TW202332607A - Driving assistance method - Google Patents

Abstract

A driving assistance method is provided. The driving assistance system includes a physiological information sensing system, an external physical symptom detection system and a processing device. The physiological information sensing system is used to detect physiological information of a driver. The external physical symptom detection system is used to detect the external physical symptoms of the driver. The processing device is coupled to the physiological information sensing system and the external physical symptom detecting system. When the physiological information of the driver and the external physical symptoms of the driver are abnormal, the processing device initiates an emergency procedure.

Description

Driving assistance methods

The present invention relates to an assistance system and an assistance method, and in particular to a driving assistance system and a driving assistance method.

In recent years, with the maturity of vehicle technology, vehicles around the world have become more popular. Although they have brought convenience to human life, the number of casualties caused by traffic accidents has also remained high. Traffic accidents are mostly caused by drivers, and the main causes of accidents are mostly caused by drunk driving, speeding, or physiological problems, such as heart disease, dozing off, etc. If a driver's sudden physical discomfort cannot be detected and dealt with immediately, traffic accidents may easily occur and personal injuries may occur.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a driving assistance system and a driving assistance method, which can reduce driving risks caused by a driver's sudden physical discomfort.

The driving assistance system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a physiological information sensing system, an external performance detection system and a processing device. The physiological information sensing system is used to sense the physiological information of driving. The external performance detection system is used to detect the external performance of driving. The processing device is coupled to the physiological information sensing system and the external performance detection system. When the physiological information of driving is abnormal and the external performance is abnormal, the processing device initiates emergency measures.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system and the explicit performance detection system simultaneously and continuously monitor the physiological information and explicit performance of driving.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system is activated first, and when the physiological information of driving is abnormal, the external performance detection system is activated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the external performance detection system is activated first, and when the external performance of driving is abnormal, the physiological information sensing system is activated again.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a physiological information sensing system includes a plurality of physiological information sensing modules, a microcontroller and a switching circuit. A plurality of physiological information sensing modules are arranged on at least one operating part of the vehicle and coupled to the switching circuit. The microcontroller is coupled to the switching circuit and the processing device. The microcontroller controls the switching circuit to transmit the physiological information detected by the physiological information sensing module of the driving contact person arranged in at least one operating part to the processing device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one operating part is a steering wheel of a vehicle, and includes at least three physiological information sensing modules within a range of 70 mm.

In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one operating part includes at least two of a steering wheel, a start button, a gear lever, a cabin door, and a handbrake.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the driving performance is abnormal and remains for a preset period of time, the processing device initiates emergency measures.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system includes an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor. The plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes of the ECG sensor are arranged on the steering wheel of the vehicle, and include at least three of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes within a range of 70 mm.

In an embodiment of the invention, the second electrode of the ECG sensor is configured on the steering wheel, starter button, gear lever, cabin door or handbrake of the vehicle.

In one embodiment of the invention, the third electrode of the ECG sensor is disposed on the driver's seat of the vehicle for contacting one of the driving legs, and the reference electrode of the ECG sensor is disposed on the driver's seat. The third electrode and the reference electrode are respectively used to contact the driving legs.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system includes an electrocardiogram sensor, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor and a compensation module. The compensation module includes a phase retarder, a photoresistor or an RC delay. The device is used to synchronize the heart rate information in the PPG provided by the PPG sensor with the heart rate information in the ECG provided by the ECG sensor.

The driving assistance method according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps. Detect physiological information of driving. Detection of driving performance. When the physiological information and external performance of driving are abnormal, emergency measures are initiated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information includes electrocardiogram (ECG) or photoplethysmogram (PPG), and the external manifestation includes at least one of expression, posture, speech and movement.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system and the explicit performance detection system simultaneously and continuously monitor the physiological information and explicit performance of driving.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system is activated first, and when the physiological information of driving is abnormal, the external performance detection system is activated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the external performance detection system is activated first, and when the external performance of driving is abnormal, the physiological information sensing system is activated again.

In one embodiment of the present invention, emergency measures include at least one of issuing a warning, autonomous driving, alarming, pulling over, and sending a doctor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the step of detecting physiological information of driving includes using a plurality of physiological information sensing modules respectively configured in at least one operating part of the vehicle, and acquiring the information of the driver who is configured in at least one operating part. The physiological information detected by the contact's physiological information sensing module.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the driving performance is abnormal and remains for a preset period of time, the processing device initiates emergency measures.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information of driving is modified according to at least one of the pressure value and skin impedance of the detected part of driving.

