Vehicle driver assist arrangement

• US 10,049,551 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Lindberg, Andreas, Olaisson, Fredrik, Melkersson, Joakim
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/512,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 340576
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A vehicle driver assist arrangement may include an output unit and a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement. The vehicle driver attentiveness arrangement may include a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit is arranged to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of a first, a second and a third signal transmitted to the processing unit by the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, the steering wheel torque detection unit, and the pedal pressure detecting unit. The output unit is arranged to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level.

Claims

1. A vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

an output unit; and

a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement comprising a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit;

wherein the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit is configured to evaluate a host vehicle lane position and transmit a first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position to the processing unit, the steering wheel torque detection unit is configured to detect a torque exerted on the steering wheel of the host vehicle and to transmit a second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit, the pedal pressure detecting unit is configured to detect a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle and to transmit a third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the first, the second and the third signals, and the output unit is configured to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal.

2. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the second attentiveness level value with a first predetermined rate of change in case the following first set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates an unsafe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates no torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal indicates no pressure exerted on the one or more pedals.

3. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the second attentiveness level value with a second predetermined rate of change in case the following second set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates an unsafe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates no torque exerted on the steering wheel,

the third signal indicates a pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the second predetermined rate of change is lower than the first predetermined rate of change.

4. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the second attentiveness level value with a third predetermined rate of change in case the following third set of conditions is met,

the first signal (S1) indicates an unsafe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal (S2) indicates torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal (S3) indicates no pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the third predetermined rate of change is lower than the second predetermined rate of change.

5. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards a third attentiveness level value with a fourth predetermined rate of change in case the following fourth set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates an unsafe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates a torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal indicates a pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the processing unit is further configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the third attentiveness level value with a fifth predetermined rate of change in case the following fifth set of conditions is met,

the first signal (S1) indicates safe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal (S2) indicates no torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal (S3) indicates no pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the third attentiveness level value is a value in-between the first and the second attentiveness level values.

6. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 where the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the first attentiveness level value with a sixth predetermined rate of change in case the following sixth set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates a safe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates no torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal indicates pressure exerted on the one or more pedals.

7. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the first attentiveness level value with a seventh predetermined rate of change in case the following seventh set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates a safe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal indicates no pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the seventh predetermined rate of change being higher than the sixth predetermined rate of change.

8. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value in a direction towards the first attentiveness level value with an eighth predetermined rate of change in case the following eighth set of conditions is met,

the first signal indicates a safe host vehicle lane position,

the second signal indicates torque exerted on the steering wheel, and

the third signal indicates pressure exerted on the one or more pedals;

wherein the eighth predetermined rate of change being higher than the seventh predetermined rate of change.

9. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement further comprises a vehicle driver gaze direction monitoring unit which is configured to detect a vehicle driver gaze direction and to transmit a fourth signal indicative of vehicle driver gaze direction to the processing unit, where the processing unit is configured to further assess the level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the fourth signal.

10. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the output unit is configured to continue to issue the alert while the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and wherein the issue of the alert involves a series of actions comprising at least a first and a second action where the second action is arranged to be more intrusive to a vehicle driver than the first action and where the second action is arranged to be initiated a predetermined time after the first action.

11. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement further comprises a vehicle driver gaze direction monitoring unit which is configured to transmit a fourth signal indicative of vehicle driver gaze direction to the processing unit, the output unit comprises a display and the alert comprises display of a symbol on the display, and the predetermined time by which the second action is arranged to be initiated after the first action is reduced in case the fourth signal indicates that a vehicle driver gaze direction is not in a direction towards the symbol displayed.

12. The vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 10 further comprising an autonomous vehicle steering system and/or an autonomous vehicle brake system, wherein the series of actions comprises at least one action comprising an autonomous intervention in the steering of the host vehicle by the autonomous vehicle steering system and/or an autonomous stopping of the host vehicle by the autonomous vehicle brake system.

13. A vehicle comprising a vehicle driver assist arrangement according to claim 1.

14. A method of assisting a vehicle driver using a vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the vehicle driver assist arrangement comprising an output unit and a vehicle driver attentiveness assessment arrangement comprising a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit, a steering wheel torque detection unit, a pedal pressure detecting unit, and a processing unit, the method comprising:

evaluating a host vehicle lane position using the host vehicle lane position evaluation unit;

transmitting a first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position to the processing unit;

detecting a torque exerted on the steering wheel of the host vehicle using the steering wheel torque detection unit;

transmitting a second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit;

detecting a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle using the pedal pressure detecting unit;

transmitting a third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit;

assessing a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of the first, the second and the third signals using the processing unit;

determining using the processing unit a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to a predetermined threshold attentiveness level;

changing using the processing unit the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal; and

issuing an alert, via the output unit, in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below the predetermined threshold attentiveness level.

15. A vehicle driver assist arrangement for a host vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

an output unit; and

a processing unit configured to assess a level of vehicle driver attentiveness on the basis of a first signal received from a host vehicle lane position evaluation unit configured to evaluate a host vehicle lane position and transmit the first signal indicative of a safe and/or unsafe host vehicle lane position, a second signal received from a steering wheel torque detection unit configured to detect a torque exerted on a steering wheel of the host vehicle and to transmit the second signal indicative of the torque exerted on the steering wheel to the processing unit, and a third signal received from a pedal pressure detecting unit configured to detect a pressure exerted on a pedal of the host vehicle and to transmit the third signal indicative of the pedal pressure to the processing unit;

wherein the output unit is configured to issue an alert in case the assessed level of vehicle driver attentiveness is below a predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a value representative of the level of vehicle driver attentiveness, where the attentiveness level value is within a range between a first attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be fully attentive and a second attentiveness level value corresponding to an attentiveness level in which the driver is assumed to be inattentive, the second attentiveness level value corresponding to the predetermined threshold attentiveness level, and the processing unit is configured to change the attentiveness level value with a predetermined rate of change on the basis of the first, the second and the third signal.