Steering Wheel Rotation Pattern Analysis for Drowsy Driver Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing prevalence of long drives without sufficient sleep has led to a significant risk of traffic accidents due to careless or drowsy driving, as existing technologies lack effective solutions to detect and mitigate these conditions.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with sensors to monitor the steering wheel's rotation direction and pattern, which uses machine learning algorithms to determine if a driver is driving carelessly or drowsily, and provides alerts in audible or visible forms to prevent accidents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If biometric sensors are used to detect driver drowsiness or carelessness, then detection accuracy is improved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses steering wheel rotation patterns as a proxy or copy of driver attention state. Instead of directly measuring physiological parameters with biometric sensors, the system infers driver drowsiness or carelessness from the indirect pattern of steering wheel usage, achieving detection capability without complex biometric hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex biometric sensing systems with a simple mechanical sensor that detects steering wheel rotation. This substitution uses basic mechanical motion detection instead of sophisticated physiological measurement systems, reducing complexity while maintaining detection functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If existing technologies are used for driver monitoring, then device simplicity is maintained, but detection capability for careless or drowsy driving is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoiddetection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors steering wheel rotation patterns and provides real-time feedback to detect changes indicative of drowsiness or carelessness. By establishing baseline patterns and comparing current behavior against these patterns, the system achieves reliable detection while keeping the device simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The steering wheel itself serves as both the driving control and the sensing element. The existing steering wheel structure is utilized to detect rotation patterns, eliminating the need for separate complex monitoring systems while maintaining detection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11318984B2Electronic device for assisting driving of vehicle and method therefor

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Provided are an electronic device and method for assisting driving of a vehicle, the electronic device including a sensor configured to sense a rotation direction of a steering wheel of the vehicle, a processor configured to monitor rotation direction switching events of the steering wheel, obtain a rotation direction switching pattern about a number of rotation direction switching events of the steering wheel per unit time, and determine whether to provide an alert to a driver of the vehicle, based on the obtained rotation direction switching pattern, and an outputter configured to output the alert to the driver, based on the determination.