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MM-wave radar driver fatigue sensor apparatus

  • US 9,862,271 B2
  • Filed: 04/15/2015
  • Issued: 01/09/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Mm-wave Radar Driver Fatigue Sensor Apparatus and Method of Operation, where mm-wave declares operation between 30 and 300 GHz, including:

  • high-gain planar antenna for transmitting mm-wave radio signals, where the high-gain planar antenna has at least two radiation elements;

    high-gain planar antenna for receiving mm-wave radio signals, where the high-gain planar antenna has at least two radiation elements;

    integrated mm-wave radio front end, implemented in arbitrary semiconductor technology, having on-chip integrated mm-wave voltage control oscillator, mm-wave power amplifier, mm-wave low noise amplifier, mm-wave mixer, digital control interface, power supply; and

    PLL analog to digital conversion entity;

    digital processing functionality including controlling functionality and calculation and memory capacity for performing digital signal processing by arbitrary type of the realization options;

    optional interface to vehicle infrastructure, including one or more standardized automotive wired interfaces;

    supporting circuitry, including mechanical interface to vehicle infrastructure and supporting electronic circuitry for power supply of apparatus;

    where the apparatus is integrated in a vehicle steering wheel, facing a driver, with direct line-of-sight operation and where Method of Operation includes;

    transmission of mm-wave signals generated in integrated mm-wave radio front end using high-gain planar antenna for transmitting mm-wave radio signals;

    receiving mm-wave signals reflected from driver body using high-gain planar antenna for receiving mm-wave radio signals;

    amplification of the reflected signal in integrated mm-wave radio front end;

    down-conversion of the signals by mixing with the same signal of the same frequency as the transmitted signal in integrated mm-wave radio front end;

    amplification of a converted signal after mixer in integrated mm-wave radio front end;

    analog filtering of the signals after amplification in integrated mm-wave radio front end;

    signal conditioning in integrated mm-wave radio front end for subsequent analog to digital conversion performed by analog to digital conversion entity;

    digital processing of the signal in digital processing functionality, by;

    extracting a heartbeat rate from the previous arbitrary processed signal;

    extracting a rate of change of the heartbeat rate from the previous arbitrary processed signal;

    extracting a respiratory rate from the previous arbitrary processed signal;

    extracting a rate of change of the respiratory rate from the previous arbitrary processed signal;

    digital processing in driver fatigue event decision functionality which includes the following steps;

    evaluation if the heartbeat rate is within a specified range;

    evaluation if the respiratory rate is within a specified range;

    evaluation if the rate of change of the heartbeat rate is within the specified range;

    evaluation if the rate of change of the respiratory rate is within the specified range;

    statistical evaluation of a driver heartbeat rate data history;

    statistical evaluation of a driver respiratory rate data history;

    time information entity which provides information on continuous driving duration, total driving duration in last period of specified duration and current local time information;

    provision of a current heartbeat rate by the entity of evaluation if the heartbeat rate being within the specified range and the current rate of change of the heartbeat rate by the entity of evaluation if the rate of change of the heartbeat rate being within the specified range to driver statistic heartbeat rate model entity of the statistical evaluation of the driver heartbeat rate data history;

    provision of a current respiratory rate by the entity of evaluation if the respiratory rate being within the specified range and the current rate of change of the respiratory rate by the entity of evaluation if the rate of change of the respiratory rate being within the specified range to driver statistic respiratory rate model entity of the statistical evaluation of the driver respiratory rate data history;

    digital processing in Driver fatigue event calculation decision functionality is performed, which;

    calculates a score by processing the information provided through entities of evaluation if the heartbeat rate is within the specified range;

    evaluation if the respiratory rate is within the specified range;

    evaluation if the rate of change of the heartbeat rate is within specified range;

    evaluation if the rate of change of the respiratory rate is within specified range;

    statistical evaluation of the driver heartbeat rate data history statistical evaluation of the driver respiratory rate data history and time information entity weighted by a specified coefficients, where the score is related to a probability of the driver fatigue event;

    in case that the calculated score is above predefined threshold, decision on positive driver fatigue event is made;

    in case of a positive driver fatigue event the entity of digital processing in Driver fatigue event calculation decision functionality sends the decision information and the corresponding score to the entity of evaluation if the respiratory rate being within the specified range;

    in case of the positive driver fatigue event the entity of evaluation if the respiratory rate being within the specified range initiates appropriate specified actions of the entity of providing interface to vehicle infrastructure by using typical vehicle wired interfaces and/or entity of containing acceleration sensors and gyroscopes.

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