KR20170017616A - Apparatus and method for assisting drive - Google Patents

Abstract

The driving assistance device according to the present invention includes a sensor unit for measuring a driver's head motion and a living body signal, and a controller for determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state using a head motion and a biological signal of the driver measured by the sensor unit And a warning signal unit for generating a warning signal informing the driver of a warning if it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state or a forward unexpected state, And a communication unit that receives the warning signal from the warning signal unit and transmits the warning signal to the established communication device.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a driving assistance apparatus and method for notifying a warning when the driver is in a drowsy state or is not looking forward.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] Recently, as accidents due to drowsiness of a vehicle have been rapidly increased, techniques for preventing a driver from drowning have appeared.

In addition, as the use of smart phones surges, there are accidents caused by not observing the front side through the use of smartphone during driving.

However, the existing technologies for preventing sleepiness of drivers require a complicated algorithm for image processing by using a camera, and there is a risk of not being recognized in a dark situation.

Therefore, it is necessary to use a simple algorithm to detect drowsiness or anterior oblique irrespective of the surrounding environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving assistance device which can detect a drowsy state or a frontal state of a driver, which is relatively easy to construct using a simple algorithm rather than a complicated image processing.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a driver assistance device capable of detecting the driver's sleepiness or frontal ambience even in a dark environment.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving assist system including a sensor unit for measuring a head movement of a driver and a living body signal, a head motion of the driver measured by the sensor unit and a living body signal, And a warning signal unit for generating an alarm signal informing the driver of a warning if the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state or a frontal state, And a communication unit for mutually communicating with the set communication unit and receiving the warning signal from the warning signal unit and transmitting the warning signal to the established communication device.

A driving assist method according to the present invention includes a measuring step of measuring head movement and a biological signal of a driver, a determining step of determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state using the measured head movement of a driver and a biological signal, An alarm signal generating step of generating an alarm signal informing the driver of the warning in response to the determined state when it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state, and an informing step of outputting the warning signal.

The driving assist device and method according to the present invention have one or more of the following effects.

First, it is possible to obtain the same drowsiness and anterior obliquity prevention effect with a relatively simple algorithm than the image processing.

Second, even in an environment in which the image processing is not easy due to the dark surroundings or glasses worn by the driver, the driver can be perceived to be drowsy and forward.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process up to warning of a driver's frontward state using a driving assistance method according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of warning the driver about the drowsiness state using the driving assistance method according to the present invention.
4 shows that the driver's assistant device according to the present invention calculates the gaze direction of the driver in order to determine the state of the front end.
FIG. 5 shows that the driving assistance device according to the present invention measures a living body signal to determine a drowsy state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, a driving assistance apparatus and method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to the present invention.

The driving assistance device according to the present invention includes a sensor unit 100 for measuring a head movement and a living body signal of a driver, a head movement and a living body signal of the driver measured by the sensor unit 100, And a warning signal unit (300) for generating a warning signal informing the driver of a warning if the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state or a forward unexpected state, wherein the warning signal unit And a communication unit 500 for communicating with the notifying unit 400 or the set communication device for receiving and outputting the warning signal and receiving the warning signal from the warning signal unit 300 and transmitting the warning signal to the set communication device.

The sensor unit 100 measures a safety degree (EOG, electrooculogram), which is a biological signal indicating at least one of the gyro sensor 110 and the acceleration sensor 120 for measuring the head movement of the driver and the pupil position of the driver And may include a safety level sensor 130.

 The determination unit 200 may calculate the gaze direction of the driver based on the head movement and the degree of safety of the driver and may determine that the driver is in the frontward direction if the gaze direction of the driver is ahead of the set time or more have.

The warning signal may be a signal informing the driver of a warning about a frontal approach.

Safety refers to the potential signal of the cornea and retina caused by the movement of the eyeball.

4 shows that the driver's assistant device according to the present invention calculates the gaze direction of the driver in order to determine the state of the front end.

The head movement of the driver is measured using at least one of the gyro sensor 110 and the acceleration sensor 120. The driver's eye position measures the degree of safety that occurs when the pupil moves.

This is to prevent such accidents because frequent accidents occur because the driver does not watch ahead due to the use of smartphone during the recent driving.