The driving assistance system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a physiological information sensing system and a processing device. The physiological information sensing system is used to sense the physiological information of driving. The processing device is coupled to the physiological information sensing system. When an abnormality occurs in the driving physiological information, the processing device initiates emergency measures. The physiological information sensing system includes multiple physiological information sensing modules, microcontrollers and switching circuits. A plurality of physiological information sensing modules are arranged on at least one operating part of the vehicle and coupled to the switching circuit. The microcontroller is coupled to the switching circuit and the processing device. The microcontroller controls the switching circuit to transmit the physiological information detected by the physiological information sensing module of the driving contact person arranged in at least one operating part to the processing device. Each physiological information sensing module includes an ECG sensor, a PPG sensor and a compensation module. The microcontroller selects ECG sensing mode measurement or PPG sensing mode measurement through a switching circuit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one operating part is a steering wheel of a vehicle, and includes at least three physiological information sensing modules within a range of 70 mm.

In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one operating part includes at least two of a steering wheel, a start button, a gear lever, a cabin door, and a handbrake.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information sensing system first performs PPG sensing mode measurement, and when detecting that two physiological information sensing modules provide PPG, switches to ECG sensing mode measurement.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each compensation module is a phase retarder, a photoresistor or an RC retarder, so that the heart rate information in the PPG provided by the PPG sensor is consistent with the ECG information provided by the ECG sensor. heart rate information synchronized.

Based on the above, in the driving assistance system and the driving assistance method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the physiological information and external performance of driving are detected at the same time, and emergency measures can be initiated immediately and accurately to reduce the probability of accidents. Alternatively, in the driving assistance system and driving assistance method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the ECG sensing mode measurement or the PPG sensing mode measurement can be automatically switched. Not only can the physiological information be obtained by performing the PPG sensing mode measurement, , the accuracy can also be improved by performing ECG sensing mode measurements.

In order to make the present invention more obvious and understandable, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 1 . The driving assistance system 1000 of this embodiment includes a physiological information sensing system 1100 , an external performance detection system 1200 and a processing device 1300 . The physiological information sensing system 1100 is used to sense physiological information of driving. Physiological information includes but is not limited to electrocardiography (ECG), photoplethysmography (PPG), body temperature and sweat. The explicit performance detection system 1200 is used to detect the explicit performance of driving. The processing device 1300 is coupled to the physiological information sensing system 1100 and the external performance detection system 1200.

FIG. 2A is a sequence diagram of a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A. In the driving assistance system 1000 and the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the physiological information of driving is abnormal, that is, at time T1, the processing device 1300 activates the external performance detection system 1200 to detect Driving performance. When an abnormality occurs in the driving performance, that is, at time T2, the processing device 1300 initiates emergency measures.

From the above, it can be seen that in the driving assistance system 1000 and the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the physiological information sensing system 1100 can continuously and real-time monitor the physiological information of driving. Once the physiological information is abnormal, the explicit performance detection system 1200 can further detect the driving performance to determine what kind of physical discomfort occurs while driving. Therefore, the processing device 1300 can initiate appropriate emergency measures based on the foregoing judgment results to avoid erroneously initiating emergency measures just because of temporary physiological information abnormalities, and can transmit the judgment results to hospitals, police units or other emergency units in order to provide emergency services. The fastest and correct help in driving. In addition, the driving assistance system 1000 and the driving assistance method of this embodiment detect ECG and PPG at the same time. Even if the ECG single-lead circuit cannot be formed because the driver operates or turns the steering wheel with one hand, basic physiological information such as heart rate can still be obtained from the PPG. .

In addition, in the driving assistance method of this embodiment, in addition to directly initiating emergency measures at time T2, it can also be performed when the driving performance is abnormal (time T2) and maintained for a preset period of time ΔT, that is, At time T3, the processing device 1300 starts emergency measures. By setting the preset time (ΔT), the probability of misjudgment can be reduced. In addition, although the external performance detection system 1200 is started from time T1 as an example, the external performance detection system 1200 can also be kept in a constantly on state like the physiological information sensing system 1100 .

