COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND RELATED METHOD

• US 20170190337A1
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Singh, Harpreet, Hasedzic, Elvir, Pickering, Carl, Skrypchuk, Lee, Robertson, Duncan
• Granted Patent: US 10,053,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

The present application relates to a communication system for controlling the output of messages to a vehicle occupant. The communication system has a processor configured to output a first message to the vehicle occupant. A signal is received from one or more sensors operative to monitor the vehicle occupant when the first message is output. The signal from said one or more sensors is analysed to determine one or more parameters relating to the response of the vehicle occupant to said first message. The communication system controls the subsequent output of at least said first message in dependence on said one or more determined parameters. The present application also relates to a method and to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A communication system for controlling the output of messages to a vehicle occupant, the communication system comprising one or more processors configured to:

output a first message to the vehicle occupant;

receive a signal from one or more sensors that monitor the vehicle occupant;

analyse the signal from the one or more sensors to determine one or more parameters relating to a response of the vehicle occupant to the first message, wherein the one or more parameters provide identification of a negative response by the vehicle occupant to the first message;

implement a counter to count negative responses; and

control subsequent output of the first message in dependence on the count of negative responses.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters provide identification of a positive response by the vehicle occupant to the first message and the counter counts positive responses.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors is configured to calculate a probability of a driver responding positively or negatively to the first message.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an audio sensor and the one or more processors are configured to analyse an audio signal output from the audio sensor.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the audio sensor is operative to detect a spoken response from the vehicle occupant and the one or more processors are configured to analyse the spoken response to determine one or more characteristics.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one image sensor, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyse an image signal output from the at least one image sensor.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyse the image signal to identify one or more of the following:

(a) a movement of the vehicle occupant;

(b) a gesture performed by the vehicle occupant;

(c) a facial expression of the vehicle occupant to assess attentiveness of the occupant; and

(d) a facial expression of the vehicle occupant to assess emotional status of the occupant.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the output of the first message by:

(a) inhibiting output of the first message for at least a first defined time period;

(b) defining an output format for the subsequent output of the first message; and

(c) adjusting a frequency with which the first message is output.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the output of the first message in dependence on workload of the vehicle occupant.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the output of the first message in dependence on data received from one or more sensors arranged to detect vehicle situational data.

16. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine when to output the first message in dependence on the calculated probability.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

one or more sensors; and

a communication system coupled to the one or more sensors that controls output of messages to a vehicle occupant, the communication system comprising one or more processors configured to;

output a first message to the vehicle occupant;

receive a signal from one or more sensors that monitor the vehicle occupant;

analyse the signal from the one or more sensors to determine one or more parameters relating to a response of the vehicle occupant to the first message, wherein the one or more parameters provide identification of a negative response by the vehicle occupant to the first message;

implement a counter to count negative responses; and

control subsequent output of the first message in dependence on the count of negative responses.

12. A method of controlling the output of messages to a vehicle occupant, the method comprising:

outputting a first message to the vehicle occupant;

using one or more sensors to monitor the vehicle occupant;

analysing a data signal from the one or more sensors to determine one or more parameters relating to a response of the vehicle occupant to the first message, wherein the one or more parameters provide identification of a negative response by the vehicle occupant to the first message;

electronically counting negative responses; and

controlling the subsequent output of at least the first message in dependence on the count of negative responses.

13. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more parameters provide identification of a positive response by the vehicle occupant to the first message, and wherein the method further comprises counting positive responses.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate a probability of a driver responding positively or negatively to the first message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine when to output the first message in dependence on the calculated probability.