However, there is a case in which the driver does not watch the front due to necessity during driving, and therefore, it is determined whether the driver does not look forward for the set time. Therefore, the driver does not judge that the driver is in the frontal state when he / she walks around to see the rearview mirror or the surrounding environment for a while. The setting time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

The sensor unit 100 may include an electromyogram sensor 140 for measuring electromyography (EMG) indicating blinking of the driver's eyes.

The determination unit 200 may calculate a first time value that is a value obtained by summing up the eyes of the driver for a certain period of time by measuring the eyelid time of the driver using the electromyogram of the driver, And can determine that the driver is in a drowsy state if the first set value is equal to or greater than the first set value.

If the driver is in a drowsy state, it will take more time to close his / her eyes than usual. However, since there may be a case where the eyes are closed temporarily for other reasons than drowsiness, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the drowsiness judgment by measuring the cumulative eye closing time for a certain period of time.

The determination unit 200 may calculate a second time value that is a time value in which the driver's eyes closed state is maintained using the electromyogram of the driver and if the second time value is equal to or greater than a second set value, .

Drowsy driving can be an accident in a short period of time, so immediate judgment may be required. This immediate judgment is performed by measuring the time that the driver continuously winds the eyes. That is, when the driver's drowsiness is serious, the time to continuously wind the eyes will be relatively longer, so that the drowsiness state can be determined instantaneously. The first and second set values may be arbitrarily set by the user, but the second set value must be set to be larger than the first set value in order to promptly determine the drowsy operation.

The warning signal may be a signal informing the driver of a warning of drowsiness. Notifying the driver of a warning may be an audible voice message or a warning sound, a tactile vibration output, a visual display of a text message, or a specific light emitting device emitting light. The alert notification may be sufficient to notify the driver of a warning of drowsy driving, and does not set any other limitation.

EMG refers to electrical changes in the muscles caused by muscle movements. If a person flickers his or her ear, the ear muscles will move, so if the EMG of the ear muscles is measured, it can be confirmed whether the driver closes his or her eyes. In addition, it is possible to measure the electromyogram of the muscles that can detect the flicker of the eyes.

The driving assistance device according to the present invention may further include software including an algorithm for measuring the bio-signal. The determination unit 200 may include an analog filter, a signal amplifier, and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit for removing the noise of the bio-signal. The bio-signals including EMG and EOG generated by the body of the driver measured by the sensor unit 100 are removed through an analog filter, amplified through a signal amplifier, and transmitted to an analog-to-digital conversion circuit for amplification. The noise-free and amplified bio-signal is converted into a digital signal through an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, and subjected to preprocessing, feature extraction and pattern detection by software. The state of the driver can be determined by a pattern detected from the bio-signal of the driver.

One example of an algorithm for determining the drowsy state will be described.

The blinking of the driver's eye is measured, and PERCLOS (Percentage Closure of Eyes) is calculated. The formula for calculating PERCLOS is as follows.

If the PERCLOS value exceeds a certain threshold value, it is judged to be drowsy, so it does not become drowsy immediately after closing the eyes, and it is very useful for actually drowsiness judgment. The time to close the eyes when blinking is usually from a minimum of 75ms to a maximum of 400ms. A sleeping time of 400ms or more can be defined as a sleeping time, and a sleeping time of 800ms or more can be defined as a sleeping time.

The predetermined time for calculating the PERCLOS can be set to about 20 seconds in the past, and when the PERCLOS value reaches 30% or more, it can be judged as a drowsy state.

Separately from the PERCLOS value, if you keep your eyes closed for more than 800 ms, you can be in a drowsy state.

The sensor unit 100 may further include a temperature sensor for measuring the body temperature of the driver and a heart rate sensor for measuring the heart rate of the driver.

The determination unit 200 determines that the driver is in a drowsy state if the first time value is equal to or greater than the first set value or the second time value is equal to or greater than the second set value and the body temperature and heart rate of the driver are within the set range can do. This is to more accurately determine if the driver is drowsy. When the person is in the drowsy state, the body temperature and the heart rate are different from usual, so it is applied to the drowsiness judgment.

5 shows that the driving assistance device according to the present invention measures a living body signal to determine a drowsy state. Referring to FIG. 5, when the driver is determined to be drowsy, the blinking of the driver's eyes, the heart rate, and the body temperature can be measured. In addition, the addition of an indicator to determine the drowsiness of a person will improve the accuracy of drowsiness judgment.