ECG is a transthoracic recording of the electrophysiological activity of the heart in units of time. Using electrodes in contact with the skin, the overall electrical potential changes of the heart can be detected. ECG results are usually displayed as waveforms. Heart rate can be obtained from ECG, which is basically calculated based on the interval between R wave and R wave in ECG. When the interval time between R wave and R wave is larger, it means the heart rate is lower, and when the interval time between R wave and R wave is smaller, it means the heart rate is higher. On the other hand, the heart rhythm can also be obtained from the ECG. Heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute, while heart rate refers to the rhythm with which the heart beats. PPG is a non-invasive detection method that detects changes in blood volume in living tissues through photoelectric means. When a beam of a certain wavelength irradiates the skin surface, the contraction and expansion of blood vessels will affect the transmission or reflection of light every time the heart beats. When the light beam passes through the skin tissue and then reflects to the light receiver, the amount of light will be attenuated to a certain extent, and the change in the amount of light will be related to the change in blood volume in the artery caused by the heartbeat. Therefore, information such as heart rate and blood pressure can be obtained by analyzing changes in light intensity.

Drivers must be able to operate cars, ships, airplanes and other types of vehicles normally, and their brains need blood to provide nutrients and oxygen. When there is insufficient blood flow to the brain, sudden loss of consciousness may occur. Therefore, by detecting physiological information such as ECG and PPG while driving, we can initially determine the physical condition that may lead to safe driving.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the driving assistance method of Fig. 2A. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 , for example, the physiological information sensing system 1100 may further include a body temperature-sweat sensor 1110C. If it is determined at box J102 that the driver's body temperature is normal and the sweat level is normal based on the sensing results of the body temperature-sweat sensor 1110C, that is, the driver's body temperature is normal and the degree of sweating is normal, the message that the driving condition is normal will be passed to the processor. Device 1300. On the other hand, if it is determined in box J102 that the driver's body temperature is normal but the degree of sweating is abnormal, that is, the driver is suffering from cold sweat, or other conditions of abnormal body temperature and/or abnormal sweating, the physiological information sensing system will further The PPG provided by the PPG sensor 1110B of 1100 is used to determine the blood pressure level at block J104. If it is determined at block J104 that the blood pressure is low, it is then determined at block J106 whether the ECG sensor 1110A forms a loop based on whether the ECG sensor 1110A of the physiological information sensing system 1100 can provide ECG. If it is determined at block J106 that the ECG sensor 1110A is in a loop, the heart rhythm condition can be determined at block J108 from the ECG provided by the ECG sensor 1110A. If it is determined that the heart rhythm condition is normal at block J108, a message that the driving condition is normal will be transmitted to the processing device 1300. If it is determined in block J108 that the heart rhythm condition is abnormal, the information of whether the driving heart rhythm condition determined in block J110 is fast or slow will be transmitted to the processing device 1300 .

If it is determined at block J106 that the ECG sensor 1110A does not form a loop, the heart rhythm condition is determined at block J108 from the PPG provided by the PPG sensor 1110B. If it is determined at block J104 that the blood pressure is high, it is then determined at block J112 whether the ECG sensor 1110A forms a loop based on whether the ECG sensor 1110A can provide ECG. If it is determined at block J112 that the ECG sensor 1110A is in a loop, the heart rhythm condition can be determined at block J114 from the ECG provided by the ECG sensor 1110A. If it is determined that the heart rate is too fast at block J114, the driving heart rate condition will be transmitted to the processing device 1300. If arrhythmia is determined at block J114, it can be determined at block J116 whether the ECG provided by the ECG sensor 1110A is normal. If it is determined at block J116 that the ECG is normal, a message that the driving condition is normal will be transmitted to the processing device 1300 . If it is determined in block J116 that the ECG is abnormal, the information that the driving ECG is abnormal is also transmitted to the processing device 1300 . In addition, if it is determined at block J112 that the ECG sensor 1110A does not form a loop, the heart rhythm condition is determined at block J114 from the PPG provided by the PPG sensor 1110B.

On the other hand, the external performance detection system 1200 of this embodiment may include a camera 1210, a pressure sensor 1220, a tension sensor 1230, a microphone 1240 and a touch screen 1250. However, in other embodiments, the external performance detection system The system 1200 may also include only some of the aforementioned components or other components that can detect external manifestations. At block J202, it can be determined based on the detection results of the camera 1210 and the microphone 1240 whether the driver has convulsions, a crooked face, a slanted mouth, hands on the chest, enlarged eye fissures, abnormal pitch, or other abnormalities in images and sounds. At block J204, it can be determined based on the detection results of the pressure sensor 1220 whether the driver is subject to a strong impact, unilateral weakness, restlessness of the hands and feet, general weakness, or other apparent abnormality that can be determined by the pressure detection results. The pressure sensor 1220 is, for example, installed on the driver's seat or a section of the seat belt that is mainly in contact with driving. At block J206, it can be determined based on the detection results of the tension sensor 1230 whether the driver has severe twitching, unilateral tilt, tilting and twisting, slow movement, or other apparent abnormality that can be determined by the tension detection results. At block J208, based on the detection results of the touch screen 1250, it can be determined whether there are any abnormalities in the external performance of the touch screen 1250, such as multiple random touches while driving. In addition, the touch screen 1250 can also be replaced by a component that only has a touch sensing function but not a display function. In summary, the explicit performance detection system 1200 is used to detect at least one of expressions, gestures, speech, actions or other explicit expressions.

