Driver recognition-based vehicle control device and method

Abstract

A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a driver identity recognition device that recognizes driver identity information through a mobile driver's license; an input unit that inputs seat information desired by the driver according to the driver's operation when the driver identity is recognized through the driver identity information; and a processor that sets the corresponding seat as the driver's seat based on the seat information, and controls the operation of each of a first lighting device provided on the front of the vehicle and a second lighting device provided on the rear of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a driver recognition-based vehicle control device and method. Background Technology

[0003] A vehicle refers to a device capable of transporting a transported object, such as humans, animals, plants, or various inanimate objects, to a destination while traveling on roads or tracks. A vehicle can transport a transported object to a destination by moving primarily using one or more wheels installed on its body.

[0004] Such vehicles may include, for example, three-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles, construction machinery, bicycles, or trains running on rails placed on a track.

[0005] The vehicle is equipped with a driver's seat and a passenger seat, and after the driver takes a seat in the driver's seat, the driver can operate the vehicle using various devices including the steering wheel, accelerator, and braking system.

[0006] Meanwhile, with the advancement of electronic control unit technology, vehicle steering, braking, suspension, and drive control systems are evolving dramatically. Utilizing these advancements, there is a demand for technology capable of controlling vehicle movements regardless of the front or rear. Prior art literature

[0008] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0060651 (June 1, 2020) The problem to be solved

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides a driver recognition-based vehicle control device and method capable of controlling the operation of a vehicle regardless of the driver's front or rear position based on driver recognition information.

[0011] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problem(s) mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0013] A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a driver identity recognition device that recognizes driver identity information through a mobile driver's license; an input unit that inputs seat information desired by the driver according to the driver's operation when the driver identity is recognized through the driver identity information; and a processor that sets the corresponding seat as the driver's seat based on the seat information, and controls the operation of each of a first lighting device provided on the front of the vehicle and a second lighting device provided on the rear of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0014] The driver identity recognition device can recognize driver identity information from the mobile driver's license in conjunction with the driver's smart device, based on at least one of MST technology, NFT technology, QR code information recognition technology, and AI-based face recognition technology.

[0015] A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a sensor for detecting whether a driver is seated, and the processor can set a seat detected as being occupied through the sensor among a plurality of seats in a vehicle as the driver's seat.

[0016] The first and second lighting devices described above include a plurality of headlights and a plurality of brake lights, wherein the headlights and the brake lights may be arranged to have a certain pattern.

[0017] When the driver's seat is set as a front seat, the processor can control the headlight of the first lighting device to be turned ON and the brake light of the first lighting device to be turned OFF, and control the headlight of the second lighting device to be turned OFF and the brake light of the second lighting device to be turned ON.

[0018] When the driver's seat is set to the rear seat, the processor can control the headlight of the first lighting device to turn off and the brake light of the first lighting device to turn on, and control the headlight of the second lighting device to turn on and the brake light of the second lighting device to turn off.

[0019] The above processor can control the operation of at least one of the seat adjustment device, steering device, braking device, suspension device, and driving device of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0020] A driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step in which a driver identity recognition device recognizes driver identity information through a mobile driver's license; a step in which, when the driver identity is recognized through the driver identity information, a processor inputs seat information desired by the driver through an input unit; a step in which the processor sets a driver's seat based on the seat information; and a step in which the processor controls the operation of a first lighting device provided on the front of a vehicle and a second lighting device provided on the rear of a vehicle, respectively, using the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0021] The step of recognizing the driver identity information may include recognizing the driver identity information from the mobile driver's license in conjunction with the driver's smart device, based on at least one of MST technology, NFT technology, QR code information recognition technology, and AI-based face recognition technology.

[0022] A driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a step of a sensor detecting whether a driver is seated, and the step of setting the driver seat may include a step of setting the seat detected as being occupied through the sensor among a plurality of seats in the vehicle as the driver seat.

[0023] The first and second lighting devices described above include a plurality of headlights and a plurality of brake lights, wherein the headlights and the brake lights may be arranged to have a certain pattern.

[0024] When the driver's seat is set as a front seat, the controlling step may include a step of controlling to turn on the headlight of the first lighting device and turn off the brake light of the first lighting device; and a step of controlling to turn off the headlight of the second lighting device and turn on the brake light of the second lighting device.

[0025] When the driver's seat is set as a rear seat, the controlling step may include a step of controlling to turn off the headlight of the first lighting device and turn on the brake light of the first lighting device; and a step of controlling to turn on the headlight of the second lighting device and turn off the brake light of the second lighting device.

