Vehicle having a device for influencing the attentiveness of the driver and for determining the viewing direction of the driver

• US 9,099,002 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Lorenz, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/228,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/301, 180167-170, 340/438, 340/500
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, has a device for influencing the attention of the driver. The vehicle includes a display unit for displaying information content. The vehicle includes a central operating panel associated with the display unit. The vehicle includes a system for detecting a danger in traffic. The vehicle includes a system for issuing a warning regarding a detected danger, and the vehicle further includes a computing unit. The computing unit ascertains a viewing probability of the driver looking in the direction of the display unit during an operating sequence and at a viewing point in time. The computing unit takes the interaction of the driver with the vehicle into consideration for ascertaining the viewing probability. The warning is issued as a function of the ascertained viewing probability.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a display unit configured to display information content;

a central operating panel associated with the display unit;

a system configured to detect a danger in traffic and issue a warning regarding a detected danger;

a computing unit configured to;

ascertain a viewing probability of a driver of the motor vehicle looking in a direction of the display unit during an operating sequence and at a viewing point-in-time,

in ascertaining the viewing probability, takes into consideration an interaction of the driver with the vehicle, and

control the system to issue the warning as a function of the ascertained viewing probability.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit further:

carries out a pattern detecting algorithm to ascertain the viewing probability, wherein

in carrying out the pattern detection algorithm, takes a value of at least one input parameter into consideration,

issues a value of the viewing probability as an output parameter, the viewing probability value indicating a probability with which the drivers eyes are directed at the display unit at the viewing point-in-time, and

transmits the viewing probability value to said system.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

a probability table, which correlates the value of the input parameter with a viewing probability value, is stored in the computing unit for the input parameter;

and

the computing unit takes the probability table of the input parameter into consideration when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device configured to measure an accelerator pedal position and transmit the measured pedal position to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit calculates a pedal gradient describing a change of the pedal position over time, and

the computing unit takes the pedal gradient into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device configured to measure a brake pedal position and transmit the measured position to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit calculates a brake pedal gradient describing a change of the brake pedal position over time, and

the computing unit taking the brake pedal gradient into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a measuring device configured to measure a steering angle and transmit the measured steering angle to the computing unit as a function of time, wherein

the computing unit computes a steering angle number describing a number of steering angle inflection points in a predefined time period, and

the computing unit takes the steering angle number into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a rotation input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device configured to measure a rotation pause duration of the rotation input mechanism, the rotation pause duration describing a time period between a most recent rotary operation input of the rotation input mechanism and the viewing point-in-time, and transmit the rotation pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the rotation pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a push input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device configured to measure a push pause duration of the push input mechanism, the push pause duration describing a time period between a most recent push operating input of the push input mechanism and the viewing point-in-time, and transmit the push pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the push pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.

9. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a touch input mechanism of the central operating panel;

a measuring device configured to measure a touch pause duration of the touch input mechanism, the touch pause duration describing a time period between a most recent touch operating input and the viewing point-in-time, and transmit the touch pause duration to the computing unit, wherein

the computing unit takes the touch pause duration into consideration as an input parameter when carrying out the pattern detection algorithm.