Emotion improvement system

Abstract

A mood improvement system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor storing data including vehicle location, vehicle event data, and current driver mood information. The mood improvement system also includes a server communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and configured to determine whether mood intervention should be activated. The determination of whether emotional intervention should be activated is based on a driver emotional profile including current driver emotional information, and one or more of contextual vehicle information including vehicle event data and vehicle location, and crowdsourced data including current driver emotional information from nearby vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a mood enhancement system for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the presently named inventors, as well as aspects of the description that may not qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art with respect to the present disclosure.

[0003] As commutes get longer and traffic gets more congested, people are spending more time in their vehicles, so it’s important to make driving and riding in a vehicle as pleasant as possible.

[0004] Conventional vehicles include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that can be used to control the temperature and humidity within the vehicle cabin. Such vehicles also typically include entertainment systems, such as radios and video screens, that allow vehicle occupants to listen to music, podcasts, and other media, and in the case of vehicle passengers, to watch shows or movies. These systems help increase the enjoyment of the vehicle occupants while traveling in the vehicle. Finally, conventional vehicles also include a number of control systems that allow vehicle occupants to adjust and control vehicle features, such as windows, sunroofs, cabin lighting, etc.

[0005] Although the vehicle occupants can freely control the HVAC system, entertainment system and vehicle control system to increase the vehicle occupants' enjoyment while traveling in the vehicle, the aforementioned systems are not controlled in relation to the vehicle occupants' mood. Therefore, the systems are not optimized to improve the vehicle occupants' mood while traveling in the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0006] In some examples, a mood improvement system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor storing data, the data including vehicle location, vehicle event data, and current driver mood information. The mood improvement system also includes a server, which is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and configured to determine whether mood intervention should be activated. Determining whether mood intervention should be activated is based on: a driver mood profile including current driver mood information, and background vehicle information including vehicle event data and vehicle location and one or more of crowdsourced data including current driver mood information from nearby vehicles. In some examples, the current driver mood information is based on user input. In some examples, the determination of whether mood intervention should be activated is also based on crowdsourced data including current driver mood information from nearby vehicles. In addition, the vehicle location may include one or more of route data, traffic conditions, and weather conditions. In some examples, the vehicle event data includes one or more of window position, seat position, vehicle temperature, vehicle lighting, or automatic driver assistance status. In addition, the server may be configured to implement mood intervention if it is determined that mood intervention should be activated. In some examples, a dynamic threshold determined by the server is used to determine whether mood intervention should be activated. The vehicle may include the mood improvement system.

[0007] In some examples, a mood improvement system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor storing data, the data including vehicle location, vehicle event data, and current driver mood information. The mood improvement system also includes a server, which is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and configured to determine whether mood intervention should be activated. Determining whether mood intervention should be activated is based on: a driver mood profile including current driver mood information and background vehicle information including vehicle event data and vehicle location. In some examples, crowdsourced data includes current driver mood information from nearby vehicles or one or more of vehicle settings including one or more of vehicle seat positions, window positions, temperature settings, and audio settings from nearby vehicles based on vehicle location. In addition, a dynamic threshold determined by a server can be used to determine whether mood intervention should be activated. In some examples, current driver mood information is based on user input. In addition, current driver mood information can be based on data from a vehicle camera or a vehicle sensor. In some examples, the server is also configured to implement mood intervention if it is determined that mood intervention should be activated.

