Driver condition detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604160-B2
Application number	US-201815870497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Jan 18, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

The driver condition detection system comprises a driver monitor camera capturing a face of a driver of a vehicle to generate a facial image of the driver, a vehicle speed sensor, a facial information detection part detecting a line of sight or facial direction of the driver based on the facial image, a threshold range setting part configured to set a threshold range allowed as the line of sight or facial direction of the driver, and a driver condition judging part. The driver condition judging part is configured to judge that the driver is looking aside if the line of sight or facial direction of the driver is outside the threshold range. The threshold range setting part is configured to change the threshold range, depending on the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driver condition detection system comprising:
a driver monitor camera capturing a face of a driver of a vehicle to generate a facial image of the driver,
a vehicle speed sensor detecting a speed of the vehicle,
a facial information detection part detecting a line of sight or facial direction of the driver based on the facial image,
a threshold range setting part configured to set a threshold range allowed as the line of sight or facial direction of the driver, and
a driver condition judging part configured to judge a condition of the driver, wherein
the driver condition judging part is configured to judge that the driver is looking aside if the line of sight or facial direction of the driver detected by the facial information detection part is outside the threshold range, and
the threshold range setting part is configured to change the threshold range, depending on the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

2. The driver condition detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold range setting part is configured to narrow the threshold range when the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is relatively slow compared to when the speed of the vehicle is relatively fast.

3. The driver condition detection system according to claim 2 , wherein the driver condition judging part is configured to judge that the driver is looking aside if the line of sight or facial direction of the driver is outside the threshold range for a predetermined time or more.

4. The driver condition detection system according to claim 2 ,
further comprising a curve detection part configured to detect a presence and direction of a curve positioned at a front of the vehicle in a direction of advance, wherein
the threshold range setting part is configured to shift the threshold range by a predetermined amount in the direction of the curve detected by the curve detection part before the vehicle enters the curve.

5. The driver condition detection system according to claim 4 , wherein
the curve detection part is configured to detect a radius of curvature of the curve, and
the threshold range setting part is configured to increase the predetermined amount when the radius of curvature detected by the curve detection part is relatively small compared to when the radius of curvature is relatively large.

6. The driver condition detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold range setting part is configured to broaden the threshold range when the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is relatively slow compared to when the speed of the vehicle is relatively fast.

7. The driver condition detection system according to claim 6 , wherein the driver condition judging part is configured to judge that the driver is looking aside if the line of sight or facial direction of the driver is outside the threshold range for a predetermined time or more.

8. The driver condition detection system according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a curve detection part configured to detect a presence and direction of a curve positioned at a front of the vehicle in a direction of advance, wherein
the threshold range setting part is configured to shift the threshold range by a predetermined amount in the direction of the curve detected by the curve detection part before the vehicle enters the curve.

9. The driver condition detection system according to claim 8 , wherein
the curve detection part is configured to detect a radius of curvature of the curve, and
the threshold range setting part is configured to increase the predetermined amount when the radius of curvature detected by the curve detection part is relatively small compared to when the radius of curvature is relatively large.

10. The driver condition detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the driver condition judging part is configured to judge that the driver is looking aside if the line of sight or facial direction of the driver is outside the threshold range for a predetermined time or more.

11. The driver condition detection system according to claim 10 ,
further comprising a curve detection part configured to detect a presence and direction of a curve positioned at a front of the vehicle in a direction of advance, wherein
the threshold range setting part is configured to shift the threshold range by a predetermined amount in the direction of the curve detected by the curve detection part before the vehicle enters the curve.

12. The driver condition detection system according to claim 11 , wherein
the curve detection part is configured to detect a radius of curvature of the curve, and
the threshold range setting part is configured to increase the predetermined amount when the radius of curvature detected by the curve detection part is relatively small compared to when the radius of curvature is relatively large.

13. The driver condition detection system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a curve detection part configured to detect a presence and direction of a curve positioned at a front of the vehicle in a direction of advance, wherein
the threshold range setting part is configured to shift the threshold range by a predetermined amount in the direction of the curve detected by the curve detection part before the vehicle enters the curve.

14. The driver condition detection system according to claim 13 , wherein
the curve detection part is configured to detect a radius of curvature of the curve, and
the threshold range setting part is configured to increase the predetermined amount when the radius of curvature detected by the curve detection part is relatively small compared to when the radius of curvature is relatively large.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumura Takeshi

Classifications

• B60W2540/225

  Direction of gaze · CPC title

• B60W2540/00

  Input parameters relating to occupants · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title