Lane departure warning/assistance method and system having a threshold adjusted based on driver impairment determination using pupil size and driving patterns

A device for providing lane departure warning or assistance to a driver of a vehicle, the device comprising:

• a memory configured to store profile data corresponding to the driver including pupil size baseline data corresponding to a stored pupil size of the driver during a previous driving session, braking baseline data corresponding to a previous braking operation by the driver, and steering baseline data corresponding to a previous steering operation by the driver;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory and configured to:
• determine a current pupil size of the driver during a current driving session based on image data,
• compare the current pupil size of the driver during the current driving session to the pupil size baseline data that corresponds to the stored pupil size of the driver during the previous driving session,
• compare current braking data corresponding to a current braking operation by the driver to the braking baseline data stored in the memory,
• compare current steering data corresponding to a current steering operation by the driver to the steering baseline data stored in the memory, and
• determine that the driver is impaired when at least one of the comparison of the current pupil size of the driver to the pupil size baseline data, the comparison of the current braking data to the braking baseline data stored in the memory, or the comparison of the current steering data to the steering baseline data stored in the memory indicates that the driver is impaired, until at least one of the vehicle is turned off or the comparison of the current pupil size to the pupil size baseline data, the comparison of the current braking data to the braking baseline data, or the comparison of the current steering data to the steering baseline data indicates that the driver is unimpaired, and
• adjust a lane departure warning/assistance threshold corresponding to at least one of a threshold distance to a lane marker or a predicted time period remaining before the vehicle crosses the lane marker when the driver is determined to be impaired.

A system for providing lane departure warning or assistance to a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a memory configured to store pupil size baseline data corresponding to a pupil size of the driver during a previous driving session and braking baseline data corresponding to a previous braking operation by the driver;
• a first camera configured to be repositioned to track a pupil of the driver when the driver changes position relative to the first camera and to detect image data corresponding to the pupil of the driver that is usable to determine a current pupil size of the pupil of the driver during a current driving session;
• a second sensor or camera configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and a lane marker;
• a third sensor configured to detect current braking data corresponding to a current braking operation by the driver;
• and
• a vehicle control unit configured to:
• compare the current pupil size of the driver during the current driving session to the pupil size baseline data,
• compare the current braking data to the braking baseline data,
• determine that the driver is impaired when at least one of the comparison of the current pupil size of the driver to the pupil size baseline data or the comparison of the current braking data to the braking baseline data indicate that the driver is impaired,
• activate a lane departure warning/assistance feature having a lane departure warning/assistance threshold based on at least one of the comparison of the current pupil size of the driver to the pupil size baseline data and the current braking data to the braking baseline data, and
• adjust a lane departure warning/assistance threshold corresponding to at least one of the distance between the vehicle and the lane marker or a predicted time period remaining before the vehicle crosses the lane marker when the driver is determined to be impaired.