[0008] In another configuration, a mood improvement system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor storing data, the data including vehicle location and vehicle event data. The mood improvement system also includes a server, which is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and configured to determine the current driver mood and determine the dynamic threshold based on one or more of the following: background vehicle information including vehicle event data and vehicle location, or crowdsourced data including current driver mood information from nearby vehicles or crowdsourced vehicle settings including one or more of the vehicle seat position, vehicle audio conditions, window positions, and use of advanced driver assistance systems from nearby vehicles. The server is also configured to display the suggested vehicle improvement when the current driver mood is below the dynamic threshold. In some examples, determining the current driver mood includes prompting the vehicle driver to input the driver's current mood. In addition, in some examples, the step of determining the current driver mood includes evaluating the vehicle driver using a vehicle camera and a vehicle sensor. In some examples, the server is also configured to implement the suggested vehicle improvement. In addition, in some examples, the server is also configured to determine the updated current driver mood once the vehicle improvement is implemented. In some examples, the vehicle includes the mood improvement system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a mood enhancement system according to the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 A mood-enhancing system according to the present disclosure is provided. Figure 1 An interior view of the vehicle; and

[0012] Figure 3 is an example flow chart of a mood improvement system according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be implemented in many different forms, and that the specific details and exemplary configurations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0015] The terms used herein are only for describing specific exemplary configurations, not for limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive, thus specifying the presence of features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as an execution order. Additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0016] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached to, or coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0017] The terms first, second, third, etc. can be used here to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts. These elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each element, component, region, layer or part. Terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence unless the context clearly indicates. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part, without departing from the teaching of the example configuration.

[0018] In this application, including the definitions below, the term module may be replaced by the term circuit. The term "module" may refer to or be part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0019] The term code used above may include software, firmware and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class and / or an object. The term shared processor includes a single processor that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor includes a processor that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with an additional processor. The term shared memory includes a single memory that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory includes a memory that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with an additional memory. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical signals and electromagnetic signals propagated through the medium and can therefore be considered to be tangible non-transitory memory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory memory include tangible computer-readable media, including non-volatile memory, magnetic memory, and optical memory.

[0020] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include and / or rely on stored data.

[0021] Software applications (i.e., software resources) may refer to computer software that enables a computing device to perform tasks. In some examples, software applications may be referred to as "applications," "apps," or "programs." Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0022] Non-transitory memory can be a physical device used to temporarily or permanently store programs (e.g., instruction sequences) or data (e.g., program state information) for use by a computing device. Non-transitory memory can be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., commonly used for firmware, such as bootloaders). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM), and disk or tape.

[0023] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, apparatus, and / or device (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0024] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic and / or optical circuits, integrated circuits, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementations in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system comprising at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system, and to send data and instructions to the storage system.

[0025] The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors, also known as data processing hardware, executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. These processes and logic flows can also be performed by dedicated logic circuits, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) or ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include or be operably connected to one or more large-capacity storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, to receive data from the large-capacity storage device or to transmit data to it, or both. However, a computer does not need to have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and storage devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry.

[0026] To provide interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented on a computer having a display device for displaying information to the user, such as a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or touch screen, and an optional keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user; for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0027] Reference now Figure 1-3 , Figure 11 shows a mood improvement system 100 for a vehicle 10. The mood improvement system includes a vehicle processor 200 and a server 300, which will be described in more detail below, and the server 300 is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor 200. The vehicle 10 is contemplated as an electric vehicle 10 (EV), and may include autonomous or semi-autonomous capabilities. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle 10 including EV and internal combustion engine (ICE) components and capabilities. Furthermore, if desired, the vehicle 10 may include only an internal combustion engine or other power source.

[0028] Figure 2 , a vehicle interior is shown in which the vehicle driver is seated. The vehicle interior may be equipped with a plurality of vehicle cameras 12 and / or vehicle sensors 14 configured to collect data related to the vehicle driver. In addition, the vehicle interior may include a dashboard 16 configured to display text or images to the vehicle driver. In addition, the dashboard 16 may also be configured to allow user input or other actions by the vehicle driver.

[0029] Reference again Figure 1-3 In the example shown, the vehicle processor 200 stores vehicle data 202 for the vehicle 10. Although the element 200 is described and shown as a processor, the element 200 may include processing hardware and memory hardware. For example, the memory hardware allows the element 200 to store instructions for the processing hardware to execute Figure 3 Data and instructions for the operations shown.

