Method for furnishing a warning signal, and method for generating a pre-microsleep pattern for detection of an impending microsleep event for a vehicle

1. A method for warning of an imminent microsleep event, the method comprising:

obtaining, by processing circuitry, at least one pattern of a driver while driving a vehicle;

comparing, by the processing circuitry, the obtained pattern to at least one stored pre-microsleep pattern that represents an individual behavior of the driver that occurs prior to a microsleep event; and

outputting, by the processing circuitry, a warning signal responsive to determining, based on a result of the comparison, that a predetermined relationship exists between the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern; and

generating the pre-microsleep pattern by reading in, and storing the pre-microsleep pattern in a data storage;

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern represents a gaze behavior,

wherein the warning signal is conditional upon the obtained pattern being identical, within a predefined tolerance range, to the pre-microsleep pattern within a tolerance rang, and

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern further represents at least one of a blink behavior, a head posture, and a body posture of the driver while driving.

2. A method for generating a pre-microsleep pattern for detection of an imminent microsleep event for a microsleep early detection apparatus of a vehicle, the method comprising:

reading in, by processing circuitry, the pre-microsleep pattern, the pre-microsleep pattern representing an individual behavior that has taken place or is taking place prior to a microsleep event of the driver; and

storing, by the processing circuitry and in a data storage, the pre-microsleep pattern;

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern represents a gaze behavior,

wherein the warning signal is conditional upon the obtained pattern being identical, within a predefined tolerance range, to the pre-microsleep pattern within a tolerance rang, and

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern further represents at least one of a blink behavior, a head posture, and a body posture of the driver while driving.

3. A microsleep early detection apparatus for warning of an impending microsleep event for a vehicle, comprising:

an interface to a behavior sensor unit;

processing circuitry; and

an output device;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

obtain, based on information obtained via the interface, at least one pattern of a behavior of a driver while driving the vehicle;

compare the obtained pattern to at least one stored pre-microsleep pattern that represents an individual behavior of the driver that occurs prior to a microsleep event;

output, via the output device, a warning signal responsive to determining, based on a result of the comparison, that a predetermined relationship exists between the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern; and

generate the pre-microsleep pattern by reading in and storing the pre-microsleep pattern in a data storage;

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern represents a gaze behavior,

wherein the warning signal is conditional upon the obtained pattern being identical, within a predefined tolerance range, to the pre-microsleep pattern within a tolerance rang, and

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern further represents at least one of a blink behavior, a head posture, and a body posture of the driver while driving.

4. The microsleep early detection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the interface is configured to read in the behavior pattern optically.

5. The microsleep early detection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the interface is configured to read in the behavior pattern with a camera.

6. A generating apparatus for generating a pre-microsleep pattern for detection of an imminent microsleep event for a vehicle, comprising:

an interface;

processing circuitry; and

a data storage;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

read in, via the interface, the pre-microsleep pattern, the pre-microsleep pattern representing an individual behavior of a driver that occurs prior to a microsleep event; and

store the read in pattern in the data storage;

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern represents a gaze behavior,

wherein the warning signal is conditional upon the obtained pattern being identical, within a predefined tolerance range, to the pre-microsleep pattern within a tolerance rang, and

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern further represents at least one of a blink behavior, a head posture, and a body posture of the driver while driving.

7. The generating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pre-microsleep pattern is read in optically.

8. The generating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pre-microsleep pattern is read in with a camera.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions, which are executable by a computer processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for warning of an imminent microsleep event, by performing the following:

obtaining at least one pattern of a driver while driving a vehicle;

comparing the obtained pattern to at least one stored pre-microsleep pattern that represents an individual behavior of the driver that occurs prior to a microsleep event;

outputting a warning signal responsive to determining, based on a result of the comparison, that a predetermined relationship exists between the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern; and

generating the pre-microsleep pattern by reading in and storing the pre-microsleep pattern in a data storage;

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern represents a gaze behavior,

wherein the warning signal is conditional upon the obtained pattern being identical, within a predefined tolerance range, to the pre-microsleep pattern within a tolerance rang, and

wherein at least one of the obtained pattern and the pre-microsleep pattern further represents at least one of a blink behavior, a head posture, and a body posture of the driver while driving.