[0026] A driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include the step of the processor controlling the operation of at least one of the seat adjustment device, steering device, braking device, suspension device, and driving device of the vehicle using setting information of the driver's seat.

[0028] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and attached drawings. Effects of the invention

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the operation of a vehicle can be controlled regardless of the driver's front or rear position based on driver recognition information.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, driver safety can be improved by optimizing vehicle operation through driver identity recognition.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present invention, driving convenience can be increased by providing a driving environment optimized for the driver, and communication with surrounding drivers can be improved by providing headlights and brake lights at positions optimized for the driver.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving experience can be improved by effectively executing the driver's commands regardless of whether the vehicle is in front or behind. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 to 6 are drawings illustrating an example of controlling the operation of a vehicle's lighting device through driver recognition according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0036] The advantages and / or features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0037] In addition, the preferred embodiments of the present invention described below focus on explaining the functional configurations that must be additionally provided for the present invention, while omitting as much as possible the system functional configurations that are already provided in each system functional configuration or are ordinarily provided in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, in order to efficiently explain the technical components constituting the present invention. If a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs is able to easily understand the functions of the components that are conventionally used among the functional configurations that are omitted and not illustrated below, and can also clearly understand the relationship between the components omitted as above and the components added for the present invention.

[0038] Furthermore, in the following description, terms such as "transmission," "communication," "transmission," "reception," and other terms of similar meaning regarding signals or information include not only the direct transfer of signals or information from one component to another but also the transfer through other components. In particular, "transmitting" or "transmitting" a signal or information to a component refers to the final destination of the signal or information and does not imply a direct destination. The same applies to the "reception" of signals or information.

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, a driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a driver identity recognition device (110), an input unit (120), a sensor (130), and a processor (140).

[0043] The above driver identity recognition device (110) can recognize driver identity information through a mobile driver's license. Here, the driver identity information may include the type of license held, personal information, etc.

[0044] To this end, the driver identity recognition device (110) may operate based on at least one of MST technology, NFT technology, QR code information recognition technology, and AI-based face recognition technology.

[0045] That is, the driver identity recognition device (110) can recognize the driver identity information from the mobile driver's license in conjunction with the driver's smart device (not shown), based on at least one of the above technologies.

[0046] The driver identity information recognized by the driver identity recognition device (110) may be stored in memory, although not shown in the drawing. The memory may also store other data output from the processor (140). For example, the memory (140) may store driver seat setting information, etc.

[0047] Various types of data, such as files, applications, and programs, can be installed and stored in the memory (140). The processor (140) can access and use the data stored in the memory (140) or store new data in the memory (140).

[0048] In this way, the memory (140) can store information within a computing device. For example, the memory (140) may be composed of volatile memory units or a set thereof. As another example, the memory (140) may be composed of non-volatile memory units or a set thereof. Additionally, the memory (140) may be other forms of computer-readable media, such as magnetic or optical discs.

[0049] When the driver's identity is recognized through the driver identity information, the above input unit (120) can input the seat information desired by the driver according to the driver's operation. In this way, the driver can directly manually input the seat information desired by the driver through the above input unit (120).

[0050] The sensor (130) can detect whether the driver is seated. In this way, the seat information can be entered using an automatic input method rather than a manual input method in which the driver directly inputs it. That is, when the driver is seated in the seat, the sensor (130) detects this and can automatically enter the seat information.

[0051] The processor (140) can set the corresponding seat as a driver's seat based on the seat information.

[0052] That is, the processor (140) can set the seat information input through the input unit (120) among a plurality of seats in the vehicle as the driver's seat, or set the seat detected as being occupied through the sensor (130) among a plurality of seats in the vehicle as the driver's seat.

[0053] The above processor (140) can control the operation of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat to provide an optimized driving environment regardless of whether it is in the front or rear.

[0054] For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the processor (140) can control the operation of each of the first lighting device (220) provided on the front of the vehicle and the second lighting device (230) provided on the rear of the vehicle.

[0055] Here, the first lighting device (220) and the second lighting device (230) may include a plurality of headlights (310) and a plurality of brake lights (320). At this time, the headlights (310) and the brake lights (320) may be arranged to have a certain pattern (e.g., a two-row pattern).

