SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20150291033A1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Katsumi, Diptiman, Tuhin, Restauri, Donald A III
• Granted Patent: US 9,457,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• 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 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods for information management are provided. One embodiment of a method includes receiving a signal from a vehicle sensor, the signal related to a condition of a vehicle, determining a new alert from the signal, and comparing the new alert with a currently provided alert. Some embodiments include determining a priority of the new alert and, in response to determining that the new alert has a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining whether to output the currently provided alert in a minimized form, providing the new alert for output on a primary output device, and providing the currently provided alert in the minimized form.

Claims

1. A method for information management comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a signal with information related to a vehicle;

determining, by the computing device, a new alert from the signal;

comparing, by the computing device, the new alert with a currently provided alert;

determining, by the computing device, a priority of the new alert;

in response to determining that the new alert has a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining by the computing device whether to output the currently provided alert in a minimized form, providing the new alert for output on a primary output device, and providing the currently provided alert in the minimized form; and

in response to determining that the new alert does not have a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining by the computing device whether to output the new alert in the minimized form, providing the currently provided alert for output on the primary output device, and providing the new alert in the minimized form on the primary output device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining to not provide the currently provided alert in the minimized form, determining whether to remove the currently provided alert from being output; and

in response to determining to not provide the new alert in the minimized form, determining whether to remove the new alert from being output.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the new alert is a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining whether to provide the currently provided alert on a secondary output device; and

in response to determining that the new alert is not a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining whether to provide the new alert on the secondary output device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that determining that the new alert has a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determining a solution to the new alert, and provide the solution to the new alert for output.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the priority of the new alert meets a predetermined high threshold and, in response to determining that the priority of the new alert meets the predetermined high threshold, providing the new alert on a plurality of output devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the new alert includes at least one of the following:

a visual output, an audio output, and a haptic output.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimized form includes at least one of the following:

reducing a size of the new alert and removing the new alert from being output for a predetermined amount of time.

8. A system for information management comprising:

a vehicle sensor;

a processor that is coupled to the vehicle sensor;

a primary output device that is coupled to the processor; and

a memory component that is coupled to the processor, the memory component storing logic that when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform at least the following;

receive, from the vehicle sensor, new information related to an alert;

determine whether the new information is a higher priority than current information;

determine whether the new information includes a solution to the alert;

in response to determining that the new information is a higher priority and includes the solution, provide the alert and the solution via the primary output device in a prominent location and alter a location of a lower priority information; and

in response to determining that the new information is a lower priority than the current information and includes the solution, provide the alert in a less prominent location, with a user option to view the solution.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to, in response to determining that the new information is the lower priority, determining whether to provide the new information in a minimized form.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic further causes the system to, in response to determining to not provide the new information in the minimized form, determining whether to remove the new information from being output and wherein the minimized form includes at least one of the following:

reducing a size of the new information and removing the new information from being output for a predetermined amount of time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the alert is related to at least one of the following:

in-vehicle information and out of vehicle information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to, in response to determining that the new information has the lower priority, provide the new information on a secondary output device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to determine whether a priority of the new information meets a predetermined high threshold and, in response to determining that the priority of the new information meets the predetermined high threshold, providing the new information on a plurality of output devices.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of output devices, wherein each of the plurality of output devices includes at least one of the following:

a visual output device, an audio output device, and a haptic output device.

15. A vehicle for information management comprising:

a vehicle sensor; and

a vehicle computing device that includes a memory component that includes logic that, when executed by a processor, causes the vehicle computing device to perform at least the following;

receive a signal from the vehicle sensor, the signal related to a condition of the vehicle;

determine a new alert from the signal;

determine a priority of the new alert;

in response to determining that the new alert has a higher priority than a currently provided alert, determine whether to output the currently provided alert on a secondary output device, provide the new alert for output on a primary output device, and provide the currently provided alert on the secondary output device; and

in response to determining that the new alert does not have a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determine whether to output the new alert on the secondary output device, provide the currently provided alert for output on the primary output device, and provide the new alert on the secondary output device.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, the logic further causing the vehicle computing device to, in response to determining that the new alert has the higher priority, determine whether to output the currently provided alert in a minimized form.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the minimized form includes at least one of the following:

reducing a size of the new alert and removing the new alert from being output for a predetermined amount of time.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, the logic further causing the vehicle computing device to determine whether the priority of the new alert meets a predetermined high threshold and, in response to determining that the priority of the new alert meets the predetermined high threshold, provide the new alert on a plurality of output devices.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of output devices, wherein each of the plurality of output devices includes at least one of the following:

a visual output device, an audio output device, and a haptic output device.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, the logic further causing the vehicle computing device to, in response to determining that determining that the new alert has a higher priority than the currently provided alert, determine a solution to the new alert, and provide the solution to the new alert for output.