Vehicle information and interaction management

• US 20040122562A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Geisler, Scott P., Nardi, Flavio, Creech, Thomas William, Marica, Stefano, Schreiner, Lisa
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

A method for vehicle information and interaction management. The method comprises receiving vehicle feature data and driver preference data for a vehicle. The method also comprises receiving an information message from the vehicle and a driving workload estimate that is indicative of current and previously occurring conditions. A control signal responsive to said vehicle feature data, said information message, said driver preference data and said driving workload estimate is provided to initiate the activation or disablement of a function of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle information and interaction management, said method comprising:

receiving vehicle feature data and driver preference data for a vehicle;

receiving an information message from the vehicle;

receiving a driving workload estimate, said driving workload estimate indicative of current and previously occurring conditions; and

providing a control signal responsive to said vehicle feature data, said information message, said driver preference data and said driving workload estimate to initiate the activation or disablement of a function of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said function of the vehicle is to display said information message.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a table of vehicle status messages; and

locating at least one of said vehicle status messages corresponding to said information message, wherein said at least one vehicle status message includes a display instruction and said control signal is further responsive to said display instruction.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said display instruction includes display immediately, delay display for a pre-selected period of time if the driving workload estimate exceeds a first pre-selected level, or display immediately if the speed of the vehicle is below a pre-selected speed and the driving workload estimate is less than a second pre-selected level.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said pre-selected period of time is two minutes.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said pre-selected speed is five kilometers per hour.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said display instruction includes display immediately or delay display for a pre-selected period of time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said driving workload estimate includes an instantaneous workload estimate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said driving workload estimate includes an intermediate workload estimate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said driving workload estimate includes an overall workload estimate.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said function includes a vehicle status message corresponding to said information message.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said disablement includes delaying a display of said vehicle status message and said activation includes displaying said vehicle status message.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said function includes a manner of communicating a vehicle status message corresponding to said information message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said manner of communicating is display, voice or video.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving internally generated vehicle data and wherein said providing a control signal is further responsive to said vehicle data.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving environment data and wherein said providing a control signal is further responsive to said environment data.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving current condition data and wherein said providing a control signal is further responsive to said current condition data.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving telematic data and wherein said providing a control signal is further responsive to said telematic data.

19. A system for driving workload estimation, the system comprising:

a network; and

a microprocessor in communication with said network, said microprocessor including instructions to implement a method comprising;

receiving vehicle feature data and driver preference data for a vehicle via said network;

receiving an information message from the vehicle via said network;

receiving a driving workload estimate from said network, said driving workload estimate indicative of current and previously occurring conditions; and

providing a control signal responsive to said vehicle feature data, said information message, said driver preference data and said driving workload estimate to initiate the activation or disablement of a function of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said network is a wireless network.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said network in the Internet.

22. A computer program product for driving workload estimation, the product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving vehicle feature data and driver preference data for a vehicle;

receiving an information message from the vehicle;

receiving a driving workload estimate, said driving workload estimate indicative of current and previously occurring conditions; and

providing a control signal responsive to said vehicle feature data, said information message, said driver preference data and said driving workload estimate to initiate the activation or disablement of a function of the vehicle.