The judgment results at boxes J202, J204, J206, and J208 will all be passed to the processing device 1300. After combining the information provided by the physiological information sensing system 1100 and the external performance detection system 1200, the processing device 1300 can further determine whether the driving is normal or there are other symptoms. For example, when a driver has a normal body temperature but experiences symptoms such as sweating, high blood pressure, and fast heart rate accompanied by convulsions, strong impacts, severe twitching, dizziness, irregular touch, repetitive movements, and shouting, it indicates that the driver may be experiencing epilepsy. When the driving body temperature is normal but sweating, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate and normal ECG are accompanied by external symptoms such as a crooked face, slurred speech, dizziness, weakness on one side of the body, tilting on one side, irregular touch, etc., it indicates that driving may be possible. Stroke. When driving with normal body temperature but with sweating, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal ECG accompanied by hand touching chest, angina pectoris, sitting posture left and right tilting and twisting, gasping, chest pain, restlessness, abnormal tone, irregular touch and other external manifestations, it means Driving may cause psychogenic illness. When driving with normal body temperature but with external symptoms such as sweating, low blood pressure, fast heart rate accompanied by trembling, general weakness, slow movement, abnormal tone, irregular touch, etc., it means that the driving may be due to hypoglycemia. When the driver's body temperature is normal but the driver suffers from sweating, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, accompanied by enlarged eye fissures, general weakness, slow movements, abnormal tone, irregular touch and other external manifestations, it means that the driver may be vagus nerve stimulated, that is, he is frightened. For example, high blood pressure is higher than 140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), hypotension is lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), fast heart rate is higher than 100 beats/minute (min), and slow heart rate is lower than 60 beats/min. / minute (min), arrhythmia refers to heart rate variability, that is, the difference between heartbeat intervals is greater than 50 milliseconds (msec).

After the processing device 1300 determines the driving symptoms more accurately, appropriate emergency measures can be initiated. For example, issuing a warning, activating autonomous driving, pulling over, sending emergency medical treatment or other appropriate emergency measures. Please refer to Figure 1 again. The driver's private cloud 50A can transmit the driver's basic information to the hybrid cloud 50B. Basic driving information includes basic physiological information, health examination reports, special medical history, etc. The processing device 1300 may also transmit the detection results of the physiological information sensing system 1100 and the external performance detection system 1200 to the hybrid cloud 50B. The hybrid cloud 50B can transmit the aforementioned information to the public cloud 50C of hospitals, police stations or other emergency units in order to provide the fastest and correct assistance to drivers. For example, a hospital can know that a driver will be taken to a hospital and prepare appropriate medical treatment based on the information received before the driver arrives at the hospital. The part of activating autonomous driving also includes route planning, the details of which will not be described here.

In addition, the processing device 1300 may also include a warning module 1310 to warn the driver or surrounding passers-by when abnormal physiological information or external performance of the driver is detected. For example, the warning module 1310 may include a tactile unit 1312, a visual unit 1314, and a sound unit 1316. The tactile unit 1312 vibrates the driver's seat or generates alertness through other methods that allow the driver to have a tactile response. The vision unit 1314 may, for example, flash lights on the dashboard or generate alertness through other methods that allow the driver to have a visual response. It may also activate the vehicle's external flashing lights to warn surrounding passers-by. The sound unit 1316 may, for example, activate a buzzer to sound or generate alertness through other methods that allow the driver to have an auditory response. It may also activate the vehicle's horn to warn surrounding passers-by.

In one embodiment, the physiological information sensing system 1100 and the external performance detection system 1200 can continuously and real-time monitor the physiological information and external performance of driving at the same time. Alternatively, as shown in the timing diagram of FIG. 2A , the physiological information sensing system 1100 can be started first. When the physiological information of driving is abnormal, the processing device 1300 can then start the explicit performance detection system 1200 to detect the explicit performance of driving. The processing device 1300 determines the time and processing method to initiate emergency measures based on the physiological information or external performance of the driver. For example, when physiological information or external manifestations are abnormal and it is judged that driving cannot or should not continue, emergency measures can be initiated immediately instead of initiating emergency measures after the abnormality continues for a period of time as shown in Figure 2A.

FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram of a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the timing diagram of FIG. 2B , in another embodiment, the explicit performance detection system 1200 of FIG. 1 may be started first. When abnormal driving performance is observed at time T1 , the processing device of FIG. 1 1300 Restart the physiological information sensing system 1100 to obtain physiological information, and use this to determine whether the driver cannot or should not continue to drive. For example, at time T2, when the physiological information of the driver is abnormal, the processing device 1300 can then initiate emergency measures. .

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the physiological information sensing system 1100 includes a plurality of physiological information sensing modules 1110 , a microcontroller 1120 and a switching circuit 1130 . A plurality of physiological information sensing modules 1110 are disposed on at least one operating portion of the vehicle (shown in FIG. 4 ) and coupled to the switching circuit 1130 . The microcontroller 1120 is coupled to the switching circuit 1130 and the processing device 1300 . The microcontroller 1120 controls the switching circuit 1130 to transmit the physiological information detected by the physiological information sensing module 1110 of the person being driven and contacted in the operating part to the processing device 1300 . For example, the components on the vehicle shown in FIG. 4 that can be used as operating parts include at least the steering wheel, starter button, gear lever, cockpit door, handbrake, etc., but may also include other parts that are commonly touched by drivers. By disposing multiple physiological information sensing modules 1110 on multiple operating parts of the vehicle, physiological information can be detected even when drivers have different driving habits. For example, when both hands of the driver hold the steering wheel, the required physiological information can be provided through two of the multiple physiological information sensing modules 1110 placed on the steering wheel and contacted by the driver. Or, when the driver only holds the steering wheel with one hand and the other hand touches the starter button, gear lever, cockpit door or handbrake, a physiological information sensing module 1110 placed on the steering wheel and contacted by the driver and the placed A physiological information sensing module 1110 on another operating part can also provide required physiological information. Even when the driver's hands are not holding the steering wheel, the required physiological information can still be provided through the two physiological information sensing modules 1110 placed on the starter button, gear lever, cockpit door or handbrake that are contacted by the driver. . Through the microcontroller 1120 and the switching circuit 1130, it can be quickly determined which operating unit the physiological information sensing module 1110 is configured to provide physiological information. In addition, FIG. 4 also illustrates the locations where the camera 1210, the microphone 1240 and the touch screen 1250 of the external performance detection system 1200 can be installed, but the invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a part of sensors in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the physiological information sensing system 1100 includes an ECG sensor 1110A. The plurality of first electrodes 1110A1 of the ECG sensor 1110A are arranged on the steering wheel of the vehicle, and include at least three of the plurality of first electrodes 1110A1 within a range of 70 millimeters (mm). The average height of a human female is 1.6 meters, the length of the hand is 171 millimeters (mm), and the width is 73 millimeters (mm). The average height of a human male is 1.75 meters, the length of the hand is 188 millimeters (mm), and the width is 83 millimeters (mm). According to the above design, it can be ensured that no matter whether a male or female driver is driving, one palm of his hand can touch at least three first electrodes 1110A1. The completely touched first electrode 1110A1 will serve as the sensing electrode of the ECG sensor 1110A in this detection.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the physiological signal sensing module of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . This module can be configured on the steering wheel, starter button, gear lever, cockpit door, handbrake or other parts that are commonly touched by drivers. Please refer to Figure 1, Figure 5 and Figure 6. In this embodiment, the plurality of second electrodes 1110A2 of the ECG sensor 1110A are similar to the first electrode 1110A1 and can also be configured on the steering wheel of the vehicle and are within 70 millimeters (mm). ) range includes at least three of the plurality of second electrodes 1110A2. The single-lead ECG sensor 1110A can be formed by the first electrode 1110A1 and the second electrode 1110A2 that are contacted by the driver. For ease of installation and quality assurance, each of the aforementioned sensors can be modularized. In the module of Figure 6, a compensation module 1110B1 can be provided. The compensation module 1110B1 may be the skin impedance sensor 1150, the pressure sensor 1140 or the compensation unit (phase retarder, photoresistor or RC retarder) of FIG. 1, etc. The processing device 1300 can use the compensation module 1110B1 to correct the sensing results of the physiological information sensing module 1110. For example, skin conductivity will be affected by the dryness of the environment, causing changes in the resistance of hands touching the steering wheel, thereby affecting the accuracy of single-lead ECG measurements. By measuring the skin impedance value, the ECG can be corrected using the lookup table method or linear correction.

