Driver Attention Detection Using Road Type Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining a driver's attention level in vehicles are unreliable, particularly when the vehicle transitions from a slightly winding road to a winding road, leading to potential false detection of reduced vigilance.
Innovation Solution
A method that acquires successive values of a driver's control actions on the steering member, determines the type of road, and verifies if the road type has changed, using these factors to more accurately assess the driver's attention level by comparing actual and target control actions, and adjusting for road sinuosity and curvature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver's attention level is determined based on steering control actions, then the attention level can be monitored, but false detections occur when road type changes from slightly winding to winding roads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces road type determination as an intermediary variable that mediates between steering control actions and attention level determination. By analyzing road geometry characteristics (curvature, sinuosity) as an intermediate factor, the system distinguishes between steering variations caused by road geometry versus those caused by driver inattention, thereby resolving false detections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter set used for attention determination by adding road type parameters (curvature, sinuosity) to the traditional steering control parameters. This multi-parameter approach allows the system to account for environmental factors and adjust attention assessment dynamically based on the combination of steering behavior and road characteristics
2Measurement precision
If the detection method uses smoothing and extrapolation of steering wheel angular positions, then prediction error can be calculated, but the method produces unreliable results during road type transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary determination of road type before using steering control actions for attention assessment. By pre-characterizing the road geometry (curvature, sinuosity) and storing this information, the system prepares the necessary contextual data in advance to correctly interpret steering variations, preventing false detections during road type transitions
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining the level of attention of a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps: (i) during a first time interval, a plurality of successive values of an effective variable representative of a control action of the driver of the motor vehicle on a control member of said vehicle are acquired, and (iii) the level of attention of the driver is determined according to said acquired values. According to the invention, said method comprises, at successive time intervals, a step (ii) of determining the type of road (TR(k)) on which the motor vehicle circulates, and of verifying whether said type of road has changed since the previous interval, and in step (iii), the level of attention of the driver is determined also according to the result of the verification of a change of type of road (DTR(k)). The invention also relates to an associated method for stimulating the attention of a driver of a motor vehicle.