System and method for assessing driver alertness based on a braking request and forward vehicle distance information
AssigneeBendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
InventorDaniel S. Reifman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Driver fatigue can increase a driver's reaction time and result in a collision. A system and method are provided for assessing driver alertness based on a braking request and forward vehicle distance information. Based on the assessed driver alertness, a warning can be issued to the driver to take a break from driving. In one embodiment, the system predicts a time when the driver should take a break based on a curve representing the driver's circadian rhythm.
Claims18
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a vehicle, cause the one or more processors to:
- receive information from a forward vehicle sensor in the vehicle indicating a distance to a forward vehicle;
- receive information from a brake actuator in the vehicle indicating a brake request;
- in response to receiving the information from the forward vehicle sensor and the brake actuator, calculate a time to impact the forward vehicle;
- detect an increase in driver fatigue using the calculated time to impact, wherein the increase in driver fatigue is detected by determining that the calculated time to impact is less than at least one previously-calculated time to impact;
- and
- in response to the detecting the increase in driver fatigue, cause a warning to be provided in the vehicle, wherein the warning indicates that a driver of the vehicle should take a break.
A method comprising:
- performing in one or more processors in a vehicle:
- calculating a plurality of times of impact, wherein each time of impact is based on a distance to a forward vehicle when a braking request is made, wherein the distance is received from a forward vehicle sensor in the vehicle and the braking request is received from a braking actuator in the vehicle;
- predicting a time of peak driver fatigue based on the plurality of values by:
- plotting the calculated plurality of times to impact against a sinusoidal curve representing a circadian rhythm;
- and
- interpolating a future time of peak driver fatigue;
- and
- at or before the predicted time of peak driver fatigue, providing a warning to a driver to avoid driving at the predicted time of peak driver fatigue.
A system comprising:
- means for calculating a plurality of times of impact, wherein each time of impact is based on a distance to a forward vehicle when a braking request is made, wherein the distance is received from a forward vehicle sensor in the vehicle and the braking request is received from a braking actuator in the vehicle;
- means for predicting a time of peak driver fatigue based on the plurality of values by:
- plotting the calculated plurality of times to impact against a sinusoidal curve representing a circadian rhythm;
- and
- interpolating a future time of peak driver fatigue;
- and
- means for, at or before the predicted time of peak driver fatigue, providing a warning to a driver to avoid driving at the predicted time of peak driver fatigue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.