Patent ID: 8035496
Filing Date: 2011-10-11
Classification: A61B,B60K,B60W,G08B

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying when a driver of a vehicle is not paying attention, the method comprising the acts of: detecting movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle as a steering wheel angle x; identifying a steering quiescent phase; determining an extent of the steering quiescent phase by evaluating at least one of the steering wheel angle x and a time variation of the steering wheel angle x, said extent of the steering quiescent phase being a time duration in which the steering wheel angle x remains within a predetermined steering wheel angle interval; identifying a steering action following the steering quiescent phase and determining an extent of the steering action by evaluating the rate of change of the steering wheel angle x; logically linking the extent of the steering quiescent phase and the extent of the steering action using a multidimensional operator that comprises one of i) a family of characteristics, ii) a weighting function and iii) a logical decision function; and assessing a result of said logical linking as a measure of a severity of inattentiveness by the driver while steering the vehicle only when the extent of the steering quiescent phase is greater than a predetermined minimum time period and a maximum gradient of the steering wheel angle exceeds a predetermined gradient threshold value.