Method and Control Device for Recognising Inattentiveness According to at Least One Parameter Which is Specific to a Driver

• US 20090160631A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Hentschel, Elisabeth Hendrika, Galley, Lars, Stolzmann, Wolfgang, Kuhn, Klaus-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,742,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method and a control unit are provided for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes inattentive. In order to be able to reliably draw conclusions about the presence of inattentiveness of the driver, it is proposed to observe not only a steering inactivity phase but also a steering action which follows the steering inactivity phase. A detected implementation of the steering inactivity phase and of the steering action are logically combined with one another, and the result of this logic combination is then used as a measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver. In addition, the measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver depends on at least one driver-specific parameter which is determined during the execution of the method. The inattentiveness of the driver can also be detected during the time interval in which the at least one driver-specific parameter is determined.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for detecting when a driver of a vehicle becomes inattentive, comprising:

determining at least one driver-specific parameter during a time interval, and

determining inattentiveness as a function of a steering inactivity phase and a subsequent steering action and as a function of said at least one driver-specific parameter during the time interval.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, when inattentiveness of the driver is detected, an item of information is output to the driver of the vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a steering inactivity phase is detected and the magnitude of the implementation of the steering inactivity phase is acquired by evaluating at least one of the sensed steering wheel angle and changes in the sensed steering wheel angle over time, wherein a steering action which follows the steering inactivity phase is detected and the magnitude of the implementation of the steering action is acquired by evaluating the changes in the steering wheel angle over time, and wherein a measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver is acquired as the vehicle is being steered by evaluating the result of a logic combination of the implementation of the steering inactivity phase and the implementation of the steering action.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the implementation of the steering inactivity phase is acquired as the period of time during which the steering wheel angle remains within a predetermined steering wheel angle interval.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the steering wheel angle interval is predetermined as a function of the current speed of the vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein implementation of the steering action subsequent to a preceding steering inactivity phase is acquired in the form of the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle which occurs then.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a logic combination of the implementation of the steering inactivity phase and the implementation of the steering action occurs when the duration of the steering inactivity phase is longer than a predetermined minimum duration and the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle exceeds a predetermined gradient threshold value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one driver-specific parameter can be determined more than once during a journey.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one driver-specific parameter relates to a measure of the inattentiveness at which the information item is output to the driver of the vehicle.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the item of information is an acoustic or visual warning message.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a steering inactivity phase is detected and the magnitude of the implementation of the steering inactivity phase is acquired by evaluating at least one of the sensed steering wheel angle and changes in the sensed steering wheel angle over time, wherein a steering action which follows the steering inactivity phase is detected and the magnitude of the implementation of the steering action is acquired by evaluating the changes in the steering wheel angle over time, and wherein a measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver is acquired as the vehicle is being steered by evaluating the result of a logic combination of the implementation of the steering inactivity phase and the implementation of the steering action.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the implementation of the steering inactivity phase is acquired as the period of time during which the steering wheel angle remains within a predetermined steering wheel angle interval.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the steering wheel angle interval is predetermined as a function of the current speed of the vehicle.

24. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein implementation of the steering action subsequent to a preceding steering inactivity phase is acquired in the form of the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle which occurs then.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein implementation of the steering action subsequent to a preceding steering inactivity phase is acquired in the form of the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle which occurs then.

26. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein implementation of the steering action subsequent to a preceding steering inactivity phase is acquired in the form of the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle which occurs then.

27. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein implementation of the steering action subsequent to a preceding steering inactivity phase is acquired in the form of the maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle which occurs then.

28. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one driver-specific parameter can be determined more than once during a journey.

29. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one driver-specific parameter can be determined more than once during a journey.

30. A control unit for detecting inattentiveness of the driver of a vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel angle sensor for sensing the current steering wheel angle of the vehicle,

a control device for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 11 in response to the sensed steering wheel angle, and

a warning device for outputting at least one of an acoustic and a visual warning message to the driver when inattentiveness of the driver has been detected while the method is being carried out.