Drinking detection system

Abstract

To provide a drinking detection system capable of detecting a drunken state with high accuracy without requiring a special operation to occupants.SOLUTION: A drinking detection system comprises: a face information acquisition part for acquiring face information about a face of an occupant seated on a driver's seat of a moving body; a pupil information acquisition part for acquiring pupil information about a pupil of the occupant; a bio-information acquisition part for acquiring bio-information about a body other than the face and the pupil of the occupant; a registration part for storing reference information with which the face information, the pupil information and the bio-information acquired when the occupant is in a normal state are associated, in a storage device; and a determination part for determining whether or not the occupant is drunken, based on a result of comparing the face information, the pupil information and the bio-information acquired when detecting a drunken state thereof with the reference information stored in the storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drinking detection system.

Background Art

[0002] In moving objects such as vehicles, systems for detecting the drinking state of passengers (drivers) are used. In such systems, techniques for determining the presence or absence of drinking based on the alcohol concentration in the passenger's breath and techniques for determining the presence or absence of drinking based on biological information such as heart rate and pupils are used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the method of determining based on the alcohol concentration in the breath, it is necessary to require a special operation such as having the passenger exhale. Also, in the method of determining based on biological information, a problem is the decrease in detection accuracy due to individual differences in the changes in biological information associated with drinking.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a drinking detection system capable of detecting the drinking state with high accuracy without requiring a special operation for the passenger.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] As an embodiment of the present invention, a drinking detection system includes a face information acquisition unit that acquires face information regarding the face of an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a moving body, a pupil information acquisition unit that acquires pupil information regarding the occupant's pupils, a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information regarding the body of the occupant other than the face and pupils of the occupant, a registration unit that stores in a storage device reference information in which the face information, pupil information, and biological information acquired when the occupant is in a normal state are associated, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the occupant is in a drinking state based on a comparison result between the face information, pupil information, and biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the reference information stored in the storage device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, reference information in which face information, pupil information, and biological information in a normal state are associated is registered in advance for each occupant, and it is determined whether or not the occupant is in a drinking state based on the reference information. That is, identification of the occupant and detection of the drinking state are performed based on different reference information for each occupant. Thereby, it becomes possible to detect the drinking state with high accuracy without requiring a special operation from the occupant.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Figure 3

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Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed below. The configurations of the embodiments shown below, as well as the actions, results, and effects brought about by such configurations, are examples. The present invention can be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments, and it is possible to obtain at least one of various effects and derivative effects based on the basic configuration.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a drinking detection system 11 according to an embodiment. The drinking detection system 11 is a system for detecting the drinking state of an occupant (driver) of a vehicle 1 (an example of a moving body) such as a four-wheel automobile.

[0011] The drinking detection system 11 of the present embodiment includes a face detection sensor 21, a pupil detection sensor 22, a biometric information sensor 23, and a drinking detection ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 25.

[0012] The face detection sensor 21 is a sensor for acquiring face information regarding the face of an occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1. The face information may include, for example, information indicating the shape and positional relationship of the components of the face (such as eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). The specific configuration of the face detection sensor 21 should not be particularly limited, and it may be configured by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, a camera sensor or the like can be used. As the camera sensor, for example, a visible light camera, a near-infrared camera, a camera module equipped with the functions of both a near-infrared camera and a visible light camera, etc. can be used.

[0013] The pupil detection sensor 22 is a sensor for acquiring pupil information regarding the pupil of an occupant. The pupil information may include, for example, information regarding pupillary light reflex, eye congestion, nystagmus, pupil dilation, line of sight, etc. The specific configuration of the pupil detection sensor 22 should not be particularly limited, and it may be configured by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, a camera sensor or the like can be used. Note that the face detection sensor 21, the pupil detection sensor 22, and the biometric information sensor 23 may be the same sensor used in combination.

