User interface apparatus for vehicle and vehicle

• US 10,227,006 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2018
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Sunghwan, Jung, Dukyung, Kim, Ilwan, Lee, Jaeho
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Frank S
• Application Number:
  US15/861,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/31 Virtual images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• 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 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• 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 35/29 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: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering

Abstract

Disclosed is a user interface apparatus for a vehicle, including: an interface unit; a display unit configured to implement multiple display layers each having a different virtual difference; and a processor configured to receive driving situation information of the vehicle through the interface unit, and control the display unit to vary a virtual distance of each of the multiple display layers.

Claims

1. A user interface apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an interface unit configured to facilitate exchange of information, data, or a signal across the vehicle;

a display unit configured to implement multiple display layers each having a respective virtual distance;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle comprising information about an object located in front of the vehicle, the information about the object comprising a distance between the vehicle and the object;

instructing the display unit to vary the respective virtual distances of the multiple display layers based on the driving situation information,

wherein the multiple display layers comprise a first display layer having a first virtual distance and a second display layer having a second virtual distance, and

wherein the first virtual distance and the second virtual distance are modified based on the information about the distance between the vehicle and the object;

instructing the display unit to display a first content item on the second display layer; and

instructing the display unit to move the first content item from the second display layer to the first display layer based on the information about the distance between the vehicle and the object.

2. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple display layers further comprise a third display layer having a third virtual distance.

3. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to display a first content item on the first display layer and a second content item on the second display layer.

4. The user interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to position the first content item and the second content item such that the first and second content items overlap from a point of view of a driver.

5. The user interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to make the second content item appear out of focus.

6. The user interface apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the driving situation information comprises first information and second information;

the first information has an importance level set higher than an importance level of the second information; and

the operations comprise generating the first content item based on the first information and the second content item based on the second information.

7. The user interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to gradually fade in the first content item.

8. The user interface apparatus of claim 7, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to gradually fade out the second content item after completion of or concurrently with the gradually fading in of the first content item.

9. The user interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to display the first content item or the second content item at a predetermined angle relative to a road surface.

10. The user interface apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to change the predetermined angle based on one or more of (i)a passage of time;

(ii) a change in respective importance level of the first content item or the second content item;

or (iii) driving speed information of the vehicle.

11. The user interface apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the second virtual distance is greater than the first virtual distance, and the operations comprise:

receiving, through the interface unit, a front-view image;

instructing the display unit to display a non-augmented reality content item on the first display layer; and

instructing the display unit to display an augmented-reality content item on the second display layer.

12. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise instructing, based on the first content item being moved from the second display layer to the first display layer, the display unit to change at least one of size, shape, transparency, or color of the first content item.

13. The user interface apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the information about the object comprises information about a slope located on a road ahead, information about a curve, and information about a circular intersection, and

the operations comprise instructing the display unit to modify the first virtual distance or the second virtual distance based on information about a distance between the vehicle and the slope, information about a distance between the vehicle and the curve, and information about a distance between the vehicle and the circular intersection.

14. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driving situation information comprises traffic volume information and the operations comprise instructing the display unit to modify the respective virtual distance of each of the multiple display layers based on the traffic volume information.

15. The user interface apparatus of claim 14, wherein the operations comprise instructing the display unit to gradually decrease the respective virtual distances in response to an increase in a traffic volume, and gradually increase the respective virtual distances in response to a decrease in the traffic volume.

16. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, through the interface unit, driving speed information of the vehicle; and

instructing the display unit to modify the respective virtual distance of each of the multiple display layers based on the driving speed information.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a power source configured to drive the plurality of wheels; and

a user interface apparatus for the vehicle comprising;

an interface unit configured to facilitate exchange of information, data, or a signal across the vehicle;

a display unit configured to implement multiple display layers each having a respective virtual distance;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle comprising information about an object located in front of the vehicle, the information about the object comprising a distance between the vehicle and the object;

instructing the display unit to vary the respective virtual distances of the multiple display layers based on the driving situation information,

wherein the multiple display layers comprise a first display layer having a first virtual distance and a second display layer having a second virtual distance, and

wherein the first virtual distance and the second virtual distance are modified based on the information about the distance between the vehicle and the object;

instructing the display unit to display a first content item on the second display layer; and

instructing the display unit to move the first content item from the second display layer to the first display layer based on the information about the distance between the vehicle and the object.