[0030] In some examples, vehicle data 202 includes vehicle location 204, vehicle event data 206, and current driver emotion information 208. Vehicle location 204 generally relates to the location of vehicle 10. Vehicle location 204 may be collected from a global positioning system (GPS) or other navigation system. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle location 204 may be collected from a third-party application or user device such as a cellular phone or tablet. Once vehicle location 204 is known, the location may be transmitted to vehicle processor 200. In addition, vehicle location 204 may include route data so that the route along which vehicle 10 is traveling, including origin and destination information, may be transmitted to vehicle processor 200. In some examples, vehicle location 204 may also include traffic data, including but not limited to data related to current and upcoming traffic conditions along the route. Additionally, in some examples, vehicle location 204 may include weather data for the current or upcoming location along the route. The vehicle processor 200 can be configured to sense, measure, or collect weather conditions, including, but not limited to, past, current, and future temperatures, past, current, and future rainfall conditions, past, current, and future current air quality conditions, and / or past, current, and future humidity conditions.

[0031] The vehicle event data 206 generally relates to the actions taken by the vehicle 10 during operation and / or the current vehicle settings. In some examples, the vehicle event data 206 may be collected by one or more vehicle sensors 14 and / or vehicle cameras 12 and may be transmitted to the vehicle processor 200 for storage and / or further processing. The vehicle event data 206 may include vehicle dynamics, such as vehicle speed, lane merging, vehicle steering wheel angle, vehicle crosswalk data, or other vehicle operations. In some examples, the vehicle speed may relate to the current speed of the vehicle 10, whether the vehicle 10 has stopped, whether the vehicle 10 has changed speed rapidly, and other events related to vehicle speed. Based on visual evidence from the vehicle camera 12, lane merging may relate to whether a lane change of the vehicle 10 has been detected and / or whether the lane has ended. The vehicle steering wheel angle may indicate the current angle of the steering wheel and whether the angle of the steering wheel has changed rapidly, thereby indicating that the vehicle is turning. The vehicle crosswalk data includes whether the vehicle camera has detected one or more pedestrian crosswalks. Detection of a crosswalk, and more specifically, detection of multiple crosswalks in a given road segment, may require frequent stops of the vehicle 10 due to pedestrians and / or stop signs associated with the crosswalk.

[0032] The vehicle event data 206 may also include vehicle settings. The vehicle settings for a particular vehicle driver may include stored vehicle setting preferences or may be collected by the vehicle sensors 14 and / or the vehicle cameras 12. The vehicle settings may be any customizable settings in the vehicle, including but not limited to window positions, seat positions, audio settings, vehicle lighting, cruise control or other automatic driver assistance states, vehicle temperature settings, and / or vehicle wiper settings. For example, the current vehicle settings may include the volume of music playing in the vehicle 10. The current vehicle settings may also include information about the current temperature inside the vehicle 10 and the desired temperature inside the vehicle 10.

[0033] Still refer to Figure 1-3 In the example shown, current driver emotion information 208 generally relates to any information related to the driver's current emotion. In some examples, current driver emotion information 208 may include information input by the driver. For this reason, vehicle processor 200 and / or server 300 are configured to require the driver to input their current emotions. In addition, in some examples, this can be an audio and / or visual prompt displayed on the instrument panel 16. The driver can respond by audio input, input on the instrument panel 16, visual input or other input. The driver emotion information inputted can be a numerical value, a named emotion category and / or a visual emotion category.

[0034] Additionally, the current driver emotion information 208 may include information collected from the vehicle camera 12 and / or the vehicle sensors 14. For example, the current driver emotion information 208 may include audio information such as volume in the vehicle 10 and / or visual information such as facial expressions of one or more vehicle occupants. In some examples, the current driver emotion information 208 may include other measured or sensed information, including the vehicle driver's force on the steering wheel and / or body position relative to the vehicle seat.

[0035] Further references Figure 1-3 , the server 300 is configured as a network and / or cloud-based system in communication with the vehicle processor 200. It is also contemplated that the vehicle processor 200 may transmit any or all of the vehicle data 202 to the server 300 for further processing and / or evaluation. The vehicle processor 200 and / or the server 300 may be continuously and / or periodically updated so that the vehicle data 202 is updated in real time.

