Method and apparatus for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system

• US 9,892,613 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Birnie, Andrew, Beattie, Derek, Moran, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US14/430,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining alertness of an driver of a motor vehicle periodically generates an audible alert signal to which the driver responds by pressing a button on the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel. The response time of the driver to the signal is monitored and if an increase is detected, the repetition rate of the alert signal is increased. The repetition rate may be further modified by taking into account vehicle driving conditions which may indicate a risk of boredom in the driver.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the method comprising:

periodically generating an alert signal for response thereto by the operator;

monitoring a first time interval between generation of a first alert signal and receipt of a first response from the operator;

if the monitored first time interval is above a predetermined value, increasing a repetition rate of the alert signal; and

if the monitored first time interval is below the predetermined value;

monitoring a second time interval between generation of a second alert signal and receipt of a second response from the operator; and

if the monitored second time interval is greater than the first monitored time interval;

increasing a repetition rate of the alert signal to a next repetition rate based on the second time interval being greater than the first monitored time interval;

determining, based on vehicle on-board sensors, whether the operator meets a lapse in concentration characteristic after increasing repetition rate of the alert signal to the next repetition rate; and

if the operator meets the lapse in concentration characteristic, further increasing the repetition rate of the alert signal from the next repetition rate to a further repetition rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert signal is a visual signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein an alert signal is an audible signal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the volume of the audible signal is increased if the monitored first time interval exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an alert signal is a haptic signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the repetition rate of the alert signal is further adjusted depending on an output state of an operator alertness monitor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the repetition rate of the alert signal is further adjusted depending on the output state of a system condition monitor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a system parameter is adjusted if the monitored first time interval exceeds a predetermined value.

9. An apparatus to maintain alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the apparatus comprising:

a first module arranged to periodically generate an alert signal for response thereto by the operator;

a second module operably coupled to an operator-manipulated input and operably coupled to the first module and arranged to monitor a first time interval between generation of a first alert signal and receipt of a first response from the driver, and to monitor a second time interval between generation of a second alert signal and receipt of a second response from the driver; and

a third module operably coupled to the first and second modules, the third module adapted to receive values of monitored first and second time intervals from the second module, determine a first adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal in response to the monitored first time interval being above a predetermined value and convey said first adjusted repetition rate to the first module, and determine a second adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal in response to the monitored second time interval being greater than the monitored first time interval and convey the second adjusted repetition rate to the first module, determine, based on vehicle on-board sensors, whether the operator meets a lapse in concentration characteristic after increasing repetition rate of the alert signal to the next repetition rate, and determine a third adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal in response to the operator meeting the lapse in concentration characteristic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third module is further arranged to receive an input from an operator alertness monitor and to determine an adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal dependent on said input from the operator alertness monitor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third module is further arranged to receive an input from a system condition monitor and to determine an adjusted repetition rate of an alert signal dependent on said input from the system condition monitor.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third module is further arranged to generate control signal for connection to a system control module.

13. The tangible computer program product of claim 12 wherein the tangible computer program product comprises at least one from a group consisting of:

a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a Read Only Memory, a Programmable Read Only Memory, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, EPROM, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory and a Flash memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the apparatus is implemented in an integrated circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first alert signal is a visual signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first alert signal is an audible signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first alert signal is a haptic signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third module is further arranged to further adjust the repetition rate of the alert signal depending on an output state of an operator alertness monitor.

19. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the volume of the audible signal is increased if the monitored time interval exceeds a predetermined value.

20. A tangible computer program product having executable code stored therein for executing a process to perform a method for maintaining alertness of an operator of a manually-operated system, the tangible computer program product comprising code for:

periodically generating an alert signal for response thereto by the operator;

monitoring a first time interval between generation of a first alert signal and receipt of a first response from the operator;

if the monitored first time interval is above a predetermined value, increasing a repetition rate of the alert signal; and

if the monitored first time interval is below the predetermined value;

monitoring a second time interval between generation of a second alert signal and receipt of a second response from the operator; and

if the monitored second time interval is greater than the first monitored time interval

increasing a repetition rate of the alert signal to a next repetition rate based on the second time interval being greater than the first monitored time interval;

determining, based on vehicle on-board sensors, whether the operator meets a lapse in concentration characteristic after increasing repetition rate of the alert signal to the next repetition rate; and

if the operator meets the lapse in concentration characteristic, further increasing the repetition rate of the alert signal from the next repetition rate to a further repetition rate.