In addition, with different levels of driving force, the blood vessels in the tested area will also deform, causing the volume of the blood vessels to decrease, thereby reducing the signal intensity detected by the PPG sensor 1110B. Furthermore, when the cross-section of the blood vessel is approximately circular, assuming that the length of the blood vessel is L and the radius of the cross-section of the blood vessel is r, the volume of the blood vessel detected by the PPG sensor 1110B is approximately πr ² L. When driving is harder and the cross-section of the blood vessel is approximately elliptical, assuming that the length of the blood vessel is L, the semi-major axis of the blood vessel cross-section is a and the semi-minor axis is b, at this time the volume of the blood vessel detected by the PPG sensor 1110B Approximately πabL. Since the volume πabL of the oval blood vessel is smaller than the volume πr ² L of the circular blood vessel, that is, the blood vessel is deformed and the total volume of the measured blood vessel is reduced, the signal intensity detected by the PPG sensor 1110B will decrease. In one embodiment, the effects on the detected PPG under different pressures can be obtained in advance, and a comparison table can be established to record the compensation values required to compensate for the effects. Thereby, the corresponding compensation value can be obtained from the pre-stored comparison table according to the sensing result of the pressure sensor 1140, and then the PPG can be corrected.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of sensors in another part of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 7 . In this embodiment, the ECG sensor 1110A may also have a third electrode 1110A3 , which is disposed on the driver's seat of the vehicle to contact one of the driving legs. Through the first electrode 1110A1, the second electrode 1110A2 and the third electrode 1110A3 that are contacted by the driver, a three-lead ECG sensor 1110A can be formed to provide an ECG containing more information. For example, when arrhythmia is determined at block J114 in FIG. 3 , the ECG can be provided by the three-lead ECG sensor 1110A to determine whether the driving ECG is normal at block J116 . In addition, the ECG sensor 1110A may also have a reference electrode 1110A4, which is disposed on the driver's seat. The third electrode 1110A3 and the reference electrode 1110A4 are respectively used to contact the driver's legs. In addition, the pressure sensor 1220 can be disposed on the section of the seat belt that mainly bears the pressure of driving, so that when the driver is weak and exerts greater pressure on the seat belt, the pressure sensor 1220 can sense the situation. occurrence. The tension sensor 1230 can be disposed at the end of the seat belt, so that when the driver's body is weak or twisted and pulls the seat belt, the tension sensor 1230 can sense the occurrence of the situation.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the electrode of FIG. 7 . Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 8 . Since the three-lead ECG sensor 1110A is not regularly required, the electrical contact between the third electrode 1110A3 and the driver can be established only when necessary. In this embodiment, the third electrode 1110A3 is disposed on the seat cushion 30 of the driver's seat and includes an electrode sheet 12 , a conductive liquid pipeline 14 and a moisture-permeable member 16 . The processing device 1300 controls the conductive liquid pipeline 14 to deliver the conductive liquid to the moisture-permeable member 16 . The moisture-permeable member 16 is used to contact and connect the electrode sheet 12 and one of the driver's legs through the conductive liquid. In other words, when needed, the conductive liquid will be transported to the breathable element 16 through the conductive liquid pipeline 14. Even if the driver wears pants, skirts or other clothing, the conductive liquid can wet the part of the clothing that contacts the breathable element 16, and thus A conductive path is established between the electrode piece 12 on the seat cushion 30 and one of the driving legs. In addition, the conductive fluid can have quick-drying properties so that the driver's seat can be restored to its original shape quickly.

9A and 9B are schematic diagrams of two PPG sensors of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Please refer to Figure 1, Figure 9A and Figure 9B. In this embodiment, the PPG sensor 1110B of the physiological information sensing system 1100 includes a transmitter 1110B2, a receiver 1110B3 and a compensation unit 1110B1'. The compensation unit 1110B1' in FIG. 9A is a phase retarder, and the compensation unit 1110B1' in FIG. 9B is a photoresistor. In an embodiment not shown, the compensation unit 1110B1' may also be an RC delayer. The compensation unit 1110B1' is used to synchronize the heart rate information in the PPG and the heart rate information in the ECG. In addition, the heart rate information in PPG and the heart rate information in ECG can also be synchronized through algorithms. According to the detection principles of PPG and ECG, we can find that the peak value of ECG comes from the contraction of the ventricle, while the peak value of PPG is caused by vasoconstriction or dilation. Therefore, by comparing the peak occurrence time points of PPG and ECG, we can obtain the transit time of blood after being sent from the heart to the measurement site, which is the pulse wave transit time (PTT). The speed of pulse wave transmission is directly related to blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, pulse wave transmission is fast, and vice versa. Therefore, by obtaining the driver's personal pulse transmission time in advance, the algorithm or RC delayer can be used to synchronize the heart rate information in the PPG with the heart rate information in the ECG. On the other hand, a phase retarder or photoresistor can also be used to delay the peak occurrence time point of the PPG, and the heart rate information in the PPG can also be synchronized with the heart rate information in the ECG.

Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 10 . The driving assistance system 2000 of this embodiment is similar to the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Some of the same details will not be repeated here. The various changes mentioned above about the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 can also be applied to this embodiment. Example of driver assistance system 2000. The driving assistance system 2000 of this embodiment includes a physiological information sensing system 2100 and a processing device 1300, that is, it does not include an explicit performance detection system, but it may also include the same explicit performance detection system 1200 as shown in FIG. 1 . The physiological information sensing system 2100 is used to sense physiological information of driving. The processing device 1300 is coupled to the physiological information sensing system 2100. When an abnormality occurs in the driving physiological information, the processing device initiates emergency measures.

The physiological information sensing system 2100 includes a plurality of physiological information sensing modules 2110, a microcontroller 2120 and a switching circuit 2130. A plurality of physiological information sensing modules 2110 are configured on at least one operating portion of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 4 and coupled to the switching circuit 2130 . The microcontroller 2120 couples the switching circuit 2130 and the processing device 1300 . The microcontroller 2120 controls the switching circuit 2130 to transmit the physiological information detected by the physiological information sensing module 2110 of the person contacted by the driver arranged in at least one operating part to the processing device 1300 .

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the physiological signal sensing module of the driving assistance system of FIG. 10 . Referring to FIG. 11 , each physiological information sensing module 2110 includes an ECG sensor 2112 , a PPG sensor 2114 and a compensation module 2116 . The microcontroller 2120 selects ECG sensing mode measurement or PPG sensing mode measurement through the switching circuit 2130 . The ECG sensor 2112 includes, for example, a first electrode 2112A and a reference electrode 2112B. In addition, each physiological information sensing module 2110 can optionally further include other sensors 2118, and the sensors 2118 can be body temperature-sweat sensors. The compensation module 2116 may be the skin impedance sensor 1150, the pressure sensor 1140 or the compensation unit (phase retarder, photoresistor or RC retarder) of FIG. 1, etc.

In the driving assistance system 2000 in Figure 10, the physiological information sensing module 2110 has both an ECG sensor 2112 and a PPG sensor 2114. Therefore, the ECG sensing mode or the PPG sensing mode can be selected according to the actual situation. Measurement. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of the palm and the physiological signal sensing module when the driver holds the steering wheel in the driving assistance system of FIG. 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 12. When the driver's hand holds the steering wheel, each palm of the driver can contact at least one complete one of the multiple physiological information sensing modules 2110 placed on the steering wheel. When the driver comes into contact with more than two physiological information sensing modules 2110, for example, the driver's left hand and right hand each contact a complete physiological information sensing module 2110, the ECG sensing mode is activated to obtain more accurate driving physiological information. . When the driver only contacts one ECG sensor (a single-lead loop cannot be formed), the PPG sensing mode is activated, and the PPG sensor 2114 measures the driver's PPG without being unable to obtain it because the driver operates the steering wheel with one hand. Physiological information about driving.

FIG. 13 illustrates the physiological signal sensing process in the driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 13. At time T0-1, first scan to confirm whether the PPG can be sensed. At time T0-2, it is confirmed whether there are more than two physiological information sensing modules 2110 that can sense PPG, that is, whether there are two physiological information sensing modules 2110 that can provide ECG. If there are more than two, switch to ECG sensing mode measurement before time T1. If there are not more than two, switch to PPG sensing mode measurement before time T1. Then, physiological information is obtained at time T1, which may be ECG, PPG or both. Finally, the physiological information is transmitted to the processing device 1300 at time T2, and uploaded to the hybrid cloud 50B if necessary.

Taking the driver's hands holding the steering wheel as an example, in the ECG sensing mode, for example, the first physiological signal sensing module 2110 contacted by one of the driver's hands is identified based on Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). , the physiological signal sensing module 2110 is set to "positive". After that, for example, search downwards in a clockwise manner until the physiological signal sensing module 2110 contacted by the other hand of the driver is identified, and the physiological signal sensing module 2110 is set to "negative". In this way, the two physiological signal sensing modules 2110 and the driver's body form a single-lead loop to measure the ECG.

