Warning System With Heads Up Display

• US 20120268262A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Popovic, Zeljko
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A warning system for a motor vehicle includes a head up display. The warning system detects a remote vehicle that presents a potential hazard to a host vehicle, determines if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver and displays an image onto a combiner of the heads up display corresponding to a current location of the remote vehicle or a future location where the remote vehicle will appear on the combiner. In some cases, the combiner is a windshield or window of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a heads up display including a combiner;

a driver monitoring device capable of detecting information related to the line of sight of a driver;

an electronic control unit in communication with the heads up display and the driver monitoring device, the electronic control unit further including an input port for receiving information about a remote vehicle;

wherein the electronic control unit is capable of determining a viewing location on the combiner associated with the remote vehicle and wherein the electronic control unit is capable of determining if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver; and

wherein the heads up display is configured to display an image onto the combiner at the viewing location when the remote vehicle is not visible to the driver.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the input port receives information from a remote sensing device.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the input port receives information from a vehicle communications receiver.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit receives position information associated with the remote vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the combiner is a window of the motor vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the combiner is a windshield of the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the combiner is a video screen of the motor vehicle.

8. A method of warning a driver in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving information from a driver monitoring device;

receiving information related to a remote vehicle that presents a potential hazard to the driver;

determining if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver;

determining a viewing location on a combiner in the motor vehicle; and

forming an image onto the viewing location of the combiner in the motor vehicle when the remote vehicle is not visible to the driver.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein receiving information related to the remote vehicle includes receiving information from a vehicle communication network.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information related to the motor vehicle is position information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the driver monitoring device is capable of determining the viewing direction of the driver.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining the viewing location on the combiner includes selecting a viewing location of the combiner where the driver sees an object obstructing the view of the remote vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein determining if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver includes using information about a signal received from the vehicle communication network.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining the viewing location further includes:

determining that the remote vehicle is not currently visible to the driver;

determining an estimated location where the remote vehicle may become visible to the driver at a later time; and

setting the estimated location to be the viewing location.

15. A method of warning a driver in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving information from a driver monitoring device;

receiving information related to a remote vehicle that presents a potential hazard to the driver;

determining if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver;

determining a viewing location on a combiner in the motor vehicle that corresponds to a location where the remote vehicle will appear at a later time; and

forming an image onto the viewing location of the combiner in the motor vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the driver monitoring device is an optical device.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining the viewing location includes determining a trajectory for the remote vehicle and determining the location where the trajectory of the remote vehicle is visible to the driver.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the image is a warning image that is superimposed over an object in the view of the driver.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the image is projected onto the combiner.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the viewing location is a predetermined region of the combiner associated with a nearest location to the remote vehicle.

21. A method of warning a driver in a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving information from a driver monitoring device;

receiving information related to a remote vehicle;

determining if the remote vehicle is visible to the driver;

determining a viewing location on a combiner in the motor vehicle corresponding to the location of the remote vehicle when the remote vehicle is visible to the driver; and

forming an image onto the viewing location of the combiner in the motor vehicle so that the image is superimposed over the remote vehicle.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the information related to the remote vehicle is received over a vehicle communication network.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the method includes a step of generating an image corresponding to the approximate size and shape of the remote vehicle.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the image is a warning image.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the image is also displayed on the combiner when the remote vehicle is not visible to the driver.