Enhancing vehicle system control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9792801-B2
Application number	US-201615228789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2016
Priority date	Aug 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method for alertness control of a vehicle operator includes obtaining, by an apparatus, physiological status data of a person acquired using at least one sensor including at least a biosignal sensor; determining, based on at least the physiological status data, at least one alertness value being indicative of alertness level of the person; determining, by comparing the at least one alertness value to at least one alertness reference value, whether the alertness level of the person is below a threshold alertness level for operating the vehicle; and as a response to the determining that the alertness level is below the threshold alertness level, causing an output of a control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, configured to be attached to a wrist of a person in a vehicle system, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code that, when executed by the at least one processor and when it is determined that the person has initiated driving a vehicle, causes the apparatus to at least:
obtain, using at least one sensor comprising at least a bio-signal sensor, physiological status data of the person driving the vehicle, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a heart activity sensor, and wherein the physiological status data comprises cardiac activity data of the person, wherein the cardiac activity data comprises cardiac activity history data of the person;
determine, based on the cardiac activity history data, a cardiac activity of the person related to a first threshold alertness level for driving the vehicle;
determine, based on real-time cardiac activity data, current cardiac activity of the person being indicative of a current alertness level of the person;
determine, by comparing the current cardiac activity of the person to the cardiac activity of the person related to the first threshold alertness level, whether the current alertness level of the person is below the first threshold alertness level for driving the vehicle; and
cause a wireless output of a control signal as a response to the determination that the current alertness level is below the first threshold alertness level, wherein the control signal is at least for the vehicle system to take control of driving operation of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the physiological status data further comprises sleep history data of the person.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the sleep history data comprises at least one of circadian rhythm data, a resting time during a time period, a sleep time during the time period, data being indicative of sleep quality during the time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the physiological status data further comprises exercise history data of the person.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the physiological status data further comprises personal characteristics data of the person.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the physiological status data further comprises respiration rate data of the person.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:
acquire data related to the driving operation of the vehicle from the vehicle system, wherein determining the at least one alertness value being indicative of the alertness level of the person is further based on the acquired data related to the driving operation of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:
transfer wirelessly data with the vehicle system, the wirelessly transferred data comprising at least one of the physiological status data, data relating to the driving operation of the vehicle, the outputted control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to at least:
transfer, at least partially wirelessly, at least some of the physiological status data with a network service.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control signal further causes at least one of, vehicle air conditioning control, vehicle parameter control, the vehicle system to take control.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is comprised in the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is comprised in a wrist device configured to be worn by the person.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is at least partially comprised in the vehicle system.

Assignees

• Polar Electro Oy

Inventors

• Savolainen Juhani
• Korhonen Topi

Classifications

• G08B21/06

  indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms · CPC title

• A61B5/04012

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/0295

  using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography · CPC title

• A61B5/02405

  Determining heart rate variability · CPC title