# US 10,246,098 B2 · System and method for responding to driver state > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,098 B2 - Document ID: US10246098B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/656,595 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kin C. Fung; Timothy J. Dick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246098B2 ## CPC - G06V 10/82: using neural networks - B60R 25/25: using biometry - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - G06V 10/764: using classification, e.g. of video objects - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - G06V 40/45: {Detection of the body part being alive} - G06V 40/70: Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities - G07C 5/02: Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only (apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00) - G07C 5/08: Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time - G07C 9/37: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - B60W 2540/22: Psychological state; Stress level or workload - B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs - B60W 2540/223: Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined - B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - G06F 2218/12: Classification; Matching - G06V 40/15: {Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow} - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns} - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for controlling vehicle systems includes receiving monitoring information from one or more monitoring systems and determining a plurality of driver states based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems. The method includes determining a combined driver state based on the plurality of driver states and modifying control of one or more vehicle systems based on the combined driver state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling one or more vehicle systems in a motor vehicle, comprising: receiving monitoring information from one or more monitoring systems; determining a plurality of driver states of a driver based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems, wherein the plurality of driver states includes a first driver state comprising hand contact of the driver with a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and a second driver state comprising engagement of a brake pedal or engagement of an accelerator pedal by the driver; determining a combined driver state index as a value dependent on evaluating the plurality of driver states together, including evaluating the first driver state and the second driver state together; and controlling the one or more vehicle systems as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first driver state comprising hand contact of the driver with the steering wheel of the motor vehicle is a behavioral driver state, and the first driver state is determined based on hand contact information received from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second driver state comprising engagement of the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal by the driver is a vehicular-sensed driver state, and the second driver state is determined based on braking information from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes modifying a control parameter of the one or more vehicle systems as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes engaging the one or more vehicle systems or disengaging the one or more vehicle systems according to the control parameter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including determining an intent, initiated by the driver, to change autonomous control of the one or more vehicle systems based on the combined driver state index. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein if the first driver state describes at least one hand in contact with the steering wheel or the second driver state describes the brake pedal is engaged or the accelerator pedal is engaged, the combined driver state index is determined to indicate an intent to disengage autonomous control of the one or more vehicles systems. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes disengaging at least one of a brake hold function of a braking system, an electric parking brake system, an idle mode function of an engine, or a lane keep assist system, as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein if the first driver state describes no hand contact with the steering wheel or the second driver state describes the brake pedal is disengaged and the accelerator pedal is disengaged, the combined driver state index is determined to indicate an intent to engage autonomous control of the one or more vehicles systems. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the control of the one or more vehicle systems includes engaging at least one of a brake hold function of a braking system, an electric parking brake system, an idle mode function of an engine, or a lane keep assist system, as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including determining a vehicle state comprising whether the motor vehicle is in a stopped state based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes controlling the one or more vehicle systems as a function of the combined driver state index and based on the vehicle state. ### Claim 13 A method of controlling vehicle systems in a motor vehicle, comprising: receiving monitoring information from one or more monitoring systems; determining a plurality of driver states of a driver based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems, wherein the plurality of driver states includes a first driver state comprising hand contact of the driver with a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and a second driver state comprising braking of the motor vehicle; determining a combined driver state index resulting from confirming the plurality of driver states together; and controlling the one or more vehicle systems to engage or disengage a function of the one or more vehicle systems according to the combined driver state index. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first driver state comprising hand contact of the driver with the steering wheel of the motor vehicle is a behavioral driver state, and the first driver state is determined based on hand contact information received from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second driver state comprising braking of the motor vehicle is a vehicular-sensed driver state, and the second driver state is determined based on braking information from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, including determining a vehicle state comprising whether the motor vehicle is in a stopped state based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein determining the combined driver state index includes determining the combined driver state index resulting from confirming the plurality of driver states and the vehicle state together. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the combined driver state index describes a level of attention of the driver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein if the first driver state describes at least one hand in contact with the steering wheel or the second driver state describes braking is being applied to the motor vehicle by the driver, the driver is determined to be attentive based on the combined driver state index. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein upon determining the driver is attentive based on the combined driver state index, controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes disengaging at least one of a brake hold function of a braking system, an electric parking brake system, an idle mode function of an engine, or a lane keep assist system, as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein if the first driver state describes no hand contact with the steering wheel or the second driver state describes the brake pedal is disengaged and the accelerator pedal is disengaged, the driver is determined to be distracted based on the combined driver state index. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein upon determining the driver is distracted based on the combined driver state index, controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes engaging at least one of a brake hold function of a braking system, an electric parking brake system, an idle mode function of an engine, or a lane keep assist system, as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 23 A method of controlling one or more vehicle systems in a motor vehicle, comprising: receiving monitoring information from a plurality of monitoring systems; determining a plurality of driver states of a driver based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems, wherein the plurality of driver states includes a behavioral driver state comprising hand contact of the driver with a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and a vehicular-sensed driver state comprising engagement of a brake pedal or engagement of an accelerator pedal by the driver determining a combined driver state index as a function of evaluating the plurality of driver states together, including evaluating the behavioral driver state and the vehicular-sensed driver state together; and modifying a control status of the one or more vehicle systems as a function of the combined driver state index. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the behavioral driver state is determined based on hand contact information received from the one or more monitoring systems, wherein the hand contact information is measured by the one or more monitoring systems by measuring external characteristics of the driver. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the vehicular-sensed driver state is determined based on vehicle information received from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the combined driver state index describes a level of autonomous control of the one or more vehicle systems desired by the driver. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein if the behavioral driver state describes at least one hand in contact with the steering wheel or the vehicular-sensed driver state describes the brake pedal is engaged or the accelerator pedal is engaged, modifying the control status of the one or more vehicle systems includes modifying the control status to no control. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein if the behavioral driver state describes no hand contact with the steering wheel or the vehicular-sensed driver state describes the brake pedal is disengaged and the accelerator pedal is disengaged, modifying the control status of the one or more vehicle systems includes modifying the control status to auto control. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, including determining a vehicle state comprising whether the motor vehicle is in a stopped state based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein modifying the control status of the one or more vehicle systems includes modifying the control status based on the vehicle state and as a function of the combined driver state index.