TURN BY TURN GRAPHICAL NAVIGATION ON FULL WINDSHIELD HEAD-UP DISPLAY

• US 20100292886A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• 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: Szczerba, Joseph F., Seder, Thomas A., Cui, Dehua
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A system to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle including navigational aids includes the windscreen having a transparent windscreen head up display, an enhanced vision system manager monitoring a planned travel route, and generating display requirements based upon the planned travel route. The system further includes a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements, and a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images.

Claims

1. System to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle including navigational aids, the system comprising:

the windscreen comprising a transparent windscreen head up display;

an enhanced vision system manager

monitoring a planned travel route, and

generating display requirements based upon the planned travel route;

a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements; and

a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle sensor system monitoring conditions in the operational environment; and

an occupant eye location sensing system; and

wherein the graphics system monitors the vehicle sensor system and the occupant eye location sensing system and generates the graphical images registered to the windscreen based upon information from the vehicle sensor system and the occupant eye location sensing system.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a vehicle operation sensor system monitoring operational characteristics of the vehicle; and

wherein the graphics system monitors the vehicle operation sensor system and generates the graphical images registered to the windscreen further based upon information from the vehicle operation sensor system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphics system generating the graphical images registered to the windscreen determines spatial relationships of features external to the vehicle to the vehicle based upon information from the vehicle sensor system, and registers the graphical images to the windscreen based upon the determined spatial relationships of the features and the information from the occupant eye location sensing system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphical images comprise turn by turn navigation instructions registered to features visible through the windscreen.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an information system comprising;

a global positioning device; and

a map database;

an input device configured to input a navigational destination; and

a navigation system configured to compute the planned travel route based upon data from the information system and the navigational destination.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the input device presents a plurality of selectable navigational destinations for input.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical images comprise graphics aiding in the input of the plurality of selectable navigational destinations.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the information system further comprises a wireless communication device accessing a remote system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical images comprise turn by turn navigation instructions including maneuvers required to follow the planned travel route and information from the wireless communication device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein information from the remote system is utilized to evaluate factors affecting travel on the planned travel route, and when the factors warrant changing the planned travel route, permitting modification of the planned travel route.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the factors affecting travel are selected from the group consisting of construction, traffic, and weather conditions.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical images comprise turn by turn navigation instructions including maneuvers required to follow modifications of the planned travel route.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphical images comprise turn by turn navigation instructions including maneuvers required to follow the planned travel route.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical images comprise:

a map display projected upon the windscreen; and

turn by turn navigation instructions including maneuvers required to follow the planned travel route.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the transparent windscreen head up display comprises a substrate combined with light emitting particles, wherein the particles are sized between 50 nm and 500 nm.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the transparent windscreen head up display comprises microstructures that direct a light emission into a confined and directed viewing cone.

18. Method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle describing turn by turn navigational instructions based upon a planned travel route, the method comprising:

monitoring informational inputs describing an operational environment for the vehicle;

monitoring the planned travel route;

determining the turn by turn navigational instructions based upon the planned travel route and the informational inputs;

determining from the informational inputs features visible through the windscreen regarding the planned travel route;

generating the graphical images registering the turn by turn navigational instructions to the features visible through the windscreen regarding the planned travel route; and

displaying the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein monitoring informational inputs describing the operational environment for the vehicle comprises fusing radar information and camera information.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein monitoring informational inputs describing the operational environment for the vehicle comprises fusing global positioning information, 3D map information, and camera information.