Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring fatigue and notifying an individual are described. The individual may be an operator of a vehicle, equipment, or machine, a student, or other person that may experience fatigue. In addition to the individual, another person such as an employer, teacher, or parent may be notified.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring alertness of an individual utilizing a wearable device and providing notification

A system and methodology for determining the alertness of a driver of a motor vehicle (100) including sensing at least one first movement characteristic of at least a first part of a motor vehicle, sensing at least one second movement characteristic of at least a second part of the motor vehicle, employing at least one time relationship between the at least one first movement characteristic and the at least one second movement characteristic in order to sense and to distinguish between driver initiated movements and non-driver initiated movements and determining the alertness of the driver of the motor vehicle (100) based on at least one relationship between the driver initiated movements and the non-drive initiated movements.

Driver alertness monitoring system

A drowsy driving alarm system includes a monitoring mechanism with a camera and an indicator mechanism carrying drowsy driving software and a processor to process data received from the camera regarding drowsiness of a user of the drowsy driving alarm system. The monitoring mechanism can include at least one power source, at least one interface connection, at least one speaker, and a communication bus communicatively interconnecting elements of the monitoring mechanism. The monitoring mechanism can include at least one visual, audible, and/or physical indicator, a microphone, a transceiver, an antenna, at least one sensor and a compass. The indicator mechanism can include at least one display, at least one visual indicator, and a communication bus interconnecting elements of the indicator mechanism. The indicator mechanism can include at least one power source, and at least one interface connection. The indicator mechanism can include at least one audible and/or physical indicator.

Drowsy driving alarm system

Eyes blinking detectors are often used to monitor the drowsiness or the fatigue during any activity. Therefore, sensor has to be as safe and less intrusive as possible in order to avoid additional annoyance and hazards. The proposed detector has been developed according to the Class 1 specifications of IEC 60825-1 standard on the safety of LASER and LED products in order to work until 8 h in a safety condition for the user. The sensor used is a commercial infrared emitting diode coupled to an infrared photodiode, embedded in the same device and usually used for data link, clipped on the rod of the glasses and placed closed to the eye. The sensor uses the technique of the modulation of the infrared beam to be less sensitive to the head movements and changes of environmental light. Actually a cable connects the sensor to the control board that sends the eye blinking signal to a personal computer in order to be recorded.

Class I infrared eye blinking detector

The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for reducing a vehicle driver's core temperature to offset drowsiness. In one embodiment, a temperature sensor records data describing a vehicle driver core temperature and communicates the data describing the vehicle driver core temperature to a temperature regulator. The temperature regulator determines whether the vehicle driver core temperature is similar to one or more circadian temperatures associated with wakefulness. If the vehicle driver core temperature is similar to a circadian temperature associated with sleep, the temperature regulator reduces the vehicle driver core temperature. In an embodiment the temperature regulator cools a material physically contacting the venous plexuses or arteriovenous anastomoses to cool the portions of the vehicle driver's anatomy which most efficiently cool the vehicle driver.

Method and apparatus for manipulating driver core temperature to enhance driver alertness

A method and apparatus for detecting drowsiness and awakening the user. The load on a piezo-ceramic eye blinking detection unit changes upon blinking activity resulting in an electrical output. This electrical output is then processed and compared to a predetermined time interval for blinking. An alarm is sounded if the processed electrical output is less than the predetermined time interval.

Michael Brannen

Papers

Sleep prevention apparatus and method