Vehicle and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371040-B2
Application number	US-202117473982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 26, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle for determining a risk state of the user by classifying the state of a user into a plurality of stages includes a communicator configured to receive sleeping time data of a user and terminal usage data of the user from a user terminal, a first sensor configured to acquire image data regarding a surrounding of the vehicle, a second sensor configured to acquire driving time data of the vehicle and heading direction data of the vehicle, an alarm, and a controller. The controller is configured to acquire relax data of the user, calculate a risk value, classify a fatigue state of the user, identify a plurality of vehicle driving states, and assign a different weight to each of the vehicle driving states according to the risk type to determine whether the user is in a risk state, and if so, provide a risk alarm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a communicator configured to receive sleeping time data of a user and terminal usage data of the user from a user terminal;
a first sensor configured to acquire image data regarding a surrounding of the vehicle;
a second sensor configured to acquire driving time data of the vehicle and heading direction data of the vehicle;
an alarm; and
a controller configured to:
acquire relax data of the user from a twenty-four hour period based on the sleeping time data and the driving time data;
calculate a risk value based on at least one of the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, or the driving time data;
classify a fatigue state of the user into a plurality of risk types based on the risk value;
identify a plurality of vehicle driving states based on the image data regarding the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle; and
assign a different weight to each of the vehicle driving states according to the risk type to determine whether the user is in a risk state, and upon determining that the user is in a risk state, output a control signal to the alarm;
wherein the alarm is configured to be activated by the controller upon the determination that the user is in a risk state;
wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the image data of the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle, acquire lateral moving distance data of the vehicle with respect to a lane, and assign the lateral moving distance data with a different weight according to the risk type to determine a risk state of the user; and
wherein the controller is further configured to assign a risk level to at least one of the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, and the driving time data, to generate at least one multiplied result by multiplying the data to which the risk level has been assigned among the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, and the driving time data with the assigned risk level, and to calculate the risk value based on adding the at least one multiplied result to a baseline risk level.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
assign the sleeping time data with a risk level and assign the driving time data with a risk level that is lower than the risk level assigned to the sleeping time data; and
calculate the risk value based on the user sleeping time data assigned with the risk level and the driving time data assigned with the risk level.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
assign the relax data of the user with a risk level and assign the driving time data with a risk level that is lower than the risk level assigned to the user relax time data; and
calculate the risk value based on the user relax data assigned with the risk level and the driving time data assigned with the risk level.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller, upon determining that, based on the terminal usage data, the user terminal is activated by receiving an input command of the user while driving, or that the input command of the user is detected within a predetermined input time after the user terminal is activated without an input by the user, is configured to:
acquire count data and usage time data regarding a number of times that a specific function of the user terminal is commanded for a predetermined manipulation time from a point in time when the input command is received from the user, and calculate the risk value based on the acquired count data and the usage time data.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to output the control signal to the risk alarm when the user terminal receives the input command for a time exceeding a predetermined reference time from a point in time when the input command is received.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the image data of the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle, acquire line crossing distance data of the vehicle, and assign the line crossing distance data with a different weight according to the risk type to determine a risk state of the user.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the image data of the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle, acquire steering wheel turning angle data of the vehicle, and assign the steering wheel turning angle data and the lateral moving distance data with a different weight according to the risk type to determine a risk state of the user.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the lateral moving distance data, acquire lateral direction changing number data regarding a number of times that the vehicle switches a lateral direction for a predetermined switching time, and assign the lateral direction changing number data with a different weight according to the risk type to determine a risk state of the user.

9. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving sleeping time data of a user and terminal usage data of the user from a user terminal;
acquiring image data regarding a surrounding of the vehicle;
acquiring driving time data of the vehicle and heading direction data of the vehicle;
acquiring relax data of the user from a twenty-four hour period based on the sleeping time data and the driving time data;
calculating a risk value based on at least one of the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, or the driving time data;
classifying a fatigue state of the user into a plurality of risk types based on the risk value;
identifying a plurality of vehicle driving states based on the image data regarding the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle;
assigning a different weight to each of the vehicle driving states according to the risk type to determine whether the user is in a risk state, and upon determining that the user is in a risk state, outputting a control signal to provide a risk alarm; and
activating the risk alarm upon the determination that the user is in the risk state;
wherein the determining of the risk state of the user includes, based on the image data of the surrounding of the vehicle and the heading direction data of the vehicle, acquiring lateral moving distance data of the vehicle with respect to a lane, and assigning the lateral moving distance data with a different weight according to the risk type; and
wherein calculating the risk value comprises assigning a risk level to at least one of the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, and the driving time data, generating at least one multiplied result by multiplying the data to which the risk level has been assigned among the sleeping time data, the terminal usage data, the relax data, and the driving time data with the assigned risk level, and calculating the risk value based on adding the at least one multiplied result to a baseline risk level.

10. The method of claim 9 , where the calculating of the risk value includes:
assigning the sleeping time data with a risk level and assigning the driving time data with a risk level that is lower than the risk level assigned to the sleeping time data; and
calculating the risk value based on the user sleeping time data assigned with the risk level and the driving time data assigned with the risk level.

11. The method of claim 9 , where the calculating of the risk value further includes:
assigning the relax data of t

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• An Chiyoung

Classifications

• B60W2420/403

  Image sensing, e.g. optical camera · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• B60W2540/229

  Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping · CPC title

• B60W40/09

  Driving style or behaviour · CPC title

• B60W2540/18

  Steering angle · CPC title