Notification system of a car and method of controlling therefor

• US 10,235,879 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Im, Hyeongjin, Park, Saekyu, Lee, Eunju, Kang, Byeongki, Lim, Seijun, Lee, Chulbae
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/115,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20180174450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701301
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1468 Touch gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/794 on or in doors
• 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 35/28 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: 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: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• 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 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A notification system of a vehicle includes a sensing unit that detects an object outside the vehicle or detects an operational status of a function of the vehicle; an output unit; and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle. If a touch is detected on the interior handle, the controller determines that an object outside the vehicle detected by the sensor is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch was detected, or determines that an operational status of a function of the vehicle detected by the sensor indicates that the function is not yet complete; and controls the output unit to output a notification corresponding to the detected object outside the vehicle or the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A notification system of a vehicle, the notification system comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect an object outside the vehicle or an operational status of a function of the vehicle;

an output unit; and

a controller configured to;

determine that a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle; and

based on the determination that the touch has been detected on the interior handle of the door;

determine that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected, or that an operational status of a function of the vehicle detected by the sensing unit indicates that the function is not yet complete; and

control the output unit to output a notification based on the determination that the detected object outside the vehicle is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door, or that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete,

wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete;

control the output unit to output the notification to a window of the door on which the touch has been detected.

2. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected:

control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on an area of ground adjacent to the door and towards a direction in which the object outside the vehicle is detected.

3. The notification system of claim 2, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a text, an image, or a guide line.

4. The notification system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a distance between the vehicle and the object detected outside the vehicle; and

control at least one of a flickering speed of the notification or a color of the notification based on the determined distance between the vehicle and the object.

5. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the output unit comprises at least one warning light disposed on an interior portion of the door or on an interior pillar of the vehicle, and

wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the object outside the vehicle detected by the sensing unit is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected:

determine a warning light, from among the at least one warning light, that is disposed in a position closest to the door on which the touch has been detected; and

activate the warning light that is disposed in the position closest to the door on which the touch has been detected.

6. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete:

determine that a user exiting the vehicle has been detected; and

based on the determination that the user exiting the vehicle has been detected, control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on an area of ground adjacent to the door and towards a direction in which the user is detected to be exiting the vehicle.

7. The notification system of claim 6, wherein the notification indicates at least one of a type of the function that has been detected to be not yet complete or a location of the function that has been detected to be not yet complete.

8. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the function that has been detected to be not yet complete comprises at least one of a lighting function of the vehicle, a door lock function of the vehicle, or a window opening and closing function of the vehicle.

9. The notification system of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to receive a signal from a car key,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the received signal corresponds to a request for providing information on a position of the vehicle; and

based on the determination that the received signal corresponds to the request for providing information on a position of the vehicle, control the output unit to output the notification for providing the information on the position of the vehicle by projecting the notification in an upward direction above the vehicle.

10. The notification system of claim 9, wherein the notification comprises at least one of an emblem associated with the vehicle, a number associated with the vehicle, a user-defined text, or a user-defined image.

11. The notification system of claim 1, further comprising an input unit configured to receive an input,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the received input indicates an emergency; and

based on the determination that the received input indicates the emergency, control the output unit to output the notification corresponding to the emergency.

12. The notification system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the output unit to output the notification to a rear window of the vehicle or to project the notification on an area of ground at a rear of the vehicle.

13. The notification system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the output unit to output the notification by projecting the notification on the area of ground at the rear of the vehicle, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the object is approaching from a rearward direction of the vehicle;

determine a distance and a speed of the object approaching from the rearward direction of the vehicle; and

adjust an output position and a size of the projected notification based on the distance and the speed of the object approaching from the rearward direction of the vehicle.

14. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the output unit comprises a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) projector.

15. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to rotate.

16. A method of controlling a notification system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining that a touch has been detected on an interior handle of a door of the vehicle; and

based on the determination that the touch has been detected on the interior handle of the door;

determining that an object outside the vehicle is within a predetermined distance in a rearward direction from the door on which the touch has been detected, or that an operational status of a function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete; and

outputting a notification based on the determination that the detected object outside the vehicle is within the predetermined distance in the rearward direction from the door, or that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete,

wherein outputting a notification further comprises;

based on the determination that the detected operational status of the function of the vehicle indicates that the function is not yet complete, outputting the notification to a window of the door on which the touch has been detected.