Member Info for johnchucka

this chart summarizes the development of the global #automotive #dms market. the dms installation rate is forecast to rise from 4% in 2021 to 85% in 2030. in the course of a decade, dms will move from being a niche #technology which many have written-off as obsolete, to a #safety technology which saves as many lives as #airbags and #seatbelts. regulatory and advisory bodies have been paying close attention for several years, even though the effectiveness of dms technology to save lives has been drowned out by the #selfdriving developers and their lobbyists, comms, and pr people.

dms looks like a #computervision problem. but in practice dms is a technology to solve a people problem, which is that humans get distracted and drowsy, and some drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs. so effective dms means development of a complete system which sees and understands human behavior as it applies to crash risk. not every turn of the head away from the roadway represents distraction; not every eye closure represents drowsiness. critically, not all dms are created equal.

a low-cost system which beeps every time a person turns their head or closes their eyes and has no understanding of the subtlety and nuance of human behavior, becomes "super-annoying" super quickly. thus, #interiorsensing is giving way to interior #perception, and underpinning perception is the necessity of #humanfactors behavioral science.

the key challenge currently facing dms developers is the lack of harmonization across the us, europe, china and #ncap, of what a dms actually does. there looks to be agreement coming of a basic need for #drowsiness, #distraction, and #impairment detection, driven primarily by euro ncap - for safer cars, vans & trucks. on top of that lies a superset of features enabling automated driving and functions in the #digital****pit. euro ncap is constantly raising the minimum performance bar, with a requirement for cognitive distraction already required as early as 2029. a demonstrable technology roadmap and commitment to ongoing investment in #innovation is therefore critical to success in dms development.

#automakers, tier-1s and semiconductor and component suppliers must therefore choose their dms roadmaps extremely carefully. to support this need, semicast is adding significant additional segmentation to its analysis of the automotive dms market in its upcoming 2024 study. this is summarized as follows:

- by movement detection into "owl" and "lizard" detection

- by feature set

- by processor type

- by cmos image sensor location

- by cmos image sensor resolution

- by driver and occupant monitoring

- by front-seat and whole-cabin monitoring

message me for details of the 2024 edition of #semicast's report "#adas & automotive vision-based driver monitoring systems.” my messages are open. availability of the research is limited to 30 purchasing companies.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7117104083211010049/

DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH INDIRECT LIGHT SOURCE AND CAMERA

A driver monitoring system of a vehicle includes: an infrared (IR) camera configured to, via a windshield, capture an image of a driver on a driver's seat within a passenger cabin of the vehicle; and an IR light source configured to transmit IR light directly toward the driver and the driver's seat.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2023316782A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20231005&DB=&locale=en_EP

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230316782.pdf

https://patents.justia.com/patent/20230316782

OBJECT INFORMATION OBTAINING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING

A method of obtaining object information includes receiving a request initiation from an occupant of a vehicle. The method includes receiving a request from the occupant. The method includes determining a content of the request from the occupant. The method further includes detecting a gaze location of the occupant. The method includes receiving information related to an environment surrounding the vehicle based on data collected by a sensor attached to the vehicle. The method includes identifying a region of interest (ROI) outside of the vehicle based on the detected gaze location and the information related to the environment surrounding the vehicle. The method includes generating log data based on the ROI and the content of the request. The method includes transmitting the log data to an external device. The method includes receiving information related to an object within the ROI, wherein the information satisfies the content of the request.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=2&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20231005&CC=US&NR=2023316769A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230316769.pdf

VEHICULAR INTERIOR CABIN LIGHTING SYSTEM SELECTIVELY OPERABLE FOR DMS AND OMS FUNCTIONS

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting structure configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. The mirror head accommodates a camera and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) connected in series with each other. A switch is operable in an open state, where current provided by a current driver passes through each individual LED of the plurality of LEDs, and a closed state, where current provided by the current driver passes through a first subset of LEDs of the plurality of LEDs and bypasses a second subset of LEDs of the plurality of LEDs. The switch operates in the open state when the camera captures image data for a first vehicular function, such as occupant monitoring, and operates in the closed state when the camera captures image data for a second vehicular function, such as driver monitoring.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=6&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230928&CC=US&NR=2023302994A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230302994.pdf