[0014] The biometric information sensor 23 is a sensor for acquiring biometric information related to the body of the occupant other than the face and eyes. The biometric information may include information related to, for example, blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, heart rate interval, etc. The specific configuration of the biometric information sensor 23 should not be particularly limited, and it may be configured by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, a camera sensor, a thermopile sensor, a pulse wave sensor, etc. may be used. The pulse wave sensor may be configured to include, for example, a radio wave radar that detects the movement of an object by transmitting and receiving radio waves. A typical method of the radio wave radar includes a millimeter wave module.

[0015] The drinking detection ECU 25 is an information processing device (computer) that executes information processing (such as arithmetic processing and control processing) for detecting the drinking state of the occupant according to a program. The specific configuration of the drinking detection ECU 25 should not be particularly limited, and it may be configured by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, it may be configured by using a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a storage, input / output terminals, etc. The drinking detection ECU 25 is configured to be communicable via an appropriate network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) with the face detection sensor 21, the pupil detection sensor 22, the biometric information sensor 23, the vehicle control ECU 15, the user I / F 16, etc.

[0016] The vehicle control ECU 15 is an information processing device that executes information processing related to the running of the vehicle 1 according to a program, and executes various information processing for controlling, for example, the drive mechanism and the braking mechanism of the vehicle 1. The specific configuration of the vehicle control ECU 15 should not be particularly limited, and it may be configured by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, it may be configured by using a CPU, an FPGA, an ASIC, a RAM, a ROM, a storage, input / output terminals, etc.

[0017] The user I / F 16 is a device that enables input / output of information between the vehicle 1 and the occupant, and can be, for example, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, an operation unit, a microphone, etc.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the installation status of the face detection sensor 21, the pupil detection sensor 22, and the biometric information sensor 23 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, a side view inside the vehicle 1 equipped with the drinking detection system 11 is illustrated.

[0019] Here, as examples of the face detection sensor 21, the pupil detection sensor 22, and the biometric information sensor 23, a camera sensor 31, a thermopile sensor 35, and pulse wave sensors 36, 37 are illustrated.

[0020] The camera sensor 31 can be installed, for example, at positions P1 to P3. Position P1 is inside the rearview mirror. Position P2 is in the vicinity of the rearview mirror (for example, the lower part, the right side part, the left side part, etc.). Position P3 is between the meter panel and the steering wheel. By installing the camera sensor 31 at any of these positions P1 to P3, image data including the face of the occupant 30 can be acquired, and face information, pupil information, and biometric information of the occupant 30 can be acquired based on the image data. Blood flow information and heartbeat information of the occupant 30 as an example of biometric information can be acquired. The blood flow information may include blood pressure and the like. The heartbeat information may include heart rate, heartbeat interval, and the like. Note that the method of acquiring blood flow information and heartbeat information based on the image data may be realized by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, a pulse wave can be detected based on the shade of a specific color (for example, red, etc.) that changes according to the movement of hemoglobin contained in the blood, and blood flow information and heartbeat information can be acquired based on the detection result. Note that the pulse wave can be a waveform obtained by capturing the volume change of the defect generated as the heart pumps blood.

[0021] The thermopile sensor 35 can be installed, for example, at positions P1 to P3. By installing the thermopile sensor 35 at any of these positions P1 to P3, the body temperature (such as the temperature of the face) of the occupant 30 as an example of biometric information can be acquired.

[0022] The pulse wave sensors 36 and 37 can be installed, for example, at positions P4 and P5. Position P4 is a position on the inner surface of the roof 38, which is slightly behind directly above the seating position of the driver's seat 40. The pulse wave sensor 36 installed at position P4 can be a radio wave radar or the like that transmits radio waves from the roof 38 into the vehicle interior and receives the reflected waves. Position P5 is inside the backrest portion 41 of the driver's seat 40. The pulse wave sensor 37 installed at position P5 can be a radio wave radar or the like that transmits radio waves from the backrest portion 41 toward the back of the occupant 30 and receives the reflected waves. By installing either or both of such pulse wave sensors 36 and 37, it is possible to acquire the blood flow information and heartbeat information of the occupant 30 as an example of biological information. The blood flow information may include blood pressure and the like. The heartbeat information may include the heart rate, the heartbeat interval, and the like. Note that the method of acquiring blood flow information such as blood pressure based on the detection results of the pulse wave sensors 36 and 37 including radio wave radars may be realized by appropriately using known or novel technologies. For example, a method of detecting the heartbeat waveform of the occupant 30 based on the reflected waves received by the pulse wave sensors 36 and 37 and measuring the maximum blood pressure and the minimum blood pressure based on correlation data indicating the relationship between the feature amount of the heartbeat waveform and the blood pressure may be used.

