Method and device to monitor at least one vehicle passenger and method to control at least one assistance device

• US 10,327,705 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Weidl, Galia, Schrauf, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Eugene T
• Application Number:
  US14/235,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/48 Other medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/00 Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method for monitoring a vehicle passenger involves determining a current vital parameter value of at least one vital parameter of the vehicle passenger and, if necessary, a current environmental parameter value of at least one environmental parameter of an outer environmental of the vehicle. Depending upon the determined values, assistance can be provided to the vehicle passenger.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one vehicle passenger in a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a first sensor unit, a current vital parameter value of at least one vital parameter of the vehicle passenger;

detecting, by a second sensor unit, a current environmental parameter value of at least one environmental parameter of an outer environment of the vehicle;

storing the current vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger together with the current environmental parameter value;

identifying the vehicle passenger;

comparing the current vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger with at least one older, previously stored vital parameter value of the same vehicle passenger,

wherein the older vital parameter value is previously stored together with an older environmental parameter value, which corresponds to the current environmental parameter value; and

determining a health condition of the vehicle passenger by the comparing.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the determined current vital parameter value is one of a pulse rate, a breathing rate, a breathing volume, a heart rate variability, a skin temperature, a pumping capacity of the heart, a blood pressure, an oxygen concentration in the blood of the vehicle passenger, autonomous bodily functions of the vehicle passenger, or pain states of the vehicle passenger.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor unit is at least one image capturing unit and the current vital parameter value is determined by image analysis of at least one image of the vehicle passenger captured by the at least one image capturing unit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the current vital parameter value is determined by a detection of an optical absorption value, by an intensity value of reflected light of a skin region of the vehicle passenger, or by a determination of a change of the optical absorption value or of the intensity value.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, during the image processing, at least one region suitable for image analysis in each of the images is searched for and only this region is analyzed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein color pictures are captured as images of the vehicle passenger, wherein the region of the images suitable for image analysis is split into individual color channels and at least one color channel is analyzed to determine the current vital parameter value.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating at least one function of an assistance device of the vehicle if the current vital parameter value of at least one vital parameter of a respective vehicle passenger deviates from a predetermined value or value region for the at least one vital parameter or deviates from a stored older vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger, which was stored together with an older environmental parameter value corresponding to the current environmental parameter value.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating, as a function of an assistance device of the vehicle and based on the determining of the health condition, an intervention in a steering device, braking device, a drive train of the vehicle, an optical warning device, an aural warning device, haptic warning device, at least one comfort function, or an emergency call function.

9. A device to monitor at least one vehicle passenger in a vehicle, comprising:

at least one vital parameter sensor unit configured to determine a current vital parameter value of at least one vital parameter of the vehicle passenger;

at least one environmental parameter sensor unit configured to determine at least one current environmental parameters value of at least on environmental parameter of an outer environmental of the vehicle;

a storage unit that is configured to store

an identification of the vehicle passenger along with the current vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger and the at least one environmental parameter value, and

at least one older vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger along with an older environmental parameter value, which corresponds to the current environmental parameter value,

an evaluation unit configured to compare the current vital parameter value with the at least one older vital parameter value of the vehicle passenger to determine a health condition of the vehicle passenger.

10. The device according to claim 9, further comprising:

at least one image capturing unit configured to capture images of the vehicle passenger,

wherein the at least one vital parameter sensor unit is an image processing unit configured to determine the current vital parameter value of the vital parameter of the vehicle passenger by image analysis of the captured images.