Systems and methodologies for providing supplementary information based on alerts in a vehicle

• US 10,449,898 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherony, Rini, Sayer, Tina Brunetti
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/167,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing supplementary alert information. The method includes monitoring, using processing circuitry, one or more systems in a vehicle to determine an alert mode when an alert is generated. The method further includes identifying, using the processing circuitry, supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode. The supplementary alert information includes an explanation of a trigger of the alert. The method further includes outputting the supplementary alert information to a user of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing supplementary alert information in a vehicle, the method comprising:

controlling one or more systems in the vehicle to generate and present an alert to a user of the vehicle based on an obstacle detected from a surrounding of the vehicle, wherein the alert includes at least one of a semi or fully autonomous control of the vehicle and an automatic advanced driver assistance control of the vehicle, and the control of the vehicle includes control of a movement of a component of the vehicle;

monitoring, using processing circuitry, the one or more systems in the vehicle to determine an alert mode when the alert is generated;

identifying, using the processing circuitry, supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the supplementary alert information explains that the obstacle caused the generation of the generated alert;

outputting, using the processing circuitry, the supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle;

generating, using the processing circuitry, additional supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the additional supplementary alert information is not included in the supplementary alert information and further describes the obstacle that caused the generation of the generated alert; and

after the supplementary alert information is output and a predetermined condition of the vehicle is satisfied, outputting, using the processing circuitry, the additional supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a count associated with the alert mode;

determining whether the count is below a predetermined threshold; and

outputting the supplementary alert information when the count is below the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the additional supplementary alert information includes a footage captured by one or more cameras, and

the footage shows the obstacle that caused the generation of the generated alert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional supplementary alert information includes a schematic generated as a function of positional data of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more systems includes at least one of a lane keep assist and warning system, a blind spot detection system, a forward crash warning system, a parking assist system, an automatic braking system, a lane change assist system, a rear cross traffic alert system, a pedestrian detection system, an animal detection system, a bicyclist detection system, a driver attention system, or any other advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplementary alert information is in a visual format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplementary alert information is in an audio format.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of supplementary alert information associated with a plurality of alert modes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing predefined settings associated with a plurality of alert modes.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the vehicle is moving slower than a predetermined speed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the vehicle is stopped.

10. A system for providing supplementary alert information in a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more alert systems; and

processing circuitry configured to

control the one or more alert systems to generate and present an alert to a user of the vehicle based upon an obstacle detected from a surrounding of the vehicle, wherein the alert includes at least one of a semi or fully autonomous control of the vehicle and an automatic advanced driver assistance control of the vehicle, and the control of the vehicle includes control of a movement of a component of the vehicle,

monitor the one or more alert systems to determine an alert mode when the alert is generated,

identify supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the supplementary alert information explains that the obstacle caused the generation of the generated alert,

output the supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle,

generate additional supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the additional supplementary alert information is not included in the supplementary alert information and further describes the obstacle that caused the generation of the generated alert; and

after the supplementary alert information is output and a predetermined condition of the vehicle is satisfied, output the additional supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

update a count associated with the alert mode;

determine whether the count is below a predetermined threshold; and

output the supplementary alert information when the count is below the predetermined threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein

the additional supplementary alert information includes a footage captured by one or more cameras, and

the footage shows the obstacle that caused the generation of the generated alert.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the additional supplementary alert information includes a schematic generated as a function of positional data of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more alert systems includes at least one of a lane keep assist and warning system, a blind spot detection system, a forward crash warning system, a parking assist system, an automatic braking system, a lane change assist system, a rear cross traffic alert system, a pedestrian detection system, an animal detection system, a bicyclist detection system, and a driver attention system.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-readable instructions therein which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for providing supplementary alert information, the method comprising:

controlling one or more systems in a vehicle to generate and present an alert to a user of the vehicle based on an obstacle detected from a surrounding of the vehicle, wherein the alert includes at least one of a semi or fully autonomous control of the vehicle and an automatic advanced driver assistance control of the vehicle, and the control of the vehicle includes control of a movement of a component of the vehicle;

monitoring the one or more systems in the vehicle to determine an alert mode when the alert is generated;

identifying supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the supplementary alert information explains that the obstacle caused the generation of the generated alert;

outputting the supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle;

generating additional supplementary alert information associated with the alert mode, wherein the additional supplementary alert information is not included in the supplementary alert information and further describes the obstacle that caused the generation of the generated alert; and

,

after the supplementary alert information is output and a predetermined condition of the vehicle is satisfied, outputting the additional supplementary alert information to the user of the vehicle.