Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928433-B1
Application number	US-201615181636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2016
Priority date	Jun 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving. More particularly, apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving based on digital image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving, the device comprising:
a previously classified image data receiving module stored on a memory that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to receive previously classified image data from at least one previously classified image database, wherein the previously classified image data is representative of previously classified vehicle operator actions, and wherein the previously classified image data is representative of rotated and scaled postures that are normalized for a range of different vehicle occupants;
a current image data receiving module stored on a memory that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to receive current image data from at least one vehicle interior sensor, wherein the current image data is representative of current vehicle operator action, and wherein the current image data includes images and/or extracted image features that are representative of a vehicle occupant using a cellular telephone, a vehicle occupant looking out a vehicle side window, a vehicle occupant adjusting a vehicle radio, a vehicle occupant adjusting a vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, two vehicle occupants talking with one-another, a vehicle occupant reading a book or magazine, a vehicle occupant putting on makeup, or a vehicle occupant looking at themselves in a mirror; and
a vehicle operator texting detection module stored on a memory that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to detect whether a vehicle operator is texting while driving based on a comparison of the current image data with the previously classified image data.

2. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle interior sensor is selected from: at least one digital image sensor, at least one ultra-sonic sensor, at least one radar-sensor, at least one infrared light sensor, or at least one laser light sensor.

3. The device as in claim 1 , wherein vehicle operator texting while driving is determined using a probability function, wherein each term of the probability function is a weighted factor derived from image data.

4. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the previously classified image data is representative of a three-dimensional representation of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior.

5. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the current image data is representative of a three-dimensional representation of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior.

6. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the previously classified image data is representative of rotated and scaled postures that are normalized for a range of different vehicle occupants.

7. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the previously classified image data includes images and/or extracted image features that have previously been classified as being representative of a vehicle occupant using a cellular telephone, a vehicle occupant looking out a vehicle side window, a vehicle occupant adjusting a vehicle radio, a vehicle occupant adjusting a vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, two vehicle occupants talking with one-another, a vehicle occupant reading a book or magazine, a vehicle occupant putting on makeup, or a vehicle occupant looking at themselves in a mirror.

8. A computer-implemented method for determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving, the method comprising:
receiving, at a processor of a computing device, previously classified image data from at least one previously classified image database in response to the processor executing a previously classified image data receiving module, wherein the previously classified image data is representative of previously classified vehicle operator actions, and wherein the previously classified image data is representative of rotated and scaled postures that are normalized for a range of different vehicle occupants;
receiving, at a processor of a computing device, current image data from at least one vehicle interior sensor a current image data receiving module, in response to the processor executing a current image data receiving module, wherein the current image data is representative of current vehicle operator actions, and wherein the current image data includes images and/or extracted image features that are representative of vehicle occupant locations/orientations, cellular telephone locations/orientations, vehicle occupant eye locations/orientations, vehicle occupant head location/orientation, vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a seat belt location, or a vehicle seat location/orientation; and
determining, using a processor of a computing device, whether a vehicle operator is texting while driving, based on a comparison of the current image data with the previously classified image data, in response to the processor executing a vehicle operator texting detection module.

9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the at least one vehicle interior sensor is selected from: at least one digital image sensor, at least one ultra-sonic sensor, at least one radar-sensor, at least one infrared light sensor, or at least one laser light sensor.

10. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the current image data is representative of a three-dimensional representation of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior.

11. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the previously classified image data is representative of a three-dimensional representation of at least one occupant within the vehicle interior.

12. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the vehicle operator action is detected using a probability function, wherein each term of the probability function is a weighted factor derived from image data.

13. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the previously classified image data is representative of rotated and scaled postures that are normalized for a range of different vehicle occupants.

14. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the previously classified image data includes images and/or extracted image features that have previously been classified as being representative of known vehicle occupant locations/orientations, known cellular telephone locations/orientations, known vehicle occupant eye locations/orientations, known vehicle occupant head location/orientation, known vehicle occupant hand location/orientation, a known vehicle occupant torso location/orientation, a known seat belt location, or a known vehicle seat location/orientation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determining when a vehicle operator is texting while driving, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
a previously classified image data receiving module that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to receive previously classified image data from at least one previously classified image database, wherein the previously classified image data is representative of previously classified vehicle operator actions, and wherein the previously classified image data is representative of rotated and scaled postures that are normalized for a range of different vehicle occupants;
a current image data receiving module that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to receive current image data from at least one vehicle interior sensor, wherein the current image data is representative of current vehicle operator actions, and wherein the current image data includes images and/or extracted image features that are repr

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Chan Aaron Scott
• Sanchez Kenneth J

Classifications

• G06V20/597

  Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness · CPC title

• H04N7/181 Primary

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G06F18/2415

  based on parametric or probabilistic models, e.g. based on likelihood ratio or false acceptance rate versus a false rejection rate · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• G06K9/68

  Physics · mapped topic