ROADWAY CONDITION WARNING ON FULL WINDSHIELD HEAD-UP DISPLAY

• US 20120169513A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Szczerba, Joseph F., Seder, Thomas A., Cui, Dehua
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A substantially transparent windscreen head-up display includes one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision therethrough. A method to dynamically register a graphic onto a driving scene of a vehicle utilizing a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display includes monitoring roadway conditions, identifying a potential roadway hazard based on the roadway conditions, determining the graphic identifying the potential roadway hazard, dynamically registering a location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle, and displaying the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display.

Claims

1. Method to dynamically register a graphic onto a driving scene of a vehicle utilizing a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display, comprising:

monitoring roadway conditions;

identifying a potential roadway hazard based on the roadway conditions;

determining the graphic identifying the potential roadway hazard;

dynamically registering a location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle; and

displaying the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display;

wherein the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display comprises one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision therethrough.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring an occupant eye location;

and

wherein dynamically registering the location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle is based upon the occupant eye location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising monitoring a current orientation of the vehicle and monitoring a current location of the identified potential roadway hazard;

and

wherein dynamically registering the location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle is further based on the current orientation of the vehicle and the current location of the identified potential roadway hazard.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising monitoring an operator gaze location;

and

wherein dynamically registering the location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle further comprises adding emphasis to the graphic based on an increasing distance between the operator gaze location and the current location of the identified potential roadway hazard.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising monitoring a current location of the vehicle;

and

wherein dynamically registering the location of the graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle further comprises adding emphasis to the graphic based on a decreasing distance between the current location of the vehicle and the current location of the identified potential roadway hazard.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring a vehicle to vehicle communication;

and

wherein monitoring roadway conditions is based upon the vehicle to vehicle communication.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising monitoring a request for potential roadway hazards ahead of the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle to vehicle communication comprises;

conveying the request for the potential roadway hazards to a second vehicle ahead of the vehicle; and

transferring a location and an identity of the potential roadway hazard from the second vehicle to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein monitoring roadway conditions comprises:

analyzing a drivability state of a second vehicle, the drivability state transmitted within the vehicle to vehicle communication;

detecting an adverse driving state based on the analyzed driving state of the second vehicle;

identifying a location of the detected adverse driving state, the location transmitted within the vehicle to vehicle communication; and

wherein identifying the potential roadway hazard is based on the location of the adverse driving state.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring range data from range sensors;

wherein monitoring roadway conditions is based upon the range data from range sensors; and

wherein identifying the potential roadway hazard utilizes the range data from the range sensors to identify the potential roadway hazard.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring image data;

wherein monitoring roadway conditions is based upon the image data; and

wherein identifying the potential roadway hazard utilizes the image data to identify the potential roadway hazard.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring data from wireless communications;

wherein monitoring roadway conditions is based upon the data from wireless communications; and

wherein identifying the potential roadway hazard utilizes the data from the wireless communications to identify the potential roadway hazard.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring vehicle travel history, comprising:

monitoring a current route traveled by the vehicle;

monitoring recorded hazards along a substantially similar route previously traveled by the vehicle; and

comparing and cross-referencing the current route traveled by the vehicle to the recorded hazards along the substantially similar route previously traveled by the vehicle;

wherein monitoring roadway conditions is based upon the vehicle travel history.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring roadway conditions comprises:

monitoring a planned route of the vehicle; and

monitoring weather conditions along the planned route of the vehicle;

wherein identifying the potential roadway hazard based on the monitored roadway conditions comprises identifying a section of road along the planned route of the vehicle susceptible to a potential hazardous condition as the potential roadway hazard when the monitored weather conditions are adverse weather conditions.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the graphic identifying the potential roadway hazard comprises utilizing a highlighted graphic overlaying the section of road identified as the potential roadway hazard.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the graphic identifying the potential roadway hazard comprises utilizing a highlighted box encompassing the identified potential roadway hazard.

16. Method to dynamically register a highlighted outline graphic onto a driving scene of a vehicle utilizing a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display, comprising:

monitoring roadway conditions;

identifying a potential roadway hazard based on the monitored roadway conditions;

monitoring an occupant eye location;

monitoring an occupant gaze location;

monitoring a current orientation of the vehicle;

monitoring a current location of the identified potential roadway hazard;

dynamically registering a location of the highlighted outline graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display corresponding to the driving scene of the vehicle and based upon the occupant eye location, the occupant gaze location, the current orientation of the vehicle and the current location of the detected potential roadway hazard;

displaying the highlighted outline graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display; and

wherein the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display comprises one of light emitting particles or microstructures over a predefined region of the windscreen permitting luminescent display while permitting vision therethrough.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a degree of threat possessed by the identified potential roadway hazard;

monitoring a distance between the vehicle and the identified potential roadway hazard; and

dynamically augmenting the highlighted outline graphic based on the degree of threat and the distance between the vehicle and the identified potential roadway hazard.