Eyes-on-road detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794753-B2
Application number	US-202117226496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive data indicating a gaze direction of an occupant of the vehicle; determine whether the gaze direction is in a permitted area defined by a boundary, the permitted area being in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle; laterally adjust the boundary of the permitted area based on a speed of the vehicle and based on data indicating turning of the vehicle; and control the vehicle based on whether the gaze direction is in the permitted area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive data indicating a gaze direction of an occupant of a vehicle;
determine whether the gaze direction is in a permitted area defined by a boundary, the permitted area being in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle;
laterally adjust the boundary of the permitted area based on a longitudinal speed of the vehicle and based on data indicating turning of the vehicle;
vertically adjust the boundary of the permitted area based on a distance to an intersection; and
control the vehicle based on whether the gaze direction is in the permitted area.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein controlling the vehicle includes outputting an alert to the occupant in response to the gaze direction being continuously outside the permitted area for a time threshold.

3. The computer of claim 2 , wherein the alert is at least one of audible, visual, and haptic.

4. The computer of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to adjust the time threshold based on the longitudinal speed of the vehicle and based on the data indicating turning of the vehicle.

5. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the time threshold has an inverse relationship with the longitudinal speed of the vehicle.

6. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the boundary includes a first portion on a lateral side toward which the vehicle is turning;
the first portion is at a default position when the vehicle is traveling straight; and
laterally adjusting the boundary of the permitted area includes moving the first portion of the boundary a second distance from the default position in a direction toward which the vehicle is turning.

7. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the second distance has a positive relationship with a yaw rate of the vehicle.

8. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the second distance has an inverse relationship with the longitudinal speed of the vehicle.

9. The computer of claim 6 , wherein, in response to the data indicating turning of the vehicle being a lane-change instruction or an active status of a turn indicator, the second distance is a preset distance.

10. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the boundary includes a second portion on a lateral side away from which the vehicle is turning, and laterally adjusting the boundary of the permitted area includes keeping the second portion of the boundary stationary while the vehicle is turning.

11. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the boundary includes a second portion on a lateral side away from which the vehicle is turning, and laterally adjusting the boundary of the permitted area includes moving the second portion of the boundary in the direction toward which the vehicle is turning.

12. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating turning of the vehicle include a steering-wheel angle.

13. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating turning of the vehicle include a lane-change instruction.

14. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating turning of the vehicle include a status of a turn indicator.

15. The computer of claim 14 , wherein the status of the turn indicator indicates turning of the vehicle when the status is active up to a time threshold, and the status of the turn indicator does not indicate turning when the status is active for longer than the time threshold.

16. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to vertically adjust the boundary of the permitted area based on a grade angle of a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

17. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to instruct a steering system of the vehicle to perform a lane-keeping operation, and controlling the vehicle based on whether the gaze direction is in the permitted area occurs while performing the lane-keeping operation.

18. A method comprising:
receiving data indicating a gaze direction of an occupant of a vehicle;
determining whether the gaze direction is in a permitted area defined by a boundary, the permitted area being in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle;
laterally adjusting the boundary of the permitted area based on a longitudinal speed of the vehicle and based on data indicating turning of the vehicle;
vertically adjusting the boundary of the permitted area based on a distance to an intersection; and
controlling the vehicle based on whether the gaze direction is in the permitted area.

19. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to receive data indicating the longitudinal speed from a speedometer of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Arora Anita
• Boyd Kenneth James
• Patel Jay

Classifications

• B60W40/08 Primary

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W30/12

  Lane keeping · CPC title

• B60W50/16

  Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2520/14

  Yaw · CPC title