IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,752,252
Granted Patent B2
US 10,752,252 · App. 16/419,152 · Granted Aug 25, 2020

System and method for responding to driver state

Inventors: Kin C. Fung (Dublin, OH); Timothy J. Dick (Dublin, OH)
Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
B60W40/08B60R25/25G06K9/00536G06K9/00845G07C5/02G07C5/08G07C9/37G16H50/20B60W2540/22G06K2009/00939G07C9/00309G07C9/00563
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,752,252
App. No.
16/419,152
Granted
Aug 25, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for controlling vehicle systems includes receiving monitoring information from one or more monitoring systems and determining a plurality of driver states based on the monitoring information from the one or more monitoring systems. The method includes determining a combined driver state based on the plurality of driver states and modifying control of one or more vehicle systems based on the combined driver state.

Claims (34)

1. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

receiving monitoring information from a monitoring system, wherein the monitoring information includes hand contact information about contact between a driver and a steering wheel of the vehicle;

receiving vehicle information from a vehicle system, wherein the vehicle information includes a first vehicle mode and steering information;

detecting a hand contact transition with the steering wheel based on the hand contact information;

determining a driver state based on the hand contact transition and the vehicle information; and

modifying the first vehicle mode to a second vehicle mode based on the driver state and the first vehicle mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the driver state includes determining a first driver state based on the hand contact transition and a second driver state based on the steering information.

3. The method of claim 2 , including determining a combined driver state based on the first driver state and the second driver state by evaluating the first driver state and the second driver state together, and modifying the vehicle mode based on the combined driver state and the first vehicle mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the hand contact transition includes detecting a change in a number of hands in contact with the steering wheel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver state is determined to be attentive upon detecting the hand contact transition from one hand in contact with the steering wheel to two hands in contact with the steering wheel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver state is determined to be distracted upon detecting the hand contact transition from two hands in contact with the steering wheel to one hand in contact with the steering wheel.

7. The method of claim 2 , including determining whether the vehicle is performing a turn maneuver based on the steering information, and modifying the first vehicle mode when the turn maneuver is completed.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the vehicle is performing the turn maneuver is based on comparing the steering information to the hand contact information.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the first vehicle mode is a normal mode or a sport mode, the first vehicle mode is modified to a comfort mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon detecting a second hand contact transition, modifying the vehicle mode includes modifying the second vehicle mode back to the first vehicle mode.

11. A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a monitoring system;

a vehicle mode selector system;

a steering wheel system including a steering wheel; and

an electronic control unit including a processor, wherein the processor:

receives monitoring information from the monitoring system, wherein the monitoring information includes hand contact information about contact between a driver and the steering wheel;

receives vehicle information from the vehicle mode selector system and the steering wheel system, wherein the vehicle information includes a first vehicle mode and steering information;

detects a hand contact transition based on the hand contact information;

determines a driver state based on the hand contact transition and the vehicle information; and

modifies the first vehicle mode to a second vehicle mode based on the driver state and the first vehicle mode.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor determines a first driver state based on the hand contact transition and a second driver state based on the steering information.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor determines a combined driver state based on the first driver state and the second driver state by evaluating the first driver state and the second driver state together, and modifying the first vehicle mode to the second vehicle mode based on the combined driver state and the first vehicle mode.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor detects the hand contact transition by detecting a change in a number of hands in contact with the steering wheel based on the hand contact information.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor determines the driver state as attentive upon detecting the hand contact transition as a change from one hand in contact with the steering wheel to two hands in contact with the steering wheel.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor determines the driver state as distracted upon detecting the hand contact transition as a change from two hands in contact with the steering wheel to one hand in contact with the steering wheel.

17. The system of claim 11 , including where the processor determines whether the vehicle is performing a turn maneuver based on the steering information, and the processor modifies the vehicle mode after the turn maneuver is completed.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor determines whether the vehicle is performing the turn maneuver by comparing the steering information to the hand contact information.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the first vehicle mode is a normal mode or a sport mode, the processor modifies the first vehicle mode to a comfort mode.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor detects a second hand contact transition and modifies the second vehicle mode back to the first vehicle mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2019
From: FUNG, KIN C.; DICK, TIMOTHY J.
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049251/0508 →
Continuity (23)
Continuation 16385108 · Apr 16, 2019
Continuation 15720489 · Sep 29, 2017
Continuation 15656595 · Jul 21, 2017
Continuation 14851753 · Sep 11, 2015
Continuation PCTUS2015037019 · Jun 22, 2015
Continuation In Part 14573778 · Dec 17, 2014
Continuation In Part 14697593 · Apr 27, 2015
Continuation In Part 13858038 · Apr 6, 2013
Continuation In Part 14733836 · Jun 8, 2015
Continuation In Part 14744247 · Jun 19, 2015
Continuation In Part 14315726 · Jun 26, 2014
Continuation In Part 14461530 · Aug 18, 2014
Continuation In Part 13843077 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 14074710 · Nov 7, 2013
Continuation In Part 14573778 · Dec 17, 2014
Continuation In Part 14697593 · Apr 27, 2015
Continuation In Part 14733836 · Jun 8, 2015
Continuation In Part 14744247 · Jun 19, 2015
Provisional Application 62016037 · Jun 23, 2014
Provisional Application 62098565 · Dec 31, 2014
Provisional Application 62016020 · Jun 23, 2014
Provisional Application 62098565 · Dec 31, 2014
Related Publication 20190276033A1 · Sep 12, 2019