Driver Concentration Detection via Steering Angle Variance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for determining driver concentration, such as those using cameras and pulse sensors, are economically inefficient due to the complexity of components required and can only detect abnormal driving due to drowsiness, failing to address broader issues like driver negligence and mental concentration.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that calculates a driver's concentration based on variations in the steering wheel angle and vehicle driving status information acquired through a front camera sensor, converting this data into statistical information to determine driving concentration and providing a warning when necessary, without requiring additional image or physical data for biological measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If camera-based driver monitoring systems are used to detect drowsiness, then driver concentration can be determined, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver concentration detectionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary steering angle data from the vehicle's existing sensor system, rather than implementing a complete camera-based driver monitoring system. By taking out only the essential measurement (steering angle variations) and processing it through statistical analysis, the system achieves driver concentration detection without the complexity of camera hardware, image processing algorithms, and associated computational resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If pulse sensors and image processing hardware are installed to monitor driver state, then drowsiness detection is possible, but the economic efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrowsiness detection reliabilityVSAvoideconomic efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system utilizes the vehicle's existing steering angle sensor to monitor driver concentration, allowing the vehicle's own components to serve the dual purpose of steering control and driver state monitoring. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional pulse sensors, camera hardware, and specialized processing units, thereby maintaining detection reliability while significantly improving economic efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If statistical processing of steering angle data is performed, then driving concentration can be determined without complex hardware, but data processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehardware complexityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by using only the variance and standard deviation of steering angle data for driver concentration determination, rather than performing comprehensive statistical analysis. This selective statistical processing provides sufficient information to assess driver concentration while minimizing computation time, achieving a balance between simplicity and processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2584548B1System and method for determining vehicle driving status information-based driver concentration
Publication Date: 2017.07.12 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2584548B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2584548B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2584548B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and system for determining driving concentration which is capable of analyzing a driver's driving concentration on the basis of variation of a steering angle and driving status information of a vehicle acquired from a front camera sensor. The method includes storing output data of a steering angle sensor and a front camera sensor mounted in a vehicle at a predetermined time interval, calculating a quantitative index include a value for recognizing a vehicle status based on information stored in a storage unit, statistically processing the calculated value to output status information which is an index for determining driving concentration, and comparing the information calculated in the statistically processing to the predetermined reference data and determining the driving concentration according to the comparison result.