Driver state detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024246542-A1
Application number	US-202418415649-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 18, 2024
Priority date	Jan 20, 2023
Publication date	Jul 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A driver state detection device provided with a driver monitor camera configured to capture the face of a driver of a vehicle to generate a facial image of the driver and a control device. The control device is configured so as to detect the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver based on the facial image, judge that the driver is driving distracted when the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver is maintained for greater than or equal to a predetermined time period at the outside from the allowable range allowed as the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver, and set the allowable range based on an operating parameter which is in a correlative relationship with steering operation of the steering wheel of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle.

First claim

1 . A driver state detection device comprising:
a driver monitor camera configured to capture the appearance of a driver of a vehicle to generate an image of the driver appearance; and a control device, wherein the control device is configured to:
detect the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver based on the image of the appearance;
judge that the driver is driving distracted when the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver is maintained for greater than or equal to a predetermined time period in a range at the outside from the allowable range allowed as the facial orientation or the line-of-sight direction of the driver; and
set the allowable range based on an operating parameter which is in a correlative relationship with steering operation of the steering wheel of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle.

2 . The driver state detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to:
set the allowable range to a first allowable range if the steering parameter is less than an expansion threshold value set in accordance with a speed of the vehicle;
set the allowable range to a second allowable range broader than the first allowable range if the steering parameter is greater than or equal to the expansion threshold value; and
make the expansion threshold value smaller when the speed of the vehicle is high compared to when it is low.

3 . The driver state detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
the control device is configured to make the range at the side in the direction of advance of the vehicle changed by the steering operation broader than the first allowable range by exactly a predetermined amount when setting the allowable range to the second allowable range.

4 . The driver state detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the driver state detection device further comprises an output device configured to provide notifications to the driver, and the control device is configured to provide notifications relating to distracted driving to the driver through the output device when it is judged that the driver is driving distracted.

5 . The driver state detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the steering parameter is a steering angle of a steering wheel or a turning angle of turning wheels of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Aisin Corp

Inventors

• Akaho Daisuke
• Maehara Makoto
• Wakazono Takashi
• Tomosue Kazuhiro
• Hoshino Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B60W2540/229

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

• B60W2540/225

  Direction of gaze · CPC title

• B60W2540/18

  Steering angle · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title