Biologically controlled vehicle and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409517-B2
Application number	US-201414563699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle that performs a lane departure warning or lane keeping assistance by reflecting a driver's stress index to more effectively guarantee safe driving, and a method of controlling the same are provided. The vehicle includes a biological signal detecting unit configured to detect a biological signal of a driver and a lane detecting unit configured to detect a lane within which a vehicle is running. A controller is configured to calculate a stress index of the driver based on the detected biological signal of the driver, determine a lane access degree of the vehicle based on the detected lane, and execute a warning output to the driver based on the calculated stress index and the determined lane access degree of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a biological signal detecting unit configured to detect a biological signal of a driver;
a lane detecting unit configured to detect a lane within which a vehicle is running; and
a controller configured to:
calculate a stress index of the driver based on the detected biological signal of the driver;
determine a lane access degree of the vehicle including information regarding a distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the detected lane; and
execute a warning output to the driver based on the calculated stress index and the determined lane access degree of the vehicle,

wherein the controller is configured to:
compare the distance between the vehicle and the lane with at least one reference value that increases as a stress stage of the driver corresponding to the stress index increases; and
execute the warning output to the driver when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the at least one reference value.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sound output unit configured to output a sound; and
a steering wheel manipulated by the driver to control steering of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one reference value includes a first reference value and a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value; and the controller is configured to operate the sound output unit to output a warning sound when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the second reference value and is greater than the first reference value.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the sound output unit to output a warning sound and vibrate the steering wheel when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the first reference value.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the biological signal detecting unit includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor and the ECG sensor is installed within a steering wheel of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lane detecting unit includes at least one of an image sensor and an infrared sensor.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust steering of the vehicle based on the calculated stress index and the determined lane access degree of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
output the warning to the driver or adjust steering of the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the at least one reference value.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one reference value includes a first reference value and a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value; and the controller is configured to adjust steering of the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the first reference value, and output the warning to the driver when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or greater than the first reference value and equal to or less than the second reference value.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising
a motor driven power steering (MDPS) motor configured to supply power to a steering wheel of the vehicle,
wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the MDPS motor and adjust steering of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
a display unit configured to display information regarding the calculated stress index.

12. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:
detecting, by a controller, a biological signal of a driver;
detecting, by the controller, a lane within which a vehicle is running;
calculating, by the controller, a stress index of the driver based on the detected biological signal of the driver;
determining, by the controller, a lane access degree of the vehicle including information regarding a distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the detected lane;
comparing, by the controller, the distance between the vehicle and the lane with at least one reference value that increases as a stress stage of the driver corresponding to the stress index increases; and
executing, by the controller, a warning output to the driver when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the at least one reference value.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the biological signal of the driver includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, and the calculation of the stress index of the driver includes:
obtaining, by the controller, heart rate variability based on the ECG signal of the driver; and
calculating, by the controller, the stress index of the driver based on the obtained heart rate variability.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
adjusting, by the controller, steering of the vehicle based on the calculated stress index and the determined lane access degree of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the execution of the warning output to the driver includes:
comparing, by the controller, the distance between the vehicle and the lane with a second reference value that corresponds to the calculated stress index; and
executing, by the controller, the warning is output to the driver when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the second reference value.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the adjustment of the steering of the vehicle includes:
comparing, by the controller, a distance between the vehicle and the lane with a first reference value that corresponds to the calculated stress index and is less than the second reference value; and
adjusting, by the controller, steering of the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the first reference value.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that detect a biological signal of a driver;
program instructions that detect a lane within which a vehicle is running;
program instructions that calculate a stress index of the driver based on the detected biological signal of the driver;
program instructions that determine a lane access degree of the vehicle including information regarding a distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the detected lane;
program instructions that compare the distance between the vehicle and the lane with at least one reference value that increases as the stress stage of the driver corresponding to the stress index increases; and
program instructions that execute a waning output to the driver when the distance between the vehicle and the lane is equal to or less than the at least one reference value.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Han Jae Sun
• Kim Ju Hyun

Classifications

• G06F2218/14

  by matching peak patterns · CPC title

• G08G1/167

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• B60W2540/22

  Psychological state; Stress level or workload · CPC title

• B60K28/02

  responsive to conditions relating to the driver · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title