Driving consciousness estimation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814880-B2
Application number	US-201816002021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 8, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A driving consciousness estimation device is configured to estimate a driver's driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree. The device includes a viewing target recognition unit configured to recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle, a driver's line of sight recognition unit configured to recognize a driver's line of sight, a viewing reaction index calculation unit configured to calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight recognized by the driver's line of sight recognition unit, and a driving readiness degree estimation unit configured to estimate the driving readiness degree based on the viewing reaction index.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a driver's driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
calculate a stimulation intensity index of the viewing target,
wherein, if another vehicle is recognized as the viewing target, calculate the stimulation intensity index of the other vehicle based on at least one of a viewing area of the other vehicle and a relative situation between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, and
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the stimulation intensity index and the driver's viewing reaction index.

2. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a driver's driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
calculate a stimulation intensity index of the viewing target,
wherein, if a road shape is recognized as the viewing target, calculate the stimulation intensity index of the road shape based on at least one of a curvature radius of the road shape and a number of traveling vehicles in the road shape, and
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the stimulation intensity index and the driver's viewing reaction index.

3. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a drivers driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
calculate a stimulation intensity index of the viewing target,
wherein, if an object on a road is recognized as the viewing target, and
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the stimulation intensity index and the driver's viewing reaction index.

4. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a driver's driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
recognize a movement range of the driver's line of sight based on the driver's line of sight, and
correct the driving readiness degree based on the movement range.

5. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a driver's driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
recognize an optical flow of a landscape in front of the host vehicle based on an image captured by a camera of the host vehicle, and
correct the driving readiness degree based on the optical flow and the driver's line of sight.

6. A driving consciousness estimation device that is configured to estimate a drivers driving consciousness of a host vehicle as a driving readiness degree, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), including at least one processor, programmed to:
recognize a viewing target used for estimating the driving readiness degree based on a result of detection by an external sensor of the host vehicle;
recognize a driver's line of sight;
calculate a driver's viewing reaction index for the viewing target based on the driver's line of sight;
estimate the driving readiness degree based on the driver's viewing reaction index;
perform estimations of the driving readiness degrees multiple times for each viewing target,
perform weighting of the driving readiness degrees according to the viewing target, and
calculate an integrated driving readiness degree based on the driving readiness degrees multiple times estimated within a time set in advance and the result of weighting.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kishi Hiroshi

Classifications

• G06V20/597 Primary

  Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness · CPC title

• G06V20/588

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• G06V40/19

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title