Systems and methods for evaluating driver attentiveness for collision avoidance

• US 7,592,920 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Farid, Nima, Kopf, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/704,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576, 340/575, 340/425.5, 340/439, 340/435, 340/436, 180/271, 342/72, 701/300, 701/1, 701/2, 700/229, 716/5
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• 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: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Systems and method for evaluating driver attentiveness are provided. An allocation unit evaluates defined first input data to recognize a specific driving situation among a plurality of defined driving situations. A driver monitoring unit is operatively coupled to the allocation unit and evaluates defined second input data, based on the recognized driving situation, to assess a degree of situation-adapted attentiveness. A functional unit of a collision avoidance system is controlled as a function of the assessed degree of situation-adapted attentiveness.

Claims

1. An electronic control device for evaluating driver attentiveness in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having a collision avoidance system, the electronic device comprising:

an allocation unit that evaluates defined first input data to recognize a driving situation among a plurality of defined driving situations; and

a driver monitoring unit operatively coupled to the allocation unit, the driver monitoring unit evaluating defined second input data to assess a degree of situation-adapted attentiveness based on the recognized driving situation,

wherein the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness is expressed as a likelihood with which a driver has introduced the driving situation intentionally, based on the situation-adapted attentiveness adapted to the driving situation in the immediate past,

wherein at least one functional unit of the collision avoidance system is controlled by the electronic control device as a function of the assessed degree of situation-adapted attentiveness.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the allocation unit recognizes that the driver is aware of the recognized driving situation based on a recognition of a degree of driving situation-adapted attentiveness in the immediate past.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness is assessed by means of the second input data, which indicates operational activities of the driver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness is assessed based on at least one attentiveness category selected from:

a diversion criteria, a driver intent criteria, a model-based driver behavior criteria, and an alertness criteria.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness is divided into three grade levels.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the three grade levels include:

a first grade level indicating incorrect driver reaction;

a second grade level indicating unpredictable driver reaction; and

a third grade level indicating correct driver reaction.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein an intentional passing or lane change situation is detected only if the driver has steadily decreased a driving speed before reaching a critical distance to a target object.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a panic braking situation, of which the driver is aware, is detected only if the driver initially holds constant at least within specific limits a distance to a target object prior to an application of brakes.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the panic braking situation is detected only if the driver initially holds constant at least within specific limits the distance to the target object prior to an application of brakes and prior to a decrease in the distance to the target object.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the allocation unit is configured to recognize at least one of an open road driving situation, a tailgating driving situation, a follow-on driving situation, a passing driving situation, a lane change driving situation, a panic braking driving situation, and a cutting-in driving situation.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data includes at least one of environmental data and vehicle-related data.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the vehicle-related data includes at least one of a distance to a target object, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle deceleration, target object deceleration, and steering angle.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the second data includes data related to driver behavior.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the driver monitoring unit comprises at least one sensor for sensing the driver behavior data.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the data related to driver behavior includes at least one of data related to the driver'"'"'s handling of a steering wheel, data related to the driver'"'"'s application of a gas pedal, data related to the driver'"'"'s application of a brake pedal, data related to the driver'"'"'s actuation of a turn signal, and data related to the driver'"'"'s manipulation of a radio.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the data related to driver behavior includes data related to bodily activity of the driver.

17. A method for evaluating driver attentiveness in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having a collision avoidance system, the method comprising the acts of:

evaluating first input data to recognize a driving situation among a plurality of defined driving situations;

evaluating second input data to assess a degree of situation-adapted attentiveness based on the recognized driving situation; and

controlling at least one functional unit of the collision avoidance system as a function of the assessed degree of situation-adapted attentiveness,

wherein the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness is expressed as a likelihood with which a driver has introduced the driving situation intentionally, based on the situation-adapted attentiveness adapted to the driving situation in the immediate past.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating first input data comprises evaluating the first input data to recognize at least one of an open road driving situation, a tailgating driving situation, a follow-on driving situation, a passing driving situation, a lane change driving situation, a panic braking driving situation, and a cutting-in driving situation.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating first input data comprises evaluating at least one of environmental data and vehicle-related data, and wherein evaluating second input data comprises evaluating data related to driver behavior.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating second input data to assess a degree of situation-adapted attentiveness comprises:

assessing the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness as at least one of incorrect driver reaction, unpredictable driver reaction, and correct driver reaction.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating second input data comprises:

assessing the degree of situation-adapted attentiveness as at least one of a probability of incorrect driver reaction, a probability of unpredictable driver reaction, and a probability of correct driver reaction.