Method for detecting characteristic movements of a vehicle driver for the purpose of diagnosing a lowering of vigilance by said driver

A method for detecting characteristic movements of a vehicle driver in the driving position on a seat (S) comprising a seat base (A) and a backrest (D), for the purpose of diagnosing a lowering of vigilance by said driver, said detection method comprising:

• dividing the surface of the seat base (A) and of the backrest (D) of the seat (S) into a plurality of elementary surfaces in each of which is embedded a pressure sensor (An,n-Dn,n) able to detect:
• an increase in the pressure applied on the elementary surface, representing a positive pressure, called “pressing” applied by the driver on the pressure sensor,
• a reduction of the pressure applied on the elementary surface, representing a reduction or a cancellation, called “releasing”, of the pressure applied by the driver on the pressure sensor,
• selecting a plurality of specific movements, comprising the movements of the top of the body, repositioning on the seat base (A), transverse rocking toward a driving position offset to one side, longitudinal rocking toward a pushed-in driving position in the top of the backrest (D), and characterizing each of said specific movements by the determination of at least one geographic zone subjected to a “pressing” or a “releasing” resulting from said movement,
• and analyzing, with a given sampling period, the measurement signals provided by the pressure sensors (An,n-Dn,n), and comparing, at each sampling time t, the possible geographic zones of pressing or releasing detected with each of the predetermined geographic zones, in such a way as to provide information on detecting a specific movement during a correlation between said geographic zones, said specific movements corresponding to zones enveloping contact surfaces of various parts of the driver's body with the seat base (A) and the backrest (D):
• complete back, parts of the back (left, right, top, bottom), complete posterior or bottom or top part of the posterior, posterior or parts of posterior (right or left), left or right leg, etc., wherein said method consists, for the purpose of characterization of given specific movements, in determining at least one geographic zone subjected to a “pressing” or a “releasing”, and a time sequence of stressing said geographic zone comprising of an alternation of a period of activation, by pressing or releasing, and a period of non-activation.