[0036] The server 300 is also configured to communicate with a third-party processor to collect third-party data. For example, the third-party processor may include, but is not limited to, other vehicle processors 200 along the route. Additionally or alternatively, the third-party processor may include third-party user devices such as cellular phones and tablets within vehicles 10 along the route. In some examples, the server 300 collects additional vehicle data 202 as crowdsourced information through the third-party processor, such that one or more of vehicle location, vehicle event data, and vehicle emotion data are collected from nearby vehicles 10 or other vehicles 10 along the route.

[0037] Crowdsourced information from nearby vehicles 10 can be transmitted via Bluetooth TM , Wi-Fi TM , third-party applications, or other similar methods. Vehicle location 204 can be crowdsourced from other vehicles 10, including but not limited to route information, traffic, and / or current weather conditions of other vehicles along the route. In addition, in some examples, current driver emotion information 208 can be crowdsourced from other vehicles 10, including but not limited to input driver emotion information and collected driver emotion information of other vehicles along the route. In addition, vehicle event data 206 can be crowdsourced from other vehicles 10, including but not limited to vehicle speed, lane merging, vehicle steering wheel angle, vehicle crosswalk data, or vehicle settings of other vehicles along the route.

[0038] In some examples, server 300 may also be configured to access additional information from a third party server, such as future and past weather information, time, day of the week, and date information. In some examples, server 300 may be configured to use this information as additional vehicle data 202 to help confirm or provide additional context to the driver emotion information.

[0039] The server 300 may also be configured to create and update a driver emotion profile. The driver emotion profile may include current and previous vehicle driver emotion scores, vehicle data 202 including current and previous vehicle settings, and information related to previous emotion interventions and their effects on vehicle driver emotion.

[0040] Still refer to Figure 1-3 In the example shown, the server 300 is configured to determine the current emotion of the vehicle driver. In some examples, determining the current emotion of the vehicle driver includes prompting the vehicle driver to input their current emotion. As described above, this can be an audio and / or visual prompt displayed on the dashboard 16. In some examples, the driver can respond by audio input, input on the dashboard 16, visual input or other input. Alternatively, or in combination with the vehicle driver input, the server 300 can be configured to use the current driver emotion information 208 to determine the current emotion of the vehicle driver. For example, the server 300 can use the data collected from the vehicle camera 12 and / or the vehicle sensor 14, which can provide information related to the driver's current emotion. More specifically, the server 300 can use facial expression recognition software to determine the driver's current emotion based on facial prompts.

[0041] In addition, the server 300 is configured to determine whether the emotional intervention should be activated. The determination of whether the emotional intervention should be activated can be based on one or more of the current driver emotional information 208, the background vehicle information, and the crowd-sourced data from nearby vehicles. In some examples, a dynamic threshold determined by the server 300 is used to determine whether the emotional intervention should be activated. When calculating the dynamic threshold, the weight of the background information and / or the crowd-sourced data can be different from other information such as the current driver emotional information 208. For example, for various situations, i.e., going to work, going home from get off work, going to a funeral home, etc., points can be added or subtracted from the dynamic threshold. In addition, the dynamic threshold is a combination of the original dynamic threshold and the previously successfully taken action. For example, if the server 300 determines that the vehicle 10 has just left the hospital based on the vehicle location 204 and the route information, the dynamic threshold can be increased so that the server 300 is unlikely to suggest emotional improvement because the server 300 has determined that any suggestion is unlikely to have an impact on the driver's emotions. In addition, in some examples, if the server 300 has determined that the weather is abnormally warm based on current and past weather information and date information, the dynamic threshold can be reduced so that the server 300 may suggest mood improvement (i.e., opening the sunroof or other windows), which may have an impact on the driver's mood. In addition, if the server 300 has determined that other vehicles nearby have similar or lower current driver emotion scores, the dynamic threshold can be increased so that any suggestion is unlikely to have an impact on the driver's mood. In addition, if the server 300 has determined that other vehicle drivers with windows open have higher current driver emotion scores than the instant vehicle driver, the dynamic threshold can be reduced so that suggesting similar vehicle settings (i.e., opening windows) may have an impact on the driver's mood. In addition, if the server 300 has determined that opening the window may have an impact on the driver's mood, but the server 300 suggests that the previous attempt to open the window has been overruled or rejected by the user, the server 300 may select different suggestions and / or not suggest opening the window.

