# US 11,443,534 B2 · Vehicular monitoring device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,534 B2 - Document ID: US11443534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/278,077 - Filed: 2019-09-20 - Published: 2021-11-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-20 - Assignees: Isuzu Motors Limited - Applicants: Isuzu Motors Limited - Inventors: Shigeru Takinami; Kazuhiko Yamaguchi; Mayumi Iwao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443534B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60K 28/06: responsive to incapacity of driver - 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} - G06F 18/15: Statistical pre-processing, e.g. techniques for normalisation or restoring missing data - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - G08B 21/06: indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - 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 - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract In this vehicular monitoring device, an imaging unit 2 captures an image of the driver of a vehicle. A driving state measurement unit 70 analyzes the image captured by the imaging unit 2 and measures a plurality of driving states including the eye opening degree of the driver. A travel state determination unit 71 determines the travel state of the vehicle. An alarm determination unit 72 uses the driving states and the travel state as a basis to determine whether to activate an alarm device 5. When a statistical amount calculated from time series data for the eye opening degree acquired from the driving state measurement unit 70 is outside of a predetermined normal determination reference range, the driving states other than the eye opening degree are normal, and the travel state is determined to be normal, the alarm determination unit 72 causes the driving state measurement unit 70 to perform eye opening degree detection processing again. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular monitoring device comprising: an imaging unit which captures an image of a driver of a vehicle; a driving state measurement unit which analyzes the image captured by the imaging unit and measures a plurality of driving states including an eye opening degree of the driver; a traveling state determination unit which determines a traveling state of the vehicle; and an alarm determination unit which determines whether or not to activate an alarm device based on the driving states and the traveling state, wherein, when a statistic calculated from time series data of the eye opening degree acquired from the driving state measurement unit is outside a predetermined normal determination reference range, and when is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are normal and that the traveling state is also normal, the alarm determination unit causes the driving state measurement unit to re-execute a process of detecting the eye opening degree without activating the alarm device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, when the statistic calculated from the time series data of the eye opening degree acquired from the driving state measurement unit is kept outside the predetermined normal determination reference range for a predetermined time, and when is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are normal and that the traveling state is also normal, the alarm determination unit causes the driving state measurement unit to re-execute the process of detecting the eye opening degree. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the traveling state determination unit includes: a data observation unit which observes type 1 observation data, which is a plurality of pieces of observation data constantly observed based on an in-vehicle sensor mounted on the vehicle, and type 2 observation data, which is a plurality of pieces of observation data observed at a time of operating an operation unit mounted on the vehicle by the driver; and a state determination unit which determines whether or not the traveling state is normal based on whether or not each piece of type 1 observation data is included within a normal determination reference range determined for each piece of type 1 observation data and whether or not type 2 observation data is observed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, even when the statistic calculated from the time series data of the eye opening degree acquired from the driving state measurement unit is outside the predetermined normal determination reference range, when is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are normal and that the traveling state is also normal, the alarm determination unit prohibits activation of the alarm device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising: a coordinate detection unit which detects position information indicating a position of the vehicle and a traveling direction; and a sunshine orientation acquisition unit which acquires a sunshine orientation by referring to a sunshine orientation database that stores dates and times, the position information, and sunshine orientations in association with each other, wherein, when the statistic calculated from the time series data of the eye opening degree acquired from the driving state measurement unit is outside the predetermined normal determination reference range, the alarm determination unit causes the driving state measurement unit to re-execute the process of detecting the eye opening degree, on condition that is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are normal and that the traveling state is also normal, and that the traveling direction of the vehicle and the sunshine orientation at the position of the vehicle satisfy a predetermined relationship. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, when the statistic is outside the predetermined normal determination reference range, after is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are abnormal and that the traveling state is abnormal, the alarm determination unit activates the alarm device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicular monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, when the statistic is outside the predetermined normal determination reference range, only after is determined that the driving states other than the eye opening degree are abnormal and that the traveling state is abnormal, the alarm determination unit activates the alarm device.