| US 7,450,016 B2 | ||
| Driver fatigue assessment device and method | ||
| Kazuyoshi Isaji, Kariya (Japan); Naohiko Tsuru, Handa (Japan); Takahiro Wada, Takamatsu (Japan); and Hiroshi Kaneko, Okayama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Denso Corporation, Kariya (Japan); and National University Corporation Kagawa University, Takamatsu (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 07, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/295,759. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-356026 (JP), filed on Dec. 08, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0132319 A1, Jun. 22, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G08B 23/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 340—573.7 [340/988] | 18 Claims |
| 1. A driver fatigue assessment device comprising:
a look information generator to generate look information regarding at least one of a driver's direction of a look and a locus
at which a driver is looking;
a visual stimulator to provide a visual stimulus within a driver's field of view at a first position and then at a second
position; and
a controller, the controller including:
a change determination unit to determine whether the look information has changed in response to the change in the visual
stimulus position; and
a fatigue decision unit to assess driver fatigue based upon an output of the change determination unit, wherein the controller
is operable to initiate driver fatigue analysis if an elapsed amount of time tDRIVE during which the driver has had to be alert equals a threshold amount of time TFATIGUE associated with the onset of fatigue.
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