US 12,434,731 B2
Vehicle driver or occupant health and alertness monitoring and assistance system
Sathya D Kondasani, Northville, MI (US); Nicholas Periat, Oxford, MI (US); Akarsh Rayishankar, Clinton Township, MI (US); and Trpko S Blazevski, Grand Blanc, MI (US)
Assigned to FCA US LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by FCA US LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on May 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/326,217.
Prior Publication US 2024/0400077 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. B60W 50/14 (2020.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/0205 (2006.01); B60Q 1/50 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); A61B 5/05 (2021.01); A61B 5/332 (2021.01); G08B 25/10 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 50/14 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0205 (2013.01); A61B 5/6893 (2013.01); B60Q 1/544 (2022.05); B60W 60/0051 (2020.02); A61B 5/05 (2013.01); A61B 5/332 (2021.01); B60W 2050/143 (2013.01); B60W 2050/146 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2540/221 (2020.02); G08B 25/10 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A driver health monitoring and assistance system for a vehicle, the driver health monitoring and assistance system comprising:
an electronic control unit having a communication device, memory and one or more processors;
a health monitoring sensor in signal communication with the electronic control unit, the health monitoring sensor coupled to a component associated with a driver seat of the vehicle and adapted to monitor one or more vital signs of a driver;
an infotainment system in signal communication with the electronic control unit;
an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in signal communication with the electronic control unit and configured to autonomously drive the vehicle;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, via the one or more processors:
receive signal data from the health monitoring sensor indicative of the one or more vital signs;
determine, based on the received signal data, whether one or more of the one or more vital signs fall outside of a predetermined range or pattern thereby indicating an abnormal health condition of the driver;
when the one or more vital signs are determined to be outside the predetermined range or pattern, commanding the infotainment system to provide an alert message adapted to be observable by the driver on a display of the infotainment system and that requests a response from the driver via a human machine interface (HMI) of the display of the infotainment system;
monitoring the infotainment system for the response from the driver within a first predetermined period of time;
when the response is not received within the first predetermined period of time, further alerting the driver by commanding the infotainment system to read aloud the displayed alert message via a speaker in communication with the infotainment system and requesting the driver to respond via the HMI of the display of the infotainment system within a second predetermined period of time;
when the response is not received to the further alert within the second predetermined period of time and/or the response to the further alert is indicative of confirmation of the abnormal health condition:
when the vehicle is moving, commanding the ADAS to take emergency action to autonomously stop the vehicle; and
commanding the ADAS to i) cooperate with the infotainment system to contact emergency 911; ii) provide the emergency 911 with a global positioning system location of the vehicle; and iii) text a predetermined emergency contact stored in the electronic control unit of the vehicle with a predetermined emergency message, wherein commanding the ADAS to text the predetermined emergency contact stored in the electronic control unit of the vehicle with the predetermined emergency message includes first determining if the predetermined emergency contact number is connected to the infotainment system and, if so, commanding the ADAS to text another predetermined emergency contact stored in the electronic control unit of the vehicle that is determined to not be connected to the infotainment system with the predetermined emergency message.