Real time doze detection method using closed eye time during blink burst and isolated blinks

Doze is the state in which the consciousness level falls owing to fatigue, lack of sleep and repetition of simple task, etc. Especially, the doze during automobile driving causes a serious accident. In this study, we investigate the relation between the arousal level and the blink characteristics for doze detection. In order to obtain the criterion of doze detection, the relationship between the closed eye time of blinks included in the blink burst and the rated sleepiness was investigated. The blink burst with the closed eye time more than a certain time second occurred accompanying with the decrease of the arousal level. From the experimental results, the criterion of the doze detection was obtained by combining the closed eye times of blink in the blink burst and isolated blink. The doze detection method proposed in this study suitably detected the doze state in all cases.