[0042] The server 300 may be configured to determine which one or more emotional interventions may have the greatest impact on the user, so that those emotional interventions should be suggested to the vehicle driver. In some examples, emotional interventions may be any intervention that may affect the emotions of the vehicle driver. For example, emotional interventions may include but are not limited to specific music genres or audio settings, stretching exercises, the use of automatic driver capabilities and / or changes in vehicle settings, such as vehicle seat position, window position, temperature settings or vehicle lighting. In addition, the server may determine which emotional intervention to implement based on one or more of the vehicle position, vehicle event data, current driver emotional information, background information and / or driver emotional profiles. For example, the server 300 may determine based on the collected information that the change in window settings should be implemented, the information shows that the weather is an unusually warm day, and the previous emotional intervention involving the change in window settings was previously successful in improving the emotions of the vehicle driver. In other examples, the server 300 may determine based on the collected information that the change in audio settings should be implemented, such as turning the radio on to a specific radio station, the collected information shows that the vehicle driver is on the way home from get off work on Friday afternoon, and other vehicle drivers along the route use similar radio settings to show improved emotions.

[0043] In some examples, the server 300 is configured to display suggestions for increasing the driver's emotions if the server 300 determines that the current driver's emotions are below a dynamic threshold, thereby determining that the emotional intervention should be activated. In some examples, the server 300 can notify the vehicle driver of the improvement of emotions by displaying the emotional intervention via audio, visual or other prompts. In addition, the server 300 can be configured to automatically implement the emotional intervention if the server has determined that the emotional intervention should be activated. In some examples, the emotional intervention can be automatically activated if the server 300 determines that the emotional intervention should be activated. However, in other examples, before the server 300 activates the emotional intervention, the driver may need to agree to each suggested emotional intervention separately. For example, if the server 300 determines that the emotional intervention should be implemented, such as changing the position of the window, the server 300 can display the suggested emotional intervention (i.e., the changed window position) and the prompt requiring the vehicle driver to agree to the intervention on the dashboard 16. The vehicle driver can then verbally agree or interact with the dashboard to agree to move the window position. Once the vehicle driver agrees to change the window position, the server 300 moves the window to the suggested position.

[0044] As described above, the server 300 can also be configured to create and update a driver emotion profile. The driver emotion profile can include current and previous vehicle driver emotion scores, vehicle data 202 including current and previous vehicle settings, and information related to previous emotional interventions and their effects on the vehicle driver's emotions. It can also be envisioned that whenever the emotion improvement system 100 is activated, the driver emotion profile is continuously updated to continuously improve the emotional intervention suggestions made by the server 300. For example, once the server 300 implements the emotional intervention suggestion, the server 300 can be configured to determine the updated vehicle driver emotion. Once a predetermined amount of time has passed, the updated vehicle driver emotion can be determined to give the emotional intervention time to affect the vehicle driver's emotions. The updated vehicle driver emotion and the emotional intervention taken can be uploaded to the driver emotion profile to improve future emotional intervention suggestions.

