VISUAL SEARCH ASSISTANCE FOR AN OCCUPANT OF A VEHICLE

• US 20160009411A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Davalos, Pedro, De Mers, Robert E., Schmidt, John F.L., Mohideen, Mohammed Ibrahim
• Granted Patent: US 9,533,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A visual search assistance system and related operating method are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the method dynamically determines a desired line-of-sight vector from an occupant of a vehicle to a visual target, and dynamically determines, with an onboard tracking system of the vehicle, an actual line-of-sight vector for the occupant of the vehicle. The actual line-of-sight vector is temporally associated with the desired line-of-sight vector. The method compares the actual line-of-sight vector against the desired line-of-sight vector to obtain a difference measurement, and generates a notification when the obtained difference measurement exceeds a threshold value. The notification provides guidance to redirect a gaze direction of the occupant toward the visual target.

Claims

1. A visual search assistance method for an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:

dynamically determining a desired line-of-sight vector from an occupant of the vehicle to a visual target;

dynamically determining, with an onboard tracking system of the vehicle, an actual line-of-sight vector for the occupant of the vehicle, the determined actual line-of-sight vector being temporally associated with the determined desired line-of-sight vector;

comparing the determined actual line-of-sight vector against the determined desired line-of-sight vector to obtain a difference measurement; and

generating a notification when the obtained difference measurement exceeds a threshold value, the notification providing guidance to redirect a gaze direction of the occupant toward the visual target.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the visual target resides within the vehicle; and

the desired line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a known position of the visual target relative to the occupant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the visual target is a stationary ground-based target that resides outside the vehicle; and

the desired line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a known geographical position of the visual target.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the visual target is a moving object that resides outside the vehicle;

the method further comprises receiving, with an onboard system of the vehicle, real-time position data of the visual target; and

the desired line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on the received real-time position data of the visual target.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises an eye gaze tracking system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current eye gaze direction of the occupant, as detected by the eye gaze tracking system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises a head tracking system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current head position of the occupant, as detected by the head tracking system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises a near-to-eye display system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current eye gaze direction of the occupant, as detected by the near-to-eye display system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the notification comprises:

emitting an audible instruction to inform the occupant of a viewspace location of the visual target.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the notification comprises:

displaying a directional indicator that points toward a viewspace location of the visual target.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the notification comprises:

displaying a textual message that describes, identifies, or indicates a viewspace location of the visual target.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the notification comprises:

producing haptic feedback intended for the occupant of the vehicle, the haptic feedback indicating a viewspace location of the visual target.

12. A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and capable of performing a method when executed by a processor, the method comprising:

dynamically obtaining a desired line-of-sight vector from an occupant of an aircraft to a visual target;

dynamically obtaining, from an onboard tracking system of the aircraft, an actual line-of-sight vector for the occupant of the aircraft, the determined actual line-of-sight vector being temporally associated with the determined desired line-of-sight vector;

comparing the determined actual line-of-sight vector against the determined desired line-of-sight vector to obtain a difference measurement; and

generating a notification when the obtained difference measurement exceeds a threshold value, the notification providing guidance to redirect a gaze direction of the occupant toward the visual target.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises an eye gaze tracking system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current eye gaze direction of the occupant, as detected by the eye gaze tracking system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises a head tracking system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current head position of the occupant, as detected by the head tracking system.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

the onboard tracking system comprises a near-to-eye display system; and

the actual line-of-sight vector is dynamically determined based on a current eye gaze direction of the occupant, as detected by the near-to-eye display system.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein generating the notification comprises:

emitting an audible instruction to inform the occupant of a viewspace location of the visual target.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein generating the notification comprises:

displaying a directional indicator that points toward a viewspace location of the visual target.

18. A computing system for a vehicle, the computing system comprising a processor architecture having at least one processor device, and comprising memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor architecture, cause the computing system to:

operate an onboard tracking system of the vehicle to dynamically obtain a current line-of-sight vector for an occupant of the vehicle;

compare the obtained current line-of-sight vector against a current desired line-of-sight vector from the occupant of the vehicle to a visual target, the obtained current line-of-sight vector being temporally associated with the current desired line-of-sight vector; and

provide information when the obtained difference measurement exceeds a threshold value, the information intended for the occupant of the vehicle, and the information providing guidance to redirect a gaze direction of the occupant toward the visual target.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the information is provided in the form of an audible instruction that directs the occupant to a viewspace location of the visual target.

20. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the information is provided in the form of a displayed directional indicator that points toward a viewspace location of the visual target.