Patent ID: 8957779
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: G08B

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting impairment of a driver of a vehicle, comprising: sensing, using a sensor, a position of the driver's head at a plurality of time points; determining, using a microprocessor, changes in the position of the driver's head between the plurality of time points; evaluating, using a microprocessor, whether the changes in the position of the driver's head between the plurality of time points exhibit at least one of a periodic and a quasi-periodic pattern, wherein the step of evaluating comprises performing an autocorrelation function on the changes in the position of the driver's head between the plurality of time points, normalizing the results of the autocorrelation function, and performing peak detection on the normalized results to identify a center peak having a center peak amplitude and at least one off-center peak having an off-center peak amplitude; determining whether the driver is impaired when the at least one off-center peak amplitude is greater than a percentage of the center peak amplitude; and if the driver is impaired, alerting the driver using an alarm.