Driver Gaze Monitoring Using a Virtual Line Warning Threshold

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driver monitoring systems primarily focus on vehicle states and driver identification through imaging, failing to utilize driver gaze direction for safety monitoring.

Innovation Solution

A driver monitoring apparatus that includes a camera to capture images, process gaze direction, and output warnings if the gaze is below a preset virtual line for a predetermined time, ensuring the driver maintains a forward-facing orientation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If driver imaging is performed for identification purposes only, then driver authentication is achieved, but driver state monitoring capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver state informationVSAvoidmonitoring functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The camera system is designed to perform multiple functions: driver identification through image recognition and driver state monitoring through gaze direction analysis. The same imaging device captures images that are processed to extract both identity information and attention state information, eliminating the need for separate monitoring hardware and enabling comprehensive driver assessment from a single image source

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If gaze direction monitoring is added to existing dashcam systems, then driver attention can be monitored, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver safety monitoringVSAvoidmonitoring system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical or sensor-based gaze tracking hardware with image processing algorithms. By using computer vision techniques to analyze the captured images and determine gaze direction from facial features and eye position, the system achieves reliable driver attention monitoring without adding mechanical complexity or requiring additional specialized sensors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The processor acts as an intermediary that transforms raw camera images into meaningful driver state information. Rather than directly measuring gaze direction with complex sensors, the system uses image processing as an intermediate step to extract gaze information from standard camera captures, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining monitoring capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260024358A1Driver monitoring apparatus and medium

Publication Date: 2026.01.22 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A driver monitoring apparatus configured to be retrofitted to a vehicle is provided. The driver monitoring apparatus has a camera configured to capture an image including a driver of a vehicle; an output unit. The driving monitoring apparatus performs specifying a gaze direction of the driver from the image captured by the camera; determining whether or not the specified gaze direction is continuously below a preset virtual line for more than a predetermined time; and outputting, by the output unit, a warning to the driver in a case where it is determined that the gaze direction is continuously below the virtual line for more than the predetermined time.