# US 12,594,953 B2 · Driver monitor, method, and computer program for monitoring driver > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,953 B2 - Document ID: US12594953B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/433,935 - Filed: 2024-02-06 - Published: 2024-08-08 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2023-02-08 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Aisin Corporation - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Aisin Corporation - Inventors: Takuhiro Omi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594953B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0057: {Estimation of the time available or required for the handover} - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - G06V 40/161: {Detection; Localisation; Normalisation} - G06V 40/171: {Local features and components; Facial parts (eye characteristics G06V40/18); Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships} - G06V 40/18: Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris - B60W 2040/0827: {due to sleepiness} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2520/14: Yaw - B60W 2540/223: Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined - B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - 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 - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A driver monitor includes a processor configured to detect orientation of the face of a driver of a vehicle from a plurality of driver images generated by a camera mounted on the vehicle to take a picture of the driver, determine whether a duration during which the orientation of the driver's face inclines more than a predetermined angle in a yaw direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction is not less than a predetermined time threshold, when the vehicle is under autonomous driving control, notify a transition demand for taking over driving of the vehicle to the driver via a notification device when the duration is less than the predetermined time threshold, and omit to notify the transition demand to the driver when the duration is not less than the predetermined time threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driver monitor comprising: a processor configured to: detect orientation of a face of a driver of a vehicle from a plurality of driver images generated in time-series by a camera mounted on the vehicle to take a picture of the driver, determine whether a duration during which the orientation of the face of the driver inclines more than a predetermined angle in a yaw direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction is not less than a predetermined time threshold that was previously set, when the vehicle is under autonomous driving control, notify a transition demand for taking over driving of the vehicle to the driver via a notification device only in a case where the duration is less than the predetermined time threshold and where waking of the driver cannot be confirmed, and omit to notify the transition demand to the driver when the duration is not less than the predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driver monitor according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an eye opening level indicating a degree of opening of the driver's eye, based on the driver images, wherein the processor determines that waking of the driver cannot be confirmed, in a case where the duration is less than the predetermined time threshold and where the processor cannot detect the eye opening level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The driver monitor according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines that the driver is awake, when the face of the driver has been oriented to a display provided in the interior of the vehicle for more than a predetermined period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The driver monitor according to claim 1, wherein the processor detects orientation of the driver's body from the driver images, and determines the inclination of the orientation of the face of the driver with respect to the reference direction, based on a difference between the orientation of the driver's body and the orientation of the face of the driver in the yaw direction. ### Claim 5 A method for monitoring a driver, comprising: detecting orientation of a face of a driver of a vehicle from a plurality of driver images generated in time-series by a camera mounted on the vehicle to take a picture of the driver; determining whether a duration during which the orientation of the face of the driver inclines more than a predetermined angle in a yaw direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction is not less than a predetermined time threshold that was previously set, when the vehicle is under autonomous driving control; notifying a transition demand for taking over driving of the vehicle to the driver via a notification device only in a case where the duration is less than the predetermined time threshold and where waking of the driver cannot be confirmed; and omitting to notify the transition demand to the driver when the duration is not less than the predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory recording medium that stores a computer program for monitoring a driver, the computer program causing a processor mounted on a vehicle to execute a process comprising: detecting orientation of a face of a driver of the vehicle from a plurality of driver images generated in time-series by a camera mounted on the vehicle to take a picture of the driver; determining whether a duration during which the orientation of the face of the driver inclines more than a predetermined angle in a yaw direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction is not less than a predetermined time threshold that was previously set, when the vehicle is under autonomous driving control; notifying a transition demand for taking over driving of the vehicle to the driver via a notification device only in a case where the duration is less than the predetermined time threshold and where waking of the driver cannot be confirmed; and omitting to notify the transition demand to the driver when the duration is not less than the predetermined time threshold.