Driver abnormality detection device and driver abnormality detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10417512-B2
Application number	US-201615741889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Provided is at least two of a direction determination unit which determines that the state is abnormal when a gaze direction of a driver of a vehicle is not within a first predetermined range based on a captured image of a head of the driver, a height determination unit which determines that the state is abnormal when a height of an eye of the driver is not within a second predetermined range based on the captured image, and a position determination unit which determines that the state is abnormal when a position of the head in a lateral direction is not within a third predetermined range based on the captured image; and an abnormal state determination unit which determines whether the state of the driver is abnormal based on the determination results of the determination units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driver abnormality detection device comprising:
at least two of determination units including a direction determination unit which determines that a state is abnormal when a gaze direction of a driver of a vehicle is not within a first predetermined range based on a captured image of a head of the driver, a height determination unit which determines that the state is abnormal when a height of an eye of the driver is not within a second predetermined range based on the captured image, and a position determination unit which determines that the state is abnormal when a position of the head in a lateral direction is not within a third predetermined range based on the captured image;
an abnormal state determination unit which determines that the state of the driver is abnormal when at least one of the determination units determines that the state has been abnormal continuously for a time equal to or longer than a continuation allowable time set for that determination unit;
an information acquiring unit which acquires a surrounding situation of the vehicle; and
a time correction unit which corrects the continuation allowable time set for at least one of the determination units according to the surrounding situation acquired by the information acquiring unit,

wherein
one of the determination units is the position determination unit, and the third predetermined range is set within a range in which a center of gravity of the head is located in front of a headrest of a driver's seat in the vehicle, and
the center of gravity of the head in the lateral direction is located between two position reference lines, which pass through the left and right ends of the headrest.

2. The driver abnormality detection device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the determination units is the direction determination unit, and the first predetermined range is set so that at least a part of an effective field of view corresponding to the gaze direction overlaps with a range of a windshield of the vehicle.

3. The driver abnormality detection device according to claim 2 , wherein the effective field of view has a predetermined spread in vertical and lateral directions with respect to the gaze direction, and the first predetermined range is set based on the effective field of view having the predetermined spread.

4. The driver abnormality detection device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the determination units is the height determination unit, and the second predetermined range is set within a range in which a tail lamp of a vehicle in front can be viewed with the eyes via a windshield of the vehicle.

5. The driver abnormality detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the surrounding situation includes whether a traveling position of the vehicle is in front of an intersection, a T-junction, merging, or a crosswalk.

6. A driver abnormality detection method executed by a driver abnormality detection device installed in a vehicle, the driver abnormality detection method comprising:
at least two of determination steps including a direction determination step of determining that the state is abnormal when a gaze direction of a driver of the vehicle is not within a first predetermined range based on a captured image of a head of the driver, a height determination step of determining that the state is abnormal when a height of an eye of the driver is not within a second predetermined range based on the captured image, and a position determination step of determining that the state is abnormal when a position of the head in a lateral direction is not within a third predetermined range based on the captured image;
an abnormal state determination step of determining that the state of the driver is abnormal when at least one of determination steps determines that the state has been abnormal continuously for a time equal to or longer than a continuation allowable time set for that determination step;
an information acquiring step of acquiring a surrounding situation of the vehicle; and
a time correction step of correcting the continuation allowable time set for at least one of the determination steps according to the surrounding situation acquired by the information acquiring step,

wherein
one of the determination units is the position determination unit, and the third predetermined range is set within a range in which a center of gravity of the head is located in front of a headrest of a driver's seat in the vehicle, and
the center of gravity of the head in the lateral direction is located between two position reference lines, which pass through the left and right ends of the headrest.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Yamataka Minori
• Enya Takeshi

Classifications

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title

• G06F2203/011

  Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns · CPC title

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title