# US 11,897,496 B2 · Vehicle warning system

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- Number: US 11,897,496 B2
- Document ID: US11897496B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/888,481
- Filed: 2022-08-16
- Published: 2023-03-02
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-31
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masaki Kato; Yasuhiro Miura; Tomohiro Inada; Hitoshi Muraki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897496B2

## CPC

- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- G09G 3/001: {using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background (slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP)}
- B60K 28/066: {actuating a signalling device (B60K28/063 takes precedence)}
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 35/22: Display screens
- B60K 35/50: Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence)
- B60K 35/60: Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10)
- B60K 35/80: Arrangements for controlling instruments
- G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features}
- G02C 7/04: Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00)
- G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)}
- G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units}
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness}
- B60K 2360/149: Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
- B60K 2360/566: Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze
- B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
- G02B 2027/0138: {comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera}
- G02B 2027/014: {comprising information/image processing systems}
- G02B 2027/0141: {characterised by the informative content of the display}
- G02C 11/10: {Electronic devices other than hearing aids}
- G06T 2207/30201: Face
- G06T 2207/30268: Vehicle interior
- G09G 2370/16: Use of wireless transmission of display information
- G09G 2380/06: Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
- G09G 2380/10: Automotive applications
- 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
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- 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
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A determination unit that determines whether a driver of a vehicle is dozing or looking away based on a state of the driver, a smart contact lens worn on an eyeball of the driver, and a display control unit that causes the smart contact lens to display a warning when the determination unit determines that the driver is dozing or looking away are provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle warning system, comprising:
a determination unit that determines whether a driver of a vehicle is dozing or looking away based on a state of the driver;
a smart contact lens worn on an eyeball of the driver; and
a display control unit that causes the smart contact lens to display a warning when the determination unit determines that the driver is dozing or looking away, wherein
when the vehicle that is executing driver support control at a second predetermined level interrupts the driver support control, the display control unit causes the smart contact lens to display a further warning to notify that the driver support control is interrupted.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle warning system according to claim 1, further comprising a camera that is able to capture an image of a face of the driver, wherein when the determination unit determines that eyelids of the driver are closed for a certain period of time or longer based on captured image data of the camera, the determination unit determines that the driver is dozing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle warning system according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination unit determines a degree of arousal of the driver; and
a content of the warning that the display control unit causes the smart contact lens to display is changed corresponding to the degree of arousal of the driver determined by the determination unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle warning system according to claim 1, further comprising a camera that is able to capture an image of a face of the driver, wherein the determination unit determines that the driver is looking away when the determination unit determines that the driver is looking in a direction different from a predetermined direction for a certain period of time or longer based on captured image data of the camera.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle warning system according to claim 4, wherein:
the determination unit determines a look-away level indicating a level that the driver is looking away; and
a content of the warning that the display control unit causes the smart contact lens to display is changed corresponding to the look-away level determined by the determination unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle warning system according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a travelable state and the driver is dozing or looking away, the display control unit causes the smart contact lens to display the warning.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A vehicle warning system [ according to claim 1], comprising:
a determination unit that determines whether a driver of a vehicle is dozing or looking away based on a state of the driver;
a smart contact lens worn on an eyeball of the driver; and
a display control unit that causes the smart contact lens to display a warning only when (i) the vehicle does not execute driver support control at a first predetermined level that does not require the driver to perform a driving operation, and (ii) the determination unit determines that the driver is dozing or looking away.