System and method for determining drowsy state of driver

• US 9,694,680 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Kwon, Lee, Hwal Ly, Lee, Byoung Joon, Jung, Ho Choul, Kim, Sam Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/752,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 737 Days
• Field of Search: 340575, 340576, 340439, 3405731, 180272, 180280
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A system for determining a drowsy state of a driver includes: a heartbeat measurement module configured to detect a heartbeat rate of the driver and output a heartbeat signal corresponding to the detected heartbeat rate; a vehicle signal measurement module configured to measure a driving state of a vehicle being driven by the driver and output a vehicle signal corresponding to the measured driving state; a drowsy pattern detection module configured to determine whether a driver has fallen asleep while driving based on the heartbeat signal and the vehicle signal and output a warning signal as a drowsy warning in response to determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving; and a warning module configured to output a warning to the driver based on the warning signal.

Claims

1. A system for determining a drowsy state of a driver, the system comprising:

a heartbeat measurement module configured to detect a heartbeat rate of the driver and output a heartbeat signal corresponding to the detected heartbeat rate;

a vehicle signal measurement module configured to measure a driving state of a vehicle being driven by the driver and output a vehicle signal corresponding to the measured driving state;

a drowsy pattern detection module configured to determine whether a driver has fallen asleep while driving based on the heartbeat signal and the vehicle signal and output a warning signal as a drowsy warning in response to determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving; and

a warning module configured to output a warning to the driver based on the warning signal,

wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is configured to determine whether a driver has fallen asleep considering a correlative changing pattern between the heartbeat rate based on the heartbeat signal and a level of steering based on the vehicle signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to output the warning signal when an indication that the level of steering is less than a preset level appears in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then is suddenly increased greater than the preset level and the level of steering is greater than the preset level.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to output the warning signal regardless of the vehicle signal when the heartbeat rate of the driver is suddenly increased greater than the preset level and the level of steering is greater than the preset level and then the heartbeat rate is again reduced less than a preset numeric value.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to output the warning signal when a zigzag pattern appears due to a lane tracking failure in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then a normal pattern of tracking a lane appears while the heartbeat rate is suddenly increased greater than the preset level.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to the warning signal regardless of the vehicle signal when the driver normally tracks the lane while the heartbeat rate of the driver is suddenly increased greater than the preset level and then the heartbeat rate is again reduced less than a preset numeric value.

6. A system for determining a drowsy state of a driver, the system comprising:

a heartbeat measurement module configured to detect a heartbeat rate of the driver and output a heartbeat signal corresponding to the detected heartbeat rate;

a driver photographing module configured to measure a degree of eye closing of the driver and output an eye closing signal indicating the measured eye closing degree;

a drowsy pattern detection module configured to determine whether the driver has fallen asleep while driving based on the heartbeat signal and the eye closing signal and output a warning signal as a drowsy warning in response to determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving; and

a warning module configured to output a warning to the driver based on the warning signal,

wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is configured to determine whether a driver has fallen asleep considering a correlative changing pattern between the heartbeat rate based on the heartbeat signal and a long eye closing pattern based on the eye closing degree.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to output the warning signal when the long eye closing pattern is greater than a preset frequency in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then the long eye closing pattern disappears while the heartbeat rate is suddenly increased greater than the preset level.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the drowsy pattern detection module is further configured to output the warning signal regardless of a vehicle signal when the long eye closing pattern disappears while the heartbeat rate of the driver is suddenly increased greater than the preset level and then the heartbeat rate is again reduced less than a preset numeric value.

9. A method for determining a drowsy state of a driver, the method comprising:

measuring a heartbeat rate of the driver and a driving state of a vehicle being driven by the driver;

determining whether the driver has fallen asleep while driving based on the heartbeat rate and the driving state; and

outputting a warning when it is determined that the driver has fallen asleep while driving,

wherein the determining includes determining whether the driver has fallen asleep considering a correlative changing pattern between the heartbeat rate and a level of steering based on the vehicle signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining of whether the driver has fallen asleep while driving comprises:

determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving when an indication that the level of steering is less than a preset level appears in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then is suddenly increased greater than the preset level and the level of steering is greater than the preset level.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining of whether the driver has fallen asleep while driving comprises:

determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving when a zigzag pattern appears due to a lane tracking failure in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then a normal pattern of tracking a lane appears while the heartbeat rate is suddenly increased greater than the preset level.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the measuring comprises:

photographing eyes of the driver and outputting a photographed image signal corresponding to the photographed eyes; and

analyzing the photographed image signal to measure an eye closing degree of the driver.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining of whether the driver has fallen asleep while driving comprises:

determining that the driver has fallen asleep while driving when a long eye closing pattern is greater than a preset frequency in a state in which the heartbeat rate of the driver is less than a preset level and then the long eye closing pattern disappears while the heartbeat rate is suddenly increased greater than the preset level.