OCCUPANT STATE MONITORING APPARATUS

An occupant state monitoring apparatus includes an imager, a storage, and a calculation controller. The imager is configured to capture an image of an occupant who is in a vehicle. The storage is configured to store vehicle member coordinates that are position information of a vehicle member of the vehicle. The calculation controller is configured to calculate, based on the image, gaze coordinates representing a position at which the occupant gazes, and determine a state of the occupant based on the gaze coordinates and the vehicle member coordinates.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=13&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230928&CC=US&NR=2023302992A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230302992.pdf

https://patents.justia.com/patent/20230306758

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EYE GAZE BASED ALERTNESS MEASUREMENT

A system for monitoring an alertness level of an occupant of a vehicle includes a first sensor operable to detect an event exterior to the vehicle. A second imager is operable to capture an image of the occupant. A controller is in electrical communication with the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller is configured to determine a target direction aligning with a region of the event. The controller is further configured to determine a viewing direction of the occupant based on the image. The controller is further configured to compare the target direction to the viewing direction. The controller is further configured to determine the alertness level of the driver based on the comparison of the target direction to the viewing direction.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=WO&NR=2023175540A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20230921&DB=&locale=en_EP

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/WO2023175540A1.pdf

DRIVER INTOXICATION TEST SYSTEM AND METHOD

A driver intoxication test system is provided for a vehicle including: a quick intoxication pre-test subsystem for quickly determining whether there is reason to suspect the driver may be intoxicated; an intoxication validation test subsystem for determining whether the driver is intoxicated; and a controller is configured to determine whether the quick intoxication pre-test subsystem has detected a reason to suspect the driver may be intoxicated. When a reason to suspect the driver may be intoxicated has been detected, an intoxication validation test is conducted and it is determined whether the driver has passed the intoxication validation test. When a reason to suspect the driver may be intoxicated has not been detected, the controller does not instruct the intoxication validation test subsystem to conduct an intoxication validation test.

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/WO2023170634A1.pdf

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=WO&NR=2023170634A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20230914&DB=&locale=en_EP

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ASSURING DRIVER ENGAGEMENT DURING AUTONOMOUS DRIVE

A method for controlling a driving assistance feature of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes determining a state of a driver of the vehicle by means of a driver monitoring system (DMS) the state of the driver comprising at least one attention parameter, and comparing the determined state of the driver with a predefined attention model. The predefined attention model includes an independent threshold range for each attention parameter. The method further includes controlling the driving assistance feature based on the comparison between the determined state of the driver and the predefined attention model.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=4&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230914&CC=US&NR=2023286513A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230286513.pdf

VEHICLE DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEM WITH DRIVER ATTENTIVENESS ASSESSMENT

A vehicular driving assist system includes a camera disposed in a vehicle and at least viewing driver hand positions of hands of a driver present in the vehicle. The vehicular driving assist system determines driver hand positions via processing of image data captured by the camera. The vehicular driving assist system compares determined driver hand positions to a plurality of discrete driver hand positions, which includes (i) a plurality of discrete driver hand positions at a steering wheel of the vehicle, and (ii) a plurality of discrete driver hand positions at an interior portion of the vehicle and not at the steering wheel of the vehicle. The vehicular driving assist system, responsive to processing of image data captured by the camera and based at least in part on comparison of determined driver hand positions to the plurality of discrete driver hand positions, determines a level of attentiveness of the driver.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2023288928A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20230914&DB=&locale=en_EP

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230288928.pdf

VEHICULAR WARNING SYSTEM AND METHOD BASED ON GAZE ABNORMALITY

A vehicular warning system control system can include a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory can include a warning system control module having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to detect, using sensor data having information about a gaze of each eye of a driver of a vehicle, an abnormality of a gaze of the driver. The instructions further cause the processor to modify, using the sensor data, a signal emitted by the vehicle when the abnormality is detected.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230914&CC=US&NR=2023286437A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230286437.pdf

VEHICLE-PROVIDED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE OF ADAS SYSTEMS

