Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for detecting the stress/anxiety level of driver and/or passengers by analysing the data obtained about the vehicle and the driver and/or passengers by means of sensors and vehicle data collection units positioned inside the vehicle, and suggesting a new route in accordance with the detected stress/anxiety level.

Background of the Invention

Today, with the increase of vehicle density and accordingly traffic density, stress levels of vehicle users (drivers or passengers) substantially increase during the journey. In the state of the art, navigation applications provide vehicle users with the routes they can take within the shortest time in accordance with the distance to locations where they want to go, the traffic lights on the route, or the traffic congestion. However, even if traffic congestion is less on the routes presented to the vehicle users in the said applications, these routes may be quite stressful for drivers due to the fact that the traffic density and flow are high and active. In addition, as the stress or anxiety level of the driver increases because of road, traffic or environmental conditions on the route they use, the risk of accident increases as well.

Therefore, considering the studies and the deficiencies included in the state of art, it is understood that there is need for a system which is created specifically for the locations where vehicle users want to go according to their stress or anxiety levels (degrees), and enables to suggest new routes with low anxiety or stress levels. The Japanese patent document no. JP2018059834, an application included in the state of the art, discloses a system whereby new routes are created so as to be recommended to drivers by using various sensors positioned inside their vehicle. The said invention whereby a navigation recommendation system is created by effectively using the data obtained by analysing the imaging data received has an imaging section for imaging the face of the face of the driver and/or passenger; an imaging control section for generating imaging data; a detection section for detecting biological information by using imaging data; a control section for searching a route from a current location of a vehicle to a set location/destination, for performing route guidance to a set position/destination and also searching a recommendation route for recommending a new route/travel corresponding to the content the biological information detected by the detection section 23; and a display output control section for generating screen information on a current screen in order to select whether the route guidance of the recommendation route searched by the control section is to be started. In the said invention, an image of a driver and/or passenger is acquired by using an image acquisition device at first. The status of the driver is analysed via the acquired image by means of a system positioned inside the vehicle. The heart rate of a driver and/or passenger is measured by using various sensors located inside the vehicle. A change in heart rate of a driver and/or passenger is analyzed. As a result of the analysis, an anomaly condition such as drowsiness, clarity in the driver’s vision, etc. is detected in a driver’s status. In the event that an abnormal condition is detected after the analysis, a new route recommendation is given to the driver by using the navigation program.

Summary of the Invention

An objective of the present invention is to realize a system which enables to detect the stress/anxiety level of driver and/or passengers by analysing the data obtained about the vehicle and the driver and/or passengers by means of sensors and vehicle data collection units positioned inside the vehicle, and suggest a new route with low anxiety or stress level in accordance with the detected stress/anxiety level.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The “system for suggesting a new route according to the use status of vehicle” realized to fulfil the objective of the present invention is shown in the figure attached, in which:

Figure l is a schematic view of the inventive system.

The components illustrated in the figure are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following:

1. System

2. Sensor

3. Image acquisition device

4. Pulsometer (pulse-measuring device)

5. Vehicle (on-board) computer

6. Processor

A. Vehicle

The inventive system (1) for detecting the stress/anxiety level of driver and/or passengers by analysing the data obtained about the vehicle and the driver and/or passengers, and suggesting a new route in accordance with the detected stress/anxiety level comprises: at least one sensor (2) which is positioned inside the vehicle (A) and configured to measure the steering and accelerator (gas) and/or brake pedal movements of at least the driver; at least one image acquisition device (3) which is positioned inside the vehicle (A) and configured to acquire the facial images of at least the driver and/or passengers; at least one pulsometer (4) which is positioned inside the vehicle (A) and configured to measure the pulse information of the driver and/or passengers; at least one vehicle computer (5) which is positioned inside the vehicle (A) and configured to receive and store the data about the vehicle (A) and passengers; to enable drivers and/or passengers to get navigation service by entering at least one target location information and to view the suggestions presented to them in the form of a new route suggestion; and at least one processor (6) which operates on the vehicle computer (5) and is configured to establish communication with the sensor (2), the image acquisition device (3) and the pulsometer (4) by using any communication protocol and to realize data exchange; to receive the data about the driver and the vehicle use of the driver and/or the passengers from the sensor (2), the image acquisition device (3) and the pulsometer (4) upon being triggered when the navigation application is activated on the vehicle computer (5) and then to process the said data and to determine the stress/anxiety level of the driver and/or passengers; if it detects that the stress/anxiety level is higher than a predetermined threshold value, to determine the route with the lowest anxiety/stress level by analysing the routes from the current location of the vehicle (A) to the target location entered over the vehicle computer (5) and to ensure that it is provided as a suggestion over the vehicle computer (5).

The sensor (2) included in the inventive system (1) is configured to collect data specific to the locations where it is placed, upon being placed in positions such as steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal inside the vehicle (A) so as to be more than one. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor (2) is a device configured to measure data such as the pressure applied to the brake and the accelerator and the frequency thereof, the transition time between the brake and accelerator pedal, upon being positioned on the brake and accelerator pedals. In the same preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor (2) is a device configured to measure data about the use of steering wheel such as the driver’s way of gripping and/or the speed of turning the steering wheel, upon being positioned on the steering wheel of the vehicle (A). In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of sensors (2) are available in the vehicle (A) such that they will gather each driving feature. The said sensor (2) is configured to establish communication with the vehicle computer (5) by using any remote and/or near-field communication protocol and/or in a wired or wireless way and to transmit the data it collected related to the vehicle (A) and the vehicle (A) drive, to the vehicle computer (5).

