Drowsiness detection

Abstract

A mobile electronic device is operable to be used in a vehicle and determine a mental state of a user such as drowsiness. The mobile electronic device includes a display, a speaker, a memory element, a location determining component, a heartrate sensor, and a processor. The heartrate sensor is configured to provide a heartbeat signal indicative of a heartbeat of the user. The processor is configured to: acquire a beat-to-beat interval based upon the heartbeat signal, determine a current speed of the vehicle, and determine a drowsiness level of the user based at least in part upon the beat-to-beat interval, the current speed over the vehicle. The processor is configured to control the display and the speaker to alert the user of the determined drowsiness level while the determined drowsiness level exceeds a stored threshold determined drowsiness level.

1 . A mobile electronic device operable to be used in a vehicle and determine a mental state of a user, the mobile electronic device comprising:
 a display;   a memory element configured to store a threshold determined drowsiness level;   a heartrate sensor configured to provide a heartbeat signal indicative of a heartbeat of the user;   a location determining component configured to determine a current location of the vehicle;   a processor in communication with the display, the memory element, the heart rate sensor and the location determining component, the processor configured to:
 receive a plurality of current locations of the vehicle, 
 determine a current speed of the vehicle based on the received plurality of current locations, 
 acquire a beat-to-beat interval based upon the heartbeat signal, 
 determine a drowsiness level of the user based at least in part upon the beat-to-beat interval and the current speed over the vehicle, and 
 controlling the display to alert the user upon the determined drowsiness level exceeding the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor controls the display to present information on the display information to alert the user of the determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the information presented on the display is a stress-reduction exercise. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the information presented on the display is an icon indicative of the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the information presented on the display is an animation to reduce the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the display includes one or more segments, and wherein the processor controls the display to illuminate the one or more segments indicative of the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory element further comprises a predetermined recovery time, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a recovery of the drowsiness has occurred within a threshold within the predetermined recovery time, the recovery of the drowsiness being a determination that the drowsiness level has been reduced below the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 7 , wherein the display includes a plurality of graphic elements, and wherein the processor controls the display to illuminate the plurality of graphic elements when the user is determined to be alert, to stop illuminating one or more of the plurality of graphic elements when the user's drowsiness level is determined to increase, and to illuminate the previously-illuminated graphic elements once the recovery of the drowsiness has occurred within the predetermined recovery time. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker configured to output audio, wherein the processor is further configured to control the speaker to output the determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the speaker to output an audible notification once the determined drowsiness level exceeds the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile electronic device operable to be used in a vehicle and determine a mental state of a user, the mobile electronic device comprising:
 a display;   a memory element configured to store a threshold determined drowsiness level and a predetermined recovery time;   a heartrate sensor configured to provide a heartbeat signal indicative of a heartbeat of the user;   a location determining component configured to determine a current location of the vehicle;   a processor in communication with the display, the memory element, the heart rate sensor and the location determining component, the processor configured to:
 receive a plurality of current locations of the vehicle, 
 determine a current speed of the vehicle based on the received plurality of current locations, 
 acquire a beat-to-beat interval based upon the heartbeat signal, 
 determine a drowsiness level of the user based at least in part upon the beat-to-beat interval, the current speed over the vehicle and the predetermined recovery time, 
 determine whether a recovery of the drowsiness has occurred based on the drowsiness level being reduced below the threshold determined drowsiness level within the predetermined recovery time, and 
 controlling the display to alert the user while the determined drowsiness level exceeds the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
   
     
     
         12 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the processor controls the display to present information on the display information to alert the user of the determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the information presented on the display is a stress-reduction exercise. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the information presented on the display is an icon indicative of the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the information presented on the display is an animation to reduce the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the display includes one or more segments, and wherein the processor controls the display to illuminate the one or more segments indicative of the user's drowsiness level. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the display includes a plurality of graphic elements, and wherein the processor controls the display to illuminate the plurality of graphic elements when the user is determined to be alert, to stop illuminating one or more of the plurality of graphic elements when the user's drowsiness level is determined to increase, and to illuminate the previously-illuminated graphic elements once the recovery of the drowsiness has occurred within the predetermined recovery time. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 11 , further comprising a speaker configured to output audio, wherein the processor is further configured to control the speaker to output the determined drowsiness level and an audible notification once the determined drowsiness level exceeds the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
     
     
         19 . A mobile electronic device operable to be used in a vehicle and determine a mental state of a user, the mobile electronic device comprising:
 a display;   a speaker;   a memory element configured to store a threshold determined drowsiness level and a predetermined recovery time;   a heartrate sensor configured to provide a heartbeat signal indicative of a heartbeat of the user;   a location determining component configured to determine a current location of the vehicle;   a processor in communication with the display, the speaker, the memory element, the heart rate sensor and the location determining component, the processor configured to:
 receive a plurality of current locations of the vehicle, 
 determine a current speed of the vehicle based on the received plurality of current locations, 
 acquire a beat-to-beat interval based upon the heartbeat signal, 
 determine a drowsiness level of the user based at least in part upon the beat-to-beat interval, the current speed over the vehicle and the predetermined recovery time, 
 determine whether a recovery of the drowsiness has occurred based on the drowsiness level being reduced below the threshold determined drowsiness level within the predetermined recovery time, and 
 controlling the display and the speaker to alert the user of the determined drowsiness level while the determined drowsiness level exceeds the threshold determined drowsiness level. 
   
     
     
         20 . The mobile electronic device of  claim 19 , wherein the display includes a plurality of graphic elements, and wherein the processor controls the display to illuminate the plurality of graphic elements when the user is determined to be alert, to stop illuminating one or more of the plurality of graphic elements when the user's drowsiness level is determined to increase, and to illuminate the previously-illuminated graphic elements once the recovery of the drowsiness has occurred within the predetermined recovery time