Enhancing vehicle system control

• US 9,792,801 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Savolainen, Juhani, Korhonen, Topi
• Primary Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US15/228,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20170053513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 340576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• 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 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/02 Dead-man's devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method for alertness control of a vehicle operator includes obtaining, by an apparatus, physiological status data of a person acquired using at least one sensor including at least a biosignal sensor; determining, based on at least the physiological status data, at least one alertness value being indicative of alertness level of the person; determining, by comparing the at least one alertness value to at least one alertness reference value, whether the alertness level of the person is below a threshold alertness level for operating the vehicle; and as a response to the determining that the alertness level is below the threshold alertness level, causing an output of a control signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, configured to be attached to a wrist of a person in a vehicle system, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code that, when executed by the at least one processor and when it is determined that the person has initiated driving a vehicle, causes the apparatus to at least:

obtain, using at least one sensor comprising at least a bio-signal sensor, physiological status data of the person driving the vehicle, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a heart activity sensor, and wherein the physiological status data comprises cardiac activity data of the person, wherein the cardiac activity data comprises cardiac activity history data of the person;

determine, based on the cardiac activity history data, a cardiac activity of the person related to a first threshold alertness level for driving the vehicle;

determine, based on real-time cardiac activity data, current cardiac activity of the person being indicative of a current alertness level of the person;

determine, by comparing the current cardiac activity of the person to the cardiac activity of the person related to the first threshold alertness level, whether the current alertness level of the person is below the first threshold alertness level for driving the vehicle; and

cause a wireless output of a control signal as a response to the determination that the current alertness level is below the first threshold alertness level, wherein the control signal is at least for the vehicle system to take control of driving operation of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physiological status data further comprises sleep history data of the person.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sleep history data comprises at least one of circadian rhythm data, a resting time during a time period, a sleep time during the time period, data being indicative of sleep quality during the time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physiological status data further comprises exercise history data of the person.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physiological status data further comprises personal characteristics data of the person.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physiological status data further comprises respiration rate data of the person.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:

acquire data related to the driving operation of the vehicle from the vehicle system, wherein determining the at least one alertness value being indicative of the alertness level of the person is further based on the acquired data related to the driving operation of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:

transfer wirelessly data with the vehicle system, the wirelessly transferred data comprising at least one of the physiological status data, data relating to the driving operation of the vehicle, the outputted control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:

transfer, at least partially wirelessly, at least some of the physiological status data with a network service.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal further causes at least one of, vehicle air conditioning control, vehicle parameter control, the vehicle system to take control.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is comprised in the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is comprised in a wrist device configured to be worn by the person.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at least partially comprised in the vehicle system.