Time and Environment Aware Graphical Displays for Driver Information and Driver Assistance Systems

• US 20140277939A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ren, Liu, Yang, Lei
• Granted Patent: US 9,752,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05

Abstract

A graphics display system for driver information and driver assistance applications generates controllable and dynamic graphical effects in conjunction with 3D visualization of maps. The system generates a display of a map in a 3D virtual environment that responds to the environment changes in a dynamic and visually intuitive manner for a vehicle operator. The system processes environment information, including lighting condition, weather condition, and other data acquired from different sensors in the vehicle such as cameras and lighting sensors, or through networked information services. The graphics display can be integrated with different driver information and driver assistance system embodiments including mobile platforms, in-vehicle information systems, web platforms, and PC systems.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle information system comprising:

a memory configured to store;

map data corresponding to a plurality of objects in a virtual environment corresponding to a physical environment external to a vehicle; and

rendering parameter data including a plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to graphical effects to modify a visual representation of the plurality of objects in the map data; and

control parameter data including a plurality of control parameters, each control parameter including an association between a predetermined environmental condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle and at least one rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters;

an environment data collection device configured to receive environment data corresponding to the physical environment external to the vehicle;

a display device configured to generate a graphical depiction of the plurality of objects in the virtual environment; and

a controller operatively connected to the memory, the environment data collection device, and the display device, the controller being configured to;

receive the environment data corresponding to the physical environment external to the vehicle;

identify a first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the environment data; and

generate a visual depiction of the virtual environment including at least one object in the map data and a graphical effect corresponding to the first rendering parameter being applied to the at least one object in the virtual environment.

2. The in-vehicle information system of claim 1, the environment data collection device further comprising:

a vehicle sensor configured to generate the environment data corresponding to at least one environmental condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle; and

the controller being operatively connected to the vehicle sensor and further configured to;

receive the environment data from the vehicle sensor.

3. The in-vehicle information system of claim 1, the environment data collection device further comprising:

a network device configured to send data to an online information source and receive data from the online information source; and

the controller being operatively connected to the network device and further configured to;

send a query to the online information source with the network device;

receive the environment data in a response from the online information source with the network device.

4. The in-vehicle information system of claim 1, the controller being further configured to:

receive the environment data including weather condition data corresponding to the external physical environment;

identify the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to at least one weather condition in the physical environment that is external to the vehicle with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the weather condition data; and

generate a graphical effect corresponding to the first rendering parameter to depict the at least one weather condition in the virtual environment with the display device.

5. The in-vehicle information system of claim 4, the controller being further configured to:

identify that the at least one weather condition corresponds to rain; and

apply graphical effects corresponding to the rain to the virtual environment in response to the at least one weather condition in the weather condition data corresponding to rain.

6. The in-vehicle information system of claim 4, the controller being further configured to:

identify that the at least one weather condition corresponds to snow; and

apply a graphical effect corresponding to accumulated snow on a surface of at least one object in the virtual environment in response to the at least one weather condition in the weather condition data corresponding to snow.

7. The in-vehicle information system of claim 2, the data stored in the memory further comprising:

a first texture corresponding to a surface of an object in the virtual environment;

a second texture corresponding to the surface of the object in the virtual environment; and

the controller being further configured to;

receive weather condition data from the in-vehicle sensor;

identify a first weather condition from the weather condition data;

identify the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to only one of the first texture and the second texture with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the first weather condition;

generate the visual depiction of the virtual environment with only one of the first texture and the second texture being applied to the surface of the object in the virtual environment with reference to the first rendering parameter.

8. The in-vehicle information system of claim 2, the data stored in the memory further comprising:

a first shader program configured to generate a first graphical effect for an object in the virtual environment;

a second shader program configured to generate a second graphical effect for the object in the virtual environment; and

the controller being further configured to;

receive weather condition data from the in-vehicle sensor;

identify a first weather condition from the weather condition data;

identify the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to only one of the first shader program and the second shader program with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the first weather condition; and

execute only one of the first shader program or the second shader program with reference to the first rendering parameter to generate the graphical depiction of the virtual environment with only one of the first graphical effect or second graphical effect for the object.

