ROADWAY PROJECTION SYSTEM

• US 20150203023A1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: MARTI, Stefan, DI CENSO, Davide, JUNEJA, Ajay
• Granted Patent: US 9,481,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/177 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5915 Inter vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: G01C 21/3697 : Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A roadway projection system integrated into a vehicle is configured to identify a specific driving scenario encountered by a driver of the vehicle, and to then project an image onto a roadway along which the vehicle travels based on that scenario. The image is intended to provide guidance to the driver in negotiating the identified scenario and/or to visualize potential driving actions of the driver for the benefit of others. The image could be, for example, and without limitation, an indicator that the driver should follow to perform a specific driving or navigation action, or a preference that the driver wishes to share with other drivers. In addition, the roadway projection system may detect images projected by other roadway projection systems in other vehicles and to determine mutual preferences shared between drivers. When a shared preference is violated, the roadway projection system may alert the driver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system configured to assist a driver of a vehicle with performing driving actions, the system comprising:

a sensor array configured to gather data associated with a roadway on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;

an image projector configured to project images onto a projectable area associated with the roadway; and

a computing device, configured to;

process the data gathered by the sensor to identify a driving action that the driver is attempting to perform,

determine a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with performing the driving action,

generate an image that shows the directive; and

project the image onto the projectable area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

process the data gathered by the sensor to identify one or more non-projectable objects proximate to the vehicle upon which images should not be projected; and

generate the projectable area to exclude the one or more non-projectable objects.

3. The system of claim 1, where the computing device is further configured to:

identify one or more terrain variations within the projectable area; and

adjust the image being projected to account for the one or more terrain variations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the projectable area includes at least a portion of the roadway.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the directive comprises a turn that the driver should perform.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the image further shows a geometric apex of a curve in the roadway that can be projected along the curve in the roadway.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the image further shows a current trajectory of the vehicle that can be projected along the curve in the roadway.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the directive comprises a message indicating that a braking action should be performed.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the directive comprises a minimum distance between the vehicle and other vehicles that the driver of the vehicle prefers to maintain, and wherein the image shows a bounding zone that substantially surrounds the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect a second bounding zone projected onto the roadway by a second vehicle;

determine that the bounding zone has intersected the second bounding zone; and

alert the driver of the vehicle that the second vehicle is encroaching upon the minimum distance.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to assist a driver of a vehicle with negotiating driving scenarios, by performing the steps of:

gathering data associated with a varied terrain on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;

determining a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with negotiating a driving scenario on the varied terrain;

generating an adjusted image that shows the directive for assisting the driver with negotiating the driving scenario on the varied terrain;

projecting the adjusted image onto a projectable area that includes the varied terrain.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein generating the adjusted image comprises:

generating an image that shows the directive for assisting the driver with negotiating the deriving scenario on the varied terrain;

mapping the varied terrain to identify a set of perturbations within the varied terrain; and

adjusting the image to counteract visual artifacts potentially caused by the set of perturbations.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein mapping the varied terrain comprises processing the data to generate different distance values between the vehicle and different regions of the varied terrain.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising processing the data to identify a driving scenario that the driver is attempting to negotiate on the varied terrain.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the varied terrain includes at least a portion of a roadway that includes one or more perturbations.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more non-projectable objects proximate to the vehicle upon which images should not be projected; and

generating the projectable area to exclude the one or more non-projectable objects, wherein the non-projectable objects include at least one of humans, animals, residences, and retroreflective surfaces.

17. A computer-implemented method for visualizing a driving action to be performed by a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

gathering data associated with a roadway on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;

generating an image that shows a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with performing a driving action; and

projecting the image onto a projectable area.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing the data to identify one or more non-projectable objects proximate to the vehicle upon which images should not be projected; and

generating the projectable area to exclude the one or more non-projectable objects.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying one or more terrain variations within the projectable area; and

adjusting the image being projected to remove distortion within the image caused by the one or more terrain variations.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the directive comprises information related to at least one of navigating the vehicle to a destination, steering the vehicle through a turn, merging the vehicle with traffic, and driving the vehicle in traffic.