System for Use in a Vehicle

• US 20160351051A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Murthy, Niranjan, Wells, Andy
• Application Number:
  US15/114,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20160351051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for use in a vehicle; the system comprising; image capture means for capturing an image scene external to the vehicle, wherein the image scene includes a plurality of information indicators, each of which occurs in a corresponding region of the image scene and each of which includes text and/or a symbol. An image processing means is provided for generating multiple information outputs, each of which corresponds with one of the plurality of information indicators. A means is provided for assigning a priority to the multiple information outputs according to at least one pre-determined criterion. A means is provided for communicating the multiple information outputs to the user in dependence on the assigned priority.

Claims

1. A system for use in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a camera system that captures an image scene external to the vehicle, wherein the image scene includes a plurality of information indicators, each of which occurs in a corresponding region of the image scene and each of which includes text and/or a symbol;

an image processor that generates multiple information outputs, each of which corresponds to at least one of the plurality of information indicators; and

a priority handling processor that assigns a priority to the multiple information outputs according to at least one pre-determined criterion and communicates the multiple information outputs to a user in dependence on the assigned priority,

wherein each of the information indicators has an orientation, and wherein the pre-determined criterion includes the orientation of each information indicator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined criterion includes relative positions of the corresponding regions in the image scene.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the priority handling processor assigns the priority in an order in which the vehicle passes the corresponding regions in the image scene.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the information indicators has a type, and wherein the pre-determined criterion includes the type of information indicator.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the type is an instruction, a warning, or information, and/or wherein priority is assigned by type according to a priority order of the instruction, the warning, or the information.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global position sensor that provides an indication of a location and/or a route of the vehicle, wherein the priority handling processor assigns a priority to the multiple information outputs in accordance with the location and/or route.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processor determines whether the orientation of the one or more information indicators is directed away from the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the priority handling processor assigns a low priority to or to disregards an information indicator that has an orientation directed away from the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-determined criterion includes a vehicle-specific restriction, wherein the priority handling processor determines whether the vehicle-specific restriction is specific to the vehicle, and wherein the priority handling processor assigns a low priority to or disregards the vehicle-specific restriction which is determined as not being specific to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined criterion includes a time-specific restriction, and wherein the priority handling processor assigns a low priority to or disregards the time-specific restriction if not in effect at the current time.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display that allows user selection of a region of the image, and wherein the information output corresponds to the region in accordance with the user selection.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a selected vehicle language in which communications are to be carried out between a vehicle user and the system, and wherein at least one of the information indicators includes text in a country language other than the selected vehicle language, the system comprising a computer system that:

outputs a vehicle language signal representative of the vehicle language to a remote server;

outputs a country language signal to the remote server which is representative of the country language of the text included in the information indicator;

outputs the text to the remote server for translation from the country language into the vehicle language;

receives a translated text output from the remote server which is representative of the translated text; and

communicates the translated text output to the vehicle user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a selected vehicle language in which communications are to be carried out between a vehicle user and the system and wherein at least one of the information indicators includes text in a country language other than the selected vehicle language, wherein the system further comprises a processor that translates the text from the country language into the vehicle language, generates a translated text output representative of the translated text, and communicates the translated text output to the vehicle user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicator includes the symbol, and wherein the system further comprises a processor that derives a symbol meaning from the symbol, and communicates the symbol meaning to the vehicle user.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicator includes the symbol, and wherein the system further comprises a processor that outputs the symbol to a remote server for interpretation, receives an interpretation representative of the symbol from the remote server, and communicates the interpretation of the symbol to the vehicle user.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicators are comprised in one of a road sign in the image of the scene, a road marking in the image scene, and an advertisement board in the image scene.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio system, wherein the audio system comprises multiple speakers each having a position in the vehicle, and wherein the information is output through the speakers according to the respective position of the speakers in the vehicle.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a visual display screen.

6. (canceled)

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21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. A method for use in a vehicle, the method comprising:

capturing an image scene external to the vehicle, wherein the image scene includes a plurality of information indicators, each of which occurs in a corresponding region of the image scene and each of which includes text and/or a symbol;

generating multiple information outputs, each of which corresponds with one of the plurality of information indicators;

assigning a priority to the multiple information outputs according to a predetermined criterion; and

communicating the multiple information outputs to the user in dependence on the assigned priority,

wherein each of the information indicators has an orientation, and wherein the pre-determined criterion includes the orientation of the information indicator.

27. A vehicle comprising a system, the system comprising:

a camera system that captures an image scene external to the vehicle, wherein the image scene includes a plurality of information indicators, each of which occurs in a corresponding region of the image scene and each of which includes text and/or a symbol;

an image processor that generates multiple information outputs, each of which corresponds to at least one of the plurality of information indicators; and

a priority handling processor that assigns a priority to the multiple information outputs according to at least one pre-determined criterion and communicates the multiple information outputs to the user in dependence on the assigned priority,

wherein each of the information indicators has an orientation, and wherein the pre-determined criterion includes the orientation of the information indicator.

28. (canceled)