[0023] Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the installation methods of the face detection sensor 21, the pupil detection sensor 22, and the biological information sensor 23 are not limited to the above.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the drinking detection system 11 of the embodiment. The drinking detection system 11 of the present embodiment includes a face information acquisition unit 101, a pupil information acquisition unit 102, a biological information acquisition unit 103, a registration unit 104, a determination unit 105, and an output unit 106. These functional units are configured by the cooperation of the hardware elements and software elements (programs, etc.) that make up the drinking detection system 11. Further, at least a part of these functional units may be configured by dedicated hardware (circuits, etc.).

[0025] The face information acquisition unit 101 acquires face information regarding the face of the passenger 30 seated in the driver's seat 40 of the vehicle 1. The face information includes information that can identify the passenger 30, and for example, includes information indicating the shape and positional relationship of the components of the face (such as eyes, nose, mouth, etc.).

[0026] The pupil information acquisition unit 102 acquires pupil information regarding the pupils of the passenger 30. The pupil information includes, for example, information regarding pupillary light reflex, eye congestion, nystagmus, pupil dilation, line of sight, etc.

[0027] The biometric information acquisition unit 103 acquires biometric information regarding the body of the passenger 30 other than the face and pupils. The biometric information includes, for example, information regarding body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate interval, etc.

[0028] The registration unit 104 causes the reference information in which the face information, pupil information, and biometric information acquired when the passenger 30 is in a normal state are associated to be stored in a storage device (such as a memory built into the drinking detection ECU 25). The reference information can be, for example, information in which personal identification information that can identify the passenger 30, including face information in a normal state, is associated with normal state information including the pupil information and biometric information of the passenger 30 in the normal state. Note that the normal state is a state that is not a drinking state, and can be, for example, the state of the passenger 30 that satisfies conditions predetermined as a state suitable for driving the vehicle 1.

[0029] Based on the comparison result between the face information, pupil information, and biometric information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the reference information stored in the storage device, the determination unit 105 determines whether or not the passenger 30 is in a drinking state. When the reference information is information in which the personal identification information and the normal state information are associated, the determination unit 105 extracts, for example, the normal state information of the passenger 30 being detected based on the face information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the personal identification information stored in the storage device, and based on the comparison result between the pupil information and biometric information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the pupil information and biometric information included in the extracted normal state information, determines whether or not the passenger 30 is in a drinking state.

[0030] The output unit 106 outputs the determination result by the determination unit 105 in a predetermined format. The output method of the determination result should be appropriately determined according to the specifications of the vehicle 1 and the like. For example, the determination result may be output to the vehicle control ECU 15 and used for safety control of the vehicle 1, or may be output to the user I / F 16 and used for issuing a warning to the passenger 30.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the reference information registration process in the drinking detection system 11 of the embodiment. The reference information registration process is a process executed to register reference information when the passenger 30 is in a normal state as a preliminary preparation before actually determining whether the passenger 30 is in a drinking state.

[0032] In step S101, the registration unit 104 determines whether the driver's seat side door of the vehicle 1 is unlocked. In step S101, if it is not unlocked (S101: No), this routine ends. In step S101, if it is unlocked (S101: Yes), in step S102, the face information acquisition unit 101, the pupil information acquisition unit 102, and the biological information acquisition unit 103 acquire the face information, pupil information, and biological information of the passenger 30 seated in the driver's seat 40, respectively.