[0056] Specifically, the processor (140) can control the headlight (310) of the first lighting device (220) to be turned ON and the brake light (320) of the first lighting device (220) to be turned OFF when the driver's seat is set to the front seat (210). Additionally, the processor (140) can control the headlight (310) of the second lighting device (230) to be turned OFF and the brake light (320) of the second lighting device (230) to be turned ON.

[0057] In contrast, the processor (140) can control the headlight (310) of the first lighting device (220) to turn off and the brake light (320) of the first lighting device (220) to turn on when the driver's seat is set to the rear seat (215). Additionally, the processor (140) can control the headlight (310) of the second lighting device (230) to turn on and the brake light (320) of the second lighting device (230) to turn off.

[0058] Meanwhile, the first lighting device (220) and the second lighting device (230) may have a single-row structure in which the headlights (310) and brake lights (320) are arranged at the front and rear, respectively, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the processor (140) can perform operation control to rotate the first lighting device (220) and the second lighting device (230) back and forth based on the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0059] For example, when the driver's seat is set as the front seat (210), the processor (140) can turn on and off the headlight (310) and brake light (320) placed on the front of the first lighting device (220), respectively, and turn off and on the headlight (310) and brake light (320) placed on the front of the second lighting device (230), respectively.

[0060] In addition, the processor (140), although not shown in the drawing, can control the operation of at least one of the seat adjustment device, steering device, braking device, suspension device, and driving device of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0061] Here, regarding the control of the seat adjustment device, an example is described as follows. When the driver's seat is set as a front seat, the processor (140) can adjust the seating direction of at least the seat corresponding to the front seat among the plurality of seats in the vehicle so that it faces the front direction of the vehicle through the operation control of the seat adjustment device.

[0062] In contrast, when the driver's seat is set as a rear seat, the processor (140) can adjust the seating direction of at least the seat corresponding to the rear seat among the plurality of seats in the vehicle to face the rear direction of the vehicle through the operation control of the seat adjustment device.

[0063] Next, regarding the control of the steering device, the following is an example. The processor (140) can activate a steering wheel (not shown) detachably provided in the vehicle, or a steering stick (not shown) provided corresponding to each of a plurality of seats in the vehicle, to enable operation based on the setting information of the driver's seat.

[0064] For example, when the driver's seat is set to the front seat, the processor (140) can enable the steering wheel or steering stick of the front seat to be operable through the control of the steering device. Additionally, when the driver's seat is set to the rear seat, the processor (140) can enable the steering wheel or steering stick of the rear seat to be operable through the control of the steering device.

[0065] To this end, the processor (140) can perform steering control by connecting to the connector of the steering electronic control unit according to the driver's seat position adjustment according to SbW (Steer by Wire) technology.

[0066] In addition, the processor (140) can perform current steering activation and rear wheel steering angle limiting control according to the driving direction setting (provided that control to minimize the turning radius is intervened when the turning radius is reduced).

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, driver safety can be enhanced by optimizing vehicle operation through driver identity recognition. Additionally, driving convenience can be increased by providing a driving environment optimized for the driver, and communication with surrounding drivers can be improved by providing headlights and brake lights at positions optimized for the driver. Furthermore, the driving experience can be improved by effectively executing the driver's commands regardless of whether the vehicle is in front or behind.

[0069] The device described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and / or a combination of a hardware component and a software component. For example, the device and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable array (FPA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing unit may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications executed on said operating system. Additionally, the processing unit may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing unit may be described as being used as a single unit, but those skilled in the art will understand that the processing unit may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing unit may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. In addition, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0070] Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure a processing unit to operate as desired or command the processing unit independently or collectively. Software and / or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device, or transmitted signal wave so as to be interpreted by the processing unit or to provide instructions or data to the processing unit. Software may be distributed over networked computer systems and may be stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] The driver recognition-based vehicle control method described herein can be performed by the driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) of FIG. 1. Furthermore, the driver recognition-based vehicle control method is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and various additional steps may be added as needed as described below, and the steps below may also be performed by changing the order thereof; therefore, the present invention is not limited to each step and its order described below.

[0074] Referring to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 7, in step (710), the driver identity recognition device (110) of the driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) can recognize driver identity information through a mobile driver's license.

[0075] When the driver identity is recognized through the above driver identity information (in the “Yes” direction of 720), in step (730), the processor (140) of the driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) can input the seat information desired by the driver through the input unit (120).

[0076] On the other hand, if the driver identity is not recognized through the above driver identity information (direction “No” of 720), it can return to step (710).

[0077] Next, in step (740), the processor (140) of the driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) can set the driver seat based on the seat information.

