Driver fatigue monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A vehicle including a system for monitoring a driver of the vehicle during movement of the vehicle under control of the driver on a road, the vehicle comprising:
- an information obtaining system arranged within the vehicle and that obtains road-specific information about actions of a driver who drove at a first time on the same stretch of road as the vehicle is currently being driven by another driver at a second time after the first time; and
a processor arranged within the vehicle and coupled to said information obtaining system, said processor analyzing the road-specific information obtained by said information obtaining system and movement of the vehicle resulting from actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time to determine, during movement of the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time and upon analysis of the movement of the vehicle resulting from the actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time relative to the obtained road-specific information, whether the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of the ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and system for monitoring a driver during movement of the vehicle includes an information obtaining system that obtains information about a driver who traveled the same road at a previous time, and a processor that analyzes the obtained information and vehicle movement to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle. The loss of ability to continue to control the vehicle arises from the driver falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle. A reactive component is affected by the processor'"'"'s determination that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, and preferably requires action by the driver to indicate regaining of the ability to operate the vehicle or exerting control over the vehicle to slow the vehicle and bring it to a stop.
77 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A vehicle including a system for monitoring a driver of the vehicle during movement of the vehicle under control of the driver on a road, the vehicle comprising:
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an information obtaining system arranged within the vehicle and that obtains road-specific information about actions of a driver who drove at a first time on the same stretch of road as the vehicle is currently being driven by another driver at a second time after the first time; and a processor arranged within the vehicle and coupled to said information obtaining system, said processor analyzing the road-specific information obtained by said information obtaining system and movement of the vehicle resulting from actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time to determine, during movement of the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time and upon analysis of the movement of the vehicle resulting from the actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time relative to the obtained road-specific information, whether the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of the ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22)
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17. A method for monitoring operation of a vehicle by a driver during movement of the vehicle under control of the driver, comprising:
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obtaining road-specific information about actions of a driver who drove at a first time on the same stretch of road as the vehicle is currently being driven by another driver at a second time after the first time; and analyzing, using a processor on the vehicle, the road-specific information obtained about the driver who drove at the first time on the same stretch of road as the vehicle is currently being driven by the driver at the second time and movement of the vehicle resulting from actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time to determine, during movement of the vehicle on the same stretch of road at the second time and upon analysis of the movement of the vehicle resulting from the actions of the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time relative to the obtained road-specific information, whether the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver currently driving the vehicle at the second time falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 23)
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Specification