Vehicle operator monitoring system and method

• US 20060259206A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harter, Joseph E., Witt, Gerald J., Smith, Matthew R., Zhang, Harry, Scharenbroch, Gregory K.
• Application Number:
  US11/130,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259206A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• 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 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness

Abstract

A vehicle operator monitoring method is disclosed. The method includes the steps of capturing a series of ocular profiles of a vehicle operator, conducting an analysis of the series of ocular profiles of the vehicle operator, and applying the analysis to a vehicle system to maintain or adjust a state of the vehicle system. The vehicle system may be an automated cruise control system or a forward collision warning system.

Claims

1. A vehicle operator monitoring method comprising the steps of:

capturing a series of ocular profiles of a vehicle operator;

conducting an analysis of the series of ocular profiles of the vehicle operator;

applying the analysis to a vehicle system to maintain or adjust a state of the vehicle system.

2. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the capuring step includes the steps of:

utilizing a vehicle operator attentiveness imaging system having a video imaging camera to aquire facial features of a vehicle operator;

examining an imaged frame of the facial features to locate an ocular profile; and

cycling the capturing step within a time interval to examine sequentially captured imaged frames of the ocular profile to create the series of ocular profiles.

3. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 2, wherein the examining step further comprises the steps of:

determining if the ocular profile is related to an attentive vehicle operator ocular profile or a distracted vehicle operator ocular profile; and

storing data associated with the determining step in memory.

4. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 3, wherein the conducting an analysis step further comprises the step of calculating a proportion of off-road glance time by dividing the distracted vehicle operator ocular profiles associated with the stored data over a total number of attentive vehicle operator ocular profiles and the distracted vehicle operator ocular profiles associated with the stored data.

5. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 4, wherein the applying the analysis step further comprises the step of:

altering the state of the vehicle system based upon a comparison of the proportion of off-road glance time and a predetermined threshold value.

6. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle system is an automated cruise control system.

7. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 6, wherein the altering step includes reducing throttle of a host vehicle to increase the following distance of the host vehicle in view of an in-line object when a vehicle operator is distracted.

8. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 6, wherein the altering step includes applying the brakes of a host vehicle to increase the following distance of the host vehicle in view of an in-line object when a vehicle operator is distracted.

9. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle system is a forward collision warning system.

10. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the altering step includes receiving an alert earlier than normal when a vehicle operator is distracted.

11. The vehicle operator monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the altering step includes disabling or modifying the alert when the vehicle operator is attentive.

12. A vehicle operator monitoring system, comprising:

an automated cruise control system that regulates the following distance of a host vehicle in view of an in-line object; and

a vehicle operator attentiveness imaging system that monitors the alertness level of a vehicle operator inside a passenger compartment of a vehicle, wherein an alert signal from the vehicle operator attentiveness imaging system is applied to the automated cruise control system for adjusting a state of the automated cruise control system based on the alertness level of the vehicle operator determined by the vehicle operator attentiveness imaging system.

13. The vehicle operator monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein, upon determining the vehicle operator is distracted, the alert signal disables the automated cruise control system.

14. The vehicle operator monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein, upon determining the vehicle operator is distracted, the alert signal causes the automated cruise control system to increase the following distance by reducing throttle of the host vehicle.

15. The vehicle operator monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein, upon determining the vehicle operator is distracted, the alert signal causes the automated cruise control system to increase the following distance by braking the host vehicle.

16. The vehicle operator monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein, upon determining the vehicle operator is distracted, the alert signal causes the automated cruise control system to stimulate attention of the vehicle operator by providing a low automatic braking to the host vehicle.