9. The in-vehicle information system of claim 1, the controller being further configured to:

identify a current time of day with reference to the environment data;

identify the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters for a position of a light source that corresponds to a sun in the virtual environment with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the current time of day; and

generate the visual depiction of the virtual environment with the light source in the position to display the visual depiction with light that corresponds to the sun at the current time of day in the physical environment external to the vehicle.

10. The in-vehicle information system of claim 9, the controller being further configured to:

identify the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters for a position of a light source that corresponds to a moon in the virtual environment in response to the time of day corresponding to nighttime; and

generate the visual depiction of the virtual environment with the light source in the position to display the visual depiction with light that corresponds to the moon at the current time of night in the physical environment external to the vehicle.

11. A method of generating a display of a virtual environment corresponding to a physical environment external to a vehicle comprising:

receiving with a controller environment data corresponding to a physical environment external to the vehicle;

identifying with the controller a first rendering parameter in a plurality of rendering parameters stored in a memory with reference to a plurality of control parameters stored in the memory and the environment data, each rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to a graphical effect to modify a visual representation of an object in map data stored in the memory, each control parameter including an association between an environmental condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle and at least one rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters;

and

generating with the controller and a display device a visual depiction of a virtual environment including at least one object in the map data stored in the memory with a graphical effect corresponding to the first rendering parameter being applied to at least one object in the virtual environment with the display device.

12. The method of claim 11 the receiving of the environment data further comprising:

receiving, with the controller, the environment data from a vehicle sensor configured to generate the environment data corresponding to at least one environmental condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

sending with the controller and a network device operatively connected to the controller a query to an online information source; and

receiving with the controller and the network device the environment data in a response from the online information source with the network device.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving with the controller the environment data including weather condition data corresponding to the external physical environment;

identifying with the controller the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to at least one weather condition in the physical environment that is external to the vehicle with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the weather condition data; and

generating with the controller and the display device a graphical effect corresponding to the first rendering parameter to depict the at least one weather condition in the virtual environment.

15. The method of claim 14 further, the application of the graphical effect further comprising:

identifying with the controller that the at least one weather condition corresponds to rain; and

applying with the controller a graphical effect corresponding to rain in the virtual environment in response to the at least one weather condition in the weather condition data corresponding to rain.

16. The method of claim 14, the application of the graphical effect further comprising:

identifying with the controller that the at least one weather condition corresponds to snow; and

applying a graphical effect corresponding to accumulated snow on a surface of at least one object in the virtual environment in response to the at least one weather condition in the weather condition data corresponding to snow.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving with the controller weather condition data from an in-vehicle sensor configured to generate the environment data corresponding to at least one weather condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle;

identifying with the controller a first weather condition from the weather condition data;

identifying with the controller a first weather condition from the weather condition data;

identifying with the controller the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to only one of a first texture stored in the memory and a second texture stored in the memory with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the first weather condition, the first texture and the second texture each corresponding to a surface of an object in the virtual environment; and

generating with the controller and the display device the visual depiction of the virtual environment with only the identified first texture or second texture being applied to the surface of the object in the virtual environment.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving with the controller weather condition data from an in-vehicle sensor configured to generate the environment data corresponding to at least one weather condition in the physical environment external to the vehicle;

identifying with the controller a first weather condition from the weather condition data;

identifying with the controller the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters corresponding to only one of a first shader program and a second shader program with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the first weather condition, the first shader program being configured to generate a first graphical effect for an object in the virtual environment and the second shader program being configured to generate a second graphical effect for the object in the virtual environment; and

executing with the controller only one of the first shader program or the second shader program with reference to the first rendering parameter to generate the graphical depiction of the virtual environment with only one of the first graphical effect or second graphical effect for the object.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying with the controller a current time of day with reference to the environment data;

identifying with the controller the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters for a position of a light source that corresponds to a sun in the virtual environment with reference to the plurality of control parameters and the current time of day; and

generating with the controller and the display device the visual depiction of the virtual environment with the light source in the position to display the visual depiction with light that corresponds to the sun at the current time of day in the physical environment external to the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

identifying with the controller the first rendering parameter in the plurality of rendering parameters for a position of a light source that corresponds to a moon in the virtual environment in response to the time of day corresponding to nighttime; and

generating with the controller and the visual display device the visual depiction of the virtual environment with the light source in the position to display the visual depiction with light that corresponds to the moon at the current time of night in the physical environment external to the vehicle.