Systems and methods are provided for an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) that obtains data from a plurality of sensors. In some embodiments, the system can retrieve data regarding a user’s past interactions and analyze the data with the sensor data to determine the user’s behavior. In some embodiments, the ADAS can determine whether a user is unaware of an ADAS feature based on this behavior and a prompt that recommends the ADAS feature. The user’s response to this prompt may be incorporated into the user’s behavior for future recommendations.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment where the ADAS system may recommend a feature. The vehicle gathers data about the driver from multiple sources and sensors. Data may come from sensors located inside and outside the vehicle. These sensors may include, but are not limited to speed and brake sensors, eye sensors, video cameras, shock sensors, or suspension sensors. Data from these sensors can inform the ADAS about various characteristics about the driver, including, but not limited to, fatigue, focus, physical movements, and emotional expressions. In one example, the ADAS may determine that a driver 300 is fatigued based on rapid eye fluttering 302 measured by the video cameras and/or eye trackers 304. In another example, a driver may be losing focus because their body and facial movements are not consistently pointed towards the road. Sensors also measure characteristics of the vehicle and the surrounding environment. These can include, but are not limited to, lane tracking via video cameras, speed profiles (including acceleration and deceleration rates), temperature measurements, and monitoring weather conditions.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2023278572A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20230907&DB=&locale=en_EP

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230278572.pdf

https://patents.justia.com/patent/20230278572

VEHICULAR CABIN MONITORING SYSTEM

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes a radar assembly disposed in a cabin of a vehicle and operable to capture radar data. The radar assembly includes at least one radar transmit antenna that is operable to transmit radar waves and at least one radar receive antenna that is operable to receive radar waves. The transmitted radar waves are transmitted at least to a hotspot zone in the cabin of the vehicle. A data processor is operable to process radar data captured by the radar assembly. The system, via processing at the data processor of radar data captured by the radar assembly, determines movement within the hotspot zone of a body part of an occupant present in the cabin of the vehicle. The system, responsive to determining movement within the hotspot zone of the body part of the occupant, generates a control command.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230907&CC=US&NR=2023278569A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230278569.pdf

SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF IMAGE PROCESSING BASED ON GAZE DETECTION

Imaging systems and techniques are described. An imaging system receives image data representing at least a portion (e.g., a face) of a first user as captured by a first image sensor. The imaging system identifies that a gaze of the first user as represented in the image data is directed toward a displayed representation of at least a portion (e.g., a face) of a second user. The imaging system identifies an arrangement of representations of users for output. The imaging system generates modified image data based on the gaze and the arrangement at least in part by modifying the image data to modify at least the portion of the first user in the image data to be visually directed toward a direction corresponding to the second user based on the gaze and the arrangement. The imaging system outputs the modified image data arranged according to the arrangement.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=4&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230907&CC=US&NR=2023281885A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230281885.pdf

Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon: Accelerating the intelligent future of automotive at IAA Mobility 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMnMS1CLLBs&t=4s

Talking not Typing: Continental and Google Cloud Equip Cars with Generative Artificial Intelligence

https://www.continental.com/en/press/press-releases/20230904-iaa-mobility-press-conference/

Cellular V2X inches forward as Europe risks being left behind

https://www.lightreading.com/5g-and-beyond/cellular-v2x-inches-forward-as-europe-risks-being-left-behind/d/d-id/786356

bmw group is first out the traps at the munich #iaa, with details of its new #idrive. if you are an #automaker or tier-1, read this post. the system integrates panoramic vision, a new multifunction steering wheel, a new central display, and a 3d head-up display #hud. the 2025 #neueklasse platform will be first to get the system.

bmw says: "panoramic vision is based on a completely new head-up display technology. it projects information at a height perfectly matched to the driver across the entire width of the windscreen. bmw panoramic vision is complemented by the new bmw 3d head-up display for active driving situations, which displays the required information, such as assisted driving or traffic guidance, with high precision as 3d animations in the driver’s line of sight."

unlike fixed pillar-to-pillar #displays (such as mercedes #hyperscreen) bmw is instead projecting information directly onto the windscreen. although 3d imagery was first seen on the mercedes s-class instrument cluster, this is probably the first time a 3d hud has featured in #automotive. the 3d effect is a trick of the eye, and is created by knowing the precise location of the center of both driver's eyes using the #driver #monitoring #system #dms.

seeing machines created a patent for 3d operation in a dms, so that implies it has won the dms for the new idrive. this idrive system also looks like the first time an #automaker has considered holistically what can be achieved using sophisticated dms, rather than ticking boxes for #gsr #ncap compliance for #distraction and #drowsiness. bmw is simply in a league of its own, and other automakers need to wake up to what is happening.