[0078] Next, in step (750), the processor (140) of the driver recognition-based vehicle control device (100) can control the operation of each of the first lighting device provided on the front of the vehicle and the second lighting device provided on the rear of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver seat.

[0080] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., either alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be those specifically designed and configured for the embodiment, or they may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operation of the embodiment, and vice versa.

[0081] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the description above. For example, suitable results can be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or the components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or assembled in a form different from described, or replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents.

[0082] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims set forth below. Explanation of the symbols

[0084] 100: Driver recognition-based vehicle control unit 110: Driver Identity Recognition Device 120: Input section 130: Sensor 140: Processor

Claims

Claim 1 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device comprising: a driver identity recognition device that recognizes driver identity information through a mobile driver's license; an input unit that inputs seat information desired by the driver according to the driver's operation when the driver identity is recognized through the driver identity information; and a processor that sets the corresponding seat as the driver's seat based on the seat information and controls the operation of each of a first lighting device provided on the front of the vehicle and a second lighting device provided on the rear of the vehicle using the setting information of the driver's seat; wherein the first and second lighting devices include a plurality of headlights and a plurality of brake lights, wherein the headlights and the brake lights are arranged in a single row structure on the front of the vehicle and the rear of the vehicle, respectively, and the processor performs operation control to rotate the first lighting device and the second lighting device based on the setting information of the driver's seat. Claim 2 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the driver identity recognition device recognizes driver identity information from the mobile driver's license in conjunction with the driver's smart device, based on at least one of MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology, NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, QR (Quick Response) code information recognition technology, and AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based face recognition technology. Claim 3 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting whether a driver is seated, wherein the processor sets the seat detected as being occupied through the sensor among a plurality of seats in the vehicle as the driver's seat. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the driver seat is set as a front seat, the processor controls the headlight of the first lighting device to turn ON and the brake light of the first lighting device to turn OFF, and controls the headlight of the second lighting device to turn OFF and the brake light of the second lighting device to turn ON. Claim 6 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the driver seat is set as a rear seat, the processor controls to turn off the headlight of the first lighting device and turn on the brake light of the first lighting device, and controls to turn on the headlight of the second lighting device and turn off the brake light of the second lighting device. Claim 7 A driver recognition-based vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the operation of at least one of the seat adjustment device, steering device, braking device, suspension device, and driving device of the vehicle using setting information of the driver seat. Claim 8 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method characterized by comprising: a step in which a driver identity recognition device recognizes driver identity information through a mobile driver's license; a step in which, when the driver identity is recognized through the driver identity information, a processor inputs seat information desired by the driver through an input unit; a step in which the processor sets a driver seat based on the seat information; and a step in which the processor controls the operation of a first lighting device provided on the front of a vehicle and a second lighting device provided on the rear of a vehicle, respectively, using the setting information of the driver seat; wherein the first and second lighting devices include a plurality of headlights and a plurality of brake lights, wherein the headlights and the brake lights are arranged in a single row structure on the front of the vehicle and the rear of the vehicle, respectively, and the processor performs operation control to rotate the first lighting device and the second lighting device based on the setting information of the driver seat. Claim 9 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to claim 8, wherein the step of recognizing driver identity information includes the step of recognizing driver identity information from the mobile driver's license in conjunction with the driver's smart device based on at least one of MST technology, NFC technology, QR code information recognition technology, and AI-based face recognition technology. Claim 10 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method characterized in that, in claim 8, a sensor further includes the step of detecting whether a driver is seated, and the step of setting the driver seat includes the step of setting the seat detected as being occupied through the sensor among a plurality of seats in the vehicle as the driver seat. Claim 11 delete Claim 12 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method characterized in that, in claim 8, when the driver seat is set as a front seat, the controlling step comprises: a step of controlling to turn on the headlight of the first lighting device and turn off the brake light of the first lighting device; and a step of controlling to turn off the headlight of the second lighting device and turn on the brake light of the second lighting device. Claim 13 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method characterized in that, in claim 8, when the driver seat is set as a rear seat, the controlling step comprises: a step of controlling to turn off the headlight of the first lighting device and turn on the brake light of the first lighting device; and a step of controlling to turn on the headlight of the second lighting device and turn off the brake light of the second lighting device. Claim 14 A driver recognition-based vehicle control method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of the processor controlling the operation of at least one of the seat adjustment device, steering device, braking device, suspension device, and driving device of the vehicle using setting information of the driver seat.

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