SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND PREVENTING DROWSINESS

• US 20130328684A1
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hsuan, Grahn, Dennis A., Heller, Horace Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A system for preventing drowsiness in a driver by employing a thermal grill. The system includes a detection module and an intervention module. The detection module monitors a driver'"'"'s parameters to determine whether the driver is drowsy. If the driver is determined to be drowsy, the intervention module activates a thermal grill with interlaced hot and cold regions. This activation causes the hot regions to approach one temperature and the cold regions to approach another. Additionally, this activation leads to an uncomfortable sensation for the driver, alerts the driver, and prevents the driver from getting drowsy.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing drowsiness in a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

using a processor and a memory to execute steps comprising;

monitoring one or more parameters associated with the driver;

determining whether the driver is drowsy based on the monitored parameters associated with the driver; and

responsive to determining that the driver is drowsy, activating a thermal grill, the thermal grill comprising interlaced regions, wherein activating the thermal grill results in two adjacent regions approaching two different temperatures.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an amount of time has elapsed since activation of the thermal grill; and

responsive to determining that the amount of time has elapsed, deactivating the thermal grill.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the steps of activating and deactivating the thermal grill are repeated until receiving an input indicating that the driver is alert.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein temperatures of the two adjacent regions is separated by at least ten degrees Celsius.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the thermal grill is in physical contact with a palm of the driver.

6. A computer program product for preventing drowsiness in a driver of a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium including computer program code for:

monitoring one or more parameters associated with the driver;

determining whether the driver is drowsy based on the monitored parameters associated with the driver; and

responsive to determining that the driver is drowsy, activating a thermal grill, the thermal grill comprising interlaced regions, wherein activating the thermal grill results in two adjacent regions approaching two different temperatures.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further including computer program code for:

determining whether an amount of time has elapsed since activation of the thermal grill; and

responsive to determining that the amount of time has elapsed, deactivating the thermal grill.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the steps of activating and deactivating the thermal grill are repeated until receiving an input indicating that the driver is alert.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein temperatures of the two adjacent regions is separated by at least ten degrees Celsius.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the thermal grill is in physical contact with a palm of the driver.

11. A computer system for preventing drowsiness in a driver of a vehicle, the computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including computer program code for:

monitoring one or more parameters associated with the driver;

determining whether the driver is drowsy based on the monitored parameters associated with the driver; and

responsive to determining that the driver is drowsy, activating a thermal grill, the thermal grill comprising interlaced regions, wherein activating the thermal grill results in two adjacent regions approaching two different temperatures.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further including computer program code for:

determining whether an amount of time has elapsed since activation of the thermal grill; and

responsive to determining that the amount of time has elapsed, deactivating the thermal grill.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the steps of activating and deactivating the thermal grill are repeated until receiving an input indicating that the driver is alert.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein temperatures of the two adjacent regions is separated by at least ten degrees Celsius.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the thermal grill is in physical contact with a palm of the driver.