The driving assistance device according to the present invention includes a notification unit 400 for receiving and outputting the warning signal; And the warning signal may be a signal including at least one of a voice message, a warning sound, and a vibration to warn the driver of drowsiness or a frontal accident.

That is, when it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state or a forward unexpected state, the notification unit 400 may output a voice message warning the user, or may output a vibration or a warning sound. The display unit may be included in the notification unit 400. In this case, a warning may be informed to the driver using a visual stimulus. The notification unit 400 and the warning signal may be enough to inform the driver of the warning, and do not limit the warning.

The driving assistance device according to the present invention may further include a communication unit 500 for mutually communicating with the set communication device, receiving the warning signal from the warning signal unit 300, and transmitting the received warning signal to the set communication device. The set communication device may be a smartphone of the driver, or may be a communication device built in the vehicle. And may communicate with navigation installed in the vehicle through the communication unit 500 or may receive the guidance voice signal from the navigation unit and output it to the notification unit 400. [

In addition, a voice communication or a text message transmission / reception with another mobile terminal may be performed. That is, there are elements that can be assisted during operation in cooperation with other communication apparatuses using the communication unit 500. As the above elements, a driver wearing a driving assistant device can open a vehicle door and start a smart key Function, a black box control function in an emergency situation, and a guidance function for providing a message of a road condition for driving.

The driving assistance device according to the present invention can measure the posture of the driver by using the built-in gyro sensor 110 and can perform a posture correcting function that allows the posture to be suitable for driving. The driving assistance device according to the present invention may not always be in operation but may also guide the user during walking while communicating with the established communication device.

A driving assist method according to the present invention includes a measuring step of measuring head movement and a biological signal of a driver, a determining step of determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state using the measured head movement of a driver and a biological signal, An alarm signal generating step of generating an alarm signal informing the driver of the warning in response to the determined state when it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state, and an informing step of outputting the warning signal.

In the measuring step, the degree of safety (EOG, electrooculogram), which is a biological signal indicating the driver's head motion and the pupil position of the driver, can be measured.

In the determining step, the driver's gaze direction may be calculated using the driver's head motion and safety, and the driver may determine that the driver is in a forward-facing state if the gaze direction of the driver is outward beyond the set time.

In the measuring step, an electromyography (EMG) indicating the blinking of the driver can be measured.

Wherein the first time value is a value obtained by summing up the eye closing time of the driver for a predetermined time by measuring the eyelash time of the driver using the electromyogram in the determining step, It is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state.

Wherein the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state if the second time value is greater than or equal to a second set value, and wherein the second time value is a time value during which the driver's eyes closed state is maintained using the electromyogram have.

In the measuring step, the body temperature and the heart rate of the driver can be further measured.

If it is determined that the first time value is equal to or greater than the first set value, the second time value is equal to or greater than the second set value, and the body temperature and heart rate of the driver are within the set range, the driver may determine that the driver is in a drowsy state .

The driving assistance method according to the present invention may further comprise a communication step of transmitting the warning signal to the set communication device. The warning signal may be transmitted to the vehicle communication device through the communication step to inform the driver of the warning by using the speaker or the vibration sheet of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process up to warning of a driver's frontward state using a driving assistance method according to the present invention.

The head movement and safety of the driver are measured (S110).

The gaze direction of the driver is calculated using the measured head movement and safety of the driver (S120).

And determines whether the calculated gaze direction of the driver is forward (S130).

If it is determined that the direction of the driver's gaze is forward, the gaze direction of the driver is calculated by measuring the driver's head motion and safety,

If it is determined that the driver's gaze direction is not the front direction, it is determined whether the driver's gaze direction is not forward (S140).

If it is determined that the set time has passed since the driver's line of sight is not forward, the driver determines that the driver is in a frontward state and outputs a warning signal (S150).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of warning the driver of a sleepiness state using the driving assistance method according to the present invention.

The electromyogram of the driver is measured (S210).

The eye wear time of the driver is calculated using the measured electromyogram of the driver (S220).

Whether the first time value, which is a value obtained by summing up the eyes of the driver for a predetermined time, is equal to or greater than the first set value, or whether the second time value, which is the time value during which the driver's eyes are kept closed, is greater than or equal to the second set value S230).

