US 10,482,350 B2 · Drowsiness detection apparatus and drowsiness detection method thereof

Abstract

A drowsiness detection apparatus is provided. The drowsiness detection apparatus: an image capturing unit, an alarm apparatus, and a drowsiness determination circuit. The image capturing unit is configured to repeatedly capture a plurality of facial images of a user. The drowsiness determination circuit is configured to obtain an eye region from a current image of the facial images, calculate a vertical histogram of the eye region, and determine an eye part from the eye region according to the vertical histogram. The drowsiness determination circuit further compares the pixel height of the eye part with a closed-eye pixel threshold to perform closed-eye detection, and performs drowsiness detection on the user according to the results of the closed-eye detection. When the result of the drowsiness detection indicates that the user is drowsy, the drowsiness determination circuit transmits a control signal to the alarm apparatus to sound an alarm.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A drowsiness detection apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor, configured to repeatedly capture a plurality of facial images of a user;
an alarm apparatus;
and
a processor, configured to obtain an eye region from a current image of the facial images, calculate a vertical histogram of the eye region, and determine an eye part from the eye region according to the vertical histogram,
wherein the processor further compares a pixel height of the eye part with a closed-eye pixel threshold to perform closed-eye detection, and performs drowsiness detection on the user according to results of the closed-eye detection;
and
wherein when the result of the drowsiness detection indicates that the user is drowsy, the processor transmits a control signal to the alarm apparatus to sound an alarm,
wherein the processor calculates a maximum pixel height of the eye part in the facial images within a current period, and determines whether to update the closed-eye pixel threshold according to a difference between the maximum pixel height and the closed-eye pixel threshold.

5 more elements

A drowsiness detection method, for use in a drowsiness detection apparatus, wherein the drowsiness detection apparatus comprises an image sensor and an alarm apparatus, the method comprising:

utilizing the image sensor to repeatedly capture a plurality of facial images of a user;
obtaining an eye region from a current image of the facial images;
calculating a vertical histogram of the eye region;
determining an eye part from the eye region according to the vertical histogram;
comparing a pixel height of the eye part with a closed-eye pixel threshold to perform closed-eye detection;
calculating a maximum pixel height of the eye part in the facial images within a current period;
determining whether to update the closed-eye pixel threshold according to a difference between the maximum pixel height and the closed-eye pixel threshold;
performing drowsiness detection on the user according to the results of the closed-eye detection;
and
transmitting a control signal to the alarm apparatus to raise an alarm when the result of the drowsiness detection indicates that the user is drowsy.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Drowsiness detection apparatus and drowsiness detection method thereof

Life of this patent

Drowsiness detection apparatus and drowsiness detection method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12