# US 10,311,698 B2 · Method and device for detecting a tiredness and/or sleeping state of a driver of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,311,698 B2 - Document ID: US10311698B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/556,892 - Filed: 2016-01-05 - Published: 2018-08-23 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-10 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Felix Wulf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311698B2 ## CPC - G08B 21/06: indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms - B60Q 9/00: Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - G06V 40/18: Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris - B60Y 2302/03: Actuating a signal or alarm device - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A method for recognizing a state of tiredness and/or sleep of a vehicle driver. The method includes reading in a first and second eye opening signal, the first signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the left eye of the driver of the vehicle and the second signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the right eye of the driver of the vehicle. The method also includes recognizing a validity of the first and/or second signal to recognize the first signal as valid if the first signal corresponds to a first criterion and/or to recognize the second signal as valid if the second eye signal corresponds to a second criterion, and determining the state of tiredness and/or sleep of the driver of the vehicle using the first signal recognized as valid and/or the second signal recognized as valid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for recognizing a state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising: reading in a first eye opening signal and a second eye opening signal, the first eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the left eye of the driver of the vehicle, and the second eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the right eye of the driver of the vehicle; recognizing a validity of the first and/or second eye opening signal to recognize the first eye opening signal as valid if the first eye opening signal corresponds to a first criterion and/or to recognize the second eye opening signal as valid if the second eye opening signal corresponds to a second criterion; and determining the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle using the first eye opening signal recognized as valid and/or the second eye opening signal recognized as valid; wherein the degree of eye opening includes a ratio of a lid closure of an eyelid of the eye, between a completely open lid and a completely closed lid, and wherein the eye opening signals represent a signal derived from a degree of eye opening, including at least one of an eye opening speed or an eye opening acceleration of the eye. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the recognizing, the first and/or second eye opening signal is recognized as valid if a value representing the eye opening speed of the left and/or right eye has a value that does not exceed a predetermined eye opening speed threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in, a head movement speed of the head of the driver of the vehicle is read in, the first and/or second eye opening signal being recognized as valid in the recognition if the head movement speed has a value that corresponds at most to a predetermined head movement speed threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in, an orientation of the face of the driver of the vehicle is read in, the first and/or second eye opening signal being recognized as valid in the recognition if the orientation has a value that is within a predetermined orientation angular range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining, an overall eye opening signal is determined using the first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid, the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle being determined on the basis of the overall eye opening signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining, an eye opening signal not recognized as valid is rejected for the determination the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle, and/or a first eye opening signal recognized as valid and a second eye opening signal recognized as valid are averaged in order to determine the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining, there takes place an interpolation of a first and/or second eye opening signal and/or of the first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid over a time span within which the first and/or second eye opening signal and/or the first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid are not recognized as valid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining, a segment of a first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid for determining the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle is rejected if the segment is shorter than a predetermined time duration threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining, the first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid and/or the overall eye opening signal are smoothed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the recognizing, the first and/or second eye opening signal and/or the first and/or second eye opening signal recognized as valid represent a degree of eye opening that is greater than a predetermined eye opening degree threshold value. ### Claim 11 A device for recognizing a state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of a driver of a vehicle, comprising: a reading arrangement to read in a first eye opening signal and a second eye opening signal, the first eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the left eye of the driver of the vehicle, and the second eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the right eye of the driver of the vehicle; a recognizing arrangement to recognize a validity of the first and/or second eye opening signal to recognize the first eye opening signal as valid if the first eye opening signal corresponds to a first criterion and/or to recognize the second eye opening signal as valid if the second eye opening signal corresponds to a second criterion; and a determining arrangement to determine the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle using the first eye opening signal recognized as valid and/or the second eye opening signal recognized as valid; wherein the degree of eye opening includes a ratio of a lid closure of an eyelid of the eye, between a completely open lid and a completely closed lid, and wherein the eye opening signals represent a signal derived from a degree of eye opening, including at least one of an eye opening speed or an eye opening acceleration of the eye. ### Claim 12 A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising: a program code arrangement having program code for recognizing a state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of a driver of a vehicle, by performing the following: reading in a first eye opening signal and a second eye opening signal, the first eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the left eye of the driver of the vehicle, and the second eye opening signal representing a degree of eye opening and/or a signal derived therefrom of the right eye of the driver of the vehicle; recognizing a validity of the first and/or second eye opening signal to recognize the first eye opening signal as valid if the first eye opening signal corresponds to a first criterion and/or to recognize the second eye opening signal as valid if the second eye opening signal corresponds to a second criterion; and determining the state of tiredness and/or state of sleep of the driver of the vehicle using the first eye opening signal recognized as valid and/or the second eye opening signal recognized as valid; wherein the degree of eye opening includes a ratio of a lid closure of an eyelid of the eye, between a completely open lid and a completely closed lid, and wherein the eye opening signals represent a signal derived from a degree of eye opening, including at least one of an eye opening speed or an eye opening acceleration of the eye. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein in the recognizing, the first and/or second eye opening signal is recognized as valid if a value representing the eye opening speed of the left and/or right eye has a value that does not exceed a predetermined eye opening speed threshold value.