System and methods of monitoring driver behavior for vehicular fleet management in a fleet of vehicles using driver-facing imaging device

A safety system, comprising:

• an imaging device disposed in an associated vehicle, the imaging device capturing an image of an associated driver disposed in the associated vehicle and of an interior of the associated vehicle, and generating driver head image data representative of the captured image of the associated driver disposed in the associated vehicle and of the interior of the associated vehicle;
• a control device comprising:
• a processor;
• an image data input operatively coupled with the processor, the image data input receiving the driver head image data from the imaging device;
• a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor, the non-transient memory device storing safe attention model data comprising a recommended value range of a driver road attention parameter of a monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• driver head direction logic stored in the non-transient memory device, the driver head direction logic being executable by the processor to:
• process the driver head image data to determine a facing direction of the head of the associated driver;
• and
• generate driver head facing direction data, the driver head facing direction data being representative of the determined facing direction of the head of the associated driver;
• control logic stored in the non-transient memory device, the control logic being executable by the processor to:
• process the driver head facing direction data to determine an operational value of the driver road attention parameter of the monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• perform a comparison between the recommended value range of the driver road attention parameter and the determined operational value of the driver road attention parameter of the monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• determine driver road attention compliance in accordance with a result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the determined operational value of the driver road attention parameter of the monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• relate the determined driver road attention compliance to an operational value of a parameter of a monitored condition of a safety event system of the associated vehicle;
• determine an adjustment value for modifying a setting of the safety event system in accordance with the determined driver road attention compliance related to the operational value of the parameter of the monitored condition of the safety event system;
• and
• an output operatively coupled with the processor and with an input of the safety event system, the output selectively receiving the adjustment value for modifying the safety event system setting, and delivering the adjustment value to the safety event system for effecting a modification of the setting of the safety event system of the associated vehicle.

A method of modifying a setting of a safety event system, the method comprising:

• capturing an image of an associated driver disposed in an associated vehicle and of an interior of the associated vehicle;
• generating driver head image data representative of the captured image of the associated driver disposed in the associated vehicle and of the interior of the associated vehicle;
• determining a facing direction of the head of the associated driver based on the driver head image data;
• generating driver head facing direction data representing the determined facing direction of the head of the associated driver;
• based on the driver head facing direction data, determining an operational value of the driver road attention parameter of a monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• comparing the recommended value range of the driver road attention parameter and the determined operational value of the driver road attention parameter of the monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• determining driver road attention compliance in accordance with a result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the determined operational value of the driver road attention parameter of the monitored driver attention condition of the associated vehicle;
• relating the determined driver road attention compliance to an operational value of a parameter of a monitored condition of the safety event system;
• determining an adjustment value for modifying the setting of the safety event system in accordance with the determined driver road attention compliance;
• and
• transmitting the adjustment value for modifying the setting of the safety event system.