[0045] refer to Figure 3 , an example flow chart of the operation of the mood improvement system 100 is provided. In an initial step, the vehicle 10 begins driving at step 500. Next, at step 502, the server 300 determines whether the driver has selected audio and mood monitoring. If the driver has not opted in, an option to opt in may be displayed at step 504. However, if the driver has opted in, at 506, the server 300 uses an algorithm that compares inputs and outputs to score the driver's current mood. More specifically, the mood assessment algorithm uses inputs including data from the vehicle sensors 12 and vehicle cameras 14 at 600, preset preferences at 602, departure and destination information at 604, traffic conditions at 606, weather conditions at 608, audio at 610, and / or vehicle dynamics at 612 to score the current mood of the vehicle driver using an algorithm at step 614. Once the driver's mood is scored at step 506, the server 300 determines at step 508 whether the intervention threshold has been exceeded. If the intervention threshold has not been exceeded, the mood is reassessed until the threshold is exceeded. However, if the intervention threshold has been exceeded, the server 300 may suggest an emotional intervention at step 510. Some emotional intervention suggestions may include music, stretching exercises, use of features such as cruise control or other autonomous driving features, seat adjustments, verbal suggestions, etc.

[0046] At step 512, the emotion intervention suggestion and the current emotion score are updated in the driver's emotion profile on the server 300. In addition, at step 514, vehicle data 202 from other nearby vehicles 10 can be crowdsourced and calculated into the determination of the emotion intervention suggestion. Once the action type is determined, at 516, the action is displayed or otherwise communicated to the driver. At step 517, the server 300 can also be configured to determine whether the driver overrides the changed vehicle settings, such as music settings, within a given time period. Once the emotion intervention is activated at step 516, the emotion intervention is given time to affect the driver's emotions at step 518. Once the predetermined time has passed, at step 520, the emotion is re-scored by the emotion scoring algorithm. Once the emotion is re-scored, at step 522, the server 300 determines whether the intervention threshold is still exceeded. If the threshold is still exceeded, at step 524, the server 300 can display or adopt another suggestion. If the threshold is not exceeded, a collection of suggestion types and emotion scores is collected at step 526 and sent to update the driver's emotion profile at step 528.

[0047] Reference again Figure 1-3 , the mood improvement system 100 includes a vehicle processor 200 storing vehicle data 202, the vehicle data 202 including vehicle location 204, vehicle event data 206, and current driver mood information 208. The vehicle processor 200 can communicate with the server 300 to determine whether the mood intervention should be activated, and can also activate the mood intervention. Therefore, the mood improvement system 100 can advantageously help monitor and improve the driver's mood, and also take the necessary steps to continuously update the driver's mood profile to continuously provide feedback on successful interventions to improve future suggestions.

[0048] Many embodiments have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims.

[0049] The foregoing description has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but where applicable, they are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration even if not specifically shown or described. This can also be varied in a variety of ways. Such variations should not be considered a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A mood improvement system for a vehicle, the mood improvement system comprising: a vehicle processor for storing vehicle data including vehicle location, vehicle event data, and current driver emotion information; A server communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and configured to determine whether an emotion intervention should be activated, the determination of whether the emotion intervention should be activated being based on: a driver emotion profile including current driver emotion information; as well as Contextual vehicle information including vehicle event data and vehicle location data.

2. The mood improvement system according to claim 1, wherein: The current driver emotion information is based on user input.

3. The mood improvement system according to claim 1, wherein: The determination of whether the emotion intervention should be activated is also based on crowdsourced data including current driver emotion information from nearby vehicles.

4. The mood-enhancing system according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle data also includes current traffic conditions, and the background vehicle information also includes current traffic conditions.

5. The mood-enhancing system according to claim 1, wherein: The background vehicle information also includes current weather conditions.

6. The mood-enhancing system according to claim 1, wherein: The background vehicle information also includes current audio conditions.

7. The mood-enhancing system of claim 1, wherein: A determination of whether the emotion intervention should be activated is determined using a dynamic threshold determined by the server.

8. The mood-enhancing system of claim 1, wherein: The server is also configured to display suggested vehicle improvements when it is determined that the emotion intervention should be activated.

9. The mood-enhancing system according to claim 8, wherein: The server is also configured to implement the suggested vehicle improvements.

10. A vehicle comprising the mood enhancement system according to claim 1.

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