[0033] Thereafter, in step S103, the registration unit 104 generates personal identification information based on the acquired face information. The personal identification information is information that can identify the passenger 30 seated in the driver's seat 40, and can be generated based on, for example, the shape and positional relationship characteristics of the components of the face (such as eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). Also, in step S104, the registration unit 104 generates normal state information based on the acquired pupil information and biological information. The normal state information is information including the pupil information and biological information of the passenger 30 in the normal state.

[0034] Thereafter, in step S105, the registration unit 104 registers (stores in the storage device) the information associating the personal determination information and the normal state information as reference information.

[0035] By performing the above-described process, reference information corresponding to the normal state can be registered for each of the plurality of passengers 30.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the drinking detection process in the drinking detection system 11 of the embodiment. The drinking detection process is a process for determining whether the passenger 30 is in a drinking state, and is executed after the completion of the above-described reference information registration process.

[0037] In step S201, the determination unit 105 determines whether the door on the driver's seat side of the vehicle 1 has been unlocked. In step S201, if it has not been unlocked (S201: No), this routine ends. In step S201, if it has been unlocked (S201: Yes), in step S202, the face information acquisition unit 101, the pupil information acquisition unit 102, and the biological information acquisition unit 103 acquire the face information, pupil information, and biological information of the passenger 30 seated in the driver's seat 40, respectively.

[0038] Thereafter, in step S203, the determination unit 105 identifies the passenger 30 seated in the driver's seat 40 based on the acquired face information and the personal identification information included in the registered reference information. Thereafter, in step S204, the determination unit 105 extracts the normal state information corresponding to the identified passenger from the reference information.

[0039] Thereafter, in step S205, the determination unit 105 determines whether the passenger 30 is in a drinking state based on the comparison result between the acquired pupil information and biological information and the extracted normal state information (the pupil information and biological information included therein).

[0040] Here, the specific method for determining whether the occupant 30 is in a drinking state should be appropriately determined according to the specifications of the vehicle 1, what information is included in the pupil information and biometric information, and the like. For example, when the blood pressure of the occupant 30 is included in the biometric information, the determination unit 105 satisfies the conditions predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state for the pupil information acquired during the execution of the drinking detection process, and the blood pressure acquired during the execution of the drinking detection process is lower than a predetermined threshold value from the blood pressure in the normal state. In this case, it may be determined that the occupant 30 is in a drinking state. Further, when the blood pressure and body temperature of the occupant 30 are included in the biometric information, the determination unit 105 satisfies the conditions predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state for the pupil information acquired during the execution of the drinking detection process, and the blood pressure and body temperature acquired during the execution of the drinking detection process are lower than a predetermined threshold value from the blood pressure and body temperature in the normal state. In this case, it may be determined that the occupant 30 is in a drinking state.

[0041] Blood pressure and body temperature reflect the state changes of a person from immediately after drinking to several hours later, but they also vary due to factors other than drinking. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately determine the drinking state of the occupant 30 based only on blood pressure and body temperature. On the other hand, pupil information reflects the state changes of a person from after drinking to several days later, so it has the disadvantage that it may also vary due to the influence of that drinking even after the next day of drinking. Therefore, as described above, by combining the state of the pupil and the states of blood pressure and body temperature that tend to decrease due to drinking to determine whether the person is in a drinking state, the detection accuracy can be improved.

[0042] Then, in step S206, the output unit 106 outputs a determination result indicating whether the occupant 30 is in a drinking state to the vehicle control ECU 15, the user I / F 16, and the like.

[0043] As described above, according to the present embodiment, reference information in which face information, pupil information, and biometric information in a normal state are associated is registered in advance for each occupant 30, and it is determined whether the occupant 30 is in a drinking state based on the reference information. That is, identification of the occupant 30 and detection of the drinking state are performed based on different reference information for each occupant 30. Thereby, it becomes possible to detect the drinking state with high accuracy without requiring any special operation from the occupant 30.

