Trouble shooting apparatus and method for bio-signal sensor equipped in vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434967-B2
Application number	US-201615379241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A fault diagnosis method for a bio-signal sensor for the vehicle includes measuring a first bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor in response to a seating detecting signal, measuring a second bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor in response to input through an on-board interface, and determining whether the bio-signal sensor may have malfunctioned according to whether the second bio-signal includes a signal deviating from a range set in response to the first bio-signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fault diagnosis method for a bio-signal sensor equipped in a vehicle, comprising:
measuring a first bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor based at least on a seating detecting signal;
measuring a second bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor based at least on an input entered via an on-board interface; and
determining whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the second bio-signal includes a signal deviating from a range set in response to the first bio-signal,
wherein the seating detecting signal is detected while an engine of the vehicle is turned off,
wherein the first bio-signal is measured when the seating detecting signal is detected and the engine of the vehicle is turned off, and
wherein the first bio-signal includes a signal component and a noise component with respect to a pulse of a user or driver.

2. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring a third bio-signal when the engine of the vehicle is started; and
determining whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the third bio-signal includes a signal deviating from the range set in response to the first bio-signal.

3. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , wherein the input through the on-board interface includes at least one of variation in a steering wheel, variation in a pedal and variation in a shifter.

4. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 3 , wherein the input through the on-board interface is configured to be generated after the engine of the vehicle is started.

5. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , wherein the bio-signal sensor includes a pulse sensor, and the first bio-signal and the second bio-signal include pulse-detecting signals.

6. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 5 , wherein the pulse sensor is a non-contact Doppler pulse sensor.

7. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , wherein the signal deviating from the range includes noise according to the input through the on-board interface.

8. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned comprises:
analyzing at least one of the second bio-signal and the third bio-signal to output a result within the range;
determining whether the signal deviating from the range corresponds to the input through the on-board interface; and
determining whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned in response to a determination result.

9. The fault diagnosis method according to claim 1 , further including stopping operation of the bio-signal sensor when the bio-signal sensor is determined to have malfunctioned.

10. An apparatus for performing a fault diagnosis of a bio-signal sensor in a vehicle including a processing system that includes at least one data processor and at least one computer-readable memory storing a computer program, wherein the processing system is configured to cause the apparatus to:
measure a first bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor in response to a seating detecting signal;
measure a second bio-signal through the bio-signal sensor in response to input through an on-board interface; and
determine whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the second bio-signal includes a signal deviating from a range set in response to the first bio-signal,
wherein the seating detecting signal is detected while an engine of the vehicle is turned off,
wherein the first bio-signal is measured when the seating detecting signal is detected and the engine of the vehicle is turned off, and
wherein the first bio-signal includes a signal component and a noise component with respect to a pulse of a user or driver.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
measure a third bio-signal when the engine of the vehicle is started; and
determine whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the third bio-signal includes a signal deviating from the range set in response to the first bio-signal.

12. A fault diagnosis apparatus for a bio-signal sensor equipped in a vehicle, comprising:
a receiver for receiving a first bio-signal, measured by the bio-signal sensor based at least on a seating detecting signal, and a second bio-signal measured through the bio-signal sensor based at least on an input entered through an on-board interface; and
a determination unit for determining whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the second bio-signal includes a signal deviating from a range set in response to the first bio-signal,
wherein the seating detecting signal is detected while an engine of the vehicle is turned off,
wherein the first bio-signal is measured when the seating detecting signal is detected and the engine of the vehicle is turned off, and
wherein the first bio-signal includes a signal component and a noise component with respect to a pulse of a user or driver.

13. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the receiver receives a third bio-signal when the engine of the vehicle is started, and the determination unit determines whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned according to whether the third bio-signal includes a signal deviating from the range set in response to the first bio-signal.

14. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , further including an external signal input device for receiving input through the on-board interface.

15. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein an external signal input to the external signal input device is generated by at least one of variation in a steering wheel, variation in a pedal and variation in a shifter,
wherein the external signal is generated after the engine of the vehicle is started.

16. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the bio-signal sensor includes a non-contact Doppler pulse sensor, and the first bio-signal and the second bio-signal include pulse-detecting signals.

17. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the signal deviating from the range includes noise according to the input through the on-board interface.

18. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , further including an operation unit for analyzing at least one of the second bio-signal and the third bio-signal to output a result within the range.

19. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the determination unit determines whether the signal deviating from the range corresponds to the input through the on-board interface and determines whether the bio-signal sensor has malfunctioned in response to a determination result.

20. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12 , further including a controller configured for stopping operation of the bio-signal sensor when the bio-signal sensor is determined to have malfunctioned,
wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the bio-signal sensor to cause the bio-signal sensor to with a predetermined time period measure bio-signals and to output measured bio-signals to the receiver.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Omron Automotive Electronic Korea Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Seul Ki
• Hur Nam Woong
• Kim Eung Hwan
• Kuroyanagi Shinichi
• Han Taek Soo

Classifications

• B60W2540/221

  Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs · CPC title

• B60W2540/106

  Rate of change · CPC title

• B60W2540/06

  Ignition switch · CPC title

• B60W2050/0215

  Sensor drifts or sensor failures · CPC title

• B60W2540/12

  Brake pedal position · CPC title