System and method for monitoring driving behavior

• US 9,764,689 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Inventors: Burke, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US14/509,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle computing system for a vehicle includes a radar system, a microphone, and at least one controller. The radar system is configured to measure a distance to a frontward-vehicle. The microphone is configured to measure vehicle cabin noise. The controller is configured to output a tailgating event when the measured distance to the frontward-vehicle is less than a predefined threshold value. The controller may be further configured to request cabin noise from the microphone based on the tailgating event. If the noise is greater than a threshold value, the controller may output an alert message.

Claims

1. A vehicle computing system comprising:

a radar system configured to measure a distance to a frontward-vehicle;

a microphone configured to measure cabin noise; and

at least one controller configured to,

output a tailgating indicator when the measured distance is less than a predefined threshold,

in response to the tailgating indicator, measure cabin noise from the microphone, and

if the noise is greater than a threshold value, output an alert message.

2. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to enable one or more remedial actions based on the alert message.

3. The vehicle computing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more remedial actions is at least one of an accelerator pedal disable request, a reduce powertrain torque request, and a warning message at a display.

4. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to

detect a lane change via the radar system configured to measure a distance to a rearward-vehicle,

monitor a turn signal lever, and

if the turn signal lever is inactive, output the alert message.

5. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to establish communication with a nomadic device via a transceiver;

and transmit the alert message to the nomadic device.

6. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to monitor brake pedal input based on a predefined calibratable table, and if the brake pedal input exceeds an aggressive driving threshold, output the alert message.

7. The vehicle computing system of claim 6, wherein the predefined calibratable table is based on vehicle speed and a position of the brake pedal.

8. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive a measurement of vehicle cabin noise using the microphone during a moving window of time to set the threshold value such that a spike in volume is detected.

9. The vehicle computing system of claim 8, wherein the noise is volume levels based on radio volume, wind noise, tire noise, and engine noise.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions, which, when executed by a vehicle computing system, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

detecting a tailgating event based on data from a radar system;

comparing vehicle cabin volume to a baseline threshold value during the tailgating event; and

if the vehicle-cabin volume exceeds the baseline threshold value, outputting a remedial action.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the remedial action is at least one of a reduced powertrain torque, an accelerator pedal disable request, and a warning message at a display.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the reduced powertrain torque is a calibration map limiting powertrain torque output.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the accelerator pedal disable request is at least one of a torque calibration map disabling torque input via an accelerator pedal.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, storing additional instruction that cause the system to:

detecting a lane change event via the radar system configured to measure a distance to a rearward-vehicle,

monitoring a turn signal lever, and

if the turn signal lever is inactive, output an alert message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, storing additional instruction that cause the system to establishing communication with a nomadic device via a transceiver;

and transmitting the alert message to the nomadic device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, storing additional instruction that cause the system to monitoring brake pedal input based on a predefined calibratable table, and if the brake pedal input exceeds an aggressive driving threshold, outputting an alert message.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the predefined calibratable table is based on vehicle speed and a position of the brake pedal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, storing additional instructions that cause the system to measuring noises via a microphone during a moving window of time to set the threshold value such that a spike in volume is detected.

19. An aggressive driving detection method comprising:

detecting a tailgating event based on a distance to a frontward-vehicle, via a radar system, when the distance is less than a predefined frontward-vehicle threshold,

in response to detecting the tailgating event, requesting in-vehicle cabin noise from a microphone, and

if the noise is greater than a threshold value, outputting an alert message.

20. The aggressive driving detection method of claim 19, wherein the alert message is at least one of an accelerator pedal disable request, a reduce powertrain torque request, and a warning message at a display.