Systems and methods for verifying whether vehicle operators are paying attention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12122294-B2
Application number	US-202217725257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2022
Priority date	May 1, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for verifying whether vehicle operators are paying attention are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: generate output signals conveying information related to a first vehicle operator; make a first type of determination of at least one of an object on which attention of the first vehicle operator is focused and/or a direction in which attention of the first vehicle operator is focused; make a second type of determination regarding fatigue of the first vehicle operator; make a third type of determination of at least one of a distraction level of the first vehicle operator and/or a fatigue level of the first vehicle operator; and effectuate a notification regarding the third type of determination to at least one of the first vehicle operator and/or a remote computing server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured for verifying whether vehicle operators are paying attention, the system comprising:
a set of sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to a first vehicle operator during a period of operation of a first vehicle; and
one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
make a first type of determination regarding an alertness level of the first vehicle operator during the operation of the first vehicle, wherein the alertness level represents whether the first vehicle operator is paying attention in a manner that is appropriate for being in active control of the operation of the first vehicle;
make a second type of determination regarding a fatigue level of the first vehicle operator during the operation of the first vehicle, wherein the second type of determination is based on the generated output signals;
modify both of (i) an alertness threshold and (ii) a fatigue threshold, wherein modifications are based on a current speed of the first vehicle; and
subsequent to the modifications and responsive to both of (i) the alertness level breaching the alertness threshold and (ii) the fatigue level breaching the fatigue threshold, effectuate a notification to at least one of the first vehicle operator and a remote computing server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
make a third type of determination regarding a distraction level of the first vehicle operator based on a direction in which attention of the first vehicle operator is focused during the operation of the first vehicle;
wherein the notification is further responsive to the distraction level breaching a distraction threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
modify the distraction threshold based on the current speed of the first vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle operator is actively participating in the operation of the first vehicle during the period of operation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation of the first vehicle is actively and primarily controlled by an autonomous driving algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the period of operation of the first vehicle spans a trip of the first vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first type of determination is made multiple times in an ongoing manner spanning at least 50 percent of the period of operation of the first vehicle.

8. A method for verifying whether vehicle operators are paying attention, the method comprising:
generating output signals conveying information related to a first vehicle operator during a period of operation of a first vehicle;
making a first type of determination regarding an alertness level of the first vehicle operator during the operation of the first vehicle, wherein the alertness level represents whether the first vehicle operator is paying attention in a manner that is appropriate for being in active control of the operation of the first vehicle;
making a second type of determination regarding a fatigue level of the first vehicle operator during the operation of the first vehicle, wherein the second type of determination is based on the generated output signals;
modifying both of (i) an alertness threshold and (ii) a fatigue threshold, wherein modifications are based on a current speed of the first vehicle; and
subsequent to the modifications and responsive to both of (i) the alertness level breaching the alertness threshold and (ii) the fatigue level breaching the fatigue threshold, effectuating a notification to at least one of the first vehicle operator and a remote computing server.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
making a third type of determination regarding a distraction level of the first vehicle operator based on a direction in which attention of the first vehicle operator is focused during the operation of the first vehicle;
wherein the notification is further responsive to the distraction level breaching a distraction threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
modifying the distraction threshold based on the current speed of the first vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first vehicle operator is actively participating in the operation of the first vehicle during the period of operation.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of the first vehicle is actively and primarily controlled by an autonomous driving algorithm.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the period of operation of the first vehicle spans a trip of the first vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first type of determination is made multiple times in an ongoing manner spanning at least 50 percent of the period of operation of the first vehicle.

Assignees

• Smartdrive Systems Inc

Inventors

• Mauricia Juan Carlos
• Deninger Daniel Andrew
• Ghanbari Reza
• Freitas Mark
• Griswold Jeffrey
• Forney David
• Brookins Nicholas Shayne
• Palmer Jason

Classifications

• G05D1/81

  Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control · CPC title

• B60W2556/00

  Input parameters relating to data · CPC title

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W2552/00

  Input parameters relating to infrastructure · CPC title