# US 10,118,488 B1 · System and method to monitor and alert vehicle operator of impairment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,488 B1 - Document ID: US10118488B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/981,388 - Filed: 2018-05-16 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-05 - Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Inventors: Matthew Eric Riley, Sr.; Gregory Dwayne Carter; James M. Freeman; Vaidya Balasubramanian Pillai; Jason Chang; David W. Thurber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118488B1 ## CPC - A61B 5/18: for vehicle drivers {or machine operators} - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/163: {by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change} - A61B 5/6802: {Sensor mounted on worn items} - A61B 5/7455: {characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation} - A61B 5/746: {Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms} - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal - G08B 21/06: indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms - A61B 5/0077: {Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens} - A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate - A61B 5/0533: Measuring galvanic skin response - A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2040/0827: {due to sleepiness} - B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs - B60Y 2400/902: giving haptic or tactile signals - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring a vehicle operator during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired (e.g., distracted, drowsy, intoxicated) and alerting the vehicle operator using a haptic alert delivered by a wearable computing device worn by the vehicle operator when impairment is detected. The method, system, and computer-readable medium may monitor the vehicle operator, the environment surrounding the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle using a variety of sensors, including optical sensors or accelerometers. In particular, optical sensors may monitor the vehicle operator to detect eye blinks, head nods, head rotations, and/or gaze fixation. Optical sensors may also monitor the road ahead of the vehicle to detect lane deviation, lane centering, and time to collision. Accelerometers may detect acceleration in the direction of vehicle travel and/or lateral acceleration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for alerting a vehicle operator of operator impairment using a wearable computing device worn by the vehicle operator, comprising: initiating, by a mobile computing device, monitoring of a vehicle operator upon generation of a command to begin monitoring when the mobile computing device is within a threshold distance of a vehicle, wherein monitoring includes generating sensor data using one or more of following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; monitoring, by the mobile computing device, the vehicle operator by: causing one or more sensors to generate the sensor data regarding the vehicle operator, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed within one or more of the following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; determining that the vehicle operator is impaired based upon the generated sensor data; communicating an alert indicating that the vehicle operator is impaired to the wearable computing device via a wireless communication link, wherein the alert includes a haptic alert; and activating a haptic output unit of the wearable computing device to generate the alert. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device determines it is within the threshold distance of the vehicle using global positioning system (GPS) data from a GPS unit within the mobile computing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method comprising: processing the received sensor data to determine one or more impairment scores indicating one or more impairment levels of the vehicle operator; and determining that the vehicle operator is impaired when at least one of the one or more impairment scores is outside a range of values indicative of an unimpaired state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data regarding the vehicle operator indicates one or more of the following: a vehicle operator head nod, a vehicle operator scanning frequency, a vehicle operator gaze fixation, a vehicle operator mirror checking, a vehicle operator head rotation, a vehicle operator arm movement, a vehicle operator skin conductivity, a vehicle operator temperature, or a vehicle operator pulse rate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert further includes a flashing image, and further comprising controlling a display of the wearable computing device to display the flashing image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wearable computing device is a smart watch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring movement of the wearable computing device using accelerometer data from an accelerometer array within the wearable computing device while the alert is being generated; determining that the wearable computing device is being shaken based upon the accelerometer data; and disabling the alert in response to the determination that the wearable computing device is being shaken. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the vehicle operator further comprises calibrating at least one of the one or more sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the calibrating includes adjusting the at least one of the one or more sensors to account for one or more of the following: ambient lighting conditions, time of day, or weather conditions. ### Claim 10 A computer system for alerting a vehicle operator of operator impairment comprising: a mobile computing device having one or more processors and a program memory; a wearable computing device communicatively connected to the mobile computing device; and one or more sensors communicatively connected to the mobile computing device; wherein the program memory stores executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the mobile computing device to: initiate monitoring of a vehicle operator upon generation of a command to begin monitoring when the mobile computing device is within a threshold distance of a vehicle, wherein monitoring includes generating sensor data using one or more of following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; monitor the vehicle operator by the following: causing the one or more sensors to generate the sensor data regarding the vehicle operator, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed within one or more of the following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; determining that the vehicle operator is impaired based upon the generated sensor data; and generating an alert to warn the vehicle operator based upon the determination that the vehicle operator is impaired, wherein the alert includes a haptic alert; and cause the wearable computing device to activate a haptic output unit of the wearable computing device to generate the alert by communicating the alert to the wearable computing device via a wireless communication link. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the mobile computing device further includes a global positioning system (GPS) unit, and the mobile computing device determines it is within the threshold distance of the vehicle using GPS data from the GPS unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the mobile computing device receives sensor data from an on-board computer of the vehicle via a wireless communication link. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the wearable computing device is a smart watch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the sensor data regarding the vehicle operator indicates one or more of the following: a vehicle operator head nod, a vehicle operator scanning frequency, a vehicle operator gaze fixation, a vehicle operator mirror checking, a vehicle operator head rotation, a vehicle operator arm movement, a vehicle operator skin conductivity, a vehicle operator temperature, or a vehicle operator pulse rate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein: the alert further includes a flashing image, and the program memory further stores executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the mobile computing device to cause a display of the wearable computing device to display the flashing image. ### Claim 16 A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for alerting a vehicle operator of operator impairment using a wearable computing device worn by the vehicle operator that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to: initiate monitoring of a vehicle operator upon generation of a command to begin monitoring when a mobile computing device is within a threshold distance of the vehicle, wherein monitoring includes generating sensor data using one or more of following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; monitor the vehicle operator by: causing one or more sensors to generate the sensor data regarding the vehicle operator, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed within one or more of the following: the mobile computing device or the wearable computing device; determining that the vehicle operator is impaired based upon the generated sensor data; generating an alert to warn the vehicle operator based upon the determination that the vehicle operator is impaired, wherein the alert includes a haptic alert; and communicating the alert to the wearable computing device via a wireless communication link; and activating a haptic output unit of the wearable computing device to generate the alert. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to determine the mobile computing device is within the threshold distance of the vehicle using global positioning system (GPS) data from a GPS unit within the mobile computing device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to receive sensor data from an on-board computer of the vehicle via a wireless communication link. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein: the alert further includes a flashing image, and further comprising executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to control a display of the wearable computing device to display the flashing image. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the wearable computing device is a smart watch.