Vehicle driver monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703204-B2
Application number	US-201715463293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A driver monitoring system for a vehicle includes a vehicle data acquisition system operable to determine vehicle status information after a vehicle is involved in a collision including information pertaining to (i) the collision of the vehicle, (ii) an overturning of the vehicle, (iii) water intrusion into the vehicle and (iv) airbag deployment. A driver status information acquisition system is operable to determine health parameters of the driver of the vehicle. A communication system of the vehicle is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote assistance system. Responsive to the vehicle status information determined by the vehicle data acquisition system and the driver health parameters determined by the driver information acquisition system, the communication system wirelessly communicates information to the remote assistance system and, responsive to the communication received by the remote assistance system, the remote assistance system determines an appropriate response to the vehicle collision.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driver monitoring system for a vehicle, said driver monitoring system comprising:
a driver status information acquisition system operable to determine status of a driver of the vehicle;
wherein an in-vehicle control system of the vehicle is operable to autonomously drive the vehicle along a road;
wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives data from a plurality of sensors in the vehicle and determines the driver status responsive to processing of the received data;
a communication system of the vehicle that is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote assistance system;
wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, the in-vehicle control system is operable to generate an alert to the driver to indicate that the driver should take over driving the vehicle;
wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, and responsive to the status of the driver while the driver is not driving the vehicle as determined by said driver status information acquisition system being indicative of the driver not being able to take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, said communication system wirelessly communicates information to the remote assistance system and, responsive to the communication received by the remote assistance system, the remote assistance system remotely takes over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system and drives the vehicle.

2. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives driver status data from at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a smart phone disposed in the vehicle, (ii) a smart watch of the driver of the vehicle, (iii) a portable health monitoring device disposed in the vehicle and (iv) at least one sensor of the vehicle.

3. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives driver status data including at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) breathing rate of the driver, (ii) heart rate of the driver, (iii) blood pressure of the driver, (iv) EEG data of the driver, (v) blood glucose level of the driver and (vi) body temperature of the driver.

4. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors of said driver status information acquisition system comprises a camera that has a field of view that at least partially encompasses the driver, and wherein the in-vehicle control system is responsive at least in part to the driver status determined by processing data captured by said camera of said driver status information acquisition system.

5. The driver monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein the in-vehicle control system, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive at least in part to the driver status being indicative of a disabled driver, will not allow the driver to take over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system.

6. The driver monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein, responsive at least in part to the driver status being indicative of a disabled driver with a severe health condition, the remote assistance system remotely takes over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system to drive the vehicle to a medical center.

7. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one camera having a field of view encompassing the face of the driver of the vehicle.

8. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one radar sensor sensing an area occupied by the driver of the vehicle.

9. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one sensor disposed in a seat belt of a driver seat of the vehicle, and wherein said at least one sensor comprises a belt stretch force sensor disposed in the seat belt.

10. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one sensor disposed in a seat belt of a driver seat of the vehicle, and wherein said at least one sensor comprises an acceleration sensor disposed in the seat belt.

11. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one sensor integrated in a driver seat of the vehicle.

12. The driver monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one sensor integrated in a headrest of a driver seat of the vehicle.

13. A driver monitoring system for a vehicle, said driver monitoring system comprising:
a driver status information acquisition system operable to determine status of a driver of the vehicle;
wherein an in-vehicle control system of the vehicle is operable to autonomously drive the vehicle along a road;
wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives data from a plurality of sensors in the vehicle and determines the driver status responsive to processing of the received data;
wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one camera having a field of view encompassing at least part of the driver of the vehicle;
wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one radar sensor sensing an area occupied by the driver of the vehicle;
a communication system of the vehicle that is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote assistance system;
wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, the in-vehicle control system is operable to generate an alert to the driver to indicate that the driver should take over driving the vehicle;
wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, and responsive to the status of the driver while the driver is not driving the vehicle as determined by said driver status information acquisition system being indicative of the driver not being able to take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, said communication system wirelessly communicates information to the remote assistance system and, responsive to the communication received by the remote assistance system, the remote assistance system remotely takes over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system and drives the vehicle.

14. The driver monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives driver status data from at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a smart phone disposed in the vehicle, (ii) a smart watch of the driver of the vehicle and (iii) a portable health monitoring device disposed in the vehicle.

15. The driver monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives driver status data including at least one selected from the group cons

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hassan Hasib
• Wacquant Sylvie
• Seifert Heinz B

Classifications

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60K28/14 Primary

  responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2040/0872

  Driver physiology · CPC title

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title

• B60W2540/26

  Incapacity · CPC title