A method and system for detecting drowsiness and/or sleep
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsSujitkumar HIWALE, Biswaroop CHAKRABARTI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system is provided for detecting drowsiness and/or sleep and then for example controlling the volume of audio delivered from an in-car speaker. A detected external ear pressure, between the ear drum and the in-ear speaker, is obtained and is processed together with the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the delivered audio. In this way, a baseline car pressure over time is obtained. Drowsiness and/or sleep is detected from the derived baseline car pressure, for example so that the volume of the delivered audio can be adapted accordingly.
Claims15
A method of detecting drowsiness and/or sleep of a subject, comprising using a processor to:
- receive a detected external ear pressure, between the ear drum and an in-ear speaker, from a pressure sensor forming part of the in-ear speaker during the delivery of audio to the in-ear speaker;
- receive audio data for the delivered audio and process (i) the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the delivered audio using the audio data and (ii) the external ear pressure, thereby to remove the pressure effect of the audio being listened to from the detected external ear pressure, thereby to derive a baseline ear pressure over time;
- and
- detecting drowsiness and/or sleep from the derived baseline ear pressure.
A drowsiness and/or sleep detection system for detecting drowsiness and/or sleep of a subject, comprising:
- an in-ear speaker having a pressure sensor for detecting an external ear pressure between the ear drum and the in-ear speaker;
- and
- a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to:
- receive audio data for the audio that is delivered to the in-ear speaker;
- receive a sensed external ear pressure from the pressure sensor;
- process (i) frequency and amplitude characteristics of the delivered audio using the audio data and (ii) the corresponding sensed external ear pressure, thereby to remove the pressure effect of the audio being listened to from the detected external ear pressure, thereby to derive a baseline ear pressure over time;
- and
- detect drowsiness and/or sleep from the derived baseline ear pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.