Patents by Inventor Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel

Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8742936
    Abstract: A method and a control unit are provided for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes inattentive. In order to be able to reliably draw conclusions about the presence of inattentiveness of the driver, it is proposed to observe not only a steering inactivity phase but also a steering action which follows the steering inactivity phase. A detected implementation of the steering inactivity phase and of the steering action are logically combined with one another, and the result of this logic combination is then used as a measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver. In addition, the measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver depends on at least one driver-specific parameter which is determined during the execution of the method. The inattentiveness of the driver can also be detected during the time interval in which the at least one driver-specific parameter is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Lars Galley, Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel, Klaus-Peter Kuhn, Wolfgang Stolzmann
  • Patent number: 7978086
    Abstract: In a method and in a device for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes tired, the tiredness is determined as a function of a detected steering inactivity phase and a subsequent steering action. In this context, the steering inactivity phase is logically combined with the steering action, and the logic combination is stored at various times. The logic combination is stored with an assigned weighting factor, and the weighting factor is determined as a function of a classification of a steering situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Lars Galley, Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel, Klaus-Peter Kuhn, Wolfgang Stolzmann
  • Publication number: 20090160631
    Abstract: A method and a control unit are provided for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes inattentive. In order to be able to reliably draw conclusions about the presence of inattentiveness of the driver, it is proposed to observe not only a steering inactivity phase but also a steering action which follows the steering inactivity phase. A detected implementation of the steering inactivity phase and of the steering action are logically combined with one another, and the result of this logic combination is then used as a measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver. In addition, the measure of the severity of the inattentiveness of the driver depends on at least one driver-specific parameter which is determined during the execution of the method. The inattentiveness of the driver can also be detected during the time interval in which the at least one driver-specific parameter is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Lars Galley, Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel, Klaus-Peter Kuhn, Wolfgang Stolzmann
  • Publication number: 20090132109
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes inattentive. A steering inactivity phase and a subsequent steering action are detected in this context. A steering inactivity phase is detected if the absolute value of the steering wheel angle, of its change over time, or both, during a predefined time threshold value, does not exceed a first threshold value. A steering action is detected if the absolute value of the steering wheel angle, of its change over time, or both, exceeds a second threshold value. The first threshold value and the second threshold value are modified in a driver-specific fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Lars Galley, Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel, Klaus-Peter Kuhn, Wolfgang Stolzmann
  • Publication number: 20090021356
    Abstract: In a method and in a device for detecting when the driver of a motor vehicle becomes tired, the tiredness is determined as a function of a detected steering inactivity phase and a subsequent steering action. In this context, the steering inactivity phase is logically combined with the steering actions and the logic combination is stored at various times. The logic combination is stored with an assigned weighting factor, and the weighting factor is determined as a function of a classification of a steering situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Lars Galley, Elisabeth Hendrika Hentschel, Klaus-Peter Kuhn, Wolfgang Stolzmann