Occupant-status prediction system

• US 10,710,594 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Zhao, Ying (Carolyn), Perraut, John M., Dexter, Brian R., Hotary, James T., Benson, Matthew K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kira
• Application Number:
  US15/855,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0247 for compensation or correction of the measured physiological value
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• 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 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/10 Transducer, e.g. piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/00 : Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
• 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 2540/221 : Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 : Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 : Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 : Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 : Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 : Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 : Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 : from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 : Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 : Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a seat bottom, a seat back, and a sensory system. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of the vehicle. The seat back extends upwardly away from the seat bottom. The sensor system is configured to monitor for fatigue of an occupant of the occupant support.

Claims

1. An occupant support system for use in a vehicle, the occupant support comprising

a sensor system configured to obtain biometrics input associated with physiological and behavioral characteristics of an occupant of the occupant support system, sleep input associated with sleep characteristics of the occupant, and vehicle input associated with characteristics of the vehicle and environment surrounding the vehicle, and

a control system configured to receive the biometrics input, sleep input, and vehicle input, determine a biometrics score based on the biometrics input, determine a sleep score based on the sleep input, determine a task score based on the vehicle input, determine occupant fatigue based on the biometrics score, the sleep score, and the task score, and activate a vehicle system based on the occupant fatigue,

wherein the control system is further configured to identify the occupant based on at least one of input from the occupant and the biometrics input and to associate the biometrics input, sleep input, and task input with a unique occupant data profile for the occupant,

wherein the control system is further configured to receive supplemental biometrics input after activating the vehicle system, determine a supplemental biometrics score based on the supplemental biometrics input, and determine occupant fatigue based on the supplemental biometrics score, the sleep score, and the task score.

2. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the sleep input includes a number of hours that the occupant has been without sleep, a sleep history, and circadian information.

3. The occupant support system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle input includes traffic information, a level of carbon dioxide in a cabin of the vehicle, a light level in the cabin of the vehicle, a noise level in the cabin, and vibration of the occupant support.

4. The occupant support system of claim 3, wherein the biometrics input includes heart rate of the occupant, a respiration rate of the occupant, an eye blink rate of the occupant, a head position of the occupant, and a posture of the occupant.

5. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to compare the biometrics score and the supplemental biometrics score and associate changes to the biometrics score in the unique occupant data profile.

6. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein activating the vehicle system includes generating and displaying a suggested travel route to the occupant.

7. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein activating the vehicle system includes changing the vehicle from manual operation to autonomous operation.

8. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the biometrics input includes information indicative of a respiration rate of the occupant included in signals received from a piezoelectric sensor and an electrode included in the sensor system, a posture of the occupant included in signals received from a load cell and an optical camera included in the sensor system, an eye gaze of the occupant included in signals received from the optical camera, and a head tilt of the occupant included in signals received from the optical camera.

9. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the biometrics input includes information indicative of a humidity around the occupant included in signals received from a humidity sensor included in the sensor system, an eye closure of the occupant included in signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system, an eye blink rate of the occupant included in signals received from the optical camera, a yawn rate of the occupant included in signals received from the optical camera, and a breathing rate of the occupant included in signals received from a piezoelectric sensor and an electrode included in the sensor system.

10. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the biometrics input includes information indicative of an eye closure level of the occupant, an eye blink rate of the occupant, a yawn rate of the occupant, and a head tilt of the occupant, each included in signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system.

11. An occupant support system for use in a vehicle, the occupant support comprising

a sensor system configured to obtain biometrics input associated with physiological and behavioral characteristics of an occupant of the occupant support system, sleep input associated with sleep characteristics of the occupant, and vehicle input associated with characteristics of the vehicle and environment surrounding the vehicle, and

a control system configured to receive the biometrics input, sleep input, and vehicle input, determine a biometrics score based on the biometrics input, determine a sleep score based on the sleep input, determine a task score based on the vehicle input, determine occupant fatigue based on the biometrics score, the sleep score, and the task score, and activate a vehicle system based on the occupant fatigue,

wherein the control system further configured to rate each of the biometrics score, sleep score, and task score on a three-level scale.

12. An occupant support system for use in a vehicle, the occupant support comprising

a sensor system configured to obtain biometrics input of an occupant of the occupant support system, sleep input of the occupant support system, and vehicle input, and

a control system configured to receive the biometrics input, the sleep input, and the vehicle input, determine a biometrics score based on the biometrics input, determine a sleep score based on the sleep input, determine a task score based on the vehicle input, determine occupant fatigue based on the biometrics score, sleep score, and the task score, and change between a fatigue monitoring mode, a fatigue prevention mode, a fatigue mitigation mode, a warning mode, and a stop mode based on the determined occupant fatigue,

wherein the control system is configured to activate at least one of a massage system, a sound system, a light system, and an aroma system included in the vehicle in the fatigue prevention mode,

wherein the control system is further configured to receive supplemental biometrics input after activating the at least one of the massage system, the sound system, the light system, and the aroma system, determine a supplemental biometrics score based on the supplemental biometrics input, and determine occupant fatigue based on the supplemental biometrics score, the sleep score, and the task score.

13. The occupant support system of claim 12, wherein the control system generates a suggested travel route in the fatigue monitoring mode.

14. The occupant support system of claim 12, wherein the control system generates a warning signal in the warning mode.

15. The occupant support system of claim 12, wherein the control system generates a stop signal in the stop mode and the stop signal is configured to change the vehicle from manual operation to autonomous operation or to stop the vehicle.

16. The occupant support system of claim 12, wherein the control system is further configured to identify the occupant based on at least one of input from the occupant and the biometrics input and to associate the biometrics input, sleep input, and task input with a unique occupant data profile for the occupant.