Primary preview region and gaze based driver distraction detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12346498-B2
Application number	US-202418627379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of detecting distracted driving comprises: determining, by one or more processors, a primary preview region (PPR) in a representation of an environment; determining, by the one or more processors, a gaze point for a driver based on a sequence of images of the driver; determining, by the one or more processors, that the gaze point is outside of the PPR; based on the determined gaze point being outside of the PPR, decreasing, by the one or more processors, an attention level for the PPR; based on the attention level for the PPR, generating, by the one or more processors, an alert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of detecting distracted driving comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, a first primary preview region (PPR) in a representation of an environment, wherein the first PPR is one of a plurality of PPRs and wherein each PPR is a region to which a driver should pay attention;
determining, by the one or more processors, a gaze point for a driver based on a sequence of images of the driver;
determining, by the one or more processors, that the gaze point is outside of the first PPR;
based on the determined gaze point being outside of the first PPR, decreasing, by the one or more processors, an attention level for the first PPR; and
based on the attention level for the first PPR, generating, by the one or more processors, an alert;
estimating a future path using vehicle and road information;
determining that the first PPR is not along the future path; and
based on the determination that the first PPR is not along the future path, removing the first PPR from the plurality of PPRS.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second gaze point for the driver based on a second sequence of images of the driver; and
based on the second gaze point being inside of the first PPR, increasing the attention level for the first PPR.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each PPR of the plurality of PPRs has a corresponding attention level;
the generating of the alert is further based on the attention level for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a priority score for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs; and wherein
the attention level for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs is based on the priority score for the PPR.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the one or more processors, an object depicted in the representation of the environment; and wherein the determining of the first PPR comprises determining the first PPR for the object.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the first PPR for the object comprises determining a velocity of the object.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the identifying of the object depicted in the image of the environment comprises analyzing the image with a trained machine-learning algorithm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first PPR comprises:
determining a primary preview point (PPP); and
determining the PPR based on the PPP and a predetermined radius.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the environment is generated by an infrared (IR) camera.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first PPR in the representation of the environment comprises identifying a lane of a road.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the environment is generated by a laser scanner.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the attention level for the PPR is based on a profile of the driver.

13. A system for detecting distracted driving, comprising:
a memory storage comprising instructions; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
determining a first primary preview region (PPR) in a representation of an environment, wherein the first PPR is one of a plurality of PPRs and wherein each PPR is a region to which a driver should pay attention;
determining a gaze point for the driver based on a sequence of images of the driver;
determining that the gaze point is outside of the first PPR;
based on the determined gaze point being outside of the first PPR, decreasing, by the one or more processors, an attention level for the first PPR;
based on the attention level for the first PPR, generating, by the one or more processors, an alert;
estimating a future path using vehicle and road information;
determining that the first PPR is not along the future path; and
based on the determination that the first PPR is not along the future path, removing the first PPR from the plurality of PPRS.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a second gaze point for the driver based on a second sequence of images of the driver; and
based on the second gaze point being inside of the first PPR, increasing the attention level for the first PPR.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
each PPR of the plurality of PPRs has a corresponding attention level;
the generating of the alert is further based on the attention level for each PPR of the plurality of PPRS.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a priority score for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs; and wherein
the attention level for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs is based on the priority score for the PPR.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying an object depicted in the representation of the environment; and wherein the determining of the first PPR comprises determining the first PPR for the object.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions for detecting distracted driving, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining a first primary preview region (PPR) in a representation of an environment, wherein the first PPR is one of a plurality of PPRs and wherein each PPR is a region to which a driver should pay attention;
determining a gaze point for the driver based on a sequence of images of the driver;
determining that the gaze point is outside of the first PPR;
based on the determined gaze point being outside of the first PPR, decreasing, by the one or more processors, an attention level for the first PPR;
based on the attention level for the first PPR, generating an alert;
estimating a future path using vehicle and road information;
determining that the first PPR is not along the future path; and
based on the determination that the first PPR is not along the future path, removing the first PPR from the plurality of PPRs.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a second gaze point for the driver based on a second sequence of images of the driver; and
based on the second gaze point being inside of the first PPR, increasing the attention level for the first PPR.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:
each PPR of the plurality of PPRs has a corresponding attention level;
the generating of the alert is further based on the attention level for each PPR of the plurality of PPRs.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Yu Hai
• Porikli Fatih
• Wu Yuzhu

Classifications

• B60W2540/00

  Input parameters relating to occupants · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · 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

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title