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US 11,628,845 B2Granted
Method and device for driver state evaluation and vehicle
AssigneeBayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsFlorian Bade, Martin Buchner, Julia Niemann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a device for driver state evaluation are provided. In a detection step, in a sensor-aided manner, a driver's viewing direction in a field of view defined relative to the vehicle is detected and a solid angle oriented to the viewing direction is determined depending on at least one parameter that influences the field of view. In an evaluation step, at least one object point of the three-dimensional surroundings of the driver is evaluated on the basis of the latter's position with respect to the solid angle determined and an attentiveness-related driver state is ascertained depending on this evaluation and is output.
Claims19
A method for driver state evaluation with respect to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- capturing, using a camera disposed in the vehicle, a viewing direction of the driver into a field of view that is defined relative to the vehicle;
- ascertaining a solid angle aligned with the viewing direction captured by the camera in dependence on at least one parameter that influences the field of view;
- defining a virtual cross-sectional area through the ascertained solid angle, wherein
- the virtual cross-sectional area is delimited by a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to the captured viewing direction and intersecting with the ascertained solid angle;
- deriving a delimitation of the virtual cross-sectional area based on the at least one parameter, wherein
- the at least one parameter characterizes a seating position and/or an anatomical property of the driver and is ascertained by a first sensor or is provided via an interface;
- deriving at least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on:
- detecting an exterior object using a second sensor disposed on the vehicle;
- and/or
- reading a three-dimensional model of an interior vehicle object from a memory;
- evaluating the at least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on a position of the driver with respect to the ascertained solid angle and with respect to the defined virtual cross-sectional area;
- and
- determining and outputting an attention-related driver state in dependence on said evaluation to control one or more driver-assistance systems of the vehicle.
10 more elements
A method for driver state evaluation with respect to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- capturing, using a camera disposed in the vehicle, a viewing direction of the driver into a field of view that is defined relative to the vehicle;
- ascertaining a solid angle aligned with the viewing direction captured by the camera in dependence on at least one parameter that influences the field of view;
- defining a virtual cross-sectional area through the ascertained solid angle, wherein
- the virtual cross-sectional area is delimited by a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to the captured viewing direction and intersecting with the ascertained solid angle;
- deriving at least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on:
- detecting an exterior object using a sensor disposed on the vehicle;
- and/or
- reading a three-dimensional model of an interior vehicle object from a memory;
- evaluating the at least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on a position of the driver with respect to the ascertained solid angle and with respect to the defined virtual cross-sectional area;
- and
- determining and outputting an attention-related driver state in dependence on said evaluation to control one or more driver-assistance systems of the vehicle, wherein
- a lateral delimitation of said virtual cross-sectional area is defined in dependence on a distance thereof from the driver based on the ascertained solid angle;
- and
- the evaluation of the at least one object point based on the position thereof with respect to the ascertained solid angle is performed based on a mathematical projection of the object point onto the virtual cross-sectional area.
11 more elements
An apparatus for ascertaining an attention-related driver state of a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a camera disposed in the vehicle;
- a memory storing a three-dimensional model of an interior vehicle object;
- a sensor disposed on the vehicle and configured to detect exterior objects;
- one or more processors that execute a program to:
- capture, using the camera, a viewing direction of the driver into a field of view that is defined relative to the vehicle;
- ascertain a solid angle aligned with the viewing direction captured by the camera in dependence on at least one parameter that influences the field of view, wherein
- the at least one parameter is a speed of the vehicle ascertained dynamically in dependence on a vehicle state;
- define a virtual cross-sectional area through the ascertained solid angle, wherein
- the virtual cross-sectional area is delimited by a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to the captured viewing direction and intersecting with the ascertained solid angle;
- expand or contract the solid angle based on the at least one parameter;
- derive at least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on:
- detecting an exterior object using the sensor disposed on the vehicle;
- and/or
- reading the three-dimensional model of the interior vehicle object from a memory;
- evaluate the least one object point of a three-dimensional environment of the driver based on a position of the driver with respect to the ascertained solid angle and determine and with respect to the defined virtual cross-sectional area;
- and
- output an attention-related driver state in dependence on the evaluation to control one or more driver-assistance systems of the vehicle.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.