Target awareness determination system and method

• US 20040239509A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Witt, Gerald J., Smith, Matthew R., Widmann, Glenn R., Newman, Timothy J., Kisacanin, Branislav, Scharenbroch, Gregory K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,989,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• 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 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/28 using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

An object awareness determination system and method of determining awareness of a driver of a vehicle to an object is provided. The system includes an object monitor including an object detection sensor for sensing an object in a field of view and determining a position of the object. The system also includes an eye gaze monitor including an imaging camera oriented to capture images of the vehicle driver including an eye of the driver. The gaze monitor determines an eye gaze vector. The system further has a controller for determining driver awareness of the object based on the detected object position and the eye gaze vector.

Claims

1. A target awareness determination system for determining user awareness of an object, said system comprising:

an object monitor including an object detection sensor for sensing an object in a field of view and determining a position of the object;

an eye gaze monitor including an imaging camera oriented to capture images of a user including an eye of the user, said eye gaze monitor determining an eye gaze vector; and

a controller for determining awareness of the user to the object based on the detected object position and the eye gaze vector.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user is a driver of a vehicle and the controller determines awareness of the driver of the vehicle to an object sensed by the object detection sensor located on the vehicle.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller further determines an awareness angle as a function of the gaze vector and the position of the object, wherein the controller determines driver awareness as a function of the awareness angle.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the controller determines awareness of the user to the object when the awareness angle is less than a predetermined angle.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the predetermined angle is about two degrees.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller determines awareness of the user to the object when the awareness angle is less than the predetermined angle for a predetermined time period.

7. The system as defined in claim 6, wherein the predetermined time period is at least 30 milliseconds.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the object detection sensor comprises a radar sensor, and the imaging camera comprises a video camera.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller generates an output signal for modifying a collision warning system as a function of the determination of user awareness to the object.

10. A target awareness determination system for determining vehicle driver awareness of an object, said system comprising:

an object monitor including an object detection sensor mounted on a vehicle for sensing an object in a field of view and determining a position of the object;

an eye gaze monitor including an imaging camera mounted on the vehicle and oriented to capture images of a driver of the vehicle including an eye of the driver, said gaze monitor determining an eye gaze vector; and

a controller for determining awareness of the driver of the object based on the detected object position and the eye gaze vector.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the controller further determines an awareness angle as a function of the eye gaze vector and the position of the object, and wherein the controller determines driver awareness as a function of the awareness angle.

12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the controller determines vehicle driver awareness of the object when the awareness angle is less than a predetermined angle.

13. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the predetermined angle is about two degrees.

14. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the controller determines vehicle driver awareness when the awareness angle is less than the predetermined angle for a predetermined time period.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the predetermined time period is at least 30 milliseconds.

16. A method of determining user awareness of an object, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the presence of an object in a field of view;

determining a position of the object within the field of view;

monitoring eye gaze of a user;

determining an eye gaze vector of the user; and

determining user awareness of the object as a function of the position of the object and the eye gaze vector.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

determining an awareness angle as a function of the eye gaze vector and the position of the object; and

determining the user awareness as a function of the awareness angle.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of determining user awareness further comprises comparing the awareness angle to a predetermined angle.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the predetermined angle is about two degrees.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of determining user awareness comprises comparing the awareness angle to a predetermined angle for a predetermined time period.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein the predetermined time period is at least 30 milliseconds.

22. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the method is performed on a vehicle to determine awareness of a driver of the vehicle.

24. The method as defined in claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

determining an awareness angle as a function of the eye gaze vector and the position of the object; and

determining the user awareness as a function of the awareness angle.

23. A method of determining vehicle driver awareness of an object, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the presence of an object in a field of view;

determining a position of the object within the field of view;

monitoring eye gaze of a driver of a vehicle;

determining an eye gaze vector of the driver of the vehicle; and

determining driver awareness of the object as a function of the position of the object and the gaze vector.