US 12,440,137 B2
Driver state determination apparatus
Akira Kaino, Hiroshima (JP); Yoshitaka Fujihara, Hiroshima (JP); and Yoko Hoshino, Hiroshima (JP)
Assigned to MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, Hiroshima (JP)
Filed by MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, Hiroshima (JP)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/189,332.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-087596 (JP), filed on May 30, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0380741 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 5/18 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); B62D 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/18 (2013.01) [A61B 5/6893 (2013.01); A61B 5/7455 (2013.01); B62D 5/046 (2013.01); A61B 2503/22 (2013.01); B60W 2540/00 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A driver state determination apparatus that determines an abnormal state of a driver who is manually driving a vehicle, the driver state determination apparatus comprising:
a vibration apparatus that vibrates a steering wheel of a steering apparatus of the vehicle;
a vibration detector that detects a vibration of the steering wheel;
a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel; and
a controller that controls the vibration apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to
provide the vibration at a predetermined excitation frequency to the steering wheel by the vibration apparatus,
calculate, based on the vibration detected by the vibration detector, a value indicating a strength of the detected vibration at the excitation frequency, and
determine that the driver is in an abnormal state based on a responsiveness of muscles of the driver to the vibration when a correlation coefficient between a time variation of the value indicating the strength of the vibration while the vibration is being provided, and a time variation of the steering angle while the vibration is being provided, is equal to or more than a predetermined value.