Vehicular image projection

• US 10,220,769 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Salter, Stuart C., Krishnan, Venkatesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US15/682,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 340907
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/545 for indicating other traffic conditions, e.g. fog, heavy traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A computer is programmed to receive data indicating a state of a traffic signal. The computer is further programmed to activate a light source in a first vehicle to project a traffic signal symbol representing the state of the traffic signal.

Claims

1. A computer, comprising a processor and a memory including instructions executable by the processor to:

identify, based on received data, a target object within a predetermined distance of a planned path for a vehicle;

determine a target symbol ground location based on the planned path and a maximum distance from the target object for projecting the symbol; and

project, by a light source in the vehicle, a symbol to the target symbol ground location.

2. The computer of claim 1, the memory further including instructions to:

project the symbol based on a determination that the vehicle is within a first maximum distance from a traffic signal.

3. The computer of claim 2, wherein the first maximum distance is a predetermined distance.

4. The computer of claim 2, the memory further including instructions to determine the first maximum distance based on identifying the traffic signal.

5. The computer of claim 2, the memory further including instructions to:

receive data indicating a state of the traffic signal; and

include a color of light in the symbol based on the state of traffic signal.

6. The computer of claim 5, the instructions further comprising, to:

receive the data indicating the state of the traffic signal via radio frequency communications.

7. The computer of claim 5, the instructions further comprising, to:

receive visual data representing the traffic signal via a sensor; and

determine the state of the traffic signal based on the visual data.

8. The computer of claim 2, the instructions further comprising, to:

project the symbol further based on a determination that the vehicle is stopped within a second maximum distance from the traffic signal.

9. The computer of claim 1, wherein the target object is one of a pedestrian, a cyclist and a second vehicle.

10. The computer of claim 1, the memory further including instructions to determine the maximum distance from the target object based on a type of target object.

11. The computer of claim 1, the memory further including instructions to:

project the symbol to move within the target symbol ground location.

12. A computer, comprising a processor and a memory including instructions executable by the processor to:

identify, based on received data, a target object within a predetermined distance of a planned path for a vehicle;

determine a line-of-sight of the target object;

determine a target symbol ground location based on the line-of-sight, and the planned path; and

project, by a light source in the vehicle, a symbol to the target symbol ground location.

13. The computer of claim 12, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

project the symbol based on a determination that the vehicle is within a first maximum distance from a traffic signal.

14. A computer, comprising a processor and a memory including instructions executable by the processor to:

identify, based on received data, a target object within a predetermined distance of a planned path for a vehicle;

determine a shortest straight line path between the target object and the planned path for the vehicle;

determine a target symbol ground location based on the shortest straight line path; and

project, by a light source in the vehicle, a symbol to the target symbol ground location.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

project the symbol based on a determination that the vehicle is within a first maximum distance from a traffic signal.

16. A method comprising:

identifying, based on received data, a target object within a predetermined distance of a planned path for a vehicle;

determining a target symbol ground location based on the planned path and a maximum distance from the target object for projecting the symbol; and

projecting, by a light source in the vehicle, a symbol to the target symbol ground location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

projecting the symbol based on a determination that the vehicle is within a maximum distance from a traffic signal.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a line-of-sight of the target object; and

determining the target symbol ground location based on the line-of-sight.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a shortest straight line path between the target object and the planned path for the vehicle; and

determining the target symbol ground location based on the shortest straight line path.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

projecting the symbol to move within the target symbol ground location.