symptom detector is selected from a group consisting of an eyeball movement sensor for detecting eyeball movements of said driver, an pupil sensor for detecting sizes of pupils of said driver, and an ocular conjunctival blood vessel capturer for detecting an ocular conjunctival blood vessel of said driver.

9. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said eye symptom detector is selected from a group consisting of an eyeball movement sensor for detecting eyeball movements of said driver, an pupil sensor for detecting sizes of pupils of said driver, and an ocular conjunctival blood vessel capturer for detecting an ocular conjunctival blood vessel of said driver.

10. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said signal module comprises an ignition deactivator for operatively linking to an igniter of said vehicle, wherein when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are determined, said ignition deactivator is activated for preventing an ignition of said vehicle.

11. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 9, wherein said signal module comprises an ignition deactivator for operatively linking to an igniter of said vehicle, wherein when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are determined, said ignition deactivator is activated for preventing an ignition of said vehicle.

12. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, further comprises a facial recognition module linked to said control module for capturing an image of the driver'"'"'s face when said eye symptom detector detects said eye symptoms of said driver.

13. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 11, further comprises a facial recognition module linked to said control module for capturing an image of the driver'"'"'s face when said eye symptom detector detects said eye symptoms of said driver.

14. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said signal module further comprises a communication unit for sending a suspected drunk driving signal to a police or a drunk driving control organization when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are kept detecting for a predetermined control time period.

15. The drunk driving prevention system, as recited in claim 13, wherein said signal module further comprises a communication unit for sending a suspected drunk driving signal to a police or a drunk driving control organization when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are kept detecting for a predetermined control time period.

16. A drunk driving prevention method for preventing drunk driving a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting different eye symptoms, including at least one of eyeball movements, ocular conjunctival blood vessel, and pupil sizes of a driver by an eye symptom detector;

(b) analyzing whether said eye symptoms of said driver are alcohol influenced eye symptoms by a control module;

(c) if said eye symptoms of said driver detected are normal eye symptoms, said driver able to drive said vehicle;

(d) generating a drunk driving signal by a signal generator if said eye symptoms of said driver are detected as alcohol influenced eye symptoms that suspects an alcohol concentration of said driver is above a predetermined threshold; and

(e) if said eye symptoms of said driver are detected as alcohol influenced eye symptoms, generating a light spot on said eye symptom detector and controlling a movement of said light spot in order to detect the eyeball movements of the driver following the movement of said light spot by said eye symptom detector, so as to identify possible drunk driver.

17. The method, as recited in claim 16, wherein said eye symptom detector is activated in response to a start of said vehicle and is deactivated in response to said vehicle being turned off.

18. The method, as recited in claim 16, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step of generating a voice signal by a voice generator to guide the driver to focus and follow the movement of said light spot.

19. The method, as recited in claim 17, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step of generating a voice signal by a voice generator to guide the driver to focus and follow the movement of said light spot.

20. The method, as recited in claim 16, wherein the step (a) further comprises at least one of the steps of detecting eyeball movements of said driver, detecting sizes of pupils of said driver, and detecting the ocular conjunctival blood vessel of said driver.

21. The method, as recited in claim 19, wherein the step (a) further comprises at least one of the steps of detecting eyeball movements of said driver, detecting sizes of pupils of said driver, and detecting the ocular conjunctival blood vessel of said driver.

22. The method, as recited in claim 16, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of deactivating an igniter of said vehicle when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are determined for preventing an ignition of said vehicle.

23. The method, as recited in claim 21, wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of deactivating an igniter of said vehicle when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are determined for preventing an ignition of said vehicle.

24. The method, as recited in claim 16, further comprising a step of capturing an image of the driver'"'"'s face by a facial recognition module when said eye symptom detector detects said eye symptoms of said driver.

25. The method, as recited in claim 23, further comprising a step of capturing an image of the driver'"'"'s face by a facial recognition module when said eye symptom detector detects said eye symptoms of said driver.

26. The method, as recited in claim 16, further comprising a step of sending a suspected drunk driving signal to a police or a drunk driving control organization when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are kept detecting for a predetermined control time period.

27. The method, as recited in claim 25, further comprising a step of sending a suspected drunk driving signal to a police or a drunk driving control organization when said alcohol influenced eye symptoms are kept detecting for a predetermined control time period.