Occupant facing vehicle display

• US 10,093,181 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Min Li, Nemec, Philip, Cullinane, Brian Douglas, Mercay, Julien Charles, Crandall, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne Marie
• Assistant Examiner(s): LaRose, Renee Marie
• Application Number:
  US15/089,776
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/48 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering an occupant of the vehicle to a destination autonomously as well as providing information about the vehicle and the vehicle'"'"'s environment for display to the occupant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data from a sensor configured to detect objects in an external environment of a vehicle;

generating, by the one or more processors, a background scene for display corresponding to an area of the external environment of the vehicle;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a set of objects in the area from the sensor data, the objects of the set of objects corresponding to one or more of each of another vehicle, a pedestrian, and a bicyclist;

filtering, by the one or more processors, the set of objects based on a set of heuristics including a relative vulnerability of impact with the vehicle for each object of the set of objects compared with other objects of the set of objects;

generating, by the one or more processors, a representation of each object of the filtered set of objects; and

providing, by the one or more processors, any generated representations and the background scene for display to an occupant of the vehicle on an internal electronic display of the vehicle, wherein the filtering reduces clutter on the internal electronic display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein vulnerability of a pedestrian gives an object corresponding to a pedestrian a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein vulnerability of a bicyclist gives an object corresponding to a bicyclist a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein vulnerability of a pedestrian gives an object corresponding to a pedestrian a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a bicyclist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is based on a category of action of each object of the set of objects.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is based on whether an object of the set of objects is in a same lane as the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is based on whether an object of the set of objects is merging into a same lane as the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is based on whether an object of the set of objects is turning into in a same lane as the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is based on whether the vehicle needs to take an action to avoid an object of the set of objects.

10. A system comprising one or more computing devices having one or more processors configured to:

receive sensor data from a sensor configured to detect objects in an external environment of a vehicle;

generate a background scene for display corresponding to an area of the external environment of the vehicle;

identify a set of objects in the area from the sensor data, the objects of the set of objects corresponding to one or more of each of an vehicle, a pedestrian, and a bicyclist;

filter the set of objects based on a set of heuristics including a relative vulnerability of impact with the vehicle for each object of the set of objects compared with other objects of the set of objects;

generate a representation of each object of the filtered set of objects; and

provide any generated representations and the background scene for display to an occupant of the vehicle on an internal electronic display of the vehicle, wherein the filtering reduces clutter on the internal electronic display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vulnerability of a pedestrian gives an object corresponding to a pedestrian a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the vulnerability of a bicyclist gives an object corresponding to a bicyclist a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the vulnerability of a pedestrian gives an object corresponding to a pedestrian a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than an object corresponding to a bicyclist.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to filter further based on a category of action of each object of the set of objects.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to filter further based on whether an object of the set of objects is in a same lane as the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to filter further based on whether the vehicle needs to take an action to avoid an object of the set of objects.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising the vehicle.

18. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor configured to detect objects in an external environment of a vehicle;

generating a background scene for display corresponding to an area of the external environment of the vehicle;

identifying a set of objects in the area from the sensor data, the objects of the set of objects corresponding to one or more of each of an vehicle, a pedestrian, and a bicyclist;

filtering the set of objects based on a set of heuristics including a relative vulnerability of impact with the vehicle for each object of the set of objects compared with other objects of the set of objects;

generating a representation of each object of the filtered set of objects; and

providing any generated representations and the background scene for display to an occupant of the vehicle on an internal electronic display of the vehicle, wherein the filtering reduces clutter on the internal electronic display.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the vulnerability of a bicyclist gives an object corresponding to a bicyclist a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than the object corresponding to a vehicle.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the vulnerability of a pedestrian gives an object corresponding to a pedestrian a higher priority to be included in the filtered set of objects than the object corresponding to a bicyclist.