This past week, Japanese car maker Honda Motor Co., Ltd. became the most recent vehicle manufacturer to gain IP in the Neurology Sector. However, while fresh IP is usually a good sign for a company, one might question whether investing in mood detection for vehicle operators is a smart use of company resources with the emergence of fully self-capable vehicles only a few short years away.
U.S. Patent Pub. No. 20200383622 teaches a system and method of using sensors in a vehicle to measure occupant anxiety. Based on the occupant’s anxiety levels, the system may automatically engage or disengage Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, collision mitigation systems, lane departure warnings, and any other driver assistance systems. Luckily, Honda was smart with their drafting to include that the system may also engage total autonomous control if the vehicle has that capability. This is a great example of forward thinking when drafting patents, something patent data is crucial for.
With the publication of the ‘3622 application, Honda joins automakers Toyota and General Motors in the Neurology sector. If you’re interested in mood sensing technology in vehicles, make sure to check out this insight from this past summer that highlights Affectiva, a non-vehicle manufacturing company who is also developing mood-detecting technology for vehicles.
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