DRIVER HEALTH AND FATIGUE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING OPTICS

1 . A method for optically monitoring a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

illuminating a portion of the driver with electromagnetic radiation in an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum using at least one illumination device;

obtaining images of the illuminated driver using at least one image obtaining device;

analyzing the images to derive a measure of flow of blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant; and

analyzing the blood flow over time to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver becoming drowsy, falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking action to effect a change in the operation of the vehicle upon a determination that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising requiring action by the driver to indicate regaining of the ability to control movement of the vehicle after a determination that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle has been made.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

notifying the driver of the determination that they have lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle;

requiring the driver to generate a response to the notification;

monitoring the driver for the response to the notification; and then

controlling vehicular operation based on the monitoring of the driver for the response to the notification.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing the images to derive a measure of flow of blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant comprises determining a heartbeat of the driver, and the step of analyzing the blood flow over time to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle comprises analyzing variability of the heartbeat of the driver.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is selected to ensure reflection from blood in the driver.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

analyzing a pattern of the at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant for providing a biometric identifier of the driver; and

controlling adjustment of a vehicular system based on the biometric identifier of the driver.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using pattern recognition to determine a location of the face of the driver from images being obtained by the at least one imaging device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing the images to derive a measure of flow of blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant comprises determining a size of the at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein, and the step of analyzing the blood flow over time to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle comprises analyzing variability of the size of the at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein driver.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of illuminating the driver with electromagnetic radiation in an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum using at least one illumination device comprising illuminating the driver with infrared illumination in a range from about 500 nm to about 600 nm.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of illuminating the driver with electromagnetic radiation in an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum using at least one illumination device comprising illuminating the driver with infrared illumination in a range from about 540 nm to about 580 nm.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining images of the illuminated driver using at least one image obtaining device comprises obtaining at least one initial image,

further comprising analyzing the at least one initial image to determine location of the face of the driver and based selecting a portion of the face of the driver for infrared illumination;

the step of illuminating the driver with electromagnetic radiation in an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum using at least one illumination device comprising illuminating only the selected portion of the face of the driver.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting the amount of illumination to harm to the driver.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising focusing the illumination from the at least one illuminating device to avoid eyes of the driver.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring movement of the selected portion of the face of the driver.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising modulating the illumination from the at least one illuminating device.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the images to detect presence of alcohol or drugs in blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant.

18 . A method for optically monitoring a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

illuminating a portion of the driver with electromagnetic radiation in a range of from about 540 nm to about 580 nm using at least one illumination device;

obtaining images of the illuminated driver using at least one image obtaining device;

analyzing the images to determine a heartbeat of the driver from flow of blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant;

analyzing variability of the determined heartbeat of the driver to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver becoming drowsy, falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle; and

taking action to effect a change in the operation of the vehicle upon a determination that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle.

19 . An arrangement for optically monitoring a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

at least one illumination device that illuminate a portion of the driver with electromagnetic radiation in an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum;

at least one image obtaining device that obtains images of the illuminated driver; and

a processor coupled to said at least one image obtaining device and that analyzes the images to derive a measure of flow of blood in at least one blood vessel, capillary and vein in the face of the occupant and then analyzes the blood flow over time to determine whether the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, the loss of ability to continue to control the vehicle arising from the driver becoming drowsy, falling asleep or otherwise being incapable of controlling the vehicle after initially having been awake or otherwise capable of controlling the vehicle.

20 . The arrangement of claim 19 , further comprising a reactive component arranged within the vehicle coupled to said processor and which is affected by the determination by said processor that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle, said reactive component requiring action by the driver to indicate regaining of the ability to control movement of the vehicle taking action to effect a change in the operation of the vehicle upon a determination that the driver has lost the ability to continue to control the vehicle.