SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE SECURITY, PERSONALIZATION AND CARDIAC ACTIVITY MONITORING OF A DRIVER

• US 20120101690A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Purushothaman, Balamuralidhar, Srinivasan, Jayaraman, Narasimha Murthy, Venkatesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• 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: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for vehicle security, personalization, and cardiac activity monitoring of a driver wherein electrocardiography of a driver is monitored and registered which is used for identification of a person entering in the vehicle and personalization of vehicle based on user preferences thereby act as intruder detection towards vehicle security. In addition to registration the present invention also monitors cardiac activity of driver in a continuous and real time fashion without any intrusion to driver with the facility of generation of alert and making emergency call.

Claims

1. A non-distracting and non-invasive, in-vehicle system for identification, personalization, and monitoring cardiac activity of a driver in a vehicle, based on ECG data the system comprising:

a. plurality of ECG trace probing means, each means being a sensor mounted on one or more parts of the vehicle, for acquiring in real-time an electric signal generated by cardiac muscles of driver;

b. a means for extracting ECG features and one time enrolling of ECG trace as binary code sequence using processor implemented binary sequence code book generation algorithm in a binary code book, based on the ECG data of the driver captured from the said probing means;

c. a means for detecting and allowing the entry of the driver in the vehicle wherein the binary code of the driver'"'"'s ECG trace is matched with the registered binary code book sequence using processor implemented steps of nearest neighbor classifier algorithm;

d. a means for storing driver'"'"'s preferences for personalization in vehicle wherein the triggering of personalization occurs after matching the driver'"'"'s ECG features and binary code with registered binary code book sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ECG trace probing means are enabled to measure 1Lead ECG signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a means for displaying the cardiac activity of the driver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the display means is mounted on the center, top of the steering wheel, and dash board.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises means to alert the driver in case the driver is detected with abnormal cardiac activity.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a means for making automatic emergency call in case at least one of the alerts is so generated.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the alert is signaled to a subject, person, and an external contact point for assistance as an emergency call.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more sites for mounting the detecting means are selected from steering wheel, seat, and gear shift lever.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein cardiac activities are monitored in the form of electrocardiogram waveform and heart rate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises probing means to determine skin temperature, respiration, stress, and blood pressure of the driver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the personalization comprises of re-setting of plurality of user preferences including the rear view mirrors, active play list of songs, video and FM/TV stations, speaker volume, sound level of horn, dashboard display, perfume fragrance, seat height, tilt, climate control settings, speed limit, security settings, navigation display settings, and engine response.