Driver fatigue warning system
A driver-fatigue warning system suitable for use in an automated vehicle includes a camera, an alert-device, and a controller. The camera renders an image of a lane-marking and of an object proximate to a host-vehicle. The alert-device is operable to alert an operator of the host-vehicle of driver-fatigue. The controller is in communication with the camera and the alert-device. The controller determines a vehicle-offset of the host-vehicle relative to the lane-marking based on the image. The controller determines an offset-position of the object relative to the lane-marking based on the image. The controller determines that a lane-departure has occurred when the vehicle-offset is less than a deviation-threshold. The controller does not count occurrences of lane-departures when the offset-position is less than an offset-threshold, and activates the alert-device when the count of the occurrences of lane-departures exceeds a crossing-threshold indicative of driver-fatigue.
1. A driver-fatigue warning system suitable for use in an automated vehicle, said system comprising:
a camera that renders an image of a lane-marking and of an object proximate to a host-vehicle;
an alert-device operable to alert an operator of the host-vehicle of driver-fatigue; and
a controller in communication with the camera and the alert-device, said controller determines:
a vehicle-offset of the host-vehicle relative to the lane-marking based on the image;
an offset-position of the object relative to the lane-marking based on the image; and
occurrences of a lane-departure when the vehicle-offset is less than a deviation-threshold;
in accordance with the determination that the lane-departure has occurred, the controller:
increments a count of occurrences of lane-departures when the offset-position of the object is greater than an offset-threshold;
does not increment the count of occurrences of lane-departures when the offset-position of the object is less than the offset-threshold and when the lane-departure of the host-vehicle occurs on an opposite side of the travel-lane relative to the object; and
activates the alert-device when the count of the occurrences of lane-departures exceeds a crossing-threshold indicative of driver-fatigue.
2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a ranging-sensor in communication with the controller, said ranging-sensor detects a range, and azimuth-angle of the object, wherein the controller further determines the offset-position based on the range and the azimuth-angle.
3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the ranging-sensor is a radar.
4. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the ranging-sensor is a lidar.
5. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the ranging-sensor is an ultrasonic-transducer.
6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller further determines that the object is in an adjacent-lane and counts the lane-departure when the lane-departure is into the adjacent-lane.
7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object is another vehicle.
8. The system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the other vehicle is traveling in an adjacent-lane to the travel-lane of the host-vehicle.
9. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object is a stationary object.
10. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the stationary object is adjacent to the travel-lane of the host-vehicle.
11. A method of operating a driver-fatigue warning system suitable for use in an automated vehicle, said system comprising:
rendering, with a camera, an image of a lane-marking and of an object proximate to a host-vehicle;
alerting, with an alert-device, an operator of the host-vehicle of driver-fatigue; and
determining, with a controller in communication with the camera and the alert-device, a vehicle-offset of the host-vehicle relative to the lane-marking based on the image;
determining, with the controller, an offset-position of the object relative to the lane-marking based on the image;
determining, with the controller, that a lane-departure has occurred when the vehicle-offset is less than a deviation-threshold;
incrementing a count of occurrences of lane-departures, with the controller, when the offset-position of the object is greater than an offset-threshold;
not incrementing the count of occurrences of lane-departures, with the controller, when the offset-position is less than an offset-threshold and when the lane-departure of the host-vehicle occurs on an opposite side of the travel-lane relative to the object; and
activating the alert-device, with the controller, when the count of the occurrences of lane-departures exceeds a crossing-threshold indicative of driver-fatigue.
12. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the system further includes a ranging-sensor in communication with the controller, further including the steps of detecting, with the ranging-sensor, a range, and azimuth-angle of the object, and determining, with the controller, the offset-position based on the range and the azimuth-angle.
13. The method in accordance with claim 11 , further including the steps of determining, with the controller, that the object is in an adjacent-lane and counting the lane-departure when the lane-departure is into the adjacent-lane.
14. The system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the object is another vehicle.
15. The system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the other vehicle is traveling in an adjacent-lane to the travel-lane of the host-vehicle.
16. The system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the object is a stationary object.
17. The system in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the stationary object is adjacent to the travel-lane of the host-vehicle.