Vehicle driver assistance apparatus and vehicle driver assistance method therefor

• US 10,289,274 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Soyoung, Lyu, Hyunsun, Park, Jiyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Daeho D
• Application Number:
  US15/312,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/164 Infotainment
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5915 Inter vehicle communication
• 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 35/28 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 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 : using classification, e.g. of video objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 : License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup

Abstract

A vehicle driver assistance apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus including a display; a vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle information of another vehicle which is driving or standing in a vicinity thereof; a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the other vehicle; and a processor configured to display information on the display corresponding to at least one service related to the acquired vehicle information, the at least one service being authorized by the other vehicle to be accessed by the vehicle, and execute the at least one service in response to a selection of the information on the display.

Claims

1. A vehicle driver assistance apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a display;

a camera configured to captures images of surroundings of the vehicle;

a vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle information of another vehicle which is driving or standing in a vicinity thereof, wherein the vehicle information includes a vehicle identification number of the other vehicle captured by the camera;

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the other vehicle; and

a processor configured to;

display a service selection screen in a graphical user interface on the display corresponding to at least one service related to the acquired vehicle information, the at least one service being authorized by the other vehicle to be accessed by the vehicle, and

execute the at least one service in response to a selection of the service selection screen on the display,

wherein when vehicle information on a plurality of vehicles is acquired through the vehicle information acquisition unit, the processor is further configured to;

display a vehicle selection screen in the graphical user interface for selecting at least one image of the plurality of vehicles on the display,

wherein the vehicle selection screen includes a plurality of vehicle information display regions, each display region displaying vehicle information on a corresponding vehicle of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein each of the plurality of vehicle information display regions includes information indicating whether a specific related service provided by the corresponding vehicle is usable or not, and

wherein whether the specific related service is usable or not is determined depending on a position of a driver of the vehicle with respect to a distance to the corresponding vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one service includes plurality of services related to the acquired vehicle information.

3. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to distinguishably display a service to which access is permitted from a service to which access is restricted on the service selection screen.

4. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the service selection screen includes a selection menu for selecting the at least one service from among a service list including a call connection service, a text messaging service, a parking movement service, a black box request service, an accident information notification service, and a public information request service.

5. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the call connection via the wireless communication unit with a communication device associated with the acquired vehicle information when the call connection service is selected from the service selection screen.

6. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the call connection service on the service selection screen is selectively activated depending on whether an owner of the other vehicle is located within a predetermined distance.

7. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when a service to which access is restricted is selected on the service selection screen, the processor is further configured to transmit, via the wireless communication unit, a request signal to the other vehicle for requesting access to the service to which access is restricted.

8. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information acquisition unit includes an input unit for inputting a vehicle identification number on a vehicle number input screen displayed on the display.

9. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the vehicle identification number is acquired, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the acquired vehicle identification number is a number of a normal vehicle, and

transmit information on the acquired vehicle identification number to an external terminal reporting the vehicle identification number is a number of an illegal vehicle when the determined number is not the number of the normal vehicle.

10. The vehicle driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein each vehicle identification number is associated with multiple preset information.

11. A method of controlling a vehicle driver assistance apparatus in a vehicle, the method comprising:

capturing, via a camera of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, images of surroundings of the vehicle;

acquiring, via a vehicle information acquisition unit of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, vehicle information of another vehicle which is driving or standing in a vicinity thereof, wherein the vehicle information includes a vehicle identification number of the other vehicle captured by the camera;

displaying, via a display of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, a service selection screen in a graphical user interface corresponding to at least one service related to the acquired vehicle information, the at least one service being authorized by the other vehicle to be accessed by the vehicle; and

executing, via a processor of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, the at least one service in response to a selection of the service selection screen on the display of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus,

wherein when vehicle information on a plurality of vehicles is acquired through the vehicle information acquisition unit, the method further comprising;

displaying, via the display of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, a vehicle selection screen in the graphical user interface for selecting at least one image of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein the vehicle selection screen includes a plurality of vehicle information display regions, each display region displaying vehicle information on a corresponding vehicle of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein each of the plurality of vehicle information display regions includes information indicating whether a specific related service provided by the corresponding vehicle is usable or not, and

wherein whether the specific related service is usable or not is determined depending on a position of a driver of the vehicle with respect to a distance to the corresponding vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one service includes plurality of services related to the acquired vehicle information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

distinguishably displaying a service to which access is permitted from a service to which access is restricted on the service selection screen.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the service selection screen includes a selection menu for selecting the at least one service from among a service list including a call connection service, a text messaging service, a parking movement service, a black box request service, an accident information notification service, and a public information request service.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

performing the call connection, via a wireless communication unit of the vehicle driver assistance apparatus, with a communication device associated with the acquired vehicle information when the call connection service is selected from the service selection screen.