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US 7,397,382 B2Granted
Drowsiness detecting apparatus and method
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsTatsuya Ikegami, Shinji Nanba, Kenichi Yanai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drowsiness detecting apparatus has a pulse wave sensor and a determination circuit. The sensor is provided to a steering wheel to detect a pulse wave of a vehicle driver gripping the steering wheel. The determination circuit generates a thorax pressure signal indicative of the depth of breathing by envelope-detecting a pulse wave signal of the sensor and determines whether the driver is drowsy by comparing a pattern of the thorax pressure signal with a reference pattern. The display and the buzzer notify the driver and any other passengers in the vehicle of the drowsiness of the driver by a visual indication and buzzing sound, respectively. A body surface motion may be used as a signal that indicates the depth of breathing.
Claims18
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath depth detecting means for detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the periodic repetition is set to 3 to 7 breaths.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath death detecting means for detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the breath depth detecting means includes:
- a pulse wave sensor provided to a vehicle steering wheel for detecting a pulse wave of the person;
- and
- a signal processor for detecting the depth of breathing based on a thorax pressure inside a thorax of the person by processing a pulse wave signal produced by the pulse wave sensor to detect the thorax pressure.
4 more elements
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath depth detecting means for detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the breath depth detecting means includes:
- a body surface motion sensor provided to a vehicle seat for detecting a motion of a body surface of the person;
- and
- a signal processor for detecting the depth of breathing by processing a detection signal produced by the body surface motion sensor.
4 more elements
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath depth detecting means for detecting a death of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the determining means samples the depth of breathing for a predetermined period to generate a breathing waveform and compares the breathing waveform with a predetermined reference pattern.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath depth detecting means for detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the death of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the determining means samples the depth of breathing for a predetermined period to generate a breathing waveform, calculates a change in amplitude of the breathing waveform and compares the change in amplitude with a predetermined reference value.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting apparatus comprising:
- breath depth detecting means for detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining means for determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the breath depth detecting means is thorax pressure detecting means that detects a thorax pressure inside a thorax of the person as the breath depth.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting method comprising:
- detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the periodic repetition is set to 3 to 7 breaths.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting method comprising:
- detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the detecting includes:
- detecting a pulse wave of the person by a pulse wave sensor;
- and
- detecting the depth of breathing based on a thorax pressure inside a thorax of the person by processing a pulse wave signal produced by the pulse wave sensor to detect the thorax pressure.
4 more elements
A drowsiness detecting method comprising:
- detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the detecting includes:
- detecting a motion of a body surface of the person by a body surface motion sensor provided to a vehicle seat;
- and
- detecting the depth of breathing by processing a detection signal produced by the body surface motion sensor.
4 more elements
A drowsiness detecting method comprising:
- detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the detecting includes sampling the depth of breathing for a predetermined period to generate a breathing waveform, and determining includes comparing the breathing waveform with a predetermined reference pattern.
1 more element
A drowsiness detecting method comprising:
- detecting a depth of breathing of a person;
- and
- determining drowsiness of the person, when the depth of breathing falls in a predetermined breathing condition including at least one of a sudden decrease in the depth of breathing and a periodic repetition of deep breathing and shallow breathing,
- wherein the determining includes sampling the depth of breathing for a predetermined period to generate a breathing waveform, calculating a change in amplitude of the breathing waveform and comparing the change in amplitude with a predetermined reference value.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.