System for informing of driver's mental condition

• US 6,960,168 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yasushi, Mitsuo, Yanagidaira, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Astorino, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US10/455,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600/485, 600/490, 600/500, 600/508, 600/549, 128/903, 128/904, 128920-925, 340/425, 701/201
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A driver mental condition information system in which physiological data of the driver of a vehicle is detected and the mental condition of the driver is calculated as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data, thereby indicating the mental condition of the driver, using the mental condition evaluation value along with a threshold value.

Claims

1. A driver mental condition information system comprising:

a physiological data detector which detects physiological data of a driver of a vehicle,

a mental condition calculator which calculates a mental condition of the driver as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data,

an evaluation threshold value setting device which sets a threshold value for evaluating the mental condition of the driver, and

an indicator which indicates the mental condition of the driver using the mental condition evaluation value along with the threshold value,

a mental condition evaluation device which compares the mental condition evaluation value with the threshold value to evaluate the mental condition of the driver, and

a self-location detector which detects a self-location of the vehicle,

wherein said indicator displays the mental condition of the driver as a warning and further indicates a nearest service area when the mental condition of the driver is detected as a predetermined condition by said mental condition evaluation device.

2. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage device which sequentially stores the mental condition evaluation value calculated by said mental condition calculator,

wherein said indicator indicates a variation in mental condition of the driver using the mental condition evaluation value stored in said storage device along with the threshold value.

3. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 1, further comprising

a driver identifying device which identifies a driver of the vehicle,

wherein said evaluation threshold value setting device is allowed to set the threshold value at a desired value for each driver identified by said driver identifying device, and

said indicator indicates the mental condition evaluation value of the driver along with the threshold value corresponding to the driver identified by said driver identifying device.

4. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation threshold value setting device has an adjuster for adjusting the threshold value in response to an input operation.

5. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 2, wherein said storage device has a database for storing physiological data, the mental condition evaluation value, and the threshold value for each driver.

6. A driver mental condition information system comprising:

a physiological data detector which detects physiological data of a driver of a vehicle,

a mental condition calculator which calculates a mental condition of the driver as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data,

an evaluation threshold value setting device which sets a threshold value for evaluating the mental condition of the driver, and

an indicator which indicates the mental condition of the driver using the mental condition evaluation value along with the threshold value.

a self-location detector which detects a self-location of the vehicle, and

a navigation device for outputting display map data indicative of a map including the self-location of the vehicle detected by said self-location detector,

wherein said indicator displays a map in accordance with the display map data, and displays the mental condition evaluation value of the driver at each point on a travel path corresponding to the self-location detected by said self-location detector on the map displayed.

7. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 6, wherein

said indicator displays the threshold value along with the mental condition evaluation value displayed on said display map.

8. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 6, wherein

said indicator displays the mental condition evaluation value of the driver at each point on said travel path as a variation in shape size, color, or pattern.

9. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 6, further comprising

a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication device which collects, by radio waves, a location and a mental condition evaluation value of a driver of another vehicle near the vehicle, wherein

said indicator displays the mental condition evaluation value of the driver of the other vehicle at a position of said display map corresponding to the location of the other vehicle collected by said vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication device.

10. A driver mental condition information system according to claim 6, wherein

when a mental condition of the driver is detected as a predetermined condition by said mental condition evaluation device, said indicator indicates a nearest service area and executes a navigational guidance operation for leading to the service area.

11. A method for displaying a driver'"'"'s mental condition comprising:

detecting physiological data of a driver of a vehicle,

calculating a mental condition of the driver as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data,

setting a threshold value for evaluating of the mental condition of the driver, and

indicating the mental condition of the driver using the mental condition evaluation value along with the threshold values,

comparing the mental condition evaluation value with the threshold value to evaluate the mental condition of the driver, and

detecting a self-location of the vehicle,

wherein when the mental condition of the driver is detected as a predetermined condition, the mental condition of the driver is displayed as a warning and further a nearest service area is indicated in the indicating step.

12. A method for displaying a driver'"'"'s mental condition, comprising the steps of:

detecting physiological data of a driver of a vehicle,

calculating a mental condition of the driver as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data,

setting a threshold value for evaluating of the mental condition of the driver,

indicating the mental condition of the driver using the mental condition evaluation value along with the threshold value,

comparing the mental condition evaluation value with the threshold value to evaluate the mental condition of the driver,

detecting a self-location of the vehicle, and

outputting display map data indicative of a map including the detected self-location of the vehicle,

wherein in the indicating step, a map is displayed in accordance with the display map data, and further the mental condition evaluation value of the driver is displayed at each point on a travel path corresponding to the detected self-location on the map displayed.