# US 11,993,267 B2 · Alerter augmentation system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,267 B2 - Document ID: US11993267B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/410,255 - Filed: 2019-05-13 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-03 - Assignees: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Inventors: James Brooks; Lalit Keshav Mestha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993267B2 ## CPC - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - A61B 5/18: for vehicle drivers {or machine operators} - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/0018: {by employing degraded modes, e.g. reducing speed, in response to suboptimal conditions} - B60W 60/0051: {from occupants to vehicle} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity} - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2050/0075: {Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs - B60W 2540/223: Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - B60W 2556/10: Historical 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 - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An alerter augmentation system includes one or more processors that determine an alertness of an operator of a vehicle system. The one or more processors also generate operator input requests that are separated in time by a temporal delay. These input requests seek responses or action by the operator in an attempt to keep or make the operator alert. The one or more processors change one or more of the temporal delay between the input requests and/or a type of the input requests that are generated based at least in part on the alertness of the operator that is determined. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: one or more sensors configured to obtain information regarding an alertness of an operator of a vehicle system and output a signal including the information; and one or more processors configured to receive the signal and determine the alertness of the operator of the vehicle system, the one or more processors also configured to generate operator input requests that are separated in time by a dynamically changing temporal delay, the one or more processors configured to change a duration of the temporal delay based at least in part on the alertness of the operator that is determined. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors determine the alertness of the operator based on one or more differences between a current operator behavior and a historical operator behavior. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the duration of the temporal delay regardless of a moving speed of the vehicle system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase the duration of the temporal delay between the input requests responsive to the alertness of the operator that is determined indicating that the operator is alert. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that the operator is alert responsive to the alertness increasing from a previously determined alertness. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to shorten the duration of the temporal delay responsive to the alertness of the operator indicating that the operator is less alert than a previous time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that the operator is less alert responsive to the alertness decreasing from a previously determined alertness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change a type of the input requests based on the alertness of the operator by switching from visually providing the input requests to audibly providing the input requests. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change a type of the input requests based on the alertness of the operator by switching from audibly providing the input requests to visually providing the input requests. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to automatically apply a brake of the vehicle system responsive to the alertness of the operator decreasing below a designated threshold score. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to automatically switch from automatic control of movement of the vehicle system to manual control of the movement of the vehicle system responsive to the alertness of the operator decreasing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to automatically switch from manual control of the movement of the vehicle system to reduced operation automatic control of the movement of the vehicle system responsive to the alertness of the operator decreasing. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: obtaining, by one or more sensors, information regarding an alertness of an operator of a vehicle system; outputting, by the one or more sensors, one or more signals including the information; receiving, by one or more processors, the one or more signals; determining, by the one or more processors, an alertness of the operator of the vehicle system; and changing, by the one or more processors, a duration of a temporal delay between successive input requests provided by an alerter system of the vehicle system based at least in part on the alertness of the operator that is determined. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the alertness of the operator is determined based on one or more differences between a current operator behavior and a historical operator behavior. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein changing the temporal delay between the successive input requests occurs regardless of a moving speed of the vehicle system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the duration of the temporal delay is increased responsive to the alertness of the operator indicating that the operator is alert. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the alertness of the operator indicates that the operator is alert when the alertness as determined by the monitoring system one or more of exceeds a designated threshold score or increases from a previously determined alertness. ### Claim 18 A system comprising: one or more sensors configured to obtain information regarding an alertness of an operator of a vehicle system and output a signal including the information; and one or more processors configured to receive the signal, and automatically instruct an alerter system to generate requests for operator input at time intervals to maintain an alertness of an operator controlling a powered system, the one or more processors also configured to direct the alerter system to change the time intervals between the requests and to change a type of the requests based on a change in the alertness of the operator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the alerter system to increase a time delay between successive requests for operator input responsive to the alertness of the operator increasing and to direct the alerter system to decrease the time delay responsive to the alertness of the operator decreasing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct a controller of the powered system to automatically change from manual control of the powered system to automatic control of the powered system responsive to a decrease in the alertness of the operator.