bmw's news release also mentions "the principle [of] eyes on the road, hands on the wheel." this implies it has abandoned unsupervised eyes-off driving, and is focused instead on hands-off driving. bmw might be the first automaker to pivot from a focus on j3016 levels, to focusing on the immersive user experience for driver and passengers. i have written about this trend extensively over the last year in the ojo-yoshida report link: https://lnkd.in/dwazdagd

this development is important for ford motor company, mercedes-benz ag and volvo group (and also mobileye) which have focused on eyes-off driving. it also reveals qualcomm's strategy of a focus on the #digital #****pit over #selfdriving was prescient. well done nakul duggal and cristiano r. amon and the qualcomm #auto team.

the ultimate driving machine is about to be mated with the ultimate user experience. critical to this evolution is high performance driver monitoring systems.

the 2023 edition of semicast's report "#adas & automotive vision-based driver monitoring systems” is sold out. message me for details of the 2024 edition.

bmw idrive release: https://lnkd.in/e5v3syiq

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7104400883139895297/

US offers $12 billion to auto makers, suppliers for advanced vehicles

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-offers-12-billion-automakers-suppliers-make-advanced-vehicles-2023-08-31/

CONTEMPORANEOUSLY CALIBRATING A GAZE-TRACKING SYSTEM AND AUTHORIZING ACCESS TO ANOTHER SYSTEM

A system for contemporaneously calibrating a gaze-tracking system and authorizing access to a first other system can include a processor and a memory. The memory can store a preliminary operations module, an authorization module, and a gaze-tracking module. The preliminary operations module can include instructions to compare a trajectory, of a point of gaze of an eye, with a pattern associated both with a calibration of the gaze-tracking system and with a first authorization process, that excludes an iris recognition process, for the first other system. The authorization module can include instructions to cause an access to the first other system to be authorized. The gaze-tracking module can include instructions to: (1) cause the gaze-tracking system to be calibrated and (2) cause, in response to the gaze-tracking system being calibrated, the gaze-tracking system to be configured to be a user interface for a second other system.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=5&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230727&CC=US&NR=2023237847A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230237847.pdf

VARYING EXTENDED REALITY CONTENT BASED ON DRIVER ATTENTIVENESS

Extended reality content in a video can be varied based on driver attentiveness. The video can be of an external environment of a vehicle and can be presented in real-time on a display located within the vehicle. The display can be a video pass through display. The display can be an in-vehicle display, or it can be a part of a video pass-through extended reality headset. The video can present a view of an external environment of the vehicle as well as extended reality content. A level of attentiveness of a driver of the vehicle can be determined. An amount of the extended reality content presented in the video can be varied based on the level of attentiveness.

[0034] In some arrangements, the display(s) 120 can be configured to present a view corresponding to a view of a driver. The view presented on the display(s) 120 can vary with movements of the driver’s head and/or eyes. The display(s) 120, the device of which the display(s) 120 are a part of, and/or the vehicle 105 can include eye tracking or head tracking such that, as the field of vision of the person changes, the content presented on the display(s) 120 changes.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=3&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20230824&CC=US&NR=2023264697A1&KC=A1

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230264697.pdf

VARYING EXTENDED REALITY CONTENT BASED ON RISK LEVEL OF A DRIVING ENVIRONMENT

Extended reality content in a video can be varied based on a risk level of an external environment of a vehicle. The video can be of an external environment of a vehicle can be presented in real-time on a display located within the vehicle. The display can be a video pass through display. The display can be an in-vehicle display, or it can be a part of a video pass-through extended reality headset. The video can present a view of an external environment of the vehicle as well as extended reality content. A risk level of the external environment of the vehicle can be determined. An amount of the extended reality content presented in the video can be varied based on the risk level.

[0034] In some arrangements, the display(s) 120 can be configured to present a view corresponding to a view of a driver. The view presented on the display(s) 120 can vary with movements of the driver's head and/or eyes. The display(s) 120, the device of which the display(s) 120 are a part of, and/or the vehicle 105 can include eye tracking or head tracking such that, as the field of vision of the person changes, the content presented on the display(s) 120 changes.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2023264706A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20230824&DB=&locale=en_EP

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230264706.pdf