Alertness determination for non-alert detection using ear-worn electronic devices
Techniques to detect a non-alert state of a user may include receiving sensor data from an ear-worn electronic device disposed at least partially in the ear of a user, determining an alertness state of the user based on the sensor data, and providing alert data in response to the alertness state comprising a non-alert state to a user stimulation interface of the ear-worn electronic device or to an external device.
1 . A method, comprising:
receiving sensor data from an ear-worn electronic device disposed at least partially in the ear of a user, the sensor data comprising sound data from at least one microphone of the ear-worn electronic device;
determining a reaction speed of the user based at least in part on the sound data;
determining an alertness state of the user is a non-alert state based on at least determining the reaction speed does not satisfy a threshold reaction speed; and
in response to determining the alertness state of the user is the non-alert state, providing alert data to a user stimulation interface of the ear-worn electronic device or to an external device.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or both of:
motion data indicating a head position of the user; and
motion data indicating head movements of the user.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises physiological data including one or more of:
data indicating a respiration rate of the user;
data indicating surprise of the user;
data indicating a temperature of the user;
data indicating physiological electrical signals of the user indicative of eye gaze; and
data indicating head motion or position of the user.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or both of:
data indicating a reaction speed of the user; and
emotional state data.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the alertness state of the user further based on external sensor data.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the external sensor data comprises motion data from at least one motion sensor indicating arm movements of the user.
7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the external sensor data comprises visual data from at least one optical sensor comprising eye gaze data of the user.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the external sensor data comprises driving data, the method further comprising determining a user operation adherence level based on the driving data.
9 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the external sensor data comprises chemical sensor data indicating an impairment level.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving support animal data indicating a reaction of a support animal of the user.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a driver error score based on a current driver score to a predetermined baseline driver score; and
determining an alertness state of the user further based on the driver error score.
12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating a model to determine the alertness state of the user based on historical user data to reduce false positive indications of non-alert states.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing the alert data to an external device to activate an autonomous or semi-autonomous operational mode of a machine being operated by the user.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a user-perceptible alert is provided in response to the alert data comprising one of more of the following: an audible alert, a haptic alert, an electrical stimulation alert, and a visual alert.
15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sound data comprises sound produced by a vehicle operated by the user running over a rumble strip.
16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of the user's circadian rhythm, and the alertness state of the user is determined based on the circadian rhythm data.
17 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting an audible sound and detecting an audible response of the user, wherein the sound data includes the audible response of the user.
18 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting the start of a sound and determining an amount of time from the start of the sound until the sound stops, wherein determining the reaction speed is further based on the amount of time from the start of the sound until the sound stops.
19 . A method, comprising:
receiving sensor data from an ear-worn electronic device disposed at least partially in the ear of a user, the sensor data comprising sound data from at least one microphone of the ear-worn electronic device, the sensor data further comprising motion data from a motion sensor of the ear-worn electronic device;
determining a reaction speed of the user based at least in part on the sound data and the motion data;
determining an alertness state of the user is a non-alert state based on determining the reaction speed does not satisfy a threshold reaction speed; and
in response to determining the alertness state of the user is the non-alert state, providing alert data to a user stimulation interface of the ear-worn electronic device or to an external device.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the motion data is indicative of one or both of head position of the user and head movements of the user.
21 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the sound data comprises sound produced by a vehicle operated by the user running over a rumble strip.
22 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of the user's circadian rhythm, and the alertness state of the user is determined based on the circadian rhythm data.