An alertness monitoring system includes: means to measure velocity and amplitude of eyelid and eye movement; and storage means to continuously record the measurements. A data processor calculates the blink amplitude to velocity ratio and/or the saccade amplitude to velocity ratio and compares the measurements against a predetermined scale. The scale is derived from averaged measurements of the eye and eyelid movement parameters for a sample population measured against predetermined incremental b...

A special-purpose computer is provided along with a method for testing users for alertness and mental fitness before beginning work or a potentially dangerous activity. The system and method are usable wherever there is a risk to persons, property, or the environment from individuals not fit to operate machinery or enter an work area safely. The testing methods resemble computer games, but they actually measure mental fitness and alertness rather than aptitude, ability, or intelligence. The disc...

A driver alertness monitoring system for motor vehicles which issues visual or audible signals to the driver, and which monitors visual, audible or mechanical responses received from the driver to determine driver alertness. An electronic control unit, preferably incorporated in the circuitry of existent vehicle safety systems, controls the activation of these visual or audible signals and determines appropriate actions based on the response of the driver. The system includes auxiliary sensors w...

A driver alertness device is disclosed. The device includes a timing counter that decrements from the time set towards zero. When the timer reaches zero, a solenoid is energized to urge the throttle to the idle position. A reset button is manually operable by the driver of the vehicle, a predetermined amount of time being added to the timer for each push of the reset button, and an on/off switch is accessible to the driver.

A flueric computer operates on specified fluidic input signals to produce output signals which will, in turn, activate an audible warning sound, then a vehicle braking action if predetermined conditions are not satisfied. The computer uses all fluidic digital logic and is comprised of an oscillator, multiple binary counter stages and the necessary digital logic elements to perform its function.

A method and apparatus for motor vehicle dimmer alert device utilizing a select switch to initiate operation of the alert and utilizing foot pressure of the driver to prevent the alert from becoming operational but wherein lessening of foot pressure causes operation of the alert to thereby gain the attention of the driver.

A method for determining mental alertness level by monitoring point of gaze, pupillary movement, pupillary response, and other parameters in a subject performing a task, collecting the data in a database, analyzing the data in the database, and assigning the subject to a score indicating the subject's particular mental alertness level in real time.

The method for the quantification of EEG waveforms along the alertness continuum involves collecting and transforming EEG signal data, identifying and rejecting or decontaminating epochs containing various artifacts, and classifying individual EEG patterns along an alertness-drowsiness continuum. The results of the multi-level classification system are applied in real-time to provide feedback to the user via an audio or visual alarm, or are recorded for subsequent off-line analysis.

The present invention utilizes operator interaction for maintaining an operator alert. A switching means is provided which must be actuated by the operator within an adjustable time period to prevent a first alarm from being activated. Upon detection of this first alarm, the driver must actuate the switching means, indicating his alertness and restarting the first time period, otherwise after expiration of a second time period a second alarm will be activated to further alert the operator and pa...

A system and methodology for determining the alertness of a driver of a motor vehicle 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 initiate...