Vehicle and method of controlling the same

• US 10,023,051 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Un
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche, Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US14/874,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0057 Estimation of the time available or required for the handover

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a vehicle and a method of controlling the same. The vehicle may be safely controlled by considering a manipulation load amount for manipulating a function of the vehicle when a user manipulates a user interface of the function, thereby providing safer driving of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a storage configured to store information on sizes of manipulation loads for a plurality of user interfaces for using a plurality of functions of the vehicle, and a controller configured to perform safe driving control corresponding to a size of a manipulation load of the a corresponding function from the plurality of functions when the a user interface from the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a storage configured to store information on sizes of manipulation loads for a plurality of user interfaces for using a plurality of functions of the vehicle; and

a controller configured to perform safe driving control corresponding to a size of a manipulation load of a corresponding function from the plurality of functions when a user interface from the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle,

wherein the manipulation load comprises a value for the function, the value obtained by estimating an amount of information to be inputted by a user to perform the function, and

wherein the manipulation load is updated as a new value in consideration of a frequency and time of manipulating the function by the user.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the size of the manipulation load for the function from the plurality of functions is determined based on a number of levels from a top level menu to a bottom level menu for the function.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) to be involved in driving of the vehicle and to assist the driving,

wherein the safe driving control corresponding to the size of the manipulation load comprises controlling a degree of involvement of the ADAS according to the size of the manipulation load.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the degree of involvement of the ADAS advances or delays a point in time of the involvement of the ADAS.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the degree of involvement of the ADAS increases or decreases a reference for determining the involvement of the ADAS.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a driving environment detection unit configured to detect a driving environment for the vehicle,

wherein the controller is configured to assign a weight in consideration of the driving environment for the vehicle to the manipulation loads and perform safe driving control corresponding to the manipulation load of the corresponding function from the plurality of functions, the weight is assigned to the manipulation load when the user interface of the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the assignment of the weight in consideration of the driving environment comprises increasing the weight in a driving environment that needs relatively more attention of a user, and decreasing the weight in a driving environment that needs relatively less attention of the user.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a warning differentiated according to the manipulation load of a selected function when the user interface of the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the warning is formed of an alarm sound having a volume corresponding to the size of the manipulation load.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the warning comprises an announcement comprising information on the size of the manipulation load.

11. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

storing information on sizes of manipulation loads for a plurality of user interfaces to use a plurality of functions of the vehicle; and

performing safe driving control corresponding to a size of a manipulation load of a corresponding function, when a user interface from the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least the function from the plurality of functions of the vehicle,

wherein the manipulation load comprises a value for the function, the value obtained by estimating an amount of information to be inputted by a user to perform the function,

wherein the manipulation load is updated as a new value in consideration of a frequency and time of manipulating the function by the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the size of the manipulation load for a function from the plurality of functions is determined based on a number of levels from a top level menu to a bottom level menu for the function.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating an ADAS provided to be involved in driving of the vehicle and to assist the driving,

wherein the safe driving control corresponding to the size of the manipulation load comprises controlling a degree of involvement of the ADAS according to the size of the manipulation load.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the degree of involvement of the ADAS advances or delays a point in time of the involvement of the ADAS.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the degree of involvement of the ADAS increases or decreases a reference for determining the involvement of the ADAS.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the plurality of user interfaces; and

displaying icons representing the plurality of functions of the vehicles, respectively, on the display while legibility of the icons is being differentiated according to the sizes of the manipulation loads when displaying the plurality of user interfaces on the display.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a warning differentiated according to the manipulation load of a selected function when the user interface of the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a driving environment for the vehicle; and

assigning a weight in consideration of the driving environment for the vehicle to the manipulation load and performing safe driving control corresponding to the manipulation load of the corresponding function from the plurality of functions, the weight is assigned to the manipulation load when the user interface of the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.