Driver Danger Perception Detection Using Heart Rate Deceleration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current driver assistance systems struggle to determine whether a driver has perceived a danger, leading to unnecessary warnings and potential deactivation of safety features.

Innovation Solution

A device that uses a heart rate sensor to analyze the driver's heart rate for a deceleration phase after a danger is indicated, determining if the driver has perceived the danger, and adjusts the interventions of the driving assistance system accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If driver assistance systems issue warnings to alert drivers of dangers, then driver safety is improved, but false warnings occur when drivers have already perceived the danger themselves

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of danger perception detectionVSAvoidunnecessary warnings and driver annoyance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses physiological feedback (heart rate, respiration, galvanic skin response) from the driver to determine whether they have already perceived the danger. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust its warning behavior based on the driver's actual state, preventing false warnings when the driver is already aware of the danger.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces physiological sensors as intermediaries between the driver and the warning system. These sensors measure heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin response to serve as a mediator that translates the driver's internal state into actionable information for the assistance system, enabling more accurate judgment of driver perception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the system monitors driver physiological signals continuously, then accuracy of perception detection is improved, but energy consumption and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of driver perception assessmentVSAvoidnumber of sensors and processing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors physiological signals continuously but only performs full analysis when a danger is detected by the assistance system. During normal driving, monitoring occurs at a lower level, and detailed analysis is activated only when needed, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining detection accuracy when it matters most.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The physiological sensors serve multiple functions: they monitor driver alertness, detect danger perception, and assess driver stress levels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, thereby managing complexity while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4271601B1Device for analysing a vehicle driver's perception of a danger and associated method
Publication Date: 2025.06.18 VALEO COMFORT & DRIVING ASSISTANCE
  • EP4271601B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4271601B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4271601B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A device (1) for analysing a vehicle driver's perception of a danger comprises: - a heart rate sensor (10) designed to measure the driver's heart rate over time, and - a processing unit (40) designed to a) receive an indication (D) of the danger present in the environment of the vehicle, b) analyse the driver's heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor, during a time interval starting when the indication is received by the processing unit, and c) determine whether or not the danger has been perceived by the driver depending on whether or not the driver's heart rate analysed in step b) comprises a deceleration phase during the time interval.