To sum up, in the driving assistance system and driving assistance method of the present invention, it can be determined whether the physiological information and external performance are normal, and emergency measures can be initiated immediately and accurately to reduce the probability of accidents. Optionally, the physiological information can include at least one of ECG and PPG to improve the accuracy of the sensed physiological information. The physiological information and the external performance can be sensed and detected at the same time, or the physiological information can be sensed first. After abnormality, the external performance will be further detected to determine what kind of physical discomfort occurs while driving.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above through embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make some modifications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, The protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the appended patent application scope.

50A: Private cloud 50B: Hybrid cloud 50C: Public cloud 1000, 2000: Driving assistance systems 1100, 2100: Physiological information sensing system 1110, 2110: Physiological information sensing module 1110A, 2112: ECG sensor 1110B, 2114:PPG sensor 1110C: Body temperature-sweat sensor 1120, 2120: Microcontroller 1130, 2130: switching circuit 1140, 1220: Pressure sensor 1150: Skin impedance sensor 1200:Explicit performance detection system 1210:Camera 1230: Tension sensor 1240:Microphone 1250:Touch screen 1300: Processing device 1310: Warning module 1312:Tactile unit 1314:Visual unit 1316: Sound unit T1, T2, T3: time ΔT: preset time J102, J104,…, J116, J202, J204, J206, J208: square box 1110A1, 2112A: first electrode 1110A2: Second electrode 1110A3: Third electrode 1110A4, 2112B: Reference electrode 1110B1, 2116: Compensation module 1110B1’: Compensation unit 1110B2: Transmitter 1110B3:Receiver 2118:Sensor 12:Electrode sheet 14: Conductive fluid pipeline 16: Moisture permeable parts 20:blood vessels 30:Chair cushion T0-1, T0-2, T1, T2: time

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a sequence diagram of a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram of a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the driving assistance method of Fig. 2A. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a part of sensors in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the physiological signal sensing module of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of sensors in another part of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the electrode of FIG. 7 . 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams of two PPG sensors of the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the physiological signal sensing module of the driving assistance system of FIG. 10 . FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of the palm and the physiological signal sensing module when the driver holds the steering wheel in the driving assistance system of FIG. 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 illustrates the physiological signal sensing process in the driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

50A: Private cloud

50B: Hybrid cloud

50C: Public cloud

1000: Driving assistance system

1100: Physiological information sensing system

1110: Physiological information sensing module

1110A:ECG sensor

1110B:PPG sensor

1110C: Body temperature-sweat sensor

1120:Microcontroller

1130: switching circuit

1140, 1220: Pressure sensor

1150: Skin impedance sensor

1200:Explicit performance detection system

1210:Camera

1230: Tension sensor

1240:Microphone

1250:Touch screen

1300: Processing device

1310: Warning module

1312:Tactile unit

1314:Visual unit

1316: Sound unit

Claims (7)

A driving assistance method including: Use a physiological information sensing system to detect the physiological information of driving, wherein the physiological information sensing system includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor and a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to detect ECG and PPG when it cannot be formed. When the ECG sensor is a single-lead circuit, the PPG sensor detects PPG, and the physiological information of the driving will be based on at least the pressure value of the detected part of the driving and the skin impedance. One and correct it; detecting the apparent performance of said driving; and When the physiological information and the external performance of the driving are abnormal, emergency measures are initiated. For the driving assistance method described in item 1 of the patent application, the physiological information includes electrocardiogram (ECG) or photoplethysmogram (PPG), and the external expression includes at least one of expression, posture, speech and movement. The driving assistance method as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein, The physiological information sensing system and the external performance detection system simultaneously and continuously monitor the physiological information and the external performance of the driving, or The physiological information sensing system is started first, and when the physiological information of the driving is abnormal, the external performance detection system is started. The driving assistance method as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein, The external performance detection system is started first, and then the physiological information sensing system is started when the external performance of the driving is abnormal. For the driving assistance method described in Item 1 of the patent application, the emergency measures include at least one of issuing a warning, autonomous driving, alarming, pulling over and sending to a hospital. As for the driving assistance method described in Item 1 of the patent application, the step of detecting the physiological information of the driving includes using a plurality of physiological information sensing modules respectively configured on at least one operating part of the vehicle, and Obtain the physiological information detected by the physiological information sensing module configured in the at least one operating part and contacted by the driver. For the driving assistance method described in Item 1 of the patent application, when the external performance of the driving is abnormal and remains abnormal for a preset period of time, the processing device activates the emergency measure.

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