[0044] Further, in the above embodiment, the reference information includes face information in a normal state, personal identification information capable of identifying the occupant 30, and normal state information including pupil information and biometric information of the occupant 30 in a normal state. The determination unit 105 extracts the normal state information of the occupant 30 to be detected based on the face information acquired when detecting the drinking state (when executing the drinking detection process) and the personal identification information stored in the storage device, and based on the comparison result between the pupil information and biometric information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the extracted normal state information, determines whether the occupant 30 is in a drinking state. Thereby, it becomes possible to accurately identify the occupant 30 and detect the drinking state based on the reference information.

[0045] Further, in the above embodiment, the biometric information includes blood pressure, and the determination unit 105 may determine that the occupant 30 is in a drinking state when the pupil information acquired when detecting the drinking state satisfies a condition predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state and the blood pressure included in the biometric information acquired when detecting the drinking state is lower than a predetermined threshold value by a predetermined amount or more than the blood pressure in the normal state. In this way, by determining the presence or absence of the drinking state by combining not only the change in the state of the pupil but also the change in blood pressure that tends to decrease due to drinking, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy.

[0046] Further, in the above embodiment, the biological information includes blood pressure and body temperature, and when the pupil information acquired when detecting the drinking state satisfies the conditions predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state, and the blood pressure and body temperature included in the biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state are lower than the predetermined thresholds than the blood pressure and body temperature in the normal state, the occupant 30 may be determined to be in the drinking state. In this way, by determining the presence or absence of the drinking state by combining not only the change in the state of the pupil but also the changes in blood pressure and body temperature that tend to decrease due to drinking, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy.

[0047] A program for causing a computer (for example, the drinking detection ECU 25 or the like) to execute various processes in order to realize the various functions of the drinking detection system 11 as described above may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, memory card, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), flexible disk (FD), etc. in an installable format or an executable format file and provided as a computer program product. Further, the program may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0048] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, or changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0049] 1... Vehicle (mobile object), 11... Drunk driving detection system, 21... Face detection sensor (face information acquisition unit), 22... Pupil detection sensor (pupil information acquisition unit), 23... Biometric information sensor (biometric information acquisition unit), 25... Drunk driving detection ECU, 30... Occupant, 31... Camera sensor (face information acquisition unit / pupil information acquisition unit), 35... Thermopile sensor (biometric information acquisition unit), 36, 37... Pulse wave sensor (biometric information acquisition unit), 101... Face information acquisition unit, 102... Pupil information acquisition unit, 103... Biometric information acquisition unit, 104... Registration unit, 105... Judgment unit

Claims

1. A face information acquisition unit that acquires face information regarding the face of an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a moving body; A pupil information acquisition unit that acquires pupil information regarding the pupils of the occupant; A biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information regarding the body of the occupant other than the face and pupils of the occupant; A registration unit that causes a storage device to store reference information in which the face information, the pupil information, and the biological information acquired when the occupant is in a normal state are associated; A determination unit that determines whether or not the occupant is in a drinking state based on a comparison result between the face information, the pupil information, and the biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the reference information stored in the storage device; A drinking detection system comprising the above.

2. The reference information is information in which personal identification information capable of identifying the occupant, which includes the face information in the normal state, and normal state information including the pupil information and the biological information of the occupant in the normal state are associated, The determination unit extracts the normal state information of the occupant being detected based on the face information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the personal identification information stored in the storage device, and based on a comparison result between the pupil information and the biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state and the extracted normal state information, determines whether or not the occupant is in a drinking state. The drinking detection system according to Claim 1.

3. The biological information includes blood pressure, The determination unit determines that the occupant is in a drinking state when the pupil information acquired when detecting the drinking state satisfies a condition predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state and the blood pressure included in the biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state is lower than a predetermined threshold value than the blood pressure in the normal state. The drinking detection system according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The biological information includes blood pressure and body temperature, The determination unit determines that the occupant is in a drinking state when the pupil information acquired when detecting the drinking state satisfies a condition predetermined as corresponding to the drinking state and the blood pressure and body temperature included in the biological information acquired when detecting the drinking state are lower than a predetermined threshold value than the blood pressure and body temperature in the normal state. The drinking detection system according to Claim 1 or 2.

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