If the first time value is equal to or greater than the first set value or the second time value is equal to or greater than the second set value, the driver determines that the driver is in a drowsy state and outputs a warning signal at step S240.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The sensor unit 100
Gyro sensor 110
Acceleration sensor 120
Safety sensor 130
EMG sensor 140
The determination unit 200
The warning signal part 300
The notification unit 400
The communication unit 500

Claims (13)

A sensor unit for measuring a head movement of a driver and a biological signal;
A determination unit for determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state or a forward-anticipated state using the head movement and the biological signal of the driver measured by the sensor unit; And
An alarm signal unit for generating a warning signal informing the driver of a warning if the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state or a frontal state; The driving assist device comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
(EOG, electrooculogram) indicating a position of at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor for measuring the head movement of the driver and a pupil position of the driver,
Wherein,
The driver's head direction and the degree of safety are used to calculate the gaze direction of the driver and if the gaze direction of the driver is ahead of the predetermined time or longer,
Wherein the warning signal is a signal informing the driver of a warning about a frontal accident. The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
And an electromyography sensor for measuring electromyography (EMG) indicating blinking of the driver's eyes,
Wherein,
Calculating a first time value which is a value obtained by summing up the driver's eye closing time for a predetermined time by measuring the driver's eye closing time using the electromyogram of the driver and if the first time value is equal to or greater than a first set value Determines that the driver is in a drowsy state,
Wherein the warning signal is a signal informing the driver of a warning of drowsiness. The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
And an electromyography sensor for measuring electromyography (EMG) indicating blinking of the driver's eyes,
Wherein,
Calculating a second time value that is a time value in which the driver's eyes closed state is maintained using the electromyogram of the driver and determining that the driver is in a drowsy state if the second time value is equal to or greater than a second set value,
Wherein the warning signal is a signal informing the driver of a warning of drowsiness. The method according to claim 3 or 4,
The sensor unit includes:
Further comprising: a temperature sensor for measuring a body temperature of the driver; and a heart rate sensor for measuring a heart rate of the driver,
Wherein,
Wherein the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state if the first time value is equal to or greater than a first set value or the second time value is equal to or greater than a second set value and the body temperature and heart rate of the driver are within a set range. The method according to claim 1,
A notification unit for receiving and outputting the warning signal; Further comprising:
The warning signal may include:
Wherein the driving assist signal is a signal including at least one of a voice message, a warning sound, and a vibration to warn the driver of drowsiness or a frontal accident. The method according to claim 1,
A communication unit for mutually communicating with the established communication apparatus, receiving the warning signal from the warning signal unit, and transmitting the warning signal to the established communication apparatus; Further comprising: A measurement step of measuring a driver's head motion and a biological signal;
Determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state or a forward-anticipated state using the measured head movement and the biological signal of the driver;
An alarm signal generating step of generating an alarm signal informing the driver of a warning in response to the determined state when it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state or a frontal state; And
A warning step of outputting the warning signal; The driving assist system comprising: 9. The method of claim 8,
In the measuring step,
(EOG, electrooculogram), which is a biological signal indicating the head movement of the driver and the pupil position of the driver,
In the determination step,
Calculating a driver's gaze direction based on the head movement and the degree of safety of the driver, and determining that the driver is in a front-end state if the driver's gaze direction is ahead of a predetermined time or longer. 9. The method of claim 8,
In the measuring step,
An electromyography (EMG) indicating the blinking of the driver's eyes is measured,
In the determination step,
Calculating a first time value which is a value obtained by summing up the eyes of the driver during a predetermined time and calculating a first time value when the first time value is equal to or greater than a first set value, The driver is determined to be in a drowsy state. 9. The method of claim 8,
In the measuring step,
An electromyography (EMG) indicating the blinking of the driver's eyes is measured,
In the determination step,
Calculating a second time value that is a time value for maintaining the driver's eyes closed state using the electromyogram; and determining that the driver is in a drowsy state if the second time value is greater than or equal to a second set value. The method according to claim 10 or 11,
In the measuring step, the body temperature and heart rate of the driver are further measured,
In the determination step,
Wherein the driver is determined to be in a drowsy state if the first time value is equal to or greater than a first set value, the second time value is equal to or greater than a second set value, and the body temperature and heart rate of the driver are within a set range. 9. The method of claim 8,
A communication step of transmitting the warning signal to the set communication device; Further comprising the steps of:

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