Driver health monitor and alert system
AssigneeFca US LLC
InventorGomathi Gopalakrishnan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle driver health monitor alert system includes a near infrared sensors and camera for detecting the position of a driver's eyes and head, as well as detecting the size and position of a driver's pupils which may indicate a health anomaly such as a seizure. The system may also include a galvanic skin response sensor which may also detect health anomaly such as a seizure. Other sensors such as electrocardiogram sensors and ultra-wide bandwidth units may be used to detect health anomalies such as cardiac attack, or breathing irregularities. Upon detection of a health anomaly, the system may initiate an Ecall, sound the vehicle's horn and turn on the emergency flashers and may also perform a minimum risk maneuver to bring the vehicle to a safe stop, by engaging the vehicle braking and steering systems.
Claims16
A vehicle driver health monitor and alert system, comprising:
- a light source configured to direct light to at least one of a driver's eyes or a driver's head;
- a camera to detect reflected light from the light source and configured to generate a signal indicative of a position of at least one of a driver's pupil size, position, eye position or head position;
- an ultra-wide bandwidth unit configured to direct ultra-wide bandwidth radar pulses at a vehicle driver, to receive reflections from a driver to monitor a driver's breathing, and to generate a signal indicative of a driver's breathing;
- and
- a processor configured to receive the signal from the camera and to make a determination regarding the position of at least one of a driver's pupil size, pupil or eye position or head position and is further configured to make a determination regarding a health status of a driver as a function of at least one of the driver's pupil size, pupil position, eye position or head position, wherein the processor is configured to, upon a determination of an anomaly in a driver's health status, generate a signal to perform one or more of the following tasks, initiate an emergency alert call, sound a vehicle's horn, engage a vehicle's hazard lights, perform a minimum risk maneuver, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the signal from the ultra-wide bandwidth unit,
- make a determination regarding a driver's breathing;
- and
- make a determination regarding the health status of a driver as a function of the driver's breathing, wherein the processor is configured to, upon a determination of an anomaly in a driver's health status, generate a signal to perform one or more of the following tasks;
- initiate an emergency alert call, sound a vehicle's horn, engage a vehicle's hazard lights, engage a vehicle's brake system, or engage a vehicle's steering system.
A method of monitoring a vehicle driver's health and providing an alert, comprising:
- monitoring at least one of a driver's pupil size, a driver's eye position, or a driver's head position using a light source and a camera and providing a signal indicative of at least one of a driver's pupil size, a driver's eye position, or a driver's head position from the camera to a processor;
- monitoring with a galvanic skin response sensor a conductivity of the driver's skin;
- monitoring the breathing of a driver using an ultra-wide bandwidth radar sensor;
- determining a health status of the vehicle driver as a function of the pupil size, eye position, head position, electrical charges and breathing, and generating a signal indicative of the vehicle driver's health status when an anomaly in the vehicle driver's health is detected regarding one or more of the pupil size, eye position, head position, skin conductivity and breathing;
- sending a signal to a human machine interface indicative of the anomaly of the vehicle driver's health;
- monitoring the human machine interface for a response from the driver;
- and
- initiating an emergency alert call when the driver does not respond within a threshold time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.