IP Library Granted Patent US 11,037,425
Granted Patent B2
US 11,037,425 · App. 16/616,383 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Sleepiness estimating device, wakefulness induction control device, and wakefulness induction system

Inventors: Shinichi Shikii (Nara, JP); Koichi Kusukame (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G08B21/06A61B5/16A61B5/4809G06K9/00624
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,037,425
App. No.
16/616,383
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sleepiness estimating device includes an environmental information detector that detects a plurality of conditions of an environment surrounding a user and outputs environmental information indicating the detected conditions of the environment, a calculator that calculates an environmental level indicating a degree of how likely the user becomes sleepy in the environment in accordance with the environmental information output by the environmental information detector, and an output that outputs the environmental level calculated by the calculator.

Claims (68)

1. A wakefulness induction control device, comprising:

a sleepiness estimating device including,

an environmental information detector that detects a plurality of conditions of an environment surrounding a person and outputs environmental information indicating the conditions detected of the environment,

a calculator that calculates an environmental level indicating a degree of how likely the person becomes sleepy in the environment in accordance with the environmental information output by the environmental information detector, and

an output that outputs the environmental level calculated by the calculator;

a controller;

a wakefulness inducer that induces wakefulness in the person in a mode corresponding to the environmental level; and

a sleepiness detector that detects a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the person, wherein

the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer when the sleepiness level detected by the sleepiness detector is equal to or higher than a first reference value, and

when there are a plurality of persons in the environment,

the sleepiness detector detects the sleepiness level of each of the plurality of persons, and

the controller stops the wakefulness inducer when the sleepiness level of each of the plurality of persons is equal to or lower than a second reference value.

2. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 1 , wherein when the sleepiness level of only one or more of the plurality of persons is higher than the second reference value, the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer only for the one or more of the plurality of persons.

3. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an acquirer that acquires a control parameter for controlling the wakefulness inducer, wherein

the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer in a mode corresponding to the control parameter acquired by the acquirer.

4. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control parameter includes an actuation duration from when the controller starts actuating the wakefulness inducer to when the controller stops the wakefulness inducer.

5. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 3 , wherein

the control parameter includes a current time, and

the controller changes the mode in which the wakefulness inducer is actuated in accordance with the current time indicated by the control parameter.

6. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control parameter includes wakefulness level information indicating a degree of wakefulness for bringing a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the person to a predetermined sleepiness level.

7. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the wakefulness induction control device is connected to a plurality of wakefulness inducers that differ in a wakefulness inducing method of inducing wakefulness in the person, and

the controller actuates one or more wakefulness inducers of the plurality of wakefulness inducers in the mode corresponding to the environmental level.

8. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 7 , wherein when the sleepiness level of the person indicating the degree of sleepiness of the person fails to reach or fall below a third reference value for a predetermined duration, the controller actuates a wakefulness inducer that differs in a wakefulness inducing method from the one or more wakefulness inducers being actuated.

9. A wakefulness induction system, comprising:

the wakefulness induction control device according to claim 1 ; and

the wakefulness inducer.

10. A wakefulness induction control device, comprising:

a controller;

a wakefulness inducer that induces wakefulness in a person in a mode corresponding to

a environmental level; and

a sleepiness detector that detects a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the person, wherein

the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer when the sleepiness level detected

by the sleepiness detector is equal to or higher than a first reference value, and

when there are a plurality of persons in an environment,

the sleepiness detector detects the sleepiness level of each of the plurality

of persons, and

the controller stops the wakefulness inducer when the sleepiness level of

each of the plurality of persons is equal to or lower than a second reference value.

11. A wakefulness induction control device according to claim 10 further comprising:

a sleepiness estimating device including,

an environmental information detector that detects a plurality of conditions of the

environment surrounding the person and outputs environmental information indicating the conditions detected of the environment,

a calculator that calculates an environmental level indicating a degree of how

likely the person becomes sleepy in the environment in accordance with the

environmental information output by the environmental information detector, and

an output that outputs the environmental level calculated by the calculator.

12. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 11 , wherein when the sleepiness level of only one or more of the plurality of persons is higher than the second reference value, the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer only for the one or more of the plurality of persons.

13. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 11 , further comprising:

an acquirer that acquires a control parameter for controlling the wakefulness inducer,

wherein the controller actuates the wakefulness inducer in a mode corresponding to the control parameter acquired by the acquirer.

14. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 13 , wherein

the control parameter includes an actuation duration from when the controller starts actuating the wakefulness inducer to when the controller stops the wakefulness inducer.

15. The wakefulness induction control device sccording to claim 13 , wherein

the control parameter includes a current time, and

the controller changes the mode in which the wakefulness inducer is actuated in

accordance with the current time indicated by the control parameter.

16. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 13 , wherein the control parameter includes wakefulness level information indicating a degree of wakefulness for bringing a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the person to a predetermined sleepiness level.

17. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 11 , wherein

the wakefulness induction control device is connected to a plurality of wakefulness

inducers that differ in a wakefulness inducing method of inducing wakefulness in the person, and

the controller actuates one or more wakefulness inducers of the plurality of wakefulness

inducers in the mode corresponding to the environmental level.

18. The wakefulness induction control device according to claim 17 , wherein when the sleepiness level of the person indicating the degree of sleepiness of the person fails to reach or fall below a third reference value for a predetermined duration, the controller actuates a wakefulness inducer that differs in a wakefulness inducing method from the one or more wakefulness inducers being actuated.

19. A wakefulness induction system, comprising:

the wakefulness induction control device according to claim 10 ; and

the wakefulness inducer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066703/0209 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2020
From: SHIKII, SHINICHI; KUSUKAME, KOICHI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052047/0369 →