METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING

• US 20070027621A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith, Willner, Barry, Operowsky, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A system and method of providing information (such as directions) to a driver of a vehicle while driving the vehicle without requiring that the driver remove his eyes from looking out the windshield at the road ahead. A positioning device is associated with the vehicle and determines the present location of the vehicle which is compared to a desired location (e.g., the location of a desired turn at an intersection) necessary to reach a preset destination which has been stored. When the vehicle is in a predetermined location (e.g., 500 feet or 10 second before the intersection), an advisory message to the driver is projected onto the windshield using a heads-up display projector so that the driver can prepare for and make the necessary movement (e.g., turning the correct way at the desired intersection). An optional auditory signal can provide a message indicating the necessary action, either in general or specifically (through a speech synthesizer), with optionally different sound indicators, depending on the urgency of the action. A wireless receiver used with the present invention can display other information such as road conditions, traffic and weather information, as well as advertising and e-mail. The present invention contemplates that images of intersections (live pictures, photos or sketches) may be displayed to indicate the proper turn and provide landmark information to assist in determining the appropriate turn.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing information to the driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a touch screen display that iteratively displays

a first display that presents a menu of driver-selectable destination categories, each category corresponding to a predefined geographic region, and

a second display that in response to a selection by the driver of at least one destination category presents a list of destinations corresponding to the at least one destination category selected;

a positioning device which determines the location of the vehicle;

a storage device including stored information about the location of a desired driver action, the location of the desired driver action being based upon a destination selected by the driver from the list of destinations; and

a comparator which compares the location of the vehicle with the stored information about the location of the desired driver action and which provides a signal when the location of the vehicle is in a predetermined relationship to the location of the desired driver action; and

a projector which displays a message on the windshield indicating the desired driver action in response to the signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projector is a heads-up display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes an audible indicator of a message in response to the signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the audible indicator includes a speech synthesis system which provides an audible message.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the audible indicator includes a speech synthesis system which can provide at least one audible message which is selected based on the desired driver action.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the audible indicator includes a first indicator at a first distance from the desired location and a second indicator at a second, shorter distance from the desired location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes an indicator that the driver did not make the desired driver action, whereby the driver receives an indication of the missing of the desired driver action after the desired driver action was missed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system includes a wireless receiver which receives broadcast traffic information and is coupled to the projector to display the broadcast traffic information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system includes a wireless receiver which receives weather information sent from outside the vehicle, with the wireless receiver coupled to the projector for displaying the weather information to the driver.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system includes a wireless receiver which receives advertising information and couples to the projector to display the advertising information to the driver.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the destination categories include at least one of a commercial sites category, a traveler accommodations category, a historic sites category, and predetermined tourist attraction sites category, each designated by region.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projector further displays a virtual image of an area around the location of the desired driver action when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance to the location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the virtual image includes at least one landmark.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one attribute of the at least one landmark changes as the vehicle moves in relation to the at least one landmark.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one attribute includes a size of the landmark, the size increasing as the vehicle moves closer to the at least one landmark.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one attribute includes a brightness of the landmark, the brightness increasing as the vehicle moves closer to the at least one landmark.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch screen further iteratively displays a third display that in response to the driver selecting a destination from the list of destinations displays a map of the destination selected.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the touch screen further iteratively displays at least one additional map, the additional map providing more information than a preceding map displayed on the touch screen.

11. A service for providing information to the driver of a vehicle comprising:

receiving at least one desired destination associated with the driver;

determining a route for the driver to reach the destination including at least one turn for the vehicle to reach the destination;

determining the location of the vehicle and when the vehicle is approaching the at least one turn and providing a message to the vehicle; and

displaying the message for the vehicle on the windshield when the vehicle is approaching the at least one turn so that the driver may be informed of the turn at an appropriate time without requiring the driver to remove his eyes from the windshield.

20. A method of providing information to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a menu of driver-selectable destination categories, each category corresponding to a particular type of landmarks in a geographic region; and

providing on a windshield of the vehicle an image of each landmark belonging to each destination category selected by the driver.