Driver's physical condition detection device and method

• US 10,561,356 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakahata, Youichiro, Iwashita, Yohei, Kuwahara, Junichiro, Hisamitsu, Ryohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US15/683,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A driver'"'"'s physical condition detection device for detecting a physical condition of a driver driving a vehicle, includes: a vehicle detector configured to detect a change in motion of the vehicle during driving; a driver detector configured to detect a change in motion of the driver; a calculator configured to calculate a follow-up degree of the change in motion of the driver with respect to the change in motion of the vehicle during driving; and a physical condition determination portion configured to perform a determination process of determining whether or not the physical condition of the driver is deteriorated, based on the follow-up degree.

Claims

1. A driver'"'"'s physical condition detection device for detecting a physical condition of a driver driving a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle detector configured to detect a change in motion of the vehicle during driving;

a driver detector configured to detect a change in motion of the driver;

a degree calculator configured to calculate a follow-up degree of the change in motion of the driver with respect to the change in motion of the vehicle during driving; and

a physical condition determination portion configured to perform a determination process of determining whether or not the physical condition of the driver is deteriorated, based on the follow-up degree,

wherein the driver detector includes;

a camera configured to capture an image of the driver in the vehicle;

a head detector configured to detect a head of the driver from an image captured by the camera; and

an acceleration calculator configured to calculate an acceleration of the head of the driver in a left-right direction of the vehicle, as the change in motion of the driver,

wherein the vehicle detector detects an acceleration of the vehicle in the left-right direction, as the change in motion of the vehicle during driving,

wherein the degree calculator calculates a time delay of the acceleration of the head of the driver with respect to the acceleration of the vehicle during driving, as the follow-up degree, and

wherein the physical condition determination portion determines that the physical condition of the driver is deteriorated when the time delay is not more than a reference period.

2. The driver'"'"'s physical condition detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the degree calculator calculates a cross-correlation between time data of the acceleration of the vehicle during driving and time data of the acceleration of the head of the driver to calculate the time delay.

3. The driver'"'"'s physical condition detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the physical condition determination portion performs the determination process only when a magnitude of the acceleration of the vehicle during driving is not less than a predetermined threshold value.

4. A driver'"'"'s physical condition detection method for use in a driver'"'"'s physical condition detection device for detecting a physical condition of a driver driving a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle detecting step of detecting a change in motion of the vehicle during driving;

a driver detecting step of detecting a change in motion of the driver;

a degree calculating step of calculating a follow-up degree of the change in motion of the driver with respect to the change in motion of the vehicle during driving; and

a physical condition determining step of performing a determination process of determining whether or not the physical condition of the driver is deteriorated, based on the follow-up degree, wherein

the driver detecting step includes;

an image capturing step of capturing an image of the driver in the vehicle using a camera;

a head detecting step of detecting a head of the driver from an image captured in the image capturing step; and

an acceleration calculating step of calculating an acceleration of the head of the driver in a left-right direction of the vehicle, as the change in motion of the driver,

the vehicle detecting step detects an acceleration of the vehicle in the left-right direction, as the change in motion of the vehicle during driving,

the degree calculating step calculates a time delay of the acceleration of the head of the driver with respect to the acceleration of the vehicle during driving, as the follow-up degree, and

the physical condition determining step determines that the physical condition of the driver is deteriorated when the time delay is not more than a reference period.