The image acquisition device (3) included in the inventive system (1) is positioned inside the vehicle (A) and configured to acquire at least one facial image of the driver and/or passengers. The said image acquisition device (3) is configured to transmit the data it obtained to the vehicle computer (5).

The pulsometer (4) included in the inventive system (1) is positioned inside the vehicle (A) so as to take the pulse of the driver and/or passengers and configured to measure the pulse information of the driver and/or passengers. The said pulsometer

(4) is configured to transmit the measured pulse information to the vehicle computer

(5) such that it is correlated with a distinctive information.

The vehicle computer (5) included in the inventive system (1) is positioned inside the vehicle (A) in any place where the driver and/or passengers can interact with it and configured to establish communication with the sensor (2), the image acquisition device (3) and the pulsometer (4) by using any communication protocol and to realize data exchange. The said vehicle computer (5) is configured to access and store the data of vehicle (A) use such as the vehicle (A) speed, stopping distance and data of vehicle status such as brake disc temperature. The vehicle computer (5) is configured to transmit the data about the vehicle use and the driver or passengers obtained from the sensor (2), the image acquisition device (3) and the pulsometer (4) and the vehicle (A), to the processor (6) so as to be analyzed.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the vehicle computer (5) is configured to enable users to get navigation service by selecting at least one starting location and target location. The said vehicle computer (5) is configured to provide at least one interface adapted such that it will enable users to select a target location and to view the routes created from the starting location to the target location. The said vehicle computer (5) is configured to provide at least one interface adapted such that it will enable users to select one of the route suggestions presented to them and to follow the created route on a map. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the vehicle computer (5) is configured to enable the users to view the route suggestions with low anxiety/stress level created by the processor (6).

The processor (6) included in the inventive system (1) operates on the vehicle computer (5) and it is configured to process and analyze the data obtained over the vehicle computer (5). The said processor (6) is configured to receive the current route information about the target location and to determine the instant stress/anxiety level of the driver and/or passengers, upon being triggered when a demand for navigation service is received by selecting a target location over the vehicle computer (5). The processor (6) is configured to receive and analyze the data of vehicle (A) use such as the vehicle (A) speed, stopping distance over the vehicle computer (5) and the data of instant measurement, image and pulse over the sensor (2), the image acquisition device (3) and the pulsometer (4) and to determine the stress/anxiety level of the driver and/or passengers on the current route created for the selected target location. The processor (6) is configured to determine the driver’s stress/anxiety level by analysing and then determining data such as speed, stopping distance, brake disc temperature, pressure applied to the brake and/or accelerator and the frequency thereof, transition time between brake and accelerator pedal, gripping and the speed of turning the steering wheel obtained from the sensors (2) and the vehicle computers (5); the facial images and eye movements obtained from the image acquisition device (3); and the pulse information obtained from the pulsometer (4). The processor (6) is configured to determine a score of stress/anxiety level for drivers in accordance with the analysis of the data obtained from the sensors (2), the image acquisition device (3), the pulsometer (4) and the vehicle computer (5). In one embodiment of the invention, the processor (6) is configured to determine a passenger’s stress/anxiety level by analysing the passenger’s facial images and eye movements obtained from the image acquisition device (3), and the passenger’s pulse information obtained from the pulsometer (4).

The processor (6) is configured to compare a determined stress/anxiety level score with a threshold value, that is determined previously and recorded, and to determine whether a route created for a target location entered over the vehicle computer (5) is a frequently-used route or not, if the stress/anxiety level score measured is higher than a threshold value. The said processor (6) is configured to save the related route as a frequently-used route if it detects that a route where the stress/anxiety level of a driver and/or passenger is high is a frequently-used route.

The processor (6) is configured to receive the route information related to a target location upon being triggered when a demand for navigation service is received by selecting a target location over the vehicle computer (5) and to determine whether the route is saved as a frequently-used route or not. The said processor (6) is configured to control the data of stress/anxiety level saved on the related route if it detects that the route is a frequently-used route and if it detects that the said route is a route with a high anxiety or stress level for the vehicle (A) driver and/or passengers, to ensure that a new route with a low anxiety or stress level is created for the related target location and to trigger the vehicle computer (5). The processor (6) is configured to transmit the determined route suggestion with low anxiety or stress level to the vehicle computer (5) so as to be presented to the users, and to ensure that a new route created upon being triggered by the information that the user confirmed the new route suggested is viewed on the vehicle computer (5). Industrial Application of the Invention

In the inventive system (1), data-which are collected about the vehicle (A), the vehicle (A) driver and the passengers from the sensors (2), the image acquisition device (3), the pulsometer (4) and the vehicle computer (5) included in the vehicle

(A) upon a target location information is entered over a vehicle computer (5)- are received and then analyzed and the stress/anxiety level of driver and/or passengers is determined on the route created for the related target location. If it is determined that the stress/anxiety levels of driver and/or passengers are over a threshold value that is considered normal, a new route with a low stress/anxiety level is determined for the target location depending on whether the route used is a frequently-used route or not and it is ensured that it is presented as a suggestion over the vehicle computer (5). Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop various embodiments of the inventive “system for suggesting a new route according to the use status of vehicle (1)”; the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.