Vehicle driver monitoring system

A driver monitoring system for a vehicle, said driver monitoring system comprising:

• a driver status information acquisition system operable to determine status of a driver of the vehicle;
• wherein an in-vehicle control system of the vehicle is operable to autonomously drive the vehicle along a road;
• wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives data from a plurality of sensors in the vehicle and determines the driver status responsive to processing of the received data;
• wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one camera having a field of view encompassing at least part of the driver of the vehicle;
• wherein said plurality of sensors comprises at least one radar sensor sensing an area occupied by the driver of the vehicle;
• a communication system of the vehicle that is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote assistance system;
• wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, the in-vehicle control system is operable to generate an alert to the driver to indicate that the driver should take over driving the vehicle;
• wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, and responsive to the status of the driver while the driver is not driving the vehicle as determined by said driver status information acquisition system being indicative of the driver not being able to take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, said communication system wirelessly communicates information to the remote assistance system and, responsive to the communication received by the remote assistance system, the remote assistance system remotely takes over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system and drives the vehicle.

A driver monitoring system for a vehicle, said driver monitoring system comprising:

• a driver status information acquisition system operable to determine status of a driver of the vehicle;
• wherein an in-vehicle control system of the vehicle is operable to autonomously drive the vehicle along a road;
• wherein said driver status information acquisition system receives data from a plurality of sensors in the vehicle and determines status of the driver responsive to processing of the received data;
• a communication system of the vehicle that is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote assistance system;
• wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, the in-vehicle control system is operable to generate an alert to the driver to indicate that the driver should take over driving the vehicle;
• wherein, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle should take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, and responsive to the status of the driver while the driver is not driving the vehicle as determined by said driver status information acquisition system being indicative of the driver not being able to take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system, said communication system wirelessly communicates information to the remote assistance system and, responsive to the communication received by the remote assistance system, the remote assistance system remotely takes over driving of the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system and drives the vehicle;
• and
• wherein the in-vehicle control system is responsive at least in part to the status of the driver as determined by said driver status information acquisition system at least when the vehicle is being autonomously driven by the in-vehicle control system;
• and
• wherein the in-vehicle control system, while the driver is not driving the vehicle and the in-vehicle control system is autonomously driving the vehicle, and responsive at least in part to the driver status being indicative of a disabled driver, will not allow the driver to take over driving the vehicle from the in-vehicle control system.