Vehicular driver monitoring system with customized outputs

Abstract

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle and a driver monitoring camera viewing a head of a driver present in the vehicle. Via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera and provided to the ECU, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver drowsiness is detected and (ii) driver attention is detected. Responsive to detection of driver drowsiness and/or detection of driver attention, the vehicular driver monitoring system may generate an output. The output generated by the vehicular driver monitoring system may include an output selected from the group consisting of (i) a visual output viewable by the driver of the vehicle, (ii) an audible output generated by an audio device in the vehicle and (iii) a haptic output generated by a haptic device in contact with the driver of the vehicle.

1 . A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
 an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system;   a driver monitoring camera disposed in the equipped vehicle, the driver monitoring camera viewing a head of a driver of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the driver monitoring camera is operable to capture image data;   wherein the driver monitoring camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) comprises an image processor;   wherein image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is provided to the ECU for processing;   wherein, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera and provided to the ECU, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver drowsiness is detected and (ii) driver attention is detected;   wherein, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) detection of driver drowsiness and (ii) detection of driver attention, the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output; and   wherein the output generated by the vehicular driver monitoring system comprises an output selected from the group consisting of (i) a visual output viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle, (ii) an audible output generated by an audio device in the equipped vehicle and (iii) a haptic output generated by a haptic device in contact with the driver of the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the equipped vehicle not moving, (ii) the equipped vehicle moving below a threshold speed and (iii) the equipped vehicle arriving at a destination. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 2 , wherein the output comprises a visual output viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the visual output comprises displayed video images derived from image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 2 , wherein the output comprises a haptic output generated by a haptic device in contact with the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, an audible song is played for the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a video is played for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a message is played for the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory includes geographic location information, and wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle and responsive to determination by the vehicular driver monitoring system that the stored information includes a geographic location that corresponds to a current geographic location of the equipped vehicle, the output generated by the vehicular driver monitoring system is associated with the stored geographic location information. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory comprises date information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on date information. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory comprises geographic location information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on geographic location information. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system utilizes an input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle and recognizes the driver of the equipped vehicle responsive to the input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the image processor comprises an image processing chip. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
 an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system;   a driver monitoring camera disposed in the equipped vehicle, the driver monitoring camera viewing a head of a driver of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the driver monitoring camera is operable to capture image data;   wherein the driver monitoring camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) comprises an image processor;   wherein image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is provided to the ECU for processing;   wherein, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera and provided to the ECU, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver drowsiness is detected and (ii) driver attention is detected;   wherein, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) detection of driver drowsiness and (ii) detection of driver attention, the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output; and   wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the equipped vehicle not moving, (ii) the equipped vehicle moving below a threshold speed and (iii) the equipped vehicle arriving at a destination.   
     
     
         14 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to recognition of the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 14 , wherein the output comprises a visual output viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 15 , wherein the visual output comprises displayed video images are derived from image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 14 , wherein the output comprises a haptic output generated by a haptic device in contact with the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 14 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a video is played for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 14 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a message is played for the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory includes geographic location information, and wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle and responsive to determination by the vehicular driver monitoring system that the stored information includes a geographic location that corresponds to a current geographic location of the equipped vehicle, the output generated by the vehicular driver monitoring system is associated with the stored geographic location information. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory comprises date information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on date information. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory, and wherein the information stored in the memory comprises geographic location information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on geographic location information. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system utilizes an input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle and recognizes the driver of the equipped vehicle responsive to the input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 13 , wherein the image processor comprises an image processing chip. 
     
     
         25 . A vehicular driver monitoring system, the vehicular driver monitoring system comprising:
 an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system;   a driver monitoring camera disposed in the equipped vehicle, the driver monitoring camera viewing a head of a driver of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the driver monitoring camera is operable to capture image data;   wherein the driver monitoring camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) comprises an image processor;   wherein the image processor comprises an image processing chip;   wherein image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is provided to the ECU for processing;   wherein, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera and provided to the ECU, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver drowsiness is detected and (ii) driver attention is detected;   wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an output that corresponds to a current geographic location of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system accesses information stored in memory.   
     
     
         26 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to the equipped vehicle not moving. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to the equipped vehicle moving below a threshold speed. 
     
     
         28 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output responsive in part to the equipped vehicle arriving at a destination. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the output comprises a visual output viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         30 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 29 , wherein the visual output comprises displayed video images are derived from image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. 
     
     
         31 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the output comprises a haptic output generated by a haptic device in contact with the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a video is played for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         33 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle, a message is played for the driver of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         34 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the information stored in the memory includes geographic location information, and wherein, responsive to the vehicular driver monitoring system recognizing the driver of the equipped vehicle and responsive to determination by the vehicular driver monitoring system that the stored information includes a geographic location that corresponds to the current geographic location of the equipped vehicle, the output generated by the vehicular driver monitoring system is associated with the stored geographic location information. 
     
     
         35 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the information stored in the memory comprises date information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on date information. 
     
     
         36 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the information stored in the memory comprises geographic location information, and wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system generates the output based on geographic location information. 
     
     
         37 . The vehicular driver monitoring system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicular driver monitoring system utilizes an input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle and recognizes the driver of the equipped vehicle responsive to the input provided by the driver of the equipped vehicle.