# US 2020/0286358 A1 · Dozing alert apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0286358 A1 - Document ID: US20200286358A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/883,803 - Filed: 2020-05-26 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-21 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Atsuhiro DOI; Mitsutoshi NAGATA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200286358A1 ## CPC - G08B 21/06: indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms - B60Q 9/00: Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - G06V 40/20: Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) - B60W 2040/0809: {Driver authorisation; Driver identity check} - B60W 2040/0827: {due to sleepiness} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 drowsiness level of a driver in a vehicle is determined. A preliminary alert is performed in response to that the drowsiness level is higher than an alert threshold value. A main alert is performed to prompt the driver to wake up from drowsiness as necessary after the preliminary alert. In response to that a predetermined response operation by the driver is detected within a predetermined time after the preliminary alert, the alert threshold value is changed to be higher. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dozing alert apparatus mounted on a vehicle for preventing a driver from falling asleep, comprising: a drowsiness level determination unit configured to determine a drowsiness level of the driver; a preliminary alert unit configured to perform a preliminary alert in response to that the drowsiness level is higher than an alert threshold value based on comparing the drowsiness level determined by the drowsiness level determination unit with an alert threshold value; an alert unit configured to perform a main alert that prompts the driver to wake up from drowsiness as necessary after the preliminary alert performed by the preliminary alert unit; a response detection unit configured to detect that the driver has performed a predetermined response operation within a preset time after the preliminary alert is performed by the preliminary alert unit; and a threshold value change unit configured to change the alert threshold value to be higher in response to that the predetermined response operation is detected by the response detection unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the threshold value change unit is configured to change the alert threshold value in response to that the response detection unit detects a plurality of response operations consecutively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the preliminary alert unit is configured to perform the preliminary alert by asking the driver with an output of a speech based on speech data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: the speech data is configured to be rewritable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the predetermined response operation by the driver to the preliminary alert includes a predetermined gesture; and the response detection unit is configured to detect whether the predetermined response operation has been performed based on image recognition by the camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the predetermined response operation by the driver to the preliminary alert includes a predetermined speech response; and the response detection unit is configured to detect whether the predetermined response operation has been performed based on recognition of a speech acquired by a microphone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a random preliminary alert unit configured to perform the preliminary alert randomly in a state where the drowsiness level determined by the drowsiness level determination unit is equal to or less than the alert threshold value, wherein: the threshold value change unit is configured to lower the alert threshold value in response to that the predetermined response operation by the driver is not detected by the response detection unit within a preset time after the preliminary alert performed randomly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: the random preliminary alert unit is configured to perform the preliminary alert randomly in response to that the preliminary alert has not performed for a preset time or more; and the preset time is enabled to be changed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the alert unit is configured to perform the main alert that prompts the driver to wake from drowsiness in cooperation with another device mounted on the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dozing alert apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a driver identification unit configured to identify the driver, wherein the alert threshold value is set for the identified driver. ### Claim 11 A dozing alert apparatus mounted on a vehicle for preventing a driver from falling asleep, comprising: one or more computers configured to determine a drowsiness level of the driver; to perform a preliminary alert in response to that the drowsiness level is higher than an alert threshold value based on comparing the determined drowsiness level with an alert threshold value; to perform a main alert that prompts the driver to wake up from drowsiness as necessary after the preliminary alert is performed; to detect that the driver has performed a predetermined response operation within a preset time after the preliminary alert is performed; and to change the alert threshold value